Shawnee
member
Anyone who knows the .243 Winchester knows it is a dynamite deer/varmint caliber and for most of the nation's hunters it's likely the best one. And the "conventional wisdom" since it came out is that its' arrival was the obituary for the older "dual-purpose" calibers - namely the .250 Savage and the .257 Roberts. But... being a fan of the .243 I couldn't help probing into just how much that difference really amounts to.
For starters, many, if not most, of the rifles chambered for the .250 Savage (or .250/3000 Savage, if you want to be semantically "proper") came out with 1:14 twist because Savage had intended it for use with the 87 gr. bullet. Bullet stabilization problems arose when the lads bumped up to the 117gr. and 120gr. bullets.
The unfortunate .257 Roberts was/is nearly the equal of the .243 but it wasn't brought out in handy, lighter-weight sporters and, with the 87gr SP, it fell behind the .243 87gr. BTHP in the energy dept. fairly quickly. But that energy "shotcoming" wasn't/isn't really much of a "shortcoming".
In thinking to compare these calibers I'm going to admit that - in Truth - most of the deer most of us shoot, and many of the varmints we shoot - are within about 200 yds.
Yes, I've heard of prairie dogs (which only a fraction of American hunters ever see) and Yes, I've clobbered coyotes and deer and woodchucks well beyond 200 yds. But I'm talking "most" here, and for many very successful hunters 200 yds would include ALL. And if you want to get laughed out of the room - call 200yds. "short range" in front of some bowhunters.
That's why 200 yds.
All rifles "zero'd" at 100yds.
My beloved .243 hits 2.5 inches low at 200 yds. with 1428 ft/lbs
The .257 Roberts hits 2.75 inches low at 200 yds. with 1256 ft/lbs
The .250/3000 hits 3.25 unches low at 200 yds. with 1091 ft/lbs
Said another way - At 200yds. there is a difference in point of impact of 3/4 inch.
To me, that says a fellow could easily use any one of those fine calibers to collect enough varmints and/or venison to feed Oklahoma City and couldn't possibly tell the difference in the results. And as much as I dote on the .243 - I must say that in a "most varmints/game" scenario (yes, even in much of the West, which isn't all "wide-open") - those two "yesteryear calibers" can certainly hold their own with no apologies to anyone.
But I'll take this a wee step further in deference to all the successful hunting folks I know who collect their song-dogs and venison with one other caliber - the .22/250, thankyewverymuch.
With the 55gr. V-max "zero'd" at 100yds....
The ubiquitous .22/250 will hit 1.8 inches low at 200 yds. with 1010 ft/lbs.
It goes against "conventional wisdom" to use the .22/250 for deer but, having seen 21 deer taken with the 55gr. V-max in the passed year, there is, I think, some merit in questioning some of our "conventional wisdom" once in a while.
Local opinion may vary.
For starters, many, if not most, of the rifles chambered for the .250 Savage (or .250/3000 Savage, if you want to be semantically "proper") came out with 1:14 twist because Savage had intended it for use with the 87 gr. bullet. Bullet stabilization problems arose when the lads bumped up to the 117gr. and 120gr. bullets.
The unfortunate .257 Roberts was/is nearly the equal of the .243 but it wasn't brought out in handy, lighter-weight sporters and, with the 87gr SP, it fell behind the .243 87gr. BTHP in the energy dept. fairly quickly. But that energy "shotcoming" wasn't/isn't really much of a "shortcoming".
In thinking to compare these calibers I'm going to admit that - in Truth - most of the deer most of us shoot, and many of the varmints we shoot - are within about 200 yds.
Yes, I've heard of prairie dogs (which only a fraction of American hunters ever see) and Yes, I've clobbered coyotes and deer and woodchucks well beyond 200 yds. But I'm talking "most" here, and for many very successful hunters 200 yds would include ALL. And if you want to get laughed out of the room - call 200yds. "short range" in front of some bowhunters.
That's why 200 yds.
All rifles "zero'd" at 100yds.
My beloved .243 hits 2.5 inches low at 200 yds. with 1428 ft/lbs
The .257 Roberts hits 2.75 inches low at 200 yds. with 1256 ft/lbs
The .250/3000 hits 3.25 unches low at 200 yds. with 1091 ft/lbs
Said another way - At 200yds. there is a difference in point of impact of 3/4 inch.
To me, that says a fellow could easily use any one of those fine calibers to collect enough varmints and/or venison to feed Oklahoma City and couldn't possibly tell the difference in the results. And as much as I dote on the .243 - I must say that in a "most varmints/game" scenario (yes, even in much of the West, which isn't all "wide-open") - those two "yesteryear calibers" can certainly hold their own with no apologies to anyone.
But I'll take this a wee step further in deference to all the successful hunting folks I know who collect their song-dogs and venison with one other caliber - the .22/250, thankyewverymuch.
With the 55gr. V-max "zero'd" at 100yds....
The ubiquitous .22/250 will hit 1.8 inches low at 200 yds. with 1010 ft/lbs.
It goes against "conventional wisdom" to use the .22/250 for deer but, having seen 21 deer taken with the 55gr. V-max in the passed year, there is, I think, some merit in questioning some of our "conventional wisdom" once in a while.
Local opinion may vary.
