Or has it never left the radar? Seems like I see more and more talk about .243 AI and using it for longish range deer hunting. I have never been around anyone that used it for deer or varmints, and never handled one, so I admit to knowing absolutely nothing about the round. A lot of computer jocks (some sites) always said it was marginal, but I never believed that.

It never really left the radar. It also has seen a resurgence both as a long range varmint and target round due to new bullets being unvelied.

The varmint resurgence for the 6mms came about 15 years ago when Nosler and Hornady started marketing those wicked 55g plastic point 6mm slugs that can be driven at 4,000FPS and still have BCs equal to any good .22 cal varmint bulet.

The long range target resurgence came about when G. David Tubb gravitated to the 6mms for target work. Berger Sierra and others began making 6mm match bullets with .500 + BCs and the rest is history.

In terms of a viable big game round, the introduction of the various Barnes X bullets have not hurt its rep with folks who must have exit holes in game.

Now you'e got guys like John Burns wacking Elk at over 600 yards with a 243.

While I do not think that a .243 is a viable elk rifle 99.9% of the hunters out there , it is a better Varmint/deer/target round than it has EVER been. That is due to the new bullets and powders that ratchet it's performance up several notches.

Great round. I have alwsys been impressed with what it does in the feild when the bullets are steered correctly.

I just built a 243AI this last summer and dropped a big meat doe with it a couple weeks ago. 160 yds and a 95gr NBT. The deer ran 30-40 yds and hit the dirt. Got a great pass through, lungs were jelly, and the deer had no idea if it was hit by a 243 or a 300 win mag.

Great cartridge in my book and case trimming is cut out of the equation as well. I feel like this cartridge will occupy my safe for quite some time to come! I saw nothing marginal about it's performance at all.

I didn't know it had faded. I know a lady who kills all her elk with a 243 and of course John Burns shows people shooting elk at long range with it. However, after having used it and seen it used over the last 30 years I would say it is light adiquate or heavy marginal depending on how you look at things.

Resurgence? Never went anywhere did it?
Nothing marginal about the .243 at all. Surefire killer. A .243 in the same place as a .270 will kill the same animal, and thats a fact despite the occassional internet musings from people who proabbly havnt used it much. And you dont need to use "new" bullets either, it always did just fine.

I think it has always suffered from being considered a "girl's" or "kid's" gun. It now increasing seems to be considered a proper, all-grown-up cartridge. I think we have all just got over the magnumitis of the last coupla decades.

I would consider it adequate for all but the very biggest deer species - and even then it will be adequate most of the time. I am just not the kinda guy who accepts most of the time as an acceptable standard - that is probably my professional training. For the big species i think one has an ethical obligation to use the most effective cartridge one can shoot accurately. And that might be the .243, but most of us can do a little better and ethically hunt with a larger margin of error. And there is more to bullet performance than penetration.

I was unaware that the 243 had left the radar

It never faded from what I've seen.

Great deer, antelope, and varmint round that is still one of the best choices for a kids first gun.

Still a great choice for big kids too

The .243 has been pretty much a standard cartridge since it was introduced--one of the rounds chambered by every major rifle manufacturer on earth. It's popular not just in North America but Africa--and even Europe, which kinda makes sense because it's "metric."

That said, I think it might have started becoming even more popular over the last 10-15 years, both for target shooting (as has already been pointed out) but because a lot of male hunters are getting older and less fond of recoil. A lot of new premium bullets have appeared in that period, providing a wider variety of choices for rifle loonies.

It's metric?

Just like my crescent wrench. But I think he means that 6mm is standard, whether you call it .243 or 6mm.

yep, that's what i was driving at with my original post.

Yep 6mm

All calibres are metric if you measure them in mm!

The .243 has been used as a deer rifle by knowledgeable hunters since it's introduction....and IMO has never stopped being used for this task.....many hunters I've hunted with have used it and it was my feeling that their use of it for varmint hunting led to their deadly use for deer....there's nothing like a highly practiced hunter and the .243 allowed for that in spades.

