Try and convince me the 243 is actually useful

[Nyati]

Our Roe Deer weigh around 45/65 lbs.

A RWS TN 100gr. SP .243 bullet drops them quite well.

 

[FlyGuy]

Not a fan of it either, but here in SA, it’s a very popular cartridge for species like Springbok, Mountain reedbuck, Warthog, Vaal rheebok etc.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

You should have started a new thread for this one Bob!

I disagree 100%. I own and reload for both. How is a 130 gr Nosler Partition at 3200fps (.270) silly when compared to a 120gr Nosler Partition at 3000fps (25-06). The .270 is a more versatile and simply better med game cartridge than the 25-06.

@Deepfork
The 25-06 may not do everything the 270 will but other 25s will put do it in my book. There's no flys on a 120gn bullet at 3,300+fps out of my 25 for 99% of game in Australia.
Bob

 

[ftrovato]

I use the Barnes 85gr TSX out of .240 WM.

For me Barnes was/is a game changer! They truly made is possible with the all copper X bullet for smaller calibers to jump up a class and do things that we/they couldn't do before they existed.

In my opinion, Barnes single handedly changed the hunting sport in the 1990's and the proof is all the changes other manufactures have made since the X bullets came into existence.

Personally, I've used them on game with the .243, 257, 277, 7mm, 30 cal & .338 with great success and never been let down by them in 35 years.

BUT they are a b*tch when it comes to copper in a rifle bore! Because of that I have been using more Nosler & Swift bullets lately.

 

[ftrovato]

@Deepfork
The 25-06 may not do everything the 270 will but other 25s will put do it in my book. There's no flys on a 120gn bullet at 3,300+fps out of my 25 for 99% of game in Australia.
Bob

I've had great success on animals up to caribou in the 257 WM using 100 grain Nosler partitions & Barnes coppers out to 400 yards.

But in my opinion the .257 will never be a .277 with a 140 grain bullet.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen I learnt long ago never argue with the anti’s your just wasting your breath. Our as my good wife says “ I don’t have the time nor the crayons to explain it to you”! But I’m here to wind em up

@Sideshow
I do have the time and even tho I left my crayons on the heater and they melted I can now give some colourful replies.
I'm interested in why some people love the 243 and others like me despise it.
Should be interesting and fun as well as educational.
Bob

 

[SafariCurious]

This thread is fun, I also participate on a US focused hunting forum, **NOT**PERMITTED**, and there are a bunch of members on there who are obsessed with bragging about using .223 for everything including bears, elk, moose, etc.

Someone will post something like, should I get a 300 Win Mag or 300 PRC for Western elk hunting, and people will reply, just use a .223!

Pretty much any well placed shot with a good quality bullet from a centerfire rifle will kill anything, you just get more range and more shot angle options the more powerful you go.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I think the 257 would have been better.
But I cant beat the deal on the 6mm a guy from work needed a light bill payed. He had been trying to sell the rifle most people here did not know what a 6mm Remington was.
So I got at a really good price. And i did not know if she would stay interested in hunting or not so less money the better back then.

@Flbt
Even tho it's a 6mm it was a very wise investment that has given your wife a lot of joy. Happy wife happy life.
Bob

 

[Flbt]

@Flbt
Even tho it's a 6mm it was a very wise investment that has given your wife a lot of joy. Happy wife happy life.
Bob

She likes it.
Am as much ammo as I have on hand they will stay.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

All three of my kids started with the same .243win. They were too young to realize it doesn't work 100% effectively, so it did, perhaps out of their childish ignorance. Their list of one shot kills ran the gamut from black bear, to red deer, to numerous white tails.

80gr TTSX factory loads were all a 6-8 year old child needed. It must be that as we grow older, the ballistics begin to falter, perhaps by the 243 being able to sense the age of the operator and therefore diminishing its efficacy in response to older operators.

@rookhawk
The problems I see with the 243 are mainly caused by people not using the right projectiles for the game hunted resulting in a lot of wounded game. Unfortunately this has tainted my view of the 243 and I now regard it as the best wounding calibre ever invented.
I know a lot of cartridges could fall into the same category when not used correctly but unfortunately my experience with the 243 and the people that use it hasn't been favourable.
Loaded with a projectile to match the game I probably works quite well but I don't know because I refused to acknowledge it as useful because of my experience of others using it
Bob

 

[Flbt]

@rookhawk
The problems I see with the 243 are mainly caused by people not using the right projectiles for the game hunted resulting in a lot of wounded game. Unfortunately this has tainted my view of the 243 and I now regard it as the best wounding calibre ever invented.
I know a lot of cartridges could fall into the same category when not used correctly but unfortunately my experience with the 243 and the people that use it hasn't been favourable.
Loaded with a projectile to match the game I probably works quite well but I don't know because I refused to acknowledge it as useful because of my experience of others using it
Bob

I can see that.
I have heard good things about the 223-22-250 on deer I have seen to many wounded to try and normally use them as a deer cartridge
When I Use the 223 I got barns x and sill didn’t like the out come. And have not used one since.

