Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 If so, what do you use it for? What do you think of the caliber and the rifle that delivers the pill? Lastly, what it the rate of twist in the barrel? Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 a 243? ain't that some engine they usta put in cars? why would I shoot an engine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Bad Bob Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 It's a favorite down here, and Florida produces a LOT of beef! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Bad Bob Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I've mostly shot wild hogs and wild turkeys with it, but it will work well on deer too, as long as they ain't monsters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Bad Bob Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 The Ultimate Deer Cartridge - .243 http://www.udarrell.com/ultimate-deer-cartridge-jim-mcswigin.htm Hunting with the .243 Winchester - Possible the Perfect Deer Round http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/392257/hunting_with_the_243_winchester_possibly.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Darned good caliber. You should be able to take most N. American game with it. Mild recoil. Reasonable range and power. You can load it to take a 100 gr. bullet at about 3000 fps, and a 70 gr a screaming 3500. Twist is usually 1:9.5 or 1:10. Sometimes you can find a 1:12 As with any other, know its limits and yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gateway Kid SASS# 70038 Life Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Haven't shot it in quite a while but I used to use my Winchester Model 100 in 243 for deer and smaller critters (coyotes, antelope, prairie dogs etc) Out to about 300 yards it was quite effective with a 100 grain bullet (I think that was the weight but it has been a while) From a rest with a 4x12 Burris it was considerably more accurate than I was, four shot groups at 100 that could be covered with a dime, at 200 with a quarter. Not sure I would use it for elk but I know that it is capable as my BIL had a Winchester model 88 in 243 and it was the only hunting rifle he owned. He took an elk every year for about 6-7 years that I know of for certain. Better shot than me for sure. Regards Gateway Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 I thank you all for your replies. I have always admired the caliber but I have never shot one. I had an opportunity to purchase a used Remington with scope for around $200.00 several years ago. At the time my brain said "What are you going to use it for?" I could not answer. I have always been a 30-06 fan and have a rifle in that caliber. Since I gave up hunting and am too old to run around the hills any more, it would be more of a toy than anything else. The mind set was that I have been looking at the .17 HMR caliber and a new .22 LR in a bolt action and I got to thinking on that .243. Sometimes hind sight will just kick your bottom for you. Anyway, I have a leupold 3 x 9 scope that I do not have mounted on a rifle. I took it off the .30-06 and put iron sights on it. I am looking for a lighter rifle to mount it on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneaky Gun Runner SASS 79775 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 BMC, The .243 has served me very well for Oklahoma deer, coyotes, and assorted tree stumps (great recipe for a cedar stump if you are interested). I am saving up a bit now for a new upper for my AR in .243 WSSM. My experience was with a Savage, 22" barrel, Nosler Ballistic Tip (here), and various powders. The cartridge isn't magic, but it seems that way at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 Well, SG, I have never had the pleasure of cedar, but the blacktail deer here seem to like the alder bark, and my apples. Maybe a .243 would be a good investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 buy a cross bow, nice and quiet, quick drag to the garage, hose down the yard and you got meat in the freezer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. James H. Callahan Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 My .243 is a "cabin rifle". Stainless single shot with a 4x flip up post/crosshair Bushnell scope. It lives under a mattress. Great little gun for a cabin rifle. Has an 18" (mebbe 16, I'm not sure) barrel, synthetic stock, feels like a BB gun. Nice to throw over your shoulder for a hike in the woods in case some hog comes along that needs killin'. Good short to medium range deer rifle in a pinch. I'm a .30 cal. man at heart and prefer my .30/30, .30/06 or .300 Win Mag for deer, depending on the application, but we have a ground blind my nephew set up for bowhunting where the feeder is some 20 yards from the blind, so it's just the ticket for a short range blind. I was amazed how little this tiny rifle kicks, even with a .243. JHC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 The cartridge isn't magic, but it seems that way at times. There is something about the 6mm family that seems that way. Somehow the bullet diameter, length, and weight, all add up just right for superb accuracy. The 6mm PPC pretty much ruled the benchrest community for a number of years (might still be on top, not sure). The .243 turned the 6mm into a multi-purpose hunting round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 