.243 Winchester - Jack of All Trades...Master of none?

[RugerOldArmy]

There was another thread posted, wherein the OP stated, and I quote:

THE #1 - hands-down, guaranteed, All-Time Best Champion centerfire rifle caliber for the typical U.S. hunter is unquestionably - as everyone knows - the .243 Winchester.

There is nothing inherently wrong with the .243. It does have versatility going for it. You can use it for hunting antlered critters, or varmints. It is somewhat efficient, based off of the .308 Win.

However, the thought occurred to me that the other poster may not be objective, owining a .243 and all. My reasoning follows.

- .243 Win benefits from having little recoil. This is one of the reasons why women and kids use it to hunt deer with. However, when it comes to varmint hunting, it has more recoil than many other suitable cartridges. Why is this significant? I feel it is significant due to the fact that it has ENOUGH recoil to spoil your view of the hit through the scope. .223 Rem and .204 Ruger on the otherhand benefit by allowing the user to see the hit through the scope. A significant benefit for Varminting? You be the judge.

- .243 Win is an adequate rifle for deer. As an all around hunting round, for common US game (as stated in the other thread), it is marginal at best for Elk or Moose. No?

- Given the points above, a case could be made that the 6mm Remington, which serves pretty much the same niche as .243 Win, is a better cartridge than .243 Rem. The longer case neck allows for greater accuracy and more flexible seating/reloading. It is easier to reload for (See last year's American Rifleman article on that point.) It is capable of greater velocity. It is also said (but I'm not convinced) that the longer neck leads to greater barrel life. About the only drawback to the 6mm Rem would be action length and a very, very slight edge would go to .243 in efficiency.

- Other, similar cartridges based off of the same parent cartridge are better for larger game. .260, 7mm-08, and .308 Win as examples.

- Many other 6mm cartridges are more efficient. 6mm BR, 6mm-250, 6 PPC, 6XC etc.

- There are other higher velocity 6mm cartridges: 6mm Rem, 6mm-06, 6mm-284 etc.

I contend that, had the 6mm Rem not initially been offered with a dedicated Varmint twist, and had the same twist initially offered with .243 Win, .243 Win would have died on the vine.

That said, if those points are true, the best .243 Win has going for it is versatility and availability.

Jack of All Trades...Master of none? What say you all?

 

[Auburn1992]

I'd think the 25-06 would beat it. Small enough for varmints, good for elk and deer.

 

[browningguy]

I've got one, makes a decent enough deer round, very good long range target round, excellent long range Prairie Poodle and Coyote round. What's not to like.

I also have .223's, 7mm's, various 30 cal's, and up to .458 Winnie when the task calls for it.

 

[RugerOldArmy]

I'd think the 25-06 would beat it. Small enough for varmints, good for elk and deer.

Clearly a better deer cartridge. I'm sure it has taken some Elk, but I don't know that the majority would consider it a better than marginal elk cartridge, would they? .25-06 may suffer from excessive heat (all that powder) with repeated shots, and impart enough recoil to spoil the view of impact, in the varmint fields, No?

 

[elmerfudd]

Or you could just get a 30-06. It's perfect for deer, varmints and maybe hogs.

 

[cliffy]

Mastery of all surveyed

A .375 H&H is THE MASTER round of true put-down. Anything less can be considered a pop gun. Yet, .243 Winchesters have downed more deer than any other cartridge available. A .243 Winchester offers the PERFECT Blend of power and ACCURACY due to modest recoil. A .375 H&H offers massive recoil and massive power. Any other caliber inbetwixt is adequate. Not blowing the entire chest cavity out-of-a whitetail brings us back to the .243 Winnie Pooh. It'll kill a deer deader-than-dead with correct bullets, yet won't destroy half the edible meat while doing so. I bow to any hunter who can hit the deer perfectly with any .30 caliber rifle without FLINCHING at the recoil. I find the .243 Winchester the perfect caliber to aim properly for a perfectly proper hit. PRACTICE with what you have, and become a good hunter on a regular basis. cliffy

 

[RugerOldArmy]

I've got one, makes a decent enough deer round, very good long range target round, excellent long range Prairie Poodle and Coyote round. What's not to like.

It agreed that .243 Win is versatile. In that niche, (case size, bore size, velocity bracket) does it compare favorably with 6mm Rem though?

Overall, is .243 it too large for being a good Varmint field cartridge (heat, barrel life), and on the small side for larger game like Elk and Moose?

 

[t george]

or one could just get all three 243 25-06 and 30-06 and give in to that desire that we call an illness for where i hunt the 243 is just right for me but i like my 30 06 and i NEED at 25 06 o yeah i need a 6mm too just because

 

[RugerOldArmy]

Or you could just get a 30-06. It's perfect for deer, varmints and maybe hogs.

Most everyone would have to conceed that .30-06 is more capable for larger game.

Would it be viable for a dogtown?

The point being...are any of the 'versatile' cartridges pretty much limited, on one end or another?

