I've got a .243!

[wesheltonj]

.243, you should be loading 100g and not 80g.

 

[Tintin]

Well done Mal, Chris and Bob

Congrats on the new toy Russ - the .243 really is something the whole family can enjoy.

 

[Rafiki]

Hey mate,

Depending on the state, Australia has some atrocious gun laws... Have a google and look - but prepared to be shocked

Did as you suggested. I won't clog up a perfectly good thread with BS gun law stuff but holy smokes.

 

[Rafiki]

All this .243 stuff got me thinking about mine that hasn't seen the light of day in years so I dug around in the safe and pulled it out. I guess I should do something with it since it's so pretty. Have fun with your Parker Hale, they are fine rifles.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Hey crew,

I scored a .243!
A bit of backstory first...

As I've previously mentioned, IF l could own 1 more rifle... it would be a .243.
The reason being I already own a 308 Norma for big stuff and a .425 Express for REALLY big stuff - but I didn't have anything for smaller stuff like Fallow deer.
Also, my kids, my wife and some female friends (it's amazing how many women want to learn to hunt) have started accompanying me on my deer hunting trips and the smallest rifle l own is a 308 Norma shooting a 175gn pill at 2900fps.
They are happy to use it but l know better... it kicks. Especially to a novice... cue big flinch.

So I got to thinking, IF l ever bought another rifle it would be a nice, small, pleasant shooting rifle. And to me that meant a .243.
Yep, the most boring cartridge l can think of... but you know what? Sometimes boring can be good!
Ammo and components can be found anywhere, as well as load data and rifles in .243 are plentiful.
Although it's a mild cartridge it works well on Fallow with the right projectile and shoots pretty flat.
And importantly for me, it doesn't recoil that hard so with a bit of practice it can be used confidently by new deer hunters.
Plus l actually do like the little .243...

So there's the backstory.
The only problem is l have NO budget for a new rifle! But one can dream...
Well this dream started becoming a reality when l went hunting with @Bob Nelson 35Whelen and he gifted me a set of loading dies in .243!
What an incredibly kind gesture - especially when l didn't even have a rifle in .243 yet!
He also gifted me a packet of LR primers which are a precious commodity in Australia. Thank you so much Bob... it almost seemed like you knew something l didn't...
Seriously, thank you Bob. l owe you one mate.

View attachment 571047

The next step was when a dear friend of my wife and I @Kiwifire111 heard l was after a .243... so he messaged me and said he was sending down one of his .243's (a Parker Hale) that he wasn't using for the family to use. I was speechless... he was even putting a scope on it for me...
Now, for anyone who knows Mal, will know what kind of a man he is... put simply there are none finer. I have lost count of the favours he has done for me and my family and l am truly honoured to call this man my friend.
Me writing about this on a forum doesn't fully express just how much l truly appreciate this... it's something l'll never forget.
Thank you.

View attachment 571045

So as unbelievable as it sounds, I now have a rifle and dies...
I was just kinda sitting there wondering how all this was actually happening when there was a knock at the door.
It was the postman with a package addressed to me. It was from @CBH Australia and when l opened it there was 100 pieces of once-fired .243 Winchester brass, a packet of Nosler 95gn Ballistic Tips and a packet of 70gn copper hollow-point Hammer bullets!
I quickly messaged Chris thanking him and of course, he wouldn't except any payment for them.
Talk about generosity.
Wow...
Thank you mate.

View attachment 571046

So there's the story of how l came into possession of a .243!
And dies and primers!
And brass and projectiles!

All because of people's generosity and wanting to help. It really does blow your mind and I really am just so proud to call these guys mates.
And l can't wait to share a hunting camp or a nice dinner with them again soon.

So what's next?
As soon as the rifle arrives I'm going to work up a nice, accurate load with the 95gn BT and aim for 3000fps.
According to my ADI loading manual 44.5gn of 2213SC (H4831) should get me there...
My ballistic program says that if l can get 2950-3000fps with the 95gn BT it will have an almost identical trajectory as my 308 Norma with 175gn so that would be nice and and handy.
I know Bob isn't a fan of the Nosler Ballistic Tips, but I've been putting out the feelers and everyone I've asked who hunts Fallow with a .243 loves them.
Maybe they've been changed or redesigned...?
I shall let everyone know soon!

So there we go, a nice feel-good story for everyone to read.
As I said, I'm still blown away and just so, so thankful for everyone and what they did...
And really importantly, it's given me the opportunity to introduce new and inexperienced people - who want to learn, to hunting.
And with a rifle they can enjoy shooting... that is just so good.

