Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Is The 243 Winchester in Danger of Being Replaced by the 223 Remington

After years of using my 243 for deer hunting I'm starting to wonder if it is going to be replaced by the 223. The 243 has always been the old standard for the minimum cartridge suitable for deer sized game, with the promise of light recoil for women, children, and those who are recoil shy. With the advent of all the new bullets and the good reports of performance I see here on the Campfire it seems that the 223 can step in and do the same job that the 243 was so good at. So what do you guys think? Does the 243 offer enough over the 223 at longer ranges to keep it's spot? Are most deer shot at distances that the extra power and wind bucking characteristics are of little practical difference? Just some thoughts from me as I continue to see what kind of accuracy my new 223 is capable of.

The .223 can not beat the .243 at longer ranges period. This from a guy with five 223's and only one .243.

Run the long range ballistics on them. The .223 is perfectly accurate and capable of great mid-range results but can not compete the further out you go. ie. wind drift, energy etc etc

If the ranges are modest, no reason for larger than the 223. At longer ranges, I like the uberfast 25-284 calibers's myself (on deer). No 243's in the stable here.

After the .223 Remington, the next cartridge I start to consider is the .270 Winchester. I don't give much thought to those in between these days.

Hunting big game with a .22 CF is for those who don't care about the game suffering, want to brag to the unknowing that they did it with a .22 or just don't know any better.

The .22 CF is not even legal in most places for common sense reasons.

In New England most of the states have a 6mm minimum for use on deer, so I don't see the .223 taking over around here at least.

I think that the .243 Win. is the minimum for deer sized game ! It will never be replaced by the pipsqueak .223 .

I'm not trolling for another 223 for deer argument. The fact is that there are many who have attested to the 223's ability to perform well on deer and just was wondering if others think that it could replace the 243 as the default minimum standard for deer. The trending on here seems to support that possibilty.

Nope. Certainly not in the Northeast anyway.

Just for the record, my standard answer about power levels of hunting rifles used to be, "use the most powerful cartridge that you can shoot well". I can shoot up to 300 magnums reasonably well myself and have used the 30-06 more than any other cartridge. That said, the amount of good reviews on the 223 with the right bullets is making me take notice. I'm an old dog.......but I can learn new tricks and am not stuck in my ways. (not too stuck anyway).

I beg to differ....

1+

No way, I have both and like both calibers. Just not a fan of the hot .22 CFs on deer sized game. Nobody will ever hunt deer with a .22 at our deer camp.

NB

How so?

I think that as the AR15 platfrom becomes more popular for hunting so will the 223, as the current trend has shown. It will never replace the 243 of course, but it already has taken some of the market away from that cartridge. I hear of lots of folks using a 22 centerfire these days vs 10 years ago. Most states allow the use of 223CF cartridges as well. The ones that don't are the exception, not the norm.

I have used the 223 on both deer and hogs sucessfully. I have never felt handicapped and the animals died no slower or faster.

I save my 223 for coyote hunting and target practice. I could do just fine if using it for bigger critters, but I got better setups for that. For high volume shooting though, the 223 would be hard to top.

Last count I knew of the .22 CF or smaller as a few state "Any Centerfire" was legal for deer in 38 States and a few Providences in Canada. So I think that is what fatjack34 "begs to differ" on.

Couldn't miss a chance to shout his "wisdom" could he?

I seriously feel sorry for the guy -

Is the .223 going to replace the .243 for like utilization?

Not a chance...

no chance. although the 223 kills deer in the hands of a skilled marksman, the 243 is a much better choice. 95-100 grain bullets or 55-60 grain bullets, pure common sense says you will get a more humane kill with a 243 if you are comparing apples to apples when choosing said bullet for either rifle. lenny

I haven't shot a deer with my 223 yet, but I am sure I will this year. While the 243 offers better performance at longer ranges, I think the 223 has its benefits too. In the time I have had my 223 I have shot it more than I have any of my other CF's. The low costs of reloading and pleasant noise/recoil allow me to practice a LOT. I know a 223 will have little trouble putting down one of our small bodied does here. All I have to do is find the right bullet.

I don't think that the 223 will replace the 243 in popularity for deer. But, if all goes well for me, I could see myself using it to fill the freezer quite often. I think there is a lot to like about the 223.