There seems to be a pretty good selection for reloading them also. Somebody posted on another forum, about the folly of all the different bullet weights for the 06 and with only one rate of twist in the barrel, that the accuracy would suffer from it. I believe that the military developed it from a 1:12 twist of the rifling. Granted, that a 220 grain pill or a 125 grain pill would not punch paper quite the same way as a say 150 grain Spitzer Boat tail. I am wondering if the .243 would be affected in the same way? It has a impressive muzzle velocity. And down range at 300 yards the energy is still over 1500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anvil Al #59168 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I just got one about a month ago. Not sure why. Just wanted one. Really like it. Don't really hunt. But know I could if I wanted to with it. It's main job will be to go to the range and let me bang out 20-30 rounds and not kill my shoulder. Which is why I picked the .243 and not the 30-06. There is also a 58gr Varmint round. 3750fps This is what I have shot out of it so far. Glad I picked the .243 Will have to get back with you on the twist. Don't know. will have to look it up. But got a Mossberg. Was cheap enough. Just under 300 bucks with scope. Scope is not much. But for what I wanted it for. Works great. Just wanted something I could shoot some and not cost me much. Had to scratch that itch once I got to wanting one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 Glad that worked out so well for you, Al. I am kinda in that spot my own self. I was looking at the rimfires. The .22 LR is a great round, inexpensive to shoot and easy to carry. But then I got the hots for the .17 HMR but after reading about it, I cooled off and went back to the .22 LR. But the .22 is not for 200 yard shooting. I am not certain that I can see 200 yards, but I like to think I can. The .243 should be able to do the 200 yards and then another 200 without a second breath. The .22 can't do that. Of course sitting at the bench and shooting a bench rest target all day does not do it for me, and I guess I am not a gopher hunter. I don't have the killer instinct. Those gophers and prairie dogs never did anything to me. That leaves me with SASS and silhouette. I can't shoot .22 or .243 in SASS and I have never shot silhouette. I doubt that the .243 would be a good round for large caliber silhouettes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McKenzie River Drifter, #74138 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 .243 Twist rate (6mm is .243 diameter) 1. Most common is 1 in 10 inch. Good for 85-105 grain bullits. 2. Next most common and very common on 6mm Rem is 1 in 12. good for 60-85 grain bullits. 3. Least common and normal for 6X47 is 1 in 14. excellent for 60 grain and smaller bullits. The 6X47 was an old bench rest cartridge made from a .222 mag necked up to .243. The 6mm PPC put it out of business. Hope this info is of some help McKenzie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anvil Al #59168 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Just went and looked. It was 1 in 10 I have been thinking about doing a little coyote hunting around here. Sould be perfect for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltbush Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 had one for 30 years now, parker hale mauser action use speer 85gr boat tail & 90gr spitzer for 285 metre knock down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 Thanks for the helpful information, folks. I really appreciate it. Saltbush, I can relate to your signature line and the targets. That darn Okie Sawbones just won't do it. Him and Dynamite Dalton are in cahoots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 Had a Mauser in 6mm Rem. 1 in 10 twist. the Remington round was their competition for the Win. 243. Has a little more neck to the case, and holds a scosh more powder. with the 55g Nosler BT and Varget powder, got close to 4,000fps and could put four out of five in a group about the size of my thumbnail at 100 yards off a bi-pod. Made a good AT&T ground hog gun........Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulp, SASS#28319 Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 I've had a Browing BAR in .243 since '73. It's always given good accuracy but is VERY picky. It absolutely hates boattail bullets. I've never gotten good accuracy with any boattail with this rifle. I also have a little Remington 660 Mohawk in .243. It'll shoot 3/4 inch groups with Sierra 85 grain BTHP and Varget powder, and MOA with about anything else I've ever tried in it. I bought my son a Savage Axis/Edge rifle in .243 for Christmas. The only group I've shot with it was with Hornady factory 75 grain HP's. .882 inches. Can't wait to try some of my reloads in it. I had a .17HRM for a bit, loved it, but just too expensive to shoot, since you can't reload them little critters. Unless you're planning on critters bigger than deer, then you just can't go wrong with the .243. And I recommend a Savage rifle for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tres Pistolas Posted March 12, 2011 Share Posted March 12, 2011 I love my .243 ! Over the years I've shot over a dozen antelope with it. Edit: BTW, mine is a 1964 Remington Model 600 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.