You see... I WAS meant to have a .243!

Thanks for reading.

Russ

@Badboymelvin
Russ the reason I don't like the 95gn balistic tips is I've seen them do three things on pigs and goats.
They work well
They blew up on the surface
They just drilled a nice 6mm hole thru things without expanding.
That was all on one hunt. Maybe it was a bad box.
We switched to the 95gn SST and everything was bang flop.
It's good to see your dream come true mate you deserve it.
As you said the people on this forum are a great bunch that you would have trouble finding elsewhere.
No go shoot shit and have fun my friend.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

BOB is going to blow a gasket another 243 in Aust. i have one & my son has one & we understand its limitations & there are not a lot with the right bullet 90 to 100 grn. & the 56 grain Hornady blows cats into red mist hunting at night with a light.

@rdog
For people that understand it and know its limitations but load it with the correct bullets it will do the job.
The problem is there's so many idiots that try and make it something it isn't and use the wrong bullets has tarnished it for me permanently. You can't legislate against stupidity tho.
Having used the old three O 25 and have it work ALL the time I fell in love with 25s and came to despise the 243 and having to finish off game for idiots.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

View attachment 571121
All this .243 stuff got me thinking about mine that hasn't seen the light of day in years so I dug around in the safe and pulled it out. I guess I should do something with it since it's so pretty. Have fun with your Parker Hale, they are fine rifles.

@Rafiki
The best thing to do with it is load it with some nice 95gn SST or 100gn round nose and gift it to a junior hunter to enjoy.
Ifn you ain't used it in 20 years there has to be a good reason why.
Bob

 

[CBH Australia]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen I'm pretty confident the Nosler 95gn BT will be effective on Fallow deer. One caveat is with suitable shot placement.
I used SST's provided by the outfitter in South Africa.
I've used a few 180gn SST's in my .300wm.
Now, as for Nosler. I've used heaps of them. My wife has shit pigs with her (gasp) .243 using Nosler 95gn BT Projectiles.
So far I've been suitably impressed when the shot placement is appropriate.
Whatever load Russ settles on it will be good to see the results.
I have seen the effects of a different ballistic tip break up on a boar shoulder from my .308. Experience with the same Projectiles the same day they did drop a pig DRT further out with a headshot so in part I believe that being close and close to muzzle velocity it broke up pretty well on impact. Needless to say I made the next shot count.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

@Bob Nelson 35Whelen I'm pretty confident the Nosler 95gn BT will be effective on Fallow deer. One caveat is with suitable shot placement.
I used SST's provided by the outfitter in South Africa.
I've used a few 180gn SST's in my .300wm.
Now, as for Nosler. I've used heaps of them. My wife has shit pigs with her (gasp) .243 using Nosler 95gn BT Projectiles.
So far I've been suitably impressed when the shot placement is appropriate.
Whatever load Russ settles on it will be good to see the results.
I have seen the effects of a different ballistic tip break up on a boar shoulder from my .308. Experience with the same Projectiles the same day they did drop a pig DRT further out with a headshot so in part I believe that being close and close to muzzle velocity it broke up pretty well on impact. Needless to say I made the next shot count.

@CBH Australia
The SSTs are half the price of balistic tips and seem to hold together pretty well. I have only recovered one SST and that was a 308 150gn. All the rest have exited.
The mates son shot a 50kg boar on the weekend with my 25 loaded with 115gn Winchester combined technology Silvertip ( a nosler with a Winchester lubalox coating.) Launched at 3,360fps it sure as shit did the job on that little piggy.
The only reason I got the silvertips is I got them at a a bargain price cheaper than the SSTs as they had been on the shelf for a few years, other wise I would not have bought them. You know me I'm a tight arse and love a bargain.
Bob

 

[Ragman]

I love this post…put a big smile on my face. That rifle shoot do well for you on fallow. Using 95-100 grain bullets works well on our Canadian whitetails which are quite a bit larger and mule deer which are significantly larger than a fallow.
There are quite a few members on AH that I’d love to visit and this group of Aussies is right up there!

 

[Rafiki]

If you ain't used it in 20 years there has to be a good reason why.

I can't think of a good reason Bob. It's a beautiful little gun and shoots well. I got a running turkey, off-hand, at 140 yards (paced off) in SoDak with this little thing; got it at the base of the neck. Obviously pure luck but if that's what you're intending to do is it really luck? The funny thing was that even though there was no waste that bird was emaciated so it didn't make any difference how good the shot was. If I hadn't shot it it probably would have dropped over on ts own accord.