 

[t george]

i would agree with rugeroldarmy on all points i love the 30 06 but a day of shooting at a dogtown would be rough on me with it

 

[RugerOldArmy]

...I bow to any hunter who can hit the deer perfectly with any .30 caliber rifle without FLINCHING at the recoil....

I would venture (my opinion) that .30-06 is still at the point where the majority of people do not flinch. But some do, and many have, but got used to it.

However, I'd agree that:

i would agree with rugeroldarmy on all points i love the 30 06 but a day of shooting at a dogtown would be rough on me with it

Shooting an '06 on a dogtown (hmmm, would be lighter bullets tho, less recoil) might stretch folks. A lit of folks can easily shoot 500-1000 rounds a day on dogtowns.

...back to .243 win now...

 

[RugerOldArmy]

I've posted too much in this already, but one last question. Can any 'versatile'... 'dual purpose' cartridge lreally be good at both roles...or is 243 Win really:

THE #1 - hands-down, guaranteed, All-Time Best Champion centerfire rifle caliber for the typical U.S. hunter is unquestionably - as everyone knows - the .243 Winchester.

...as another poster suggested?

 

[chute2thrill]

I like the .243 too... But I'd also have to go with the .25-06 for versatility... Of course you still have to worry about not being able to see the hit through the scope when popping pdogs...

 

[cliffy]

IN ADDITION to support .243 Winnie Prowess

If the .244 Remington was so great, why did it die on the vine? Calling the very same cartridge a 6mm Remington, did little to disprove the .243 Winchester as KING of the 6mms. 100 grains of super-bullet at 3000 fps, leaves little venue to FAULT, and that is my standard handload in .243 Winchester. I've never fired the .244 Remington, but I've fired thousands of
.243 Winchester loads, so I many be bias. Nearly every rifle manufacturer offers .243 Winchester as a staple cartridge, but 6mm Remington rifles remain slightly difficult to find in any flurry of offerings. Yes, a .244 Remington case can be persuaded to hold SLIGHTLY more powder than a .243 Winnie Pooh, but my Remington Model 700 admits the .243 Winchester out-sells many other rifles in many other calibers. Don't fight the KING! All other 6mm calibers bow, if they don't continue to fight the KING accuracywise and popularitywise. Yes, I'm a mediocre shot regarding any caliber, but my .243 Winnie Pooh can hold its own against any other medium-game cartridge yet devised. My .223 Remington fends off vicious coyotes, so I dedicate my .243 Winchester to deer and hog hunting. cliffy

 

[MMCSRET]

As ELMER KEITH said about the 270 Winchester: It makes a pretty good coyote gun. Extrapolate that down to 243 and 25-06!!!!!!

 

[NCsmitty]

The 243 would be a better cartridge if Winchester had shortened and sharpened the shoulder both ways and given it a longer neck like the 6MM Remington. It would better support the longer bullets. As it is, the powder space is compromised with the longer bullets in the short actions.
Yes cliffy, the 6MM Remington holds more powder which equates to superior performance. A man who owns a 6MM Rem and handloads knows the difference.

NCsmitty

 

[cliffy]

Recoil

A .270 Winchester has never been noted to produce mild recoil. A Varmint Cartridge? I don't think so! Even a .243 Winchester recoils a bit harshly for sustained p'dog hunts. A .223 Remington has its place, varmintwise. To me, a .270 Winchester is a dedicated Elk-Moose round, unnecessarily over-powering little Whitetail Deer. A .270 has no place in tiny varmint territory: i.e. p'dogs or even woodchuck country. Even a cross-bred Eastern Timber Wolf-Coyote (Wolyote) does not require such over-whelming force. cliffy

 

[rangerruck]

I agree, I have hit everything with my 243, and my 6mm remmy. I kept the 243, becuase of ammo availibilty, and i do not reload. But the 6mm is a better cart, at least 200 fps faster than a 243. Now then, hogs have tougher skin and plates than any deer or elk ever will. and yet, I will regularly shred through a shoulder, cut off the tops of the heart and lungs, and then smash the off
side of a hog, nice and big, no probs. So I have no fear in hunting anything up to elk with a 243, really.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

If the .244 Remington was so great, why did it die on the vine?

I am not so sure the 6mm Remington is dead. And at any rate, it's "demise" is due more to choices Remington made regarding the rifle and marketing than to any fault of the cartridge.

Remington introduced the first 6mm Remington rifles with twist rates that were too slow to stabilize the heavier 100 gr bullets used for medium game, because they envisioned the cartridge as being the ultimate varmint cartridge, and marketed it that way.

Winchester put a faster twist on their .243 Win rifles, allowing it to stabilize the heavier bullets and marketed it as a dual-purpose cartridge.

By the time Remington took note of and corrected their mistake, the damage had already been done as the perception of the cartridges was set. You know what they say about first impressions...

The fact remains that the 6mm Remington is at least as useful as the .243 Win, and [singing]anything the .243 can do, the 6mm can do better [end singing].

