.243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

Hi Guys, The Famous Grouse here, first time posting, but a long-time reader of these fine forui.

To my question. I'm looking for a bolt-action rifle that will do double duty. I'd like a caliber that I can shoot for varmints like coyote and the occasional trip shoot prairie dogs, but I still want it to be legal for deer. Which in this state means bigger than .23 caliber.

I already have a .30-06 and I also have a T/C Contender that I use for deer and then I use the .223 barrel for pasture poodles and coyote. But I want a rifle that's good for long-range varmint whacking, but also something I can use for the occasion when I need to take a long poke at a whitetail in a hay field.

I was eying up the .243 and .243 WSSM. Basically, they look very similar, so .. .

- What are the advantages of the .243 WSSM. From what I saw today, ammo price ain't one of them. $30 a box!!!

- What's the recoil like? Can I pound dogs all day like I can with a .223 or .22-250, or does the .243 give you more of a thumping?

- Accuracy? I know this varies, but generally what can I expect or what do you achieve with your .243?

Any other thoughts? Thanks

Grouse


Grouse

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

Depends on what you mean by a "long poke in a hayfield". I really like my .243, and have used it successfully on about a dozen Texas whitetails. My longest shot has been about 100 yards on a whitetail. About 175 yards on a wild hog. Based on ballistics tables, I think the .243 will work well on whitetails out to about 300 yards or so. I've never shot a .243 WSSM, so I'm not sure how the recoil compares, but, if my shots are going to be 350 yards or less, I think I'd rather be spending less than half as much for ammo, and maybe invest the savings in better optics...

Edit: Just went to Winchester's website to review the ballistics charts on the two. No question about it, I'd rather have the .243 Win. Not enough difference between the two to justify the expense of the WSSM. You can get .243 Win ammo ANYWHERE for $13-15 per box...

Also, to answer a couple of your other questions, last time out, I put five shots inside a nickel at 100 yards, and I'm not even a very good rifleman... .243 definitely kicks more than my .223. I've not shot a .22-250, so can't give an opinion there. But, even so, the .243's recoil isn't bad at all. I switched from .30-06 because I'm very recoil averse with rifles and with the '06, I had to really FOCUS to keep from flinching. No problems at all with extended bench sessions with the .243.

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

I'd probably go with the plain-ol', tried-and-true, .243 Win. The .243WSSM doesn't offer, IMO, enough of a performance improvement to justify it's drawbacks (like the added cost and somewhat reduced availability and selection of ammo).

As for recoil, assuming identical rifles, the recoil of the .243 is not quite twice the .22-250 about about 3 times the .223, which is still not much but you will notice the difference. After a box or two, well, that really depends on you. Felt recoil, and the tolerance for it both immediate and cumulatively, is very subjective. Some people, like my wife for instance, don't tolerate recoil well at all, and she won't put more than about 10 rounds through my .243 M700 ADL (7.5lbs or so) before she doesn't really want to shoot it anymore. But she'll shoot her M700 VLS .22-250 (about 12lbs) all day long without complaint. Others can shoot a box of .300 RUM without flinching once (not me, and not many, but there are a few people who really don't flinch when they touch off the big boys).

Accuracy, well, the .243 Win, based on the .308 Win which is arguably one of the most accurate cartridges on the planet, shares in it's bigger brothers reputation for great accuracy. But it's really more of the rifle than the cartridge. As long as the rifle's not an accuracy slouch, the .243 will do very well. Of course, I don't think that the .243WSSM is necessarily any less accurate. Give two rifles of equal quality and precision, I would think that accuracy would be a wash between the two.

So my opinion would be that both cartridges have merit, but I'd lean strongly in favor of the .243Win. The decision is ultimately yours, of course, so pick the one you like the best and enjoy.

Mike

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

Bluegunner has 4 hogkill pictureswith the .22-250 on the Hog Forum....

