What is a .243 good for?
 

I shot my dad's buddys .243 today and I really like it. I am going to try to save my money up for a .243 It has less recoil than my dads 30-30 and is a flatter shooting gun. It had almost no recoil. It was a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight. I really like that gun. So I was wondering, what can a .243 be used for? I have 3 years left until I hunt deer with the gun (16 years old minimum). But until then, I plan on using it for yotes, squirrel? Rabbit? I don't know. I gotta save the money first.:D;) So what can a .243 be used for until I can hunt deer?

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

You dont want to shoot squirrles or rabbits with it, there will be nothing but pieces of skin and meat left. It will totally blow them to smitherines. yotes or ground squirrles would be ok. If you use a 70 gr bullet. turkey would be ok. I have been using a .243 all my life, I'm 38 now. It does one hell of a job on deer, never had one get away, ever. You will love it, good choice.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

The last deer I took fell to my Winchester Model 70 Featherweight .243. I love this little rifle. This caliber is pretty good for deer sized game, but is entirely too vigorous for edible small game. Zrexpilot is right, there won't be much left.

If you are shooting coyotes or varmints this is a great caliber. There are those who use the .243 on tougher/larger game, such as hogs and elk. I personally would not advocate that; however, if you can pinpoint your shot to exactly where you want it you can probably get away with more than I would personally care to attempt. A headshot with this caliber is devastating to most critters.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

.243 is a great deer gun. I've shot most of my deer with a .243. I only changed when I got older and decided to change guns. I now shoot a .270. But, I'll never get rid of my trusty .243. Most accurate gun I've ever shot, and I bought it used about 10 years ago.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

Good Varmit gun.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

Some of what it can be used for would include coyotes, woodchucks, bobcats, crows, and turkey with the right bullets.
243 is too much for squirrels and rabbits - if you want anything left to eat.

The 243Win. is a great varmint cartridge, but should be considered a MINIMAL deer
cartridge. Use premium ammo only for deer hunting (ex.: nosler partition bullets).
Broadside heart/lung shots should be the rule, and try to keep the range to within
200yds. for deer.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

I wish I had a .243 to hunt Varmits with, here in Idaho along the snake river canyon rockchucks are everywhere. The problem is you can never see the ones on your side of the river. You always see the ones accross the river, that can range as close as 100 yards to up to 800 yards depending upon where you are. The .243 is a perfect choice for this chore.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

I'm not sure when the .243 became a "minimal" deer cartridge. I used to shoot regular old corelokts with great success. Don't shoot ballastic tips with it though because ballastic tips in this caliber and smaller are meant for varmints. You should always strive to take broadside shots. Placement is more important than caliber. I repeat the .243 is a great deer cartridge. It has no recoil which makes it a great gun to learn with.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

I'm with jorkep on this one. I really don't think that the .243 is a varmint gun. It can be used for varmint, but the all of the deer my dads friend shot, crumbled into a pile with a heart shot from this gun. I really like it. Say, maybe now I can take care of the groundhog population digging up our fields.:D

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

I'm one of the guys that keeps on posting here that a .243 Win. (all 6mm's) is really too small for deer sized game.. Even though among other things, i've taken quite a few deer with one, and a very large blk. bear that weighed just over 500 pounds.

The reason i keep on posting "get something a bit bigger" is NOT because a .243 won't kill a deer!! With 100 grain Nosler partitions, it's a pretty good deer round "IF" you keep your shots to near broad side!! .243's have the energy to kill deer, it's just hard to get a 6mm bullet that will expand and penetrate "properly" on less than perfect shots!!

SO really, in the hands of a shooter, who can pass up a nice buck that's "not" giveing the best shot, they are fine, but how many guys "especially" new hunters, will turn down a nice buck standing straight away when they have a .243 Win. in there hands??????????????? From my experence, very FEW to NONE!!!!

