Is the .243 win on the way out?

[Pulpwood]

I set up a Winchester model 70 compact in the 243 for my youngest daughter s first rifle , I cut the stock down to fit her at 7 yr old . It has a permanent place now for me to start the grand kids on whenever they come along

 

[FEENIX]

Hi all, every 2 months it seems someone posts a "is the .270 dying" post (and is met with an emphatic "NO!") but I don't actually see much talk about the plain vanilla .243 Winchester, either of it's popularity or lack thereof.

the 6mms are in general a bit more of a "love it or hate it" cartridge family, neither fish nor fowl, over and underestimated, some regarding them as little more than the .22 centerfires and some regarding them able to do anything the bigger diameters can do, both probably wrong (according to me anyway ) - for a long time where I live the .243 was the minimum legal caliber for big game hunting and I personally feel changing that was a mistake, gotta draw a line somewhere and that made sense - there's also lots of shots I've taken with my .270 that I would have opted to pass on with my .243.

but with the advent of rounds like the 6 creedmoor and the advent of truly high bc 224" projectiles and cartridges to launch them fast along with the ever rising popularity of the 6.5s which some could argue don't recoil notably more, I wonder if many will be questioning the point of the old .243 win with its now anathema stubby neck and gentle shoulders and less than extreme twist rates.

any big .243 fans or shooters on here?

what do you think the future holds for this old workhorse?

I am no expert but my emphatic answer is N ! I personally own two of the oldest chamberings, 6.5x55 Swede (produced in 1894) and .30-06 (produced in 1906). At 100+ in their existence, they still have a pretty strong following. Like the 6.5x55 Swede and .30-06, the .243 Win will always have a spot in the hunting/shooting world as designed. When I do a build, like the wildcatters, popularity is not one of those factors I use. My most recent builds are .264 Win Mag and .30 Gibbs.

 

[Calvin45]

I am no expert but my emphatic answer is N ! I personally own two of the oldest chamberings, 6.5x55 Swede (produced in 1894) and .30-06 (produced in 1906). At 100+ in their existence, they still have a pretty strong following. Like the 6.5x55 Swede and .30-06, the .243 Win will always have a spot in the hunting/shooting world as designed. When I do a build, like the wildcatters, popularity is not one of those factors I use. My most recent builds are .264 Win Mag and .30 Gibbs.

Understanding that I'm derailing my own thread here, I just have to say it's amusing to me that this "newly discovered" 6.5 craze comes after a century of North American rejection of 6.5 calibers and that the most popular 6.5 at present duplicates exactly the same ballistic performance of that old Swedish warhorse. "There is nothing new under the sun" the teacher writes in Ecclesiastes...he would have found no exception to his observation in the fads of gun culture!

On the topic of builds, yes absolutely do something unconventional! I've yet to build or wildcat anything but very much want to get into that a few years down the road hopefully, two chamberings at the top of my to do list being the 6mm-06AI and the .30-338 lapua ai.

 

[FEENIX]

Understanding that I'm derailing my own thread here, I just have to say it's amusing to me that this "newly discovered" 6.5 craze comes after a century of North American rejection of 6.5 calibers and that the most popular 6.5 at present duplicates exactly the same ballistic performance of that old Swedish warhorse. "There is nothing new under the sun" the teacher writes in Ecclesiastes...he would have found no exception to his observation in the fads of gun culture!

On the topic of builds, yes absolutely do something unconventional! I've yet to build or wildcat anything but very much want to get into that a few years down the road hopefully, two chamberings at the top of my to do list being the 6mm-06AI and the .30-338 lapua ai.

Aye Sir! With regards to your build, I say just do it.

