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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 13,978 Likes: 4
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 13,978 Likes: 4 |
The .243 is probably the last cartridge I'd ever part with. But I don't have any innate desire to be bludgeoned by magnums either.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,114 Likes: 4
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,114 Likes: 4 |
THIS is lovely: ![[Linked Image]](http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj220/deflave25_2008/P1030101_zpsdon8jgnw.jpg) Word...
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121 Likes: 1
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121 Likes: 1 |
philthygeezer,
Thanks for the additional info, especially on your hunting. The truth is that most of us shoot a lot more at targets than when hunting.
Travis copied what I said very early on in the thread about the .243 being the one to dump, but that's OK, he's just learning. This is true: I should have looked closer and made the proper attribution. Apologies for the oversight. Also thanks for pointing out aspects of my original post on occasion. The thread went really well and I think I've learned from it. Apparently some people missed the fact that you mostly shoot targets, but do hunt too, though hunting isn't as important.
The .243 will have the shortest barrel life of any. The other three will cover any centerfire hunting on earth. I have nothing against the .243, and in fact own two right now, and my wife has another. We've both hunted with the .243 a lot, but it will toast barrels much quicker than either a .223 or .308.
Most people are pleasantly surprised by the relatively gentle recoil of a .375 the first time they shoot one--and the .458 is a noticeable step up in recoil! According to Mule Deer's recent article on bore erosion, loading down the .243 a bit likely won't make a great deal of difference (I'm extrapolating a bit here). It might ease up on your brass a bit if you don't size the crap out of it every time. A 1-10" twist will work with hunting bullets up to 100gr, but likely not the long, skinny, ones target shooters use weighing 105-107 grains or so. I think a .243 is a great hunting round in the Lower 48, but less useful up North where stuff is generally larger and it's not a great choice for steady target shooting unless you don't mind replacing barrels every so often. I like the idea of the .243 but that barrel life bothers me. The post above about the target bullets not working well in a 1:10 twist kind of seals the deal. I've only run two rounds of .458 Lott and two .458 WM through my brand new Ruger RSM. The stock began to split at the tang on the fourth shot. I need to send the thing back to Ruger to give them a chance to do right by me. So far I'm not so enthusiastic about the results. I felt like the stock after four rounds. "Noticeable step up" seems like subtlety. It felt like about double. Mind you, there is the hockey puck on the back of the Ruger vs. the decelerator on the Win 70, and 500 grain DGX loads vs. 270 grain soft points are not exactly a fair comparison either. But I was wearing a PAST magnum recoil pad with the .458 vs a t-shirt with the .375, and it still walloped me.  Maybe it's shooting form... So you know, there are people/companies out there that make new barrels. Burning out a barrel is something you should strive for.
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,549 Likes: 7
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,549 Likes: 7 |
Im still in tears over the thoughts of someone dumping a 270 AND a 7-08..... Im gonna need counseling!!  The 7-08 was much easier to decide on than the .270. What could be better for hunting and shooting than a 6.8x62mm cartridge that marries aspects of the 6.5x55 and .30-06? I really, really like the .270 in a sporter weight rifle: Doesn't kick hard, though maybe a little more abruptly than the .30-06. I still wonder what the thing could do if it had some serious match rifles, bullets and cases: would it be an ideal 1000 yard cartridge that doesn't burn barrels like the 6.5-284? There is a chambering that already has all those great attributes- it's called a 7-08 
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 15,951 Likes: 15
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 15,951 Likes: 15 |
Rock the .223 and .308. Sell the others to buy components and or upgrade optics.
I've dropped a fair number of elk with the .308 and they did not die any slower than when shot with a belted mag. No muss, no fuss. Easy recoil and pinpoint accuracy. In fact I just ate cow elk steaks for dinner courtesy of one of my .308s.
.223s. Well that is a no brainer. Ground squirrels to medium game. It has everything covered, and cheap for target practice.
