Considering a Switch to 243

[BuckHunter511]

Really considering a switching to a 243. I currently have a rem 700 in 7mm Mag, why I would never get rid of it, I feel like a smaller caliber would be great. I need some input about if it is worth the switch, I'd sell my .223 so I could have a yote gun that could double function as a deer rifle. Opinions???

 

[MUP]

From my daughter's .243, using factory Corkokt 100 gr ammo, and then 100 gr partions over AA4350 powder handloads. She's holding the heart of the spike she killed this year during Juvy with the partitions. The doe was from last year's juvy hunt. Nothing at all wrong with a .243 IMO, readily available factory ammo, and a good range of choices for handloading as well. Both were heart shots btw.

 

[EastTNHunter]

From my daughter's .243, using factory Corkokt 100 gr ammo, and then 100 gr partions over AA4350 powder handloads. She's holding the heart of the spike she killed this year during Juvy with the partitions. The doe was from last year's juvy hunt. Nothing at all wrong with a .243 IMO, readily available factory ammo, and a good range of choices for handloading as well. Both were heart shots btw.

Watch out about taking advice from this guy. He also likes 150gr bullets in 30-06 :rotf: oke:

 

[DaveB]

MUP is right, as usual.

Fear not the 243 is a killing machine. A large bullet selection, plenty of components available, tons of documentation.

Step down to the 70 gr weight range for coyote's.

Step up to 95 or 100 gr weight for deer (maybe less now that I have the E-tips shooting straight).

Same bullet weights for piggies just keep to the Partitions, E-tips, ELD, and Accubond families.

Low recoil. Inexpensive rifles (Axis, Venture, Ruger, Rem ADL, Browning ABolt III, the list is unending.

For years and years the 243 was my 06 backup in the deer woods. Can't go wrong.

 

[pressfit]

Look into a 6mm.. it like a 243 with more ooomph..

 

[rtaylor]

Went to the range yesterday with my 7mm rem mag and my .243. I love both guns but the .243 is so much more fun to shoot with.

 

[Talome13]

Barrett has the 243 twisted correctly. 243 is a heckuva round. Like with any round, shot placement is key. It's hard to make a good shot with your eyes close flinching.

 

[Jon54]

A properly placed shot will result in just as Dead a deer as one shot with any other caliber. I recently bought a single shot 243 as it was much lighter and handles better in a stand. Recoil is lighter as well. I know my limits and have no doubt I can kill any deer I shoot at.

 

[stringtalker]

243 is a great round but the 7mm-08 is a little better, lol. Im partial to the 7mm-08!!!!

 

[fullstream]

Look into a 6mm.. it like a 243 with more ooomph..

X2 its a 243 on steroids. One of my favorite rounds!


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[mike243]

a 6mm has about 100fps more velocity and ammo is not as easy to pu,you will have more bang flops with the 243 without shooting shoulders imo

 

[Bow Hunter]

Look into a 6mm.. it like a 243 with more ooomph..

I also like and have a Remington 6mm and really like it but ammo is hard to find for it.

 

[REN]

Ive shot a 243 for over 20 years and killed well over 100 deer and about the same amount of critters with it. Ive never had an issue killing anything with it personally and love the round. Heck I shot 85g hollow points for years with nothing but bang flops. I shoot 80g Barnes and 90g Accubonds out of it now.

Ive bought and shot plenty of other bigger guns but I always seem to go back to the 243, just fun to shoot imo. Did get a 7mm08 a few years back and not I split the time 50/50 with them

 

[Talome13]

In my opinion, with the advancements in bullet technology and equipment, the 243 is a perfect Tennessee cartridge

 

[gunhuntr]

My 243 killed deer just as dead as my 30-30, .35rem, 30-06, 308 & 270. Put the bullet where it belongs and stuff dies.

 

[FishnFed]

I have a .243 Weatherby and a 30-06 Remington 700. One will kill a deer as dead as the other, however, if you're off by a bit with the .243 it could make for a long day. The 30-06 gives a little more room for error but neither will overcome poor shot placement. If I owned only one gun, it would be the 30-06. You can take anything in North America with it. The .243 is a lot of fun to shoot and your shoulder will not suffer from the range from a box of bullets. Pluses and minuses on both sides.

 

[Wiley]

I've killed dozens of deer with a .243 but the last year I used it I missed a buck 3 times standing still in the woods at about 75 yards. I was hitting something that I couldn't see with those 95gr bullets. I moved my rest over about 6" for the 4th shot and dropped the buck, a nice 7 point. He never moved on the first 3 shots as he stood with his head behind a big white oak the whole time. I moved up to a .308 for the next season and have used it exclusively ever since.

 

[mike243]

I've killed dozens of deer with a .243 but the last year I used it I missed a buck 3 times standing still in the woods at about 75 yards. I was hitting something that I couldn't see with those 95gr bullets. I moved my rest over about 6" for the 4th shot and dropped the buck, a nice 7 point. He never moved on the first 3 shots as he stood with his head behind a big white oak the whole time. I moved up to a .308 for the next season and have used it exclusively ever since.

So whats does this say about a 243?

 

[Wiley]

I've killed dozens of deer with a .243 but the last year I used it I missed a buck 3 times standing still in the woods at about 75 yards. I was hitting something that I couldn't see with those 95gr bullets. I moved my rest over about 6" for the 4th shot and dropped the buck, a nice 7 point. He never moved on the first 3 shots as he stood with his head behind a big white oak the whole time. I moved up to a .308 for the next season and have used it exclusively ever since.

So whats does this say about a 243?

It says that the first 3 light bullets deflected on something that I couldn't see but the 4th shot was clean and didn't deflect. It also says that I, personally, wanted a heavier bullet from that day forward knowing that it too could/would deflect but not as easily.

FWIW that hunt was the only time, out of the dozens of deer that I took with the .243, that I fired more than 1 round out of that gun to drop a deer. Every single kill was just 1 shot and so was that one once I got the clear shot on him.