The other day i sat in a deer blind with a friend deer hunting. He has a little room up in his pole barn to hunt out of, because he's handicaped. He had another friend there so it was a bit crowded, but i didn't bring a gun anyway. I just wanted to spend time with my friend, as his heart is failing and, well you just never know how long you will last!!!!!! I don't think he will be around to hunt with next season...

He lives in a shotgun area, and the 3rd guy was saying how far away he would take a shot. He had his limit at about 100 yards MAX, and pointed out to the furthest places he'd take a shot. (iron sights) All three of us had doe tags, and i already had shot a buck days eariler, so they could shoot what ever came out. Just before dark, 4 does came out at about 130 yards away, and sure enough the 3rd guy up and takes a shot, and they were "exactly" where he said he would NOT take a shot eariler!!!!

It seems to always go that way, think and talk one way before the deer gets there, and do another when you see something!! And, NO he didn't get the deer!!

I still say the 6mm's are on the small side for deer!!!!

Drilling Man

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

With the right bullets the 243 is awesome on deer and antelope, and works good for woodchucks, fox, coyotes, and other miscellaneous varmits!!!

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

I bought my .243 in 1980...use it for deer, groundhogs, crows and coyotes...so I'm able to use it year round....Thats the beauty of a .243...Its great for both target shooting and hunting...I've killed over 125 deer with...Used 100gr Remington Core Lokts for about 15 years...since then have used every domestic factory loading in 100 grs...they all work for deer...last few years have been using Federal Premium 85gr BTHP...Very fast loading, and very accurate in the 4 .243s that I have tried in...Between 3 buddies and myself, we have killed 25 deer with this bullet...sighted in 2 1/2 inches high at 100, we are about 2 1/2 to 3 inches low at 300...great bullet for crows to deer...This bullet will give a good exit hole on broad side lung shots on deer, and go through both shoulder blades, and is usually found under skin on off side....

We own 3 farms here in NC....brothers and hunting buddies own 260s, 308s, 270s, 7mm-08, 280s, 30-06s, 270WSM and 300Mags....they wound up more deer than I ever have with any gun, including muzzleloaders....
We kill about 50 deer a year, because we raise corn, peanuts, wheat and soybeans...it takes that many killed a year to control the population or we have too much crop damage....So I get to skin and examine the wounds from many different calibers in a years time...We have owned these farms since the 1970s....So you can do the math as to how many deer I have seen killed by different calibers through the years...Many people sell the .243 short on deer...Or put limitations on it for deer...or don't want to accept the fact that they screwed up, or don't shoot their gun enough, because they are scared of the recoil, They think just because they use a big gun that any shot is a killing shot...etc etc....Very few of us have to kill a deer to survive anymore...if we did, we would hunt at night, or do anything we needed to survive....This isn't the 1800s....heck most areas were depleted of deer, during that time due to market hunting....think about the guns they had for deer, turkeys, ducks etc....and they drove populations down so low that we had to repopulate most areas with deer and wild turkeys.....We are hunting for recreation....Buy a gun that is a pleasure to shoot...and learn to shoot it well....My .243 is the only centerfire rifle I own....I don't need another...It gets the job done...

You will see more difference on different type bullets in a given caliber than you between calibers...The makeup of the bullet makes a huge difference in the size and depth of the wound channel...I have seen deer shot with a .270 in the lungs that went 100 yards, before we found them...I have also seen deer shot with my .243 in the lungs that either dropped, or went less than 50 yards....Thats just the way it is....two different deer will react differently...hit in the same place, with different calibers....Much of the arguing over different calibers is a waste of time...Its more about the bullet makeup, range the deer was shot, bullet placement and certain deer just run farther....I guess they can hold their breath longer while they are running....:D

I drop more deer in their tracks with my .243 than either of my brothers, and they use a .280 and a .270....I just shoot better than either of them...
As a matter of fact, I'm the one that sights in their rifles for them...And both of them have killed a few hundred deer...They just don't shoot as well in the field as I do....