And lets face it, if the situation had been reversed, you know you wouldn't let a mistake by the rifle manufacture concerning improper twist rate and marketing disillude you to the true utility of the cartridge, nor confuse popularity as an indicator of merit, because you're not that short-sighted and gullible, are you?

And there are cartridges on the market that have well-deserved reputation for versatility. The .243 isn't one of them. When I think Jack-of-all-trades, I think .308 Win and 6.5 Swede. I think .270 Win and .30-06. Maybe .257 Weatherby. Heck, I think 7mm Rem Mag. All of these cartridges have more use as game cartridges than the .243 Win or the 6mm Rem.

 

[cliffy]

Thank you, Rangerruck

Why do some people think a huge diameter bullet solves all hunting quests? A .243 Winchester is a potent caliber of extreme accuracy in the practiced hands of a dedicated hunter, due to tolerable recoil. It also allows many a neophite a sporting chance at downing his or her quarry. I'm an advocate of 2200 ft/lbs of muzzle energy regarding most of the lower 48s available game: certainly feasible regarding a .243 Winchester with a bolt-action rifle with proper handloads. I create those everyday. cliffy

 

[Ben Shepherd]

RugerOldArmy-

I'd agree with your thought on recoil. Most folks I know have trained/practiced to where they can do at least one box of '06 before they get flinchy. Myself included.

Above that? You're a rarity, or a liar(IMHO, of course).

Mom hunted deer with a 243. Got a few. All were DRT. She wouldn't chance a risky shot.

 

[cliffy]

.243 vs .244 prowess

Hi MTMilitiaman, please allow the friendly battle to begin . . . You basically said that millions of people are wrong in their caliber choice. The 6mm Remington does offer some saving graces, but why didn't Remington, a top rifle-cartridge company, pursue this supposed "Superiority" further? If I were Remington-per-say, I'd extole the virtues of the "FAR" superior 6mm Remington over the .243 Winnie Pooh. In fact, the ballistic difference does not warrant trading-in a great .243 accurate rifle for a 6mm Remington because of its slightly larger powder capacity, which may or may not create a "world" of difference. Due to modern powders of easy availability, how many more grains can be compressed into a 6mm Remington? Hodgdon H4350filling a .243 Winchester case creates a 6mm force unsurpassed to date. Adding a few more grains into a 6mm Remington, to date, cannot make THAT much difference in fps, accuracy, or ft/lbs of muzzle energy performance downrange. My Remington 700 CDL came standard with 1-in-9 1/8" twist, surpassing the argueable difference twixt 1-in-12" vs 1-in-10" performance. Lest we stop learning, we normally improve. Gyroscopic stability is a relatively new science unbeknownst to our fore-fathers. I agree that the slight powder capacity edge should have made the 6mm Remington superior slightly to the .243 Winchester which undenably rules the firearm market worldwide. One-out-of-every five firearm sales worldwide is a .243 Winchester, correct me if I'm wrong. cliffy

 

[benzy2]

There are too many rounds out there today for one round to do more than one thing the best. At most you are going to be the best round at a give situation. Beyond that something is either faster and more powerful or is a little lighter recoiling. You may compete in multiple categories but there are no Michael Phelps in rifle rounds.

Cliffy,

If all other things equal, which they certainly aren't, why wouldn't we pick a slightly faster round? If the two came out today in the same rifles as brand new chamberings why would the .243 win be the better pick? It had a better barrel selection which we all agree on. From there I see it as the slight performance gain out there wasn't worth the cost of a new rifle. I can understand that mentality. Had Remington played it out right from the beginning I do think we would be shooting a different round. Still it doesn't take too long for everyone to enjoy the round and decide to keep it. Once a round is favored it takes a lot of effort to switch to something all but identical. Had the .244 Rem been way out of the .243 league things may be different but as we all have said close enough means Ill keep what I have.

And out of curiosity where are you getting the one out of every five firearms sold world wide is a .243 Win? I can't believe that to be true.

 

[Jst1mr]

Yet, .243 Winchesters have downed more deer than any other cartridge available. A .243 Winchester offers the PERFECT Blend of power and ACCURACY due to modest recoil. A .375 H&H offers massive recoil and massive power. Any other caliber inbetwixt is adequate. Not blowing the entire chest cavity out-of-a whitetail brings us back to the .243 Winnie Pooh. It'll kill a deer deader-than-dead with correct bullets, yet won't destroy half the edible meat while doing so. I bow to any hunter who can hit the deer perfectly with any .30 caliber rifle without FLINCHING at the recoil

.

Would LOVE to know the source of this gem, as the 30-30 has undoubtedly dispatched many more than the .243. AND everyone knows people get extremely flinchy with that shoulder-breaking 30-30. Glad you're happy with your rifle, but doesn't anyone else tire of the "my rifle is better than your rifle" threads???

 

[nathan]

West Texans love the .243 cal. It s the caliber they were born to , hunted with and will pass on to their grandkids.