Any 243 fans left?

Riomouse911 said:
I like the .243. I haven’t killed anything yet with mine, a Ruger M77 RSI, but it fills the same niche as my Remington 722 .257 Roberts.

The Roberts has killed an awful lot of hill country white tails and predatory critters over the decades it was used on the family ranch, a .243 would have performed the same duty had my Grandfather ever owned a rifle in that caliber. :thumbup:

View attachment 1178002

Stay safe.
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Rio, I have, I should say older son, has the same rifle only in .308. Wonderful rifle Ruger built.
 
My stepfather killed a lot of deer with a Rem. 742 and a BLR in .243 when I was growing up. I have the BLR in my safe for my daughter. She shot her first and only buck with the BLR. 95 gr Fusion in the boiler room and the deer didn't take a step. Went straight down.

When I dressed the deer out it looked like a grenade had gone off in his chest.

I like to use it for javelina.

A lot of people use to.make fun of my stepfather for using a .243 but everything went down that he shot. We had a guy in our group that used a .300 Win.Mag. and he never could get anything to go down. I guess it is the shooter and shot placement that make the difference.
 
Grew up shooting dad's Browning highwall in 6mm Remington. My longest shot on any critter I have killed was with that rifle, taking a groundhog at ~360 yards.

I currently own a 6mm Creedmoor chassis rifle and one of the best groups I have ever shot was with that rifle.



target_image (1).jpg
5-shot group at 200 yards.
 
Armored farmer said:
Sometimes we need a DISlike button.
Put me in the YES column.
The only centerfire rifle on the farm while I was growing up. .243 700 Remington with a Weaver 6x fixed.
Many groundhogs and coyotes fell to it too!
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When I saw 100gr bullets blow up on a doe's ribcage, I lost all respect for the cartridge. Y'all are free to clamor over all the free ones I turn down.
 
CraigC said:
When I saw 100gr bullets blow up on a doe's ribcage, I lost all respect for the cartridge. Y'all are free to clamor over all the free ones I turn down.
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That sounds like a bullet issue. Not a 243 issue. Many deer (even elk) have definitely been killed with a 243.

I guess what I'm saying is I wouldn't be too quick to throw the baby out with the bathwater
 
VoodooMountain said:
That sounds like a bullet issue. Not a 243 issue. Many deer (even elk) have definitely been killed with a 243.

I guess what I'm saying is I wouldn't be too quick to throw the baby out with the bathwater
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It wasn't a varmint bullets but it behaved like one. Had similar results with standard 100gr cup & core bullets in the .250Savage. Switched to Barnes as a result, because I like the rifle. Shouldn't have to use expensive controlled expansion bullets just to kill deer. How many failures are acceptable?

IMHO, hunting elk with the .243 is about as irresponsible as it gets.
 
I haven't personally seen any outright failures with the .243, but the successes I have seen were underwhelming. In one particular instance, I recall thinking "Well, that worked, but just barely." So for my money, it falls just slightly below my "bare minimum" threshold, and I prefer things like the .25 Bob in that role - and am much happier with something like a 7x57.

For those who are making the .243 work for them, of course, then more power to you.
 
I bought a NIB .243 Ruger M77 in the mid-'70s. Great rifle! It was like shooting a laser. :)

A few years later I decided to trade it in on a .45acp Colt Combat Commander as a carry piece. My requirements had changed but my bank account was still rather thin, so ... <sigh & smile>

In Dec'16 I saw that CDNN was selling-off the recently-discon'd Marlin XS7 bolt rifles for $249 :what: and used it as an opportunity to get another .243.

Just recently I removed the barrel and handed it off for threading. My BANISH 30 should be approved sometime in the Spring. ;)
 
Riomouse911 said:
I like the .243. I haven’t killed anything yet with mine, a Ruger M77 RSI, but it fills the same niche as my Remington 722 .257 Roberts.

The Roberts has killed an awful lot of hill country white tails and predatory critters over the decades it was used on the family ranch, a .243 would have performed the same duty had my Grandfather ever owned a rifle in that caliber. :thumbup:

View attachment 1178002

Stay safe.
Click to expand...
Boy, I'm a sucker for those Mannlicher stocks... What a pretty rifle!
 
CraigC said:
It wasn't a varmint bullets but it behaved like one. Had similar results with standard 100gr cup & core bullets in the .250Savage. Switched to Barnes as a result, because I like the rifle. Shouldn't have to use expensive controlled expansion bullets just to kill deer. How many failures are acceptable?

IMHO, hunting elk with the .243 is about as irresponsible as it gets.
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I completely understand. But you are describing bullet failure. It can, and has, happened in every caliber.
 
I gave my son my Ruger American in 243 and missed having arifle in that caliber. I gave him 200 rounds of ammo with the gun. So I just now bought a wood stocked Savage Axis in 243 I found on gunbroker. I still have around 700 component bullets on hand so need a gun to shoot them in. I have killed one deer with a 243. It was my longest deer shot so far. A 250 yard shot using a Speed 105gr Hot Core bullet that went in at the back of the right side ribs and exited through the left side of the brisket.

I agree with craigc that 243 bullets can really come apart when used at high speed and close range. Thats why I started loading Nosler 100gr Partitions and Speer Grand Slam bullets for deer hunting. And since I reload I don't pick the top speed for my loads. Load to around 2800-2850fps and the bullets hold together just fine. Sighted in about 2" high at 100 yards and you are around 8" low at 300 yards. Thats flat enough for my personal deer use.
 
I shot one deer w a 100gr cup n core at 50 yards on the trot. Did not anchor immediately, was double lunged, only one rib centered. Cant remember if on entry or exit. Little hole in and out. Deer dead.
But not down and out as fast as I like.

Wrong cartridge? Or wrong bullet?

Designed for deer, it shot good groups and killed my deer. Guess it did its job.

Would i see shorter BTs with a diff bullet?
Dunno. Got some for following season, but nothing big enough to shoot.

Not enough experience over a variety of bullets for me to exalt or denounce the .243 on deer.

As a chuck blaster, oh yeah, 70gr Nosler BT makes it a fave
 
I’ve got a 270 Win and 308 Win, personally.

But my kids…. man, they’ve a pretty good track record for whitetail using a youth 243 Win including a monster 9 point (monster for my corner of the world, maybe not y’all’s)

90 or 95 gr Winchester ammo. Shiny silver casing. Not sure what it’s called off top of my head. DRT most times if they place it well.
 
md7 said:
I’ve got a 270 Win and 308 Win, personally.

But my kids…. man, they’ve a pretty good track record for whitetail using a youth 243 Win including a monster 9 point (monster for my corner of the world, maybe not y’all’s)

90 or 95 gr Winchester ammo. Shiny silver casing. Not sure what it’s called off top of my head. DRT most times if they place it well.
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Nickel cases, isnt that the Supreme line Winchester makes?
 
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