A .243 is more "user friendly" than larger deer calibers...and that will make you a better game shot....Since you have less recoil...you never loose sight of the game in the scope...You will also be more likely to shoot more often and that will make you a better shot...We all know guys that shoot their deer rifles 4-5 times a year....They will always be mediocure shots...I have also killed deer shooting left handed (I'm right handed)...and don't have to worry about the scope getting into my face...Its much easier for me to flip the gun over to my left shoulder to make those shots than to stand up and turn around and hope the deer doesn't see you do this...

Any caliber from a .243 to 300 Mag will take deer cleanly...Its just up to the hunter to execute the shot when the time comes...I've never lost a deer to my .243, and never had one go more than 100 yards at the shot... I would guess that 75-80% dropped at the shot...of those that ran after the shot very few went more than 50 yards...For me the .243 is not marginal...Its perfect...Good Luck

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

I'm from maine and people up here love the .243 winchester. it is the most popular varmit cartridge. it has plenty of power to take a deer or a bear(with the right bullet and decent range). i have herd of people using a 100 grain bullet and actually taking down a moose.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

Why would anyone want to shoot a deer thats not broad side unless you were gonna neck or head shoot it. Thats a poor shot no matter what caliber your using. It's crazy to claim the bullet wont expand properly, or even the penetration. I have never had any problem with either using any bullet or any brand, it's got plenty of power. Speed is what expands a bullet and the .243 has more speed at longer ranges than most .30 calibers. wish I could find a bullet from one of the deer I have shot, problem is, it always goes right through destroying everything in it's path. I have never had an animal run farther than 50 yds, not even big hogs. I had a .270 at one time, didnt like it. I borrowed a 7 mag for one season , didnt impress me, they still ran, sometimes farther. My bud shoots a 300 mag , hasnt impressed me, he's had several that didnt even pass through. I havent had that problem with the .243 it always passed through and nothing has gotten away or even stood back up. To claim the .243 is marginal is ludicrous. A 22 hornet is marginal. Not a .243 . jeez, it's a cased necked .308. how much more do you want. The noslers arent my first choice either, I like the hornady's or the federal 100 gr and the 85 gr. Plenty of umph out to 500 yds if your that good. Shoot it's not even marginal for elk. a 223 would be marginal for elk. You your self shot a 500 lb bear but you say its marginal for deer. (shakes his head and walks away.)

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

I too love the .243 Win.

When it comes to ballistic Tip bullets there are 2 differing kinds....Hunting and Varmint.The Varmint styles range from 55gr to 70gr and has a thinner jacket than the Hunting BT 90gr and 95gr.I personally use the 70grVarmint style and it has proven itself in wind when others with 223 and 22-250 have mildly struggled keeping a nice group at the range and field.Have killed nearly everything with it cleanly but I shoot it all year and will say practice shooting is a key element to know rifle and MY limitations.Have made several 250 yd shots pretty easily in light wind.

When it comes to ballistic tip bullet failure I scoff.A farm manager asked me to dispatch a large farm animal that was crippled.Even with the Varmint style 70gr bullet in the head it was instantly over.

I have never killed a deer with it as we don`t have a rifle season in my state.But if I were to hunt deer with it I would feel quite comfortable taking it out with the 95gr BT with no hesitation....at all.It is a Ruger#1 Light Sporter....one shot is all I get so shot placement is everything.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

Yes, i broke the neck on a big bear at 30 yards with my .243, that doesn't make it an bear round!!!

A man named Bell killed over 700 elephants with a 7x57 mauser, that doesn't make it an elephant round either!!

Maybe you should go back and read my last post untill you get the point i was makeing???? What i said was, a .243 is a good deer rifle, in "experenced hands", and on "side shots"!!!