 

[Surgeon1]

Up for sale is a gorgeous Browning Safari .243. Gun is in near perfect condition, with only a couple small marks on the stock. It has the classic "Pencil" barrel, iron sights, and Leupold bases and rings. Scope not included. Wood is one of the nicest I have ever seen on a standard Safari rifle.

$1850.00 shipped.
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Bob Nelson:
you need to buy this 243 and get a little lovin from her! Lol

 

[Don458]

For me Barnes was/is a game changer! They truly made is possible with the all copper X bullet for smaller calibers to jump up a class and do things that we/they couldn't do before they existed.

In my opinion, Barnes single handedly changed the hunting sport in the 1990's and the proof is all the changes other manufactures have made since the X bullets came into existence.

Personally, I've used them on game with the .243, 257, 277, 7mm, 30 cal & .338 with great success and never been let down by them in 35 years.

BUT they are a b*tch when it comes to copper in a rifle bore! Because of that I have been using more Nosler & Swift bullets lately.

they are a b*tch when it comes to copper in a rifle bore I use Tetra cooper solvent and brush

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Well, let me think of it?
I hunted quail, partridge and pheasant, then from steinbok over kudu up to eland and buffalo, plus European game, foxes, roe deer, boars, fallow....
All that somehow I managed without 243, believe it or not?!

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen
What say you?

@mark-hunter
In glad you have had great success with it and don't doubt it. You must be on of the few 243users that actually match the projectile to the game. Personally it think it's a bit light for some of the game on your list but hey even a 22lr will kill if out in the right spot. I have seen 6mm projectiles out of the 243 blow up on the surface creating nasty wounds thru to well known soft points pencil thru shown no sign of expansion.
Bob

 

[BonUm16]

Come on, Bob. Of course the .243W is useful….. Any quality rifle chambered in it is a perfect candidate to turn in to a .358W!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob Nelson:
you need to buy this 243 and get a little lovin from her! Lol

@Surgeon1
As long as my arse points to the ground when it sit that will never happen.
Bob

 

[John Wasmuth]

As everyone knows is absolutely hate the 243 because if have seen to much game wounded with it by people using the wrong projectiles for the game hunted. Also seen a lot of game just wounded by good shots with projectiles that were supposed to be ideal for the game hunted. Eg a 100gn Remington core lockt factory round put into the ribcage of a fallow deer. One deer died quickly the other with the same shot placement and same factory load run off never to be seen again.
I have reloaded this cartridge for people and have never attained the book velocities.
80gn max load 2,900-3100 fps
95gn SST max load 2,800fps
100grainer max load 2,700-2,800 fps
To me this round fails to live up to all the hype. To big for small game and not really big enough for medium big game.
I know there are people out there that love the 243 but I'm not one of them.
There's also people that say they use it for culling and it works well with head shots for that. Well a baseball bat to the he'd will do the same job.
This could be quite interesting to see some of the reasons why I should stop bagging out the prissy little 243 and see if I can refute some of the so called claims.
Let's keep it respectful but still have some fun and good humoured bantering.
Bob

Slow a 100 gr Sierra game king down to about 2600 fps and it’s perfect for Texas hill country whitetail deer and feral pigs. Other than that I’ve yet to find much use for it.

 

[mark-hunter]

You must be on of the few 243users that actually match the projectile to the game

The point is I didnt use it, and I dont have it! All done without it!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@Wyfox

They do work, one of my best friends hunts everything with his 243. He's taken 20+ elk with it and countless deer using a 105gr A-Max. My youngest daughter has been very successful with a 6mm creedmoor on mule deer and antelope too with a 105gr A-max.

I'm in the boat of using a 300winmag for most everything, but do find their results interesting.

Here is a podcast on hunting with 6mm Creedmoor on large game, its worth taking the time to listen to "Form's" experience and the last video discusses the EXO Mtn guys killing large Alaskan moose with 6mm's.

Trying to kill big game with little cartrides is just a stunt in my book and not ethical hunting despite what these people say. To me they speak with forked tongue Keemosabe.
This type of so called hunter wouldn't be welcome at my campfire.
Bob
Bob

 

[ArmyAV8tor]

I am in the .243 supporters corner. My first rifle. Still own it. Rem 700 ADL. Shot lots of deer with 85 gr Sierra Spitzers and never had one get away. Shot some with 100 gr bullets with the same results.