Is .243 Win useful for anything besides hunting?

[dubbleA]

?!?!? NO WAY! A 185gr VLD has .549BC and that will even work in the slow 1:12" twist on a 308, step up to a standard 1:10" and you can use bullets well into the .700s what .243 cal bullet are you talking about? Even the ultra long 115gr VLD only has a .545 and it NEEDS a custom 1:7 twist barrel. Some people have gotten the 105 A-Max to work out of the harder to find 1:9" twist but that one falls well shy of the 30 cals with a .500 BC

How fast are you pushing that 185gr VLD in your 308 Win? A BC of .549 means very little as do the ones into the .700's with 308 Win velocities.

My regular ol hunting bullets in 6.5 have better external ballistics then even a 105 A-Max so does my 180gr soft point Game Kings for my 06, that was the point I was trying to make.

I actually own and shoot a 6mmx284, a few .243's, several 308 Win's, a 6.5x55, a 260 Rem, a 6.5x284 and a 6.5 Gibbs which is a 6.5-06 maximumly improved so I have a little hands on experience with the what we are talking about.

Looking up ballistics is ok and believe they are a good start but only use them as guidelines. Will get an idea of what cartridge/load will do by looking at a chart but that's its. I chrongraph my handloads and certainly dont use velocites a loading manuals states. There are lots and lots of variables that affect ballistics. Have actually set up my chronograph up out to 700 yards and shot through it to get real velocity numbers. There are no shortcuts, you have to go out and actually shoot what ever distance you choose to get truly accurate results with your firearm, your ammo, your conditions etc.

Please list the regular hunting bullets you use in 6.5 as I would be interested in punching some numbers together to see for myself. Without even looking, I am thinking the 180gr Sierra GK falls short of the 105 Amax trajectory, it's really no different than the 308 Win.

I think if guns are banned in the US as in England and Australia the 75 grain Barnes Monolithic Solid loaded to about 3500 fps should prove VERY helpful at making such evil impossible to come to be, just sayin....

Back in the late 80's early 90's I used the new back then Barnes X bullet. The 75gr flat base .243" cal was a laser hammer when shot at just above 3800fps through my 6mmx284. That thing would flat lay deer and coyotes out, to bad the discontined them years ago when they brought ot the banded X bullets.

 

[Zak Smith]

I recently had a barrel for my AI-AW in .243, fast twist, for the 115gr DTACs. It shot great until the barrel was toast, which did not take long.

 

[Kachok]

You want to compare standard rifle barrels 22-24" or are you talking what I can do in a match length tube? My 23" hunting tube can get 140s to 2800fps without even loading hot, pushing the limits in a stong action will yeild 2,950-3000fps according to my friends who shoot long barrel Sweeds.
The 06 is a tougher one since I don't know anyone who shoots them in F class, in a 24: barrel Nosler says you can hit 2872fps with a 61gr compressed load of RL22 and their BT, I would imagine the Sierra would be right along those lines, never ran that load through a chrono, only tried it once, if I ever want to make a bang like that again I'll get a 50 BMG carbine, recoil was a hefty step up from regular 06 levels, but no pressure signs. Figure you put a load like that in a long tube you are at leased in the low 2900 range.

 

[dprice3844444]

if you get a new barrel for the gun,break it in,clean the bore with copper solvent,then send it to losok custom arms and have it melonited,should never wear out then.

 

[Sav .250]

"After market muzzle break." On a 243? You said it comes that way, so it is what it is.
If your not into a 243 ,don`t buy it. You also implied funds for your 308 "build" have yet to be aquired. Save your money, then when you have what`s needed get that 308.
If you do get the 243 ,then down the road when you get your 308, you have way more money invested . Money management.
One other thing,you question the 243`s ability to perform. To bad, it`s one of the top sellers year in and year out.Just threw that in but it`s not relevant to your needs. Plus, you also mention, 300 yds. The 243 will get you there. Assuming you can do your part.
I`m a long time owner and user of it. Never wanted a 308. Hope all works out for you.

 

[chaser_2332]

300 yards, heck I can group a 223 with iron sights 300 yards (and have) no I am talking longer range taking into consideration things like wind drift, don't get me wrong you trick out a 243 and it can be pretty bad ass, Rem 700 or Savage 110 action, with a 28-30" 1:7 twist tube pushing 115gr to just under 3k, nipping at the heels of the 260s at that point, but bullets that will work in a standard rifle are a bit lacking. My regular ol hunting bullets in 6.5 have better external ballistics then even a 105 A-Max so does my 180gr soft point Game Kings for my 06, that was the point I was trying to make. Shooting inside 300 yards a 220 swift can make them all look silly, so long as the wind is not blowing

We just switched our match rifles from 260 to the 6mm creedmoor. We are now shooing a mil flatter at 1000yds.