It happens all the time!!! Sometimes by guys that just "can't wait" for a better shot, (as i also said in my last post) and also by guys like me who know "how to take the shot PROPERLY". Useing NP's i've made that shot numerous times, putting one up the poop shoot and into the chest!!! IF, it goes a little low, you get the same results, and NO it doesn't have to go through the guts!!!! IF, it goes a bit high, the bullet breaks the back, or goes into the neck or head!! Useing enough gun and the right bullets makes this a very good shot when needed, by those that CAN MAKE IT!!! Among other rounds, it can be done with a 280 Rem, 30-06, 7x57 mauser, and many others. You don't need a magnum, what you need are proper bullets!!

BTW, speed really "isn't" what expands a bullet, it's what the bullet hits that expands the bullet, and how the bullet is constructed, determines how well it transmits energy and gives penetration!!! Personally, i want BOTH so i shoot Nosler Partitions!!

Drilling Man

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

ammunition makers seem to think velocity has everything to do with expansion. look at the pic.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

My son took a doe a couple of weekends ago with my .243 it was a straight on shot with her head down feeding, 120 yds, he put it right at the base of the neck , it went all the way through, including the spine and out the pooper area. not good ! as it was a neck a gut and an @$$ shot all in one. I dont think the .243 would have a problem coming from the other way but i would pass that shot up no matter what caliber I was using. thats just disgusting when it comes time to clean it.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

Hey Redsox a guy I graduated from HS with now lives in Jackman , ME, a few 4 or 5 years ago he got a moose, he was visiting my brother and talking about this 850 lb. moose andI asked what did you get it with, he got up, walked out to his suitcase and brought an empty 6mm casing and showed me, 1 shot 100 gr. 6mm. I have a 6mm myself and use it mostly for varmit, but I have taken it deer hunting a few times.. It is big enough for deer, groundhogs, foxes, even a bear...

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

RonM thats cool. i'm thinking about getting a .243 for mostly deer and Bear. but if i get it and i find the right bullet mebey i'll take it moose hunting.

I got a question. if you can take a moose with a .243 could an elk be taken with a .243. i'm from maine so there no elk until u get to pennsylvania. i'm just wondering.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

I have said previously that I like the 243 for deer but if I were going moose hunting I would want something bigger. Let's not get crazy here and make the 243 into something it isn't. Yes, it is a fine deer, bear, predator round but it is marginal at best when you get to bigger game.

I've shot a number of bear with a 250-3000 and 100 grain core-lokts (very similar to the 243). Problem with bear, in my opinion, is that the fat and fur tend to soak up a lot of blood and finding a good blood trail might be difficult.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

I dont understand why people shoot a moose at 50 yds in the body. I would just put it right in the cabeza, LOL. no really, I shoot deer all the time in the neck or head at a 100 yds , drops them right there. If I did ever get a chance to hunt moose or elk I think I would bust'em in the head , bear too unless I was after a skull mount. Man a moose head must be a really big target no ?
But I really think the .243 can take all north american game animal, no less than any non magnum cartridge. However when you get into the magnums, they are truely a beast. No comparison. But on deer size game, you cant tell if it was shot with a magnum or a .243. leaves the same looking hole.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

if u can kill a moose with a shot in the neck ill eat the hide off it

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

Please stop trying to shoot a deer in the head at 100 yards. Please.

There is never, under any circumstances, a good reason to head-shoot a deer at 100 yards.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

The pict. shows what THAT bullet did at those velocities hitting BALISTIC GELATIAN, and nothing else.. Change the design or structure of the bullet, and everything else changes too.

Back when i was designing, swageing and selling my own "bonded core bullets", i did the same thing to see how my bullets were stacking up against the competition. Of course i also tested my bullets to come up with better performing bullets. Next step after that, was to go hunting, and liveing in Alaska, i got to test a lot of them!!! I used a lot of my own bullets in the ammo i mfg'd too..

I still have some of the bullet boards around someplace??? Guess i need to see if i can find them..