Bluegunner
Fawn

Posts: 76
Joined: 2/12/2003
From: Albert Lea Mn USA
Status: offline

Last spring I took four hogs from 160# to 320# with my 22-250. I load a 53gr. Barnes TripleShock solid copper bullet pushed with 35gr. of Varget and it knock the stuffing out of the hogs that I shot, none of them went more than 20 feet and they were all lung shots.






I like IPSC like the .243 and 100gr Sierra "Game kings"....

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

243 Win. all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would never even consider the 243 WSSM.

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

What they said.... a .243 is all you need. and it is good to 300 yards on deer. Cost benefits too...

There really is no reason to look further..... this one is simple.

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

Unless you really need(want) the boost in spees the 243 Win will do anything you want....

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

Where the WSSM comes out on top is when it is chambered in an AR-15.;)

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

I'd go for the tried an true 243. That is my dual purpose coyte/deer rifle. And it will cleanly kill a whitetail past 300 yards with ease. ;)

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

The magnum version gives you about 200 fps more in velocity with less ammo choices, less availability and more expensive ammo. Umm, I'll pass on that bargain.

Paul

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

I only use my .243 on varmints with my model 70 heavy barrel, it doesquite well on long ranges and is accurate. Having never shot a 243 wssm i cant compare, but not many rounds will compare to the .243 for all around shooting.

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

I shot a Ruger m77 in 243up until last deer season. I have since passed it on to my little brother. It is great round to shoot! I beleive you are not gaining anything with the wssm. I was shooting 95 grain Winchester ballistic silvertips, which also comes in the wssm, your only getting about 100fps more than the reg. 243. There isalso more ammo choices for the regular 243.

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

Go with the 243.. Look at the 85 Grain BTHP from Federal.. Great cartridge for deer and varmits.. It matches anything the 243 WSSM can toss out..

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

Since I've never shot the WSSM, I can't give any advice on how it performs. Judging by the "paper" comparison, I totally agree with the others! At half the price for the same ballistics the .243 is the way to go! Plus the fact that finding the double priced ammo may be the biggest downfall! The .243 has been a top seller foralmost 50 years! Some of the newbies will be dead in less than ten years!

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

Id think this 243 wssm will be one of the new ones that absolutely aint gonna make it...theres nothing there..a short action replacing a short action with very little extra performance for twice the money...lol...screw that!

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

I think it's unanimous. The .243 WSSM appears to be the answer to a question that no one ever asked... :D

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

Except for AR shooters. ;)

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

Thanks for the advice, guys. I guess I liked the looks of the wssm round, but as everone has said, that's about all that's different from the old standby. And also, it looks to me like given the lack of advantages of the wssm, they should be selling at bargain basement prices, which they aren't.

I handload so the ammo isn't a really big deal one way or the other, but again the cost of brass is higher so another strike against the WSSM. As everyone has said, it's a solution looking for a problem. Also can't see the point of the .223 WSSM. Um, why not just by a .22-250?

Grouse

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

DPMS makes a very nice AR chambered for .243 Win.... May be my next deer rifle.

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

I don't have a 243 Win anymore. But I've used it for years on deer with great success. And loaded with the 75 gr bullets it should be a great varmint round. I've also never shot a 243 WSSM but from what I've heard it is rough chambering a round from the magazine due to ist sharp shoulder. But again that is only what I've read and not from experience. In your case however, this wouldn't be a problem in a dog town.
IMO - I'd go with the old std 243.

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

OK, so now I'm just curious. Anyone out there actually own a .243 WSSM? Which one and how does it shoot?

Most importantly, would you buy it again?

It sounds like if a guy were to buy the WSSM version, you'd better love it and handload it, because it sounds to me like in a few years it could be tough to get factory ammo and tough to unload the gun on the used market.

Grouse

RE: .243 vs .243 WSSM - Which and why?
 

I have the 25WSSM, and it is proving to be a very good shooter with factory ammo. Santa Claus will be bringing me some reloading dies for it, if I've been a good enough boy. Mine is the A-Bolt Stalker. I thought I would try one out, and if I liked it I would eventually get a 25wssm upper for my AR15, or a 243wssm upper....Ammo availability means nothing to me, as long as I can keep getting the brass.