Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Just curious; is the .243 making a resurgence?

JWP -
.......

Jerry

Someone mentioned that he almost never sees used 243's for sale. This is my thinking as well. If it's true I wonder why? It's one of the most popular rifle cartridges of all times so there must be a lot of them out there. What gives?

Mr. T - He also said, "in Montana".

I haven't been looking recently, I have a .243 & 6mm Rem. However, we have several SG stores in s c Ark. Gander Mtn, Ft. Thompson, Trader Bills (Hot Springs)& Wally World everywhere & many pawn shops. Given right now the pawn shops are low in inventory, hunting season & Christmas, but NORMALLY you can find ALMOST any standard cal. including 243. It may not be the rifle you want but the cal. is available.

I'm not in the retail business but AFAICT (as far as I can tell) the .243 has not dropped significantly in popularity here in the South.

Also there are NOT many rifle loonies in deer hunting leases. e.g. I have NEVER met anyone who has or knows what a 6.5X55 is.
So the popularity of the monos is not widespread in the South either.

That said, the .243's popularity may very well be regional. I have known plenty people who have and hunt the .243.

FWIW that my .02
Jerry

At seasons end you will see in the NC and SC Sportsman mags plenty of tales of significant bucks killed with the .243. When I head out to the woods, it's a tossup as to whether I grab my .280 or .243.

I spend a lot of time at my local range, and know most of the shooter that show up regularly. The closest thing to a 243 that I see there is the 243 WSM AR upper one guy has. I know this doesn't have any bearing on the effectiveness of the round, but locally 243 rifles only show up at sight-in days in October and Novemeber carried by one-box a year shooters and kids. Maybe you guys see them more often, but that is what I see.

well, I guess if'n I was trying to kill a motorcycle, I might need a 300 mag.

but a deer...not so much

The 243 making a resurgence. Hmmm, I was unaware it had suffered an unsurgence,? desurgence,? antisurgence,? Heck that it had slipped into obsolescence. News to me. Where was I when this happened and why didn't some one tell me? Now that the 243 is a an obsolete cartridge and therefore a classic, I have to have one.

Mart

Back in the mid 60's my Dad brought a 243 to used for fox and deer. I now have that rifle.

I think you're missing the point ON PURPOSE. (no grin)
Jerry

Well, the cartridge made a resurgence at my house. After a couple of years of not having one, I now do. So, I guess you could say it made a come-back.

When I get really old, I hope to become an EXPERT marksman b/c when my shoulder won't tolerate anymore than a 22 L.R. I can still drop anything like the 'Hammer of Thor' -

by putting a 40gr Power Point in their eye!

Happy Holidays everyone!