Drilling Man

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

Since the .243 is the best of the best maybe the firearms companies should just stop making everything else and only sale .243's;)

All jokes aside, the .243 may be able to kill any animal on this continent but so can many others. Would you really want a .243 to hunt grizzly or brown bear? In fact it is not even legal to hunt elk with a .243 in at least one state. The .243 is a fine round, but lets face it, it does have limitations.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

I also have been wondering why someone would take a head shot at 100 yards.



from zrexpilot: Taking a quartering away shot at a deer is a poor shot and a head/neck shot is not?

To each his own!

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

I got a hand me down .243 from my grandmother a few years ago. It has taken down quite a few caribou, so very large ones. We have never had a problem with death quality of the caribou compared to those shot with a 30-06, a .270 or a 300 win mag. All have been just as dead as the others.

The first animals I went after with the .243 were snowshoe hares. I shot two on my first day out, one from 50 yards and another from 120 yards. Both were head shots and both rabbits were fairly easy to skin.

We have shot numerous fox with the .243, and it does a number on them. I would like to try some full metal jacket bullets to see if we can reduce pelt damage, or I'm going to look into getting a .223 or 22-250 to use instead. The last critter I shot was a wolverine at 100 yards. I put the cross hairs right between its eyes and hit maybe a half inch closer to its left eye than its right. Luckily, the bullet did not exit as the entire skull was shattered, and I'm sure it would of left a nasty exit wound.

The .243 is one of my favorite guns right next to my 30-06. I wouldn't hesitate on using it for whitetails, mulies, caribou, black bear or equivalent large game. If I'm headed after elk or moose, the 30-06 will come along.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

ABM good to see you back on here, your wife said a few weeks ago that your computer was down. I like my 6mm, but I took my 30-06 bear hunting I take my 308 deer hunting and will continue to use the appropriate weapon for the appropriate game..

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

The following is a link to a deer kill study carried out at a hunting club.

http://www.scilowcountry.org/cedar_knoll_deer_study.htm

The study covers 493 deer. It found that their was no difference in effectiveness for killing deer between .30 cal, .284 cal, .270 cal, .25 cal, and .243 cal cartridges. Shot placement was found to be important. Soft bullets were found to be more effective than hard bullets. Pretty interesting study, and the report is well prepared. Lots of interesting information besides just this summary information I provide here.

Of course, different deer (bigger, northern deer for example, mule deer versus whitetail) and/or different ranges to shooting the deer may change the results somewhat. Still, this is something more than just talk about Uncle Billy Bob's huntin' results.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

Alsatian, excellent post, wish there were more fact oriented folks posting results. Thanks.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

Thanks for the info Alsatian.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

Browning308 - you better get the steak sauce :Dbecause I've seen a moose killed w/ a 6mm. You can probably get off on a technicality, because its not technically a 243/per say and we handload which makes it quite a bit more than a factory 243 round.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

My .243 and a silverback groundhog shot @250yds.70gr Nosler BT Varmint/44gr H414/WLRM primer.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

Cool Pic!!! :D

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

its good for nothing...might go hunting some field mice i dunnno tho

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

.......ive seen it done too but i bet ya anything it wasnt shot in the neck

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

A .243 WAS THE FIRST RIFLE I SHOT AND CONTRIBUTED TO MY FIRST KILL. I DROPPED A 180 LB. TEXAS AOUDAD AT 130 YARDS WITH A VITAL SHOT PLACEMENT. REMEMBER ITS ALL IN THE SHOT PLACEMENT. A .243 IS NO PROBLEM FOR DEER. GREAT GUN.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A .243 WAS THE FIRST RIFLE I SHOT AND CONTRIBUTED TO MY FIRST KILL. I DROPPED A 180 LB. TEXAS AOUDAD AT 130 YARDS WITH A VITAL SHOT PLACEMENT. REMEMBER ITS ALL IN THE SHOT PLACEMENT. A .243 IS NO PROBLEM FOR DEER. GREAT GUN.

RE: What is a .243 good for?
 

it prolly died laughin