Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 243 Win vs 260 Rem

I'd get one in 223 and shoot the bejeeezus outta it.

With sound projectiles,it will nicely fill the bill in all avenues. Blast is nill,ammo costs dick and recoil is nada.

Them attributes always piqued my interest........................

Boggy, I must say that I like the 260 by default. Back in 1968 I killed my first moose with a 243, this was not some record bull but he was a fair sized mulligan bull. One shot behind the left ear just under the antler with a 105 gr round nose Hornady bullet. Range slightly less than 50 yards. Rifle used was a Savage LH 110. This rifle has killed many deer, including mule and black tails. Lots of little critters and a few coyotes. So why do I go with a 260..... I said by default right. Just a few short years ago I built a 6.5 x 55 Swede on a Mex 34 action using one of the last Olympic Arms sporting barrels they made. I have never had a rifle other than my bench rest rifles shoot as well as this one I am a firm believer in long bullets for their weight. The 6.5 140 grain is a fantastic bullet out of any cartridge made for it. I am after all an accuracy nut and guns that shoot as well as my Swede really get me going. The 260 was developed as a target round and that can't be at all bad.

Bullwnkl.

When you'all get your new American Rifleman, there is a spiffy 'lil artical on the .260 written by an author who initially hated the round but now thinks its the ballz, and why.

Quick read, good background, check it out.

Well I'll be the odd man out and pick the 243.

The 260 is a fine cartridge for bigger game but I don't think Moose is on the menu. You mentioned deer,hogs and the occasional Coyote and the 243 was made for that. It also has roughly 50% LESS recoil than the 260. Why put up with more kick when it's not needed??? This is based on the aformentioned loads; 243-100gr @ 3000fps vs 260-140gr @ 2800fps. My .02c...

One other note. If you don't handload I would stay far away from the 260. I've never noticed any factory loads for the 260 at the local stores. The 243 factory loads are at every mom and pop store from Alabama to Alaska...

Well in a 16.5" barrel of a Ruger Compact, I doubt you will see those numbers out of either a 243 OR a 260.


In a 16.5" barrel, I'd be suprised if you could top 2850 fps with a 100 gr. bullet in a 243 Win. In a 6.75 lb rifle, this amounts to 12 ft-lbs recoil.

Same goes for a 260, I bet your top loads in a 16.5" barrel would see a 140 gr. doing 2550 fps tops. This equates to 14 ft-lbs...hardly double the recoil of a 243... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

There is no advantage of the 243 unless you hunt gophers...I agree, the 260 is what the 243 should be <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

1.) Theres a whole continent of Europeans that have been dropping Moose and Rein or Red Deer with the more aneimic 6.5 swede for decades so a .260 will take a Moose no problem at all.

2.) can you share your calculations on recoil? I gotta know how you figure a .243 has half as much recoil as a .260 <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

The .260 is my choice hands down. The .243 is in my mind a varmint cartridge. And I dont care who has done what with it. Thats just MY opinion. I have a nack for avoiding mainstream factory calibers. Anything with AI on the end of it at least gets a pretty long look. My son is nearing the age where I can consider building him his own rifle. And my choices of caliber are the 7-08 and 260. Note that which ever I choose will be in AI form. The 260 is new to me so it will probably be the one i choose. Already dont the 708AI thing. One hell of a rifle, but I want something different. For a rifle, I would choose a model 7 instead of that ruger. Unless it has a tang saftey, a ruger is useless to me. Quality has gone to squat.

1.) I know a 260 will take a Moose. That was my point! BCR doesn't need a Moose cartridge. He wants a deer/hog/coyote rig...



2.)The 243 with a 100gr bullet @ 3000fps in a 7 lb rig churns up 12.7 ft lbs of recoil. The 260 with a 140gr bullet @ 2800fps in a 7 lb rig churns up 17.53 ft lbs of recoil. According to my calculations,50 percent of 12 is 6, so if you add those together that's 18, which is roughy the recoil of the 260 load. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Gotta tell you your math is out. You said the .243 had 50% less recoil than the .260.

That means HALF of the recoil of the .260.