THE CHAIR IS AGAINST THE WALL. The Tikka T3 in .308 Winchester is the Glock 19 of the rifle world. The website is up and running!www.lostriverammocompany.com
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Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 15
New Member
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New Member
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 15 |
Have owned several .243's over the last 50 years.. Like the .257 Rob. never had one I really liked. Ditto, I've have owned a few .243's over the years and even pushed one fairly hard. They're all gone now. I'm not overly fond of the .223 as we had them way back when in '71 in the service. I got a bad taste in my mouth with them. I had a AR in .22 and .223 for competition and they're gone too along with a Rem 700 PSS in .223..all gone... I still have my Rem 40X Single Shot in .308 with a 12X42 NightForce on top and a Rem 700 custom built 6.5-06 that's a hoot to shoot out to 1k. Tell us more about the .375...You are talking about the straight walled case center fire akin to the 38-55, right? Not the H&H 375, right? If so, what model a Marlin or Winchester? I have one of those and it will go on out to 300 yds all day. It's easy on brass and easy to hand load. Not much kick. Personally, I would not get rid of that. But just like everyone else personal preference plays a big role.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 13,606
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 13,606 |
ditto on keeping the .243. if I had to choose one out of the list to keep for target shooting and to hunt with, it would be the .243 hands down. I've killed elk with mine, no muss no fuss. when nosler 95 BT's go on sale buy a bunch of them. low recoil. and they flat kill stuff. IF you burned out the barrel one day, think how much money you'll have after selling the other rifles off.
I'd be looking more at which rifle shot the best, before just deciding on caliber. if one is a 2 moa vs a 1/2 moa rifle, it would sway my opinion greatly on which to keep.
Beware of any old man in a profession where one usually dies young.
Calm seas don't make sailors.
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 115,424 Likes: 13
Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 115,424 Likes: 13 |
Trump being classless,tasteless and clueless as usual. Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit. My young wife decided to play the field and had moved several dudes into my house
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,191 Likes: 23
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 60,191 Likes: 23 |
Several people have mentioned rebarreling the .243, as a response to some of us who mentioned it burns barrels quicker than the other cartridges philthygeezer shoots.
Rebarreling is certainly an option, but I don't know if any of these people noticed that he lives in Canada, where it isn't as cheap or easy to rebarrel a rifle as it is in the U.S. I've been told this by several of my friends living in western Canada, and just had BC30cal (Dwayne) confirm it in a PM. Rebarreling costs are up to $1000, and while that's in Canadian dollars worth about 3/4 of U.S. dollars right now, I doubt many of us regularly pay $750 for a rebarrel job. This is partly due to more regulations on gunsmiths in Canada, one reason there aren't as many there, which is another problem with rebarreling.
Even just trading off a .243 with a barrel that's starting to go isn't as easy in Canada, partly because most rifles are imported, and not as cheap as they are here.
As noted earlier, I own two .243's and so does my wife, and we shoot them considerably. But when (not if) I shoot out the barrel on my Ruger American Rifle it's no big deal.
This is why I suggested he sell his .243 and keep the .223 and .308 for target shooting. Both have much longer barrel life than the typical .243. Plus, it turns out his .243 has a standard 1-10 twist so isn't ideal for longer match bullets.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 33,778 Likes: 9
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 33,778 Likes: 9 |
you anywhere near Trout Creek? About an hour away from where I type. 
Conduct is the best proof of character.
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 28,922 Likes: 20
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 28,922 Likes: 20 |
THIS is lovely: What a place! You could get drunk and wander about for days without bumpin' your head on anything, 'cept maybe that truck.
Last edited by Pappy348; 06/20/15.
What fresh Hell is this?
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,549 Likes: 7
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 14,549 Likes: 7 |
Several people have mentioned rebarreling the .243, as a response to some of us who mentioned it burns barrels quicker than the other cartridges philthygeezer shoots.
