The .243 Winchester
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,143
The .243 Winchester
Generally speaking i consider this caliber a varmit and whitetail cartridge.My question is how many of you have shot larger game { elk,moose,black bear,caribou }Than the cartridge was intented for?
What was the circumstances,where you hunting whitetails or mulies and an elk present a good opportunity. Is it the calibers you prefer to hunt with.Are you recoil adverse and only feel comfortable shooting a light caliber?
The reason i'm asking is cause i've read more than one thread on this website where guys and girls have killed "out of class" game with the .243.
What was the circumstances,where you hunting whitetails or mulies and an elk present a good opportunity. Is it the calibers you prefer to hunt with.Are you recoil adverse and only feel comfortable shooting a light caliber?
The reason i'm asking is cause i've read more than one thread on this website where guys and girls have killed "out of class" game with the .243.
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
Not sure who decides what is out of class and what isn't but a .243 works just fine for black bears...I've killed several when they were eating our peanuts...The reason??? It's what I had in the truck when I spotted them...
I don't consider the .243 a light caliber, it's worked well for me on whitetalis for over 30 years...
The trick to clean kills is putting the bullet where it's suppose to be put...
The only complaints I hear on a .243 is from those who haven't killed a few dozen deer with them so they don't know what it is capable of...
I'm not recoil shy, I'm the guy others bring their guns to when they won't shoot straight...The guys that are recoil shy are the ones shooting guns too big for the class game they are shooting...
I don't consider the .243 a light caliber, it's worked well for me on whitetalis for over 30 years...
The trick to clean kills is putting the bullet where it's suppose to be put...
The only complaints I hear on a .243 is from those who haven't killed a few dozen deer with them so they don't know what it is capable of...
I'm not recoil shy, I'm the guy others bring their guns to when they won't shoot straight...The guys that are recoil shy are the ones shooting guns too big for the class game they are shooting...
#3
#4
You hit the nail on the head when you said that you considered it a varmint and whitetail cartridge. Can you kill a bear with it? Yep. Can you kill an elk with it? Yep. Is it the best choice for a bear or an elk? Nope.
This argument is getting so old. Can I kill a bear with a 22.250. Hell ya! What do you think about a .243 for elk? It's the best ever.
Think of it this way....Would you want a .243, as the weapon in your hand, with a world class bull at 450 yards? Probably not.
Would you want a .243, with a pissed off black bear, charging your arse. Probably not.
Will a .243 work for an elk hunt for a kid, woman or even a grown man? Yes it will if everything goes right and the hunter is very patient and takes the right shot. But your shots would be limited to much shorter than realistic distances. Same goes for a bear hunt.
Just because it works, does not mean it's a wise or the best choice. We all know that everything goes as planned and there are never any surprizes when we are out hunting.
This argument is getting so old. Can I kill a bear with a 22.250. Hell ya! What do you think about a .243 for elk? It's the best ever.
Think of it this way....Would you want a .243, as the weapon in your hand, with a world class bull at 450 yards? Probably not.
Would you want a .243, with a pissed off black bear, charging your arse. Probably not.
Will a .243 work for an elk hunt for a kid, woman or even a grown man? Yes it will if everything goes right and the hunter is very patient and takes the right shot. But your shots would be limited to much shorter than realistic distances. Same goes for a bear hunt.
Just because it works, does not mean it's a wise or the best choice. We all know that everything goes as planned and there are never any surprizes when we are out hunting.
Last edited by Colorado Luckydog; 04-16-2011 at 07:22 PM.
#5
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Colorado
Posts: 797
I personally never used a .243 for anything. But I do know a local guy that has taken a ton of elk, deer and bear with one. I guess he never felt the need to question or change up to a larger caliber. I would not be scared to use it. Shot placement is everything.
#7
"Yes it will if everything goes right and the hunter is very patient and takes the right shot. "
Wrong attitude. I don't care if you are using a 22 or a 50 bmg. If you aren't taking a good clean kill shot, then you shouldn't be taking the shot. The .243 is a great gun for the bigger game, as are most high powered rifles. The fact that the .243 is the most popular hunting cartridge in Europe for their big game animals such as Moose and Stag seems to constantly be over looked.
On any animal shot placement is key. It's been said at least a thousand times when talking about this gun or that gun, but it is the rock solid truth. I took a nice bull elk, a nice mulie and a decent black bear last fall with my single shot .243. I hunt with it because i choose to hunt with it. I hunted with the 30'06 for over 30 years and have just last year dropped down to the 243 and i love it. If you can shoot a 243 with confidence and put the shot where you want it to be, hunt with the 243.
Wrong attitude. I don't care if you are using a 22 or a 50 bmg. If you aren't taking a good clean kill shot, then you shouldn't be taking the shot. The .243 is a great gun for the bigger game, as are most high powered rifles. The fact that the .243 is the most popular hunting cartridge in Europe for their big game animals such as Moose and Stag seems to constantly be over looked.
On any animal shot placement is key. It's been said at least a thousand times when talking about this gun or that gun, but it is the rock solid truth. I took a nice bull elk, a nice mulie and a decent black bear last fall with my single shot .243. I hunt with it because i choose to hunt with it. I hunted with the 30'06 for over 30 years and have just last year dropped down to the 243 and i love it. If you can shoot a 243 with confidence and put the shot where you want it to be, hunt with the 243.
Last edited by scottb3472; 04-16-2011 at 08:01 PM.
#10
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
Of course I did forget to mention...
We don't have any big bull elk, moose, grizzlys, elephants or while I'm at it rhinos in NC...(Except for the NC Zoo and they won't let me hunt there)...
I've been around black bears my whole life, never ever had one charge me, so I feel pretty safe with my little pea shooter...
Never said it was the best for any critter, there are no best cartridges...You can dispute any cartridge out there...Between friends and family I've seen deer killed with just about every combo out there, little difference in ground covered with a well placed lung shot...Little difference in ground covered after the shot with gut shots as well...
What I can't figure is why would anyone care what another hunter uses??? I have total confidence when I take a shot and don't question others as to what they shoot, so who cares???
Enjoy Palm Sunday....
We don't have any big bull elk, moose, grizzlys, elephants or while I'm at it rhinos in NC...(Except for the NC Zoo and they won't let me hunt there)...
I've been around black bears my whole life, never ever had one charge me, so I feel pretty safe with my little pea shooter...
Never said it was the best for any critter, there are no best cartridges...You can dispute any cartridge out there...Between friends and family I've seen deer killed with just about every combo out there, little difference in ground covered with a well placed lung shot...Little difference in ground covered after the shot with gut shots as well...
What I can't figure is why would anyone care what another hunter uses??? I have total confidence when I take a shot and don't question others as to what they shoot, so who cares???
Enjoy Palm Sunday....