Is .243 Win useful for anything besides hunting?

[morcey2]

In reference to the .243 being a barrel burner, I am new to the cartridge. Can anyone explain what this means? Is the .243 a hotter round than others? Is is harder on a barrel that a .223 round or a 7.62 round?

Thanks for the explanation.

Cal in TX

Here's an article that explains it pretty well:

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2011/04/overbore-cartridges-a-working-definition/

Basically, a "barrel burner" is a cartridge with a relatively large capacity coupled with a relatively small bore. The opposite ends of the spectrum are straight-walled cartridges like 45/70 or 458 Win Mag and 220 Swift or 6mm-06. The throat is the the first casualty of these types of cartridges, IIRC.

Matt