Rebarreling is certainly an option, but I don't know if any of these people noticed that he lives in Canada, where it isn't as cheap or easy to rebarrel a rifle as it is in the U.S. I've been told this by several of my friends living in western Canada, and just had BC30cal (Dwayne) confirm it in a PM. Rebarreling costs are up to $1000, and while that's in Canadian dollars worth about 3/4 of U.S. dollars right now, I doubt many of us regularly pay $750 for a rebarrel job. This is partly due to more regulations on gunsmiths in Canada, one reason there aren't as many there, which is another problem with rebarreling.
Even just trading off a .243 with a barrel that's starting to go isn't as easy in Canada, partly because most rifles are imported, and not as cheap as they are here.
As noted earlier, I own two .243's and so does my wife, and we shoot them considerably. But when (not if) I shoot out the barrel on my Ruger American Rifle it's no big deal.
This is why I suggested he sell his .243 and keep the .223 and .308 for target shooting. Both have much longer barrel life than the typical .243. Plus, it turns out his .243 has a standard 1-10 twist so isn't ideal for longer match bullets. John, It's cheaper and easier than a lot of people think- you just have to wait for the right deal on a good barrel, and know the right 'smith to send it to. There are plenty of both around if a fella knows where to look. Selling used rifles is also pretty easy, although the prospect of buying a rifle and re-barreling is certainly looked upon more skeptically here than in the U.S. The other point I was going to make is that a 10" twist won't hinder the OP in the least, given that he only shoots out to 300 yards. Match-grade bullets under 100 gr would be his huckleberry for that kind of shooting. That's a two-edged sword, though. As much as I love the .243, and I was certainly going to recommend that he keep his...until I saw that he doesn't shoot past 300 yards. At that distance the .243 won't offer any practical advantage over his .223 and .308, but it does have a couple of palpable disadvantages. That said, SHAME on us all for extinguishing the waning flame of a rifle looney among us 
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,483
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,483 |
I think I'm the only person on the internet that freely admits I only want to talk about myself.
Travis You forgot about Shrapnel...........
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 28,922 Likes: 20
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 28,922 Likes: 20 |
Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark, likely on you.
What fresh Hell is this?
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,483
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,483 |
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 8,037
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 8,037 |
You've been thinking of selling the .243 for a reason. It's not like it would be tough to get another if you for some reason missed it.
6.5 Creedmoor. You'll love it...
Your Every Liberal vote promotes Socialism and is an
attack on the Second Amendment. You will suffer the consequences.
GOA,Idaho2AIAlliance,AmericanFirearmsAssociation,IdahoTrappersAssociation,FoundationForWildlifeManagement ID and MT.
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,122
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 1,122 |
If you decide to shoot the 243 before you sale it whatever you do.........
Do not work up a reduced recoil load with H4895 and start playing. It could very well spoil your plans. 28.5 grains with an 80 gr bullet would be a good place to start.
Shod
The 6.5 Swede, Before Gay Was Ok
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,776
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,776 |
My 243 is at the front of my safe.....the 30-06 gets shot once in a while. The .243 is fun to shoot - accurate, fast and flat. Makes a milk jug full of water explode. Is a great gun to let new shooters try a centerfire that does not kick the crap out of them. Can be loaded with hunting rounds or varmint bullets - lots to offer in my estimation.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 28,922 Likes: 20
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 28,922 Likes: 20 |
All equally true of the .223, except maybe the part about its position in your safe. Add long barrel life, cheap brass, ammo, bullets, and the fact it uses half the powder. For the OP's purposes, the .223 is the logical choice.
Just for the record, I don't currently own a .223 and do have a .243, because it fits MY situation.
What fresh Hell is this?
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,776
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 10,776 |
And if you or wife or kids wanted to hunt deer with it the .243 would do nicely - .223 marginal.
A true sportsman counts his achievements in proportion to the effort involved and fairness of the sport. - S. Pope
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