Talk to me about .243 Winchester

[emp1953]

I didn't have it shortened to 17". It was 18" to begin with and had a horrible rough spot at the bore so 1" was removed to clean it up and see how it shot. Also the ranges we're talking about aren't really that long of range are they? It seems like a 1-9 twist should stabilize a 100 grain 243 even at 17", or am I missing something?

I shoot a Remington Model 7 .243win with an 18" 1:8 barrel. It shoots 5 shots into a dime sized hole at 100yds using I4350, Nosler 100gr Partitions, CCI200 primers. H4350 opens the grouping up to a half dollar size at 100yds. It holds a 2.5" group at 400yds. Some of that could be me and the rifle being so light.

 

[Ckgworks]

Agree on the 260......I have one and it's been a great performer! The 243 worked, and killed don't get me wrong......I was just left underwhelmed. I found a couple old pics on my phone of a 243 kill. Shot was down hill and quartering away, 150 yards......this deer went 50 yards, went down, but then stood back up 5 minutes later to try make the trees. A second shot anchored it as we were still watching it.......like I said the bullet seems to have did exactly what it was designed to do, and shot placement was good.

 

[Ckgworks]

Loading for accuracy- I just meant I loaded 5 of each selected charge weights until I found the best shooting load. No chronograph or testing beyond 100 thinking it's just a close range gun.....I even found my data target. It looks like I'm a half grain below max on powder charge...

 

[Idaho Lefty]

SORRY, Guys / Gals,..
But you couldn't PAY me, to Hunt with, a Rifle with, LESS THAN,... a 20"- 21" Barrel !
Huge LOSS of Velocity and Killing POWER !
The .243 Win, flat out,.. "gets IT,.. DONE" on Deer and Antelope to, 400- 500 Yards for MOST, Hunters, using a 22" bbl. !
Using a "good" Bullet and Shot,.. PLACEMENT !
IF, my grand kids can't carry, a 20" Barrelled, Light weight, .243 Win.,.. they don't belong, in the Deer Woods !
AGAIN,.. SORRY,.. for my, opinion !

 

[stovepipe]

My daughter hunted with a model 70 featherweight compact 20" barrel ...muzzle blast was a little rough but not terrible. Barnes x 85 grain accounted for at least 20 deer...never lost a one

 

[Idaho Lefty]

My .243 Win is, a Tikka 22" and no Muzzle Blast to speak of, at, 3,000 FPS with, Sierra 100 gr GK's and 3,115 FPS with, Berger 87 HVLD'S.
Gun weigh's under 6.5 Pounds, sans Scope and 7.5 Pounds,.. ALL, UP !
It's a 1/2 MOA "shooter" with, the Bergers and,.. a pleasure, to Hunt with !
My 11 year old grandson will Hunt with it, in a couple of years.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Well, I'm a fan of the 7mm-08, bit that's out for you. I shoot foxes with it but I guess you keep you coyote skins.
I'm sure the 17" barrel will reduce performance in any calibre. The .243 is probably slowed right up for a cartridge that might need some velocity to be effective.

I like small fast calibres and the effect of large slow, heavy calibres to the difference in throwing house bricks and cinder blocks.

I don't hunt small game as a sport but more like an opportunity. Coyotes get the hammer no matter what round I'm shooting! Don't keep the pelts either.

The comment about bullet performance in relation to the data of the rounds the OP was shooting is what I was getting at. Undesirable performance should be looked at from a couple angles IMO.

 

[Ckgworks]

Thas your opinion Lefty, but I really work on getting my kids shooting off hand and open sights before scopes and rests. Besides in the Pacific Northwest brush things are different than other places.......I'm not going to tell me girls, they can't hunt because they have to lean backwards to hold a rifle up........ getting a good rest in the brush with a Blacktail 25 yards away isn't going to happen! I'll figure out a cartridge that works well that they can shoot off hand with good shot placement and proper form, ( like the 6.5 Grendel) rather than tell them "you can't go because you can't hold a 20" barrel steady" but that's just me.....I'd rather see kids have a good time and success.

BTW.. WE NEVER lost a deer with the 243.....I sad I was underwhelmed.

 

[ButterBean]

High velocity has some good terminal performance benefits. I think the new crowd hasn't caught on to that. I do believe that larger bore diameter is going to do an all around better job than smaller bores but if a fellow is going to use those smaller bores like 243 & 257, they are going to be more impressive when pushed passed 3200 fps with a heavy & fast expanding bullet.

Exactly

 

[jeff29414]

Love my Mauser M18 in 243 - 1/10 twist. Got it for $426 and shot 1/2" 5 shot groups out of the box at 100yds. Only have about 50 rounds through it so far, but break in is going well; action is smoother with each round.
I shoot 95 gr Berger classic hunter and got my first deer with it this past Dec when I started hunting.
Got a Bushnell nitro on it and sighted it at 175 so I'm within 1 1/2" out to 250 - about as far a shot as I'll get.

My other 243 is an old Sako Finnwolf sporting old Weaver C3 my dad got me - don't want to hunt with it anymore to preserve it. Not really a collector, but it has sentimental value - that's why I got the Mauser - haven't decided if I'm going to sell the Sako yet ...

 

[ButterBean]

Run the light weight Hammers, run them fast, low recoil and proven repeatable performance and you will have the combo that you are looking for, Hammer Bullets are a complete game changer

 

[Tyler Kee]

I have an 18" 243 and I've used the light Nosler BTs to great success. I toyed with the Barnes, both 80 TTSX and the 85 TSX, and never fell in love. But I also hunt Texas whitetails who are about large dog sized.

Agree that it's a great youth rifle. Almost zero recoil and the