Today I am re-reading Jack O'Connor's book, "The Rifle Book", copyright 1964. I found the following quotes about the .243 Winchester cartridge very interesting. Pages 185-187:
"In my opinion the .243 has been greatly overpraised. I consider it inferior not only to the .244-6mm Remington, but to the .250/3000 Savage cartridge which it drove from the Savage line."
"As a matter of fact, both 6-mm cartridges were greatly overpraised when they came out, and for all around use on deer and varmints I'd prefer the old .250/3000 to the .243 and the .257 Roberts to the .244." "However, the .243 has been a roaring success."
"I prefer the .244 (6mm Rem) to the .243. I like the shape of the case better. The powder capacity is greater. The 26-degree shoulder is more adapted to the use of slow-burning powders than the 20-degree shoulder of the .243."
Some people have tried to claim that O'Connor was a marketing mouth-piece for Winchester because of his long support for the .270 Win. cartridge. He was a supporter of the .270 long before he had any influence in the firearms industry. His lack of enthusiasm for the .243 cartridge also reinforces the idea that he was not working for the Winchester marketing department. To this day there is much of value to be found in the writings of Jack O'Connor.
