Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Goodbye 243 I'm done

Well since I now have a 257 I've decided to snob out and divest myself of all my 243 rifles. There is nothing I can't do better on the deer hunting end with my 257 and on the varmint end the 243 can't touch my 22-250. I've sold most of my 6MM bullets, rebarreled one of the 243 rifles to 22-250 and converted another into a 7MM Remington magnum. Now that the Creed is running rampant we have a much better medium game round in the same action length to pick if you want a short action deer rifle. I give the 243 credit for being accurate but I never liked the case design and when you could have much more by going to the 7-08 or 308 in the same action and style rifle why would you choose the 243? And what is this dual purpose rifle crap, you are trying to tell me you would rather have one rifle than two?

Dual purpose cartridges are one of those better in concept than in actual practice sort of things.

Which .257?

I love the 243. Handoaded, it's even better. Little recoil, easy to shoot, long bullets fly flat, animals big and small die. Of course, I'm learning the same about the 22 cals.

I killed a deer with the 243 this year and it was my first one with the chambering in 25 years, almost to the day. I really like it as a knock-around, truck-gun type of chambering, as you can fling bullets of a decent BC at speeds that flatten trajectory pretty well. You can also do it with relatively low recoil, so it is fun to shoot. I'm currently shooting the 105gr Hornady HPBT and to 400yds it flies much like my 6.5x47L, 260, and 7mmRM, while being easy on the shoulder. It will certainly kill big game if you point it right and pick a decent bullet, but like you, I really do prefer a little bit more bullet and the better blood trails. Having said that, I doubt there is a deer alive that I couldn't take with a Partition or Triple Shock, so long as the range was moderate.

I have an early 90's Ruger M77 Mk II push feed/claw extractor in 6mm Remington and can't bring myself to ever part with it... it shoots the 100 grain Nosler partition tight enough for any deer hunting i will do, and i am working up a load with the 95 grain BT... so my "243" is here to stay. i never had a fancy for the 243 Winchester but several buddies swear by them as a "death ray" on Virginia deer.

Hmmm, I have a .22-250 and a .243. Funny thing is, my .22-250 can't fling a 55 grain bullet 4000+ fps.... But my .243 can.... My .243 can also fling a 100 grain bullet 3000+ fps... But my .22-250 can't...

And with a higher B.C.

How the fug did they do that.

Have a bud that says the 55 Ballistic Tip is hell on coyotes at 4040 fps.

My very first centerfire rifle was a .243 which I sold more than 40 yrs. ago, I have had a .257 Roberts for 30 or so years now and like it very well though it does not get as much field time as its big brother my .35 Whelen. Both are great classic cartridges created by two men what were some of the most knowledgeable of their era.both have had times when they were more or less popular but both have stood the test of time.

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Well how important is 4000fps with a 55 gr. Bullet? What kind of barrel life does that get you. For the varminting I do a 60 gr. bullet at 3400 fps works great, that being coyotes and prairie dogs. And I like a 115-120 gr. bullet at 3000 fps plus better than a skinnier bullet that weighs 100 grains any day. I just don't need a compromise rifle.

Should've rebarreled your 243 to a 7.5 twist and shot 110-115gr 6mm bullets! They are devastating on game. I do like the 257 though if it's a 257wby.

I was the same. My .243 got pushed to the back of the safe a week after I got my first .257 Roberts. I haven't fired the .243 for over 10 -12 years I'd say. Can't sell it though.

rickt300,

The .243 does a LOT of things quite well. It's what the .22 SAV High-power was supposed to be but never was. = I'm selling the ONE that I have because I like my .244 REM better, as the .244 was my FIRST Model 760 & that I've owned since 1966.
(BEST 60 bucks that I've ever spent.)


Now if I could just find a 760 in .257 Roberts!!!!

yours, tex

Granddaughter slays cshit out of deer and pigs with hers. I’ve never shot one in my 65 years. They are very popular. It must be doing something right!

Companies make new barrels every day, which apparently you aren't aware of.

I love 243’s... 55 bt at over 4000 is amazing on coyotes

Hell even a 75 at 3500-3600 is wicked coyote medicine.

Our own "Mule Deer'" posted several months back many Montana hunters were trading in their .243's for the new 6.5 Creedmoor. I am sure JB is wired into the area gun shops to know local trends in caliber changes among the average gun buyer.

doc,
That's why from .243, I'd skip right over the .257 cal - unless of course, there's 70+ grains of powder behind the bullet. I've read speed kills.