My verified match dope at 1000yds
308 - 11.7 mils
6.5creedmoor - 8.2
260 - 7.8
6mm creedmoor - 6.3


Talking strictly target the 6mm/.243 will best a 260 also

 

[hawk45]

The big punch in the stomach with the .243 is barrel life, depending on how you shoot it. If you are shooting matches or benchrest where you are doing 40rd strings as fast as you can run the bolt, look at about 1000-1200rds. If you are just shooting for fun and giving the barrel time to cool between shots or short strings (3-5 rounds), you'll get more into the 1500 rd range before it starts to drop off, possibly more depending on how harsh you are cleaning as well (don't over clean). These are just approximates and depending on the quality of barrel. Just remember, barrels are like tires.. just part of the game and disposable. Add up the price of 1500 rds and then compare it to a $400 barrel.. the barrel is pretty cheap part of the system.

 

[sixgunner455]

hawk45 - that also is affected by what is acceptable accuracy to the shooter. Match shooters may not be happy with groups that would make any casual shooter or hunter absolutely giddy.

 

[Art Eatman]

Between gunzine articles and Internet commentary over these last baker's dozen of years, I'd have to figure that a well-built .243 with tailored handloads will shoot as tight a group as a .308.

 

[TonyDedo]

Well after all that, the guy decided to increase his asking price and now wants $100 over retail for the rifle because it has a trigger job, a comp, dies and a couple boxes of ammo. He said he originally priced it to sell pre Sandy Hook, and his new price reflects the "current market." What a disappointment...

 

[sixgunner455]

Buy a different one. Love my .243.

 

[Skyshot]

A .243 is as good as any .308 is when punching paper. And even with the light bullets, the .243 will dust off groundhogs and coyotes at some amazing distances.

 

[JRWhit]

Well after all that, the guy decided to increase his asking price and now wants $100 over retail for the rifle because it has a trigger job, a comp, dies and a couple boxes of ammo. He said he originally priced it to sell pre Sandy Hook, and his new price reflects the "current market." What a disappointment...

That is unfortunate. Did you try to explain to him that a bolt gun isn't exactly what is getting attention right know? I have not seen price increases on any bolt guns in my area. Maybe it's different in your area but where I hail, anything that holds less than 10 rds has come down a little. Wait it out and I'm sure he'll figure out that a used gun won't bring more than what you can get over counter for new.
Aside from that, how much use has this gun seen already. Maybe he wants to sell it because the barrel's already burnt.

 

[psyopspec]

Well after all that, the guy decided to increase his asking price and now wants $100 over retail for the rifle because it has a trigger job, a comp, dies and a couple boxes of ammo. He said he originally priced it to sell pre Sandy Hook, and his new price reflects the "current market." What a disappointment...

I'm sorry to hear that. If you give it time and he can't find a buyer, he may come back to you. That'll be a good opportunity to lower your offer, you know, to reflect the current market and all...

I do love the cartridge. It holds a soft spot for me since my Tikka T3 in that caliber was the first gun I really learned how to shoot on, and one that my father ultimately gifted me. I would go out to the range after high school in the fall when I often had it to myself, or with whatever girlfriend wanted to tag along. To impress them, I'd wedge a quarter into the 200 yard backstop and try to hit it. Once I managed to do it on the first try, which was a perfect time to act like that happened all the time and to not attempt it again on that trip.

Every deer I've ever taken has been with that gun, and it's also been along for coyote hunting and lots of range trips. Good cartridge, platform, and gun. Would never trade it.

I wasn't aware of barrel burn out being an issue. Is there a general guideline for many rounds a barrel can go? I'm probably overdue on that Tikka.

 

[Art Eatman]

"Is there a general guideline for many rounds a barrel can go?"

Purely guessing: Target accuracy, maybe 1,000 to 1,500 rounds. Bambi accuracy, probably at least 2,000 if not more. Depends a lot on how hot you load it.