 

[NDAR15MAN]

Like I said in my earlier post. Just because you have (4 ) 243 cal guns in your safe that you hunt or target shoot with. Or you have one that you are going to re-barrel because it it is shot out and you can reload for ( what % of hunting or just recreation shooters are going to re-barrel any rifle ). Or your Dad gave one to you when you were 10 years old for your birthday to hunt with to shoot your 1st deer. Or a 243 cal that grandma bought him or her for a Xmas present from Walmart. Or the 243 you won at a ducks unlimited dinner. A consumer that actually buys a new 243 cal with HIS or HER hard earned money is a non-informed buyer that did not do their research on his $450.00 plus buying decision. 6.5 Creedmoor ammo is within $2.00 a box of the 243 if you look hard before virus. I think you can even buy soft recoil ammo for the 6.5 creedmoor now. The 243 is going away as soon as us old timers die off and the current guns barrels get shot out. The production numbers the last 5 years of the 243 are steadily going down. What makes people here think production numbers will go up , not going to happen. 700 max yards for hunting / target shooting or 1000 yards for hunting / target shooting. No brainer. Just my own opinion when you make the pro and con list on a sheet of paper. I own a 243 tikka that shoots 3/4 inch groups but my 6.5 creedmoor is such a better choice. MD

 

[ButterBean]

Like I said in my earlier post. Just because you have (4 ) 243 cal guns in your safe that you hunt or target shoot with. Or you have one that you are going to re-barrel because it it is shot out and you can reload for ( what % of hunting or just recreation shooters are going to re-barrel any rifle ). Or your Dad gave one to you when you were 10 years old for your birthday to hunt with to shoot your 1st deer. Or a 243 cal that grandma bought him or her for a Xmas present from Walmart.
Or the 243 you won at a ducks unlimited dinner. A consumer that actually buys a new 243 cal with HIS or HER hard earned money is a non-informed buyer that did not do their research on his $450.00 plus buying decision. 6.5 Creedmoor ammo is within $2.00 a box of the 243 if you look hard before virus. I think you can even buy soft recoil ammo for the 6.5 creedmoor now. The 243 is going away as soon as us old timers die off and the current guns barrels get shot out. The production numbers the last 5 years of the 243 are steadily going down. What makes people here think production numbers will go up , not going to happen. 700 max yards for hunting / target shooting or 1000 yards for hunting / target shooting. No brainer. Just my own opinion when you make the pro and con list on a sheet of paper. MD

I just bought a Brand new 243...... And I might buy another, So am I'm Non-Informed / No Brain you say ??????? No I think not, The Flat Bill C******** crowd and posts like this cement the reason I will never own a C*********, as I have said before it's a fine round and it marginally out performs the 243 depending on who's article your reading but once again its no mythical object from a Harry Potter book that turns you into Carlos Hathcock, All those numbers look good on paper, If you have the ability to use them, Just my opinion

 

[NDAR15MAN]

I understand every one has their own opinions. The sales Numbers from manufactures just don't show the case of expanding sales or the 243 holding its own against better calibers.
I spent a lot of time working for Federal in MN. Like Federal VP of sales told us once , ammo sales chase the gun , guns don't chase the ammo sales.
We will know the answer in 20 years or less.
I am afraid I will not last that long but maybe some one can resurrect this thread in 2040.
I have to run , I have to make sure my 243 is well oiled in the gun safe , don't want it to rust for lack of use. Ha ha ha. It's is a heck of a shooter thou. MD

 

[73driver]

I just bought a Brand new 243...... And I might buy another, So am I'm Non-Informed / No Brain you say ??????? No I think not, The Flat Bill C******** crowd and posts like this cement the reason I will never own a C*********, as I have said before it's a fine round and it marginally out performs the 243 depending on who's article your reading but once again its no mythical object from a Harry Potter book that turns you into Carlos Hathcock, All those numbers look good on paper, If you have the ability to use them, Just my opinion

LOL the Creed haters amuse me to no end. I figured out it's not the cartridge they dislike its the new shooters, the so called Flat Bill demographic, they don't like. If the new shooters did not have the Creed to fawn over they would glom on to say the 7-08 or 308 or who knows which cartridge to mythologize. Our club puts on a monthly PRS with 80 competitors with a lot of them shooting the 6.5C and a lot of us are seasoned shooters. Now with the 6mmC out some are starting to move that direction. BTW might have seen one or two from the Flat Bill crowd at the matches but not many. The only mythology I ever hear about the Creed is how easy it is to load.