Prior to the .243 introduction the .220 Swift was highly touted by their owners as a highly successful deer round and was used in states that allowed them a lot....well by the few that owned them at least.....IMO this led to the feeling that a .243 was easily a dual purpose round....varmint and deer.....and still is used for that purpose.

I have had a grudge against the .243 since it's introduction in the 1950s. Soon there after, many gunwriters began holding it up as a better cartridge than the 250-3000 and .257 Roberts.
If enough say it, it must be true. Their "swan song" spread around the world's hunting fields.

I've been fortunate to stalk red deer stags in Scotland over a number of years. I was initially surprised to find that the favorite cartridge of the gamekeepers for their personal rifles is the "two-four-three." Some use other cartridges, but that is far and away the most popular among several gamekeepers on several different estates. They cull a lot of deer in a year.

There always has been quite a few 243's on the dealers' shelves around here.

I recently purchased my first rifle so chambered........and turned it into a 6-284.

Beats me, I had a Ruger # 1 light sporter in 243 for a number of years. Sold it to a friend of mine. Had a 240 Weatherby Mag I didn't hunt with it to much, for some reason. It ended up a safe queen. Sold it. Now I just may get a 243 barrel for my Blaser. The deer I been shooting of late have been a bit on the runt size. We have sever over population of them these days so much so that in my zone, for every deer I shoot and check in the state gives me another tag. I can shoot 4 this way. I never saw the need for a 243 even thou I have a Winchester M-70 so chambered on loan to a friend, has a deer problem so I gave him the rifle to shoot. Still has it.

The second center-fire rifle that I bought (34 years ago) was a .243, and I have never been without one since. One of my favorite carrying rifles is a Ruger tang safety 77 RSI in .243. One of my most accurate rifles is .243 built on a Mexican Mauser action with a Krieger barrel and a Rimrock stock.

That said, I see a lot more interest in the cartridge today than I did twenty years ago. Back then, I would never have thought of it as an elk cartridge. However, with the premium bullets available today, I can see its utility for bigger and tougher critters than white-tailed deer. It has certainly done the job on some really large feral hogs.

the Roberts seems to be enjoying a resurgence, some of which may be at the .243's expense, but it's a gun crank's round and will probably never threaten the .243's worldwide popularity.

I wonder which one is harder on barrels, the 243 or the 257 Roberts, assuming both loaded to max capacity?

Resurgence? Never thought it had died!

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the 257 Roberts

.243, is just one of those cartridges ,that are fun to shoot. If you handload, it's not usually to difficult to come up with a really accurate load. As someone once said. "alot of kill, not much kick"

I like the .243. It's a very accurate round, out of an accurate rifle. I think it has supplanted the .257 Roberts, which is why they're seldom seen, and certainly the .250-3000. Not that either of these are not as good, they're just...different. One of each would be the answer.

Like others, I think that the .243 seems to be surging in popularity.

It is a good cartridge, made even better than it was, by new bullets available to handloaders. I don't know if any of the new powders available are applicable to the .243, or if they offer any performance enhancement, but high BC target bullets and solid copper hunting bullets make it more than it was.

I also think that the cycle is coming back around to "standard" cartridges from the "magnums". You can't hardly sell a 7mm Rem Mag in a pawn shop anymore. Forget selling a Remington Ultra Mag. The Winchester Short Magnums are tapering off too. Ruger just found out about introducing their own "Compact Magnum" a few years too late.

Bottom line is, men folk don't do "fashion trends" we do cartridge trends. We occasionally shoot something new because it looks sexy or whatever, and often come back to what we were shooting before when the newness wears off.

Lastly, and peripherally, I love the .257 Roberts. Bought one for my son to hunt with, and don't regret it. What I don't get is shooting 100 grain bullets out of a Roberts. I know they work, I have used them, but the whole worth of a Roberts to me is being able to shoot bullets north of 100 grains. Otherwise, I'd be better off shooting a 6mm Rem.

