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

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