 

[CBH Australia]

@CBH Australia
The SSTs are half the price of balistic tips and seem to hold together pretty well. I have only recovered one SST and that was a 308 150gn. All the rest have exited.
The mates son shot a 50kg boar on the weekend with my 25 loaded with 115gn Winchester combined technology Silvertip ( a nosler with a Winchester lubalox coating.) Launched at 3,360fps it sure as shit did the job on that little piggy.
The only reason I got the silvertips is I got them at a a bargain price cheaper than the SSTs as they had been on the shelf for a few years, other wise I would not have bought them. You know me I'm a tight arse and love a bargain.
Bob

Sounds like you started hoarding before it was fashionable

Bob, I think you should buy a .243 and we can do a boys trip with Russ using .243's.

@Ragman Australia is a big place and the members I've met are pretty spread out. But let us know if you are coming. I'm inland and it's pretty sparse.

You know Von Gruff the knife maker in New Zealand he is probably closer to most of us than anyone on the West Coast of Australia.

Anywhere on the Eastern coastline of Australia has the highest density of population and same is probably applies for AH members.

 

[Ragman]

Sounds like you started hoarding before it was fashionable

Bob, I think you should buy a .243 and we can do a boys trip with Russ using .243's.

@Ragman Australia is a big place and the members I've met are pretty spread out. But let us know if you are coming. I'm inland and it's pretty sparse.

You know Von Gruff the knife maker in New Zealand he is probably closer to most of us than anyone on the West Coast of Australia.

Anywhere on the Eastern coastline of Australia has the highest density of population and same is probably applies for AH members.

Yes Canada is a huge chunk of real estate too. My in-laws in Newfoundland are twice as far from where I live than south Texas!

 

[CBH Australia]

Yes Canada is a huge chunk of real estate too. My in-laws in Newfoundland are twice as far from where I live than south Texas!

Fortunately my in laws keep their distance too.
Texas has Heli Hog hunting. That would win over in laws anytime.

 

[WyoBull]

I have a great load worked up for my 243 Win using the 80gr Barnes TTSX. Love it!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Sounds like you started hoarding before it was fashionable

Bob, I think you should buy a .243 and we can do a boys trip with Russ using .243's.

@Ragman Australia is a big place and the members I've met are pretty spread out. But let us know if you are coming. I'm inland and it's pretty sparse.

You know Von Gruff the knife maker in New Zealand he is probably closer to most of us than anyone on the West Coast of Australia.

Anywhere on the Eastern coastline of Australia has the highest density of population and same is probably applies for AH members.

@CBH Australia
Chris I've always hoarded stuff I need. I just managed to get 5 boxes of 25 sellior and bellot 3" magnum slugs for my 12 gauge before the prices go up, even got an $8 a box discount only paid 50 buck a box.
As for getting a 243, in ya dreams mate ain't never gonna happen.
We can still do a boys trip but I will bring my 25 and show you what a real calibre can do.
Ha ha ha ha ha
Bob

 

[Badboymelvin]

I love this post…put a big smile on my face. That rifle shoot do well for you on fallow. Using 95-100 grain bullets works well on our Canadian whitetails which are quite a bit larger and mule deer which are significantly larger than a fallow.
There are quite a few members on AH that I’d love to visit and this group of Aussies is right up there!

Well Ragman, one day if you ever do find yourself down Melbourne way... you've got a place to stay

Russ

 

[Forrest Halley]

Yes Canada is a huge chunk of real estate too. My in-laws in Newfoundland are twice as far from where I live than south Texas!

Fortunately my in laws keep their distance too.
Texas has Heli Hog hunting. That would win over in laws anytime.

My in laws are moving farther away...I am overjoyed.

 

[colorado]

You guys need to stop trolling Bob lol!

 

[PARA45]

Wait, WHAT? @Bob Nelson 35Whelen had a set of reloading dies for 243? No way, he must have been drunk or something. No way @Bob Nelson 35Whelen would have anything with 243 in his shop, let alone his hands touch it. No way! The world is ending!

On a serious note, good deal on your new rifle and components. I still own the first centerfire rifle I bought when I was 19 years old, it's a Rem 700 ADL, in 243. I killed a lot deer with that rifle, using the old Sierra 100 grs GameKings. I also reloaded using the old Lee Loader, and it produced accurate enough ammo for the hunting conditions I dealt with in South Florida. Good luck to ya!