Little known fact but the resurgence in popularirty of the .243 is due solely to the fact that I bought a T/C Icon in that cartridge four years ago, and posted my grand adventures with it here on the 'fire...It started a veritable stampede to local gun stores.....


Actually, if anything made it increase in popularity its the premium bullets now available...it was always a capable round, but now it can safely be given steroids...

Yeah, I remember all the people who shamed you for buying a rifle from "America's Master Gunmaker" were merely throwing up a smokescreen so nobody would notice they had sneaked off and bought a .243 themselves.

Never really left. It seems to be benefitting from better bullets and folks realizing you don't need a cannon to kill deer. I just wish the 6mm Rem and 250 Savage would do the same. But a 243 would do just as well.

I sold my 243, but recently bought another. I bought it because I wanted that model of gun; I don't really care for the cartridge. I was looking for a 250 Savage or 257 Roberts, but only the one has ever been made in the gun I wanted, and I don't like the variant it was made in. Oh, well...

The 243 will never be un-popular, because it has name recognition and EVERY manufacturer chambers it. Bandwagon advertizing at its finest.

Did it ever go anywhere?

Funny thing about the .243 is, I rarely see them on the used gun racks in MT.

The people that buy them seem to hang on to them.

Never left the radar for me.

My first centerfire was a Win 670 in 243, with which I killed lots of woodchucks.

My most recent centerfire is a Win 70 FWT classic, with which I might very well hunt anything I'll pursue for the remainder of life.

I think the stats on 243 kills are better today than ever, and the pendulum is swinging back, IMHO.

Due to shooters increased conscious of accuracy/shot placement.......and bullet choice. Both, Esp. the former result and are required - for clean kills.

If one can shoot/place your shots thru vitals, the 243 is a great choice. If you cannot, Go Practice more. Otherwise, one will get a larger gun that they may shoot WORSE and then WHAT will they have to blame poor performance on next?

Could be alot of negative 'propaganda' by those standing to profit be selling the inadequacy of the round, so as to replace it w/a new rifle.

243s only ENCOURAGES practice. MOST average hunters shooting a 7mag or larger, even -06, will NOT do anything more than shoot a few rounds on paper to check POI. They really don't LEARN their rifle or how to use them to their potential.

Flawed thinking that hunters use - when going overboard thinking to max out on power, not understanding it can result in poorer shooting and LESS clean kills..or more tracking.

You guys are so warped a tornado could not UNWARP you.

If you want to learn to shoot better - SHOOT BIGGER.

Have you ever ridden a motorcycyle? The bigger cycle you learn to ride the BETTER/HARDER you will ride a smaller one.

The same principle applies to RIFLES. If you're going to shoot and hit w/a bigger caliber, YOU PRACTICE more. Then after learning to shoot/hit w/say a 300 WM, a 243 is like shooting a BB gun.

That's the way it works for me on motorcyles & rifles.
Jerry

Is it because it's just before Christmas? Winter depression has kicked in? Substance abuse? Tin foil hats fell off? There's more nutters here than the Planter's factory!

" You talking to me..?" "You talking to me..?"

I've been hunting/shooting MOST of my life. I didn't like the kick of a .410 when I was a kid. Wellll. a .410 doesn't kick at all after shooting a light weight 12 ga. & 2 oz of shot. YES 2 oz of shot. . Do you know how many grains 2 oz of shot = ?
A WHOLE LOT more than a .410 shoots. It's a WHOLE LOT more than 180 grs in a 300 WM too.

That's the same principle I was talking about in my previous post.

Show me how or why that's wrong... Sir Steve. I'm interested to know.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Jerry

Jerry

for small to medium game the 243 is about as good as it gets, almost as good as the 6mm Remington

But what about the energy

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!