 

[js2013]

If I remember right some guy named Tubb won a national championship with a 243

 

[Kachok]

T3 is a fantastic rifle, been thinking about getting another one myself, much like the 7mm Rem Mag for the casual shooter/hunter a 243 barrel can last for many happy years, but if you are shooting every weekend or shooting F Class putting a bunch of rounds through it that fast cuts that barrel life down alot. Barrel heat is the enemy with throat erosion. Let your barrel cool between 3 or 5 shot groups and it will last twice as many shots, say about 3k holding good hunting accuracy, beyond that all bets are off, but as long as your T3 is shooting good I would not rebarrel, those numbers don't mean nearly as much your results.

 

[10isnotenough]

I have been studying and changing my mind regarding calibers for precision long range shooting. I had all but convinced myself to go 260 Remington vs. .243 Winchester with the main trade-off being barrel life vs. recoil. However, I recently watched a video regarding .308 vs. 243 where 8451 Tactical (John McQuay) made a strong argument in favor of .243.

However, as I sat there and listened to the video, I got out my JBM ballistic calculator to do the trajectory math. At the end of the day, the difference between a 107 SMK .243 and a 175 SMK in .308 at reasonable velocities is about an extra 2.4 MOA in drift at 1000 yards
for the .308 (10 MPH crosswind). Its like 25 inches more drift. Different atmospheric conditions, etc. will make a small difference here and there.

But what does this really mean for the competitive shooter? Well, let's assume we are shooting at a 1MOA target at 1000 yards (lets just call it 10 inches for easy math). Assuming we hold middle of the plate, we have about 5 inches of error in windage before we miss the target. So how big of a wind reading error are we allowed? If you do the math, the .308 only allows a cross wind error of about .48 MPH. The .243 is better in that it allows a .625 MPH error.

Now, for me, I can't read the wind that well anyway. In other words, that extra .15 MPH wind error I am allowed with a .243 vs. .308 is not really a serious consideration with my abilities. A very accomplished shooter may feel differently.

I don't care about drop too much as I can dial that in fairly easily for a given day/target. Its the wind that matters the most at 600+ yards. That is basically the game until you run out of velocity and go transonic.

So, I am reconsidering the .308 to give me more barrel life. A lot of these calibers are going to require some load work-ups and if you aren't careful, by the time you dial in a bullet, powder, and seating depth, you might have already burned 25% or more of the barrel life before you have to start over again. It's probably easier the second time around, but different barrels are different and may require more load workup. Maybe a .308 isn't such a bad idea after all.


Regards.

 

[Zak Smith]

FWIW, I did not find a net benefit of .243 over .260. In the AW, recoil was indistinguishable, as was accuracy and effective ballistics. The barrel life of the .243 was a lot shorter. Back to .260 for me.

 

[Cryogaijin]

Vised in place, my dad's r700 heavy barrel varminter in .243 will make groups of 5 rounds at 300 yards that will fit in a quarter. The round is certainly capable of amazing accuracy (That was with 70 grain honedy spitzers of some flavor) especially if you take the time when handloading. Good round, fun to shoot.

 

[10isnotenough]

FWIW, I did not find a net benefit of .243 over .260. In the AW, recoil was indistinguishable, as was accuracy and effective ballistics. The barrel life of the .243 was a lot shorter. Back to .260 for me.

Thanks Zak.

It was your articles on the .260/6.5mm cartridges that got me interesting in the .260. It is obviously a great round for tactical precision shooting. I just had never really put pen to paper before to see in practical terms what the superior ballistics of the 6mm/6.5mm gave me relative to the .308. Once I actually calculated what the additional windage error in mph was for the .308 relative to the .243, I realized that, although clearly superior (less drift), the .243 wasn't probably going to make as big a difference as I first thought. I mean, if I mis-read the wind, I will likely miss with either.

Thanks again.

 

[Art Eatman]

Hokay. Don't need a resurrection.

 

[Art Eatman]

Hokay. We don't need a resurrection.

 

[nathan]

Even Police departments in the past used the .243 as a sniping round. Ive talked to one West Texas town former chief and he said, yes they used em.

 

[YZ]

I shot targets with a 243 Browning A Bolt. It worked well. I especially liked the larger holes visible from 100 yards for not a whole lot of recoil. It is an expensive round, but you reload.

On the side, I am puzzled by the ballistic chart above. A 308 round from my 20" barreled Sako, zeroed at 100, positively does not drop 4" at 200 yards. I did not detect any drop while shooting a 4" square plate.