 

[ButterBean]

LOL the Creed haters amuse me to no end. I figured out it's not the cartridge they dislike its the new shooters, the so called Flat Bill demographic, they don't like. If the new shooters did not have the Creed to fawn over they would glom on to say the 7-08 or 308 or who knows which cartridge to mythologize. Our club puts on a monthly shoot with 80 competitors and I might have seen one or two from the Flat Bill crowd. The only mythology I ever hear about the Creed is how easy it is to load.

I'm not a hater by any means and I have said numerous times it a heck of a round but there are better, its the simple fact that it seems about 75% of every new thread turns into a just get a C******* and we end up rite here, The OP asked about the death of the 243 6mm and once again its the battle of the C******** , the 308 has better ballistics than the 243 and the 6.5-284 is stellar in the 6.5's but they don't say C********so they don't even get an honorable mention

 

[rundmm1]

Uninformed, wow. I have a 6.5 creed and just bought a 243 barrel to go with it. If I wanted to get a 6mm creed, I would have just bought it instead of the 243 and I am an informed consumer. I just happened to have had cases and dies for the 243 and the creed does nothing that the 243 can't do. Absolutely nothing. People have been saying diff cartridges will be extinct forever and many, many of them are still around. Heck, 243 cases are cheap, easy to load and easier to find. Come back in a couple more yrs and u will find out people are still shooting the 243 and whatever hot little round there is out there.

 

[ZAK13]

I don't believe the 243 will die anytime soon. Lots of factory offerings in both rifles and ammunition. Plus let's face it, you can buy good quality ammo for under $25 a box, and go hunting or punch holes in paper with it. While I can't speak for others, personally all my shots during hunting season have been under 300 yards, and my 243 has knocked them down consistently.

 

[SMK1000plus]

Lol. I doubt it 30.06 will ever go away. Fourty years of military use and another 40 of civilian make it one of the top ten calibers ever used world wide.

LOL. I just bought another 30-06 last night. It is a BNIB Remington 700 Long Range with the Bell & Carlson M40 tactical stock and a 26" HB. Got one heck of a deal on it. We'll see if Remington's quality control has gotten any better. If it functions and shoots good, the junk X-Mark Pro trigger will be x-filed and replaced with a TriggerTech and then the action will be bedded. This will be the sixteenth 30-06 that I currently own, Remingtons, Winchesters, Rugers, Howa, InterArms, one Tikka and one T/C Compass. I own many other chambered rifles but, more 30-06s than any other chambering. I just wish the factories would change their standard .308 bore rifling to 1 - 9" twist for the 30-06 and larger .30 caliber cartridges...

I love my rifles and my 243 Wins are among my favorites. Yes, I have a Ruger American 6mm Creedmoor and yes it is stupid accurate! Love it too but, I will always have several 243 Wins. My Ruger American Predator 243 Wins only came with 1 in 9" twist barrels but, they are just as accurate as my 6mm Creedmoor with 105gr Bergers. My Winchester 243 Wins only have 1 in 10" twists and 100gr bullets are as heavy as they'll stabilize. I just wish all factory 243 Wins came with at least 1 in 8" twist barrels!

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

I just bought a Brand new 243...... And I might buy another, So am I'm Non-Informed / No Brain you say ??????? No I think not, The Flat Bill C******** crowd and posts like this cement the reason I will never own a C*********, as I have said before it's a fine round and it marginally out performs the 243 depending on who's article your reading but once again its no mythical object from a Harry Potter book that turns you into Carlos Hathcock, All those numbers look good on paper, If you have the ability to use them, Just my opinion

Not all of us creed guys are bad I get it though. I just get sick of listening about it from both sides. Haters and lovers both.

 

[FEENIX]

"MY" decision on caliber/chambering is not dependent on rifle manufacturers' production or sales.