Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters SO ABOUT THE 243 WINCHESTER

My little daughter has hunted deer and hogs with a .243 model 10 Savage for 16 years. She has killed 22 deer with 22 shots and I don't know how many hogs. She killed by far the biggest Russian hybrid hog ever taken in these parts with that rifle. I've killed a few with it myself. The load is a 100 grain Nosler Partition and 42.4 grains of IMR 4350. It will shoot MOA on its worst day.

I'm hoping to connect on something with one of the 90gr E-Tips I scored from SPS with either a .243 or a Creed next season. Also have some 85gr NPs and 95gr BTs.

When I visit SPS, I turn into a girl that can't say no!

Don't get excited. Once the Creedmoor boys get well-oiled, you'll be getting a boatload of that from them (us, actually).

I have that exact same rifle, 95 gr NBT and 41.5 IMR 4350 very accurate and kills like lightning.

Also have the same rifle in 22-250 they are good hunting rifles. Rio7

Federal blue box is all my son will shoot out his 243. He does not even want to think about reloading for his Model 70 FWT.

My other son wants to always tinker with loads and bang steel with his RAR. Barnes, NBT's, Hornady's, he has shot them all.

Nice, congrats Jorge, have only killed my biggest doe with my 243, RL-17 and H-4350 send the 100 gr partitions to about 2922 fps with equal accuracy, iirc I hit the doe in the shoulder at 55 yards, bang flop, she had to weigh at least 180 lbs, huge old girl.

Congratulations on a very nice rifle. Don't worry there is no relationship between small calibers and small winkies. The 243 is a most useful cartridge as attested by more than one African PH recommending them for baited Leopard as the client was less likely to botch the shot with the 243 than some other more traditional African cartridge.

My latest load is a max level of R26 (for 100 grainers as there is no data for 95s) and either a 95 grain BT or Partition. Works extremely well on everything I have shot with it so far. The 6mms are definitely the beneficiaries of all the great bullets available today. Many of the negative gack came from people using varmint bullets for deer and then claiming the cartridge was at fault. Some of the other negative press is from the once a year-ers or neophyte hunters who could have issues with anything due to lack of practice or experience.

Back to Africa, a surprising number of PH's in Craig Boddington's "Safari Rifles" recommended the 375 H&H and the 243 Win. as the ideal two gun battery. I can see the logic in this and the pros view that most people don't shoot anything 30-06 or above as well as they shoot the 243. I know in Namibia and RSA that the 243 is one of the favorites of professional game cullers and harvesters and is used for game up to Kudu in size routinely by them. They have no qualms of harvesting Gemsbok with the 243 and they have a well deserved reputation for being tenacious.

Nice rifle.. Best of luck finding an excellent load..

Jorge - a 243 is one of the two calibers I WILL be packing in the feed truck!
It works well on deer, antelope, I suspect (never tried) black bear, and (with care) even elk.

Ive shot both black bear and elk with a .243


It works!!

Tom, having seen the results on deer, antelope, and elk - I'd have to believe it'll work on black bear.
I saw the results on elk from a 243/6mm Rem as early as 1966 IIRC - and they seem to work almost as well as my beloved '06's!
In my "advanced years", I much prefer the lighter recoil - that's all. And I'm more willing to pass on a bad angle.

From personal chronograph experience I can guarantee anyone that there is SO LITTLE difference between the 243 & 6 mm Rem that NO ONE
can possibly tell the difference ***using the same components at comparable pressures.

I’ve had more 243s than 6 Rem. You can stack the deck 1 way or the other BUT if a guy is honest there is NO virtual diff in performance of the two rounds. My first 6 Rem was a 700 BDL and IT was probably the most accurate rifle I’ve ever owned. A very close second place was a 700 ADL 30-06.

Using the same components in the diff rounds the velocities will be VERY close but the 6 R will be a LITTLE faster>>not enuff to affect trajectory—-
>> given BOTH have good barrels.

I personally like the 6 R case better because it’s longer & more slender. However in practicality it makes NO diff.

If you encounter very much diff between the 2, ONE of them has a problem.

If you’re interested in varminting the 243, look for some Speer 75 HP bullets. They are DY NO mite and fur friendly.

Jerry

Ingwe - what load did you use for the bear? I was hunting in the Sierra Nevada last fall with a .243 and saw a nice bear but chickened out on taking the shot.

The relationship is probably inverse, a man toting a 243 isn't compensating.

And a man toting a .223AI....awesome.

I shot a half a dozen black bears with a 70 grain nosler over the course of a couple of years. Never had one make it over 50 yds. It was not an ideal bear round, but any good bullet that holds together from 85 grains up, is plenty stout enough for your average black bear.

To All,

Personally, I think that a hunter should use whatever firearm that they shoot best. - In my case, it's an over 60 year old Model 760 in .300SAV, topped with a 2.5X Redfield scope.

just my OPINION, tex

Jorge, I started High Brass with a 243. After his first two bucks I bought one. I have always loaded 100gr Corelokts. I load 41gr of H4350 and use a RCBS X die to resize my brass for my deer ammo. The range here is seldom over 100 yards and this load has never failed whether broadside, frontal, or through both shoulders. Congrats on a sweet looking rifle.

I'm just a gun addict and I need to face it. Snagged that sweet MS last month in 257 Roberts (100gr pill2900 plus) and now this also sweet Safari in 243 (100gr pill at 2900 plus), so WTF am I doing?

Playing!