100% less would mean no recoil.

so 50% less recoil than the .260 would mean HALF the recoil of the .260, which you state is 17.53 ft/lbs.

Half of that is 8.765 ft/lbs

You said the .243 had 12.7 ft/lbs of recoil

12.7 divided by 17.53 equals 0.72, which is 72%

So the .243 has 72% of the recoil of the .260 Rem.

100%-72% equals 28%


The .243 has 28% less recoil than the 260 Rem, according to your figures.

Cheaha, Now what does a Redneck from LA know? (Grin) We highly sospissticated (how you like dat spellin) folk from UCLA are where de boy need to come for advice. :-)


Seriously, there are no flies at all on the 243/6mm and they are great rounds. Just for the options outlined, I still think the 260 is a better round. More recoil, yes but still far below what most people find objectionable. My 5 foot nothing wife never noticed the recoil on hers and I have a slight built 11 year old shooting it now with no problems. And this is the little Ruger compact, where recoil should be the worst.

As for taking Moose, I would not try it myself, as I have several better options avaiable but the 6.5X55, which is it's older brother, is the most commonly used round in the Nordic countries ...... for Moose. Now of course, they have runt Moose over there but there are no SMALL Moose anywhere. The 140/160 grainers just flat penetrate. By the way, my wife and little buddy are shooting the 140's in Federal factory loads. 120's should recoil even less.

Finally, as to ammo availability. I have never had a problem. Wally Mart and all the local gun stores have it here and you can order from Cabela's, etc... Is it as available as 243? Of course not but I do not think anyone would ever have a problem finding some, reasonably close and easily.

Of course that is just my opinion, and I could be wrong. :-)

PS> How is the Spring coming? 70+ degrees today, up here in UCLA.

Best Regards, TM

Cheaha, Should have read the rest of the posts. Heck, if them Yankees and such is gonna gang up on you, we may have to fort up and take'em on. Us Good Ol boys got to stick together. I'll bring my 260, what you gonna use? (grin) TM

Which is roughly HALF of his claimed 50% ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Fun with numbers <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

TM,

I'll bring my 308ti. You can't talk no sense to a bunch of damn yankees... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

TM,

BTW, it's beautiful down here as well. Getting ready to start popping Groundhogs and Crows. Somebody's gotta do it. I'll picture little faces of U.S. Grant on 'em... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Looks to me like all the 260's numbers are inflated by 100 fps.

How far south in this fine state am I likely to see groundhogs? Finally got to Ft. Rucker about two weeks ago. You, me, travelinman, bxcrossroads and any others should all get together sometime.

John

Sounds like a plan to me. There is supposed to be a large population of Wild Boar around Ft. Rucker. Look for old Kudzu fields and you'll find the groundhogs...

A redneck from LA? Hold up a minute. We havent allowed rednecks here for the last twenty or so years. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> But the 260 would be the cats meow for a multipurpose rifle. And its big enough that it will be hard to run out of uses for it. The model 7 would be my choice of rifle. Close enough to a carbine and plenty light to be an ejoyable pack gun. If recoil is a problem, get a sims pad put on it.

FVA,



The velocity for three of the loads (100g, 120g, and 140g) are max loads from the latest Nosler manual using a 24" barrel. They actually show 3,365 fps as a max load for the 100g Partition/Ballistic Tip. The 140g load is a little over 2,800 fps and the 120g load is a little over 3,000 fps both using VV-560.



Nosler doesn't show a load for the 85g bullet. In the latest Handlaoder, Barsness lists his 260 Rem at 3,439 fps using a 22" barrel (45.0g Varget). That is probably his most accurate load (0.77" groups) and not likely a max load (it could be). I've read posts where others have obtained 3,500 fps from a 24" barrel using IMR 4064. Allowing 2" more barrel length, considering the 100g max velocities and a drop in bullet weight of 15%, and considering the fastest loads usually fill the case, I think 3,500 fps is not out of line and a decent estimate for a max load.



If the 260 loads are inflated, Nosler inflated them (with the exception of the 85g load). What velocity would you estimate for an 85g bullet out of a 24" barrel using the 260 Rem and a max load of powder that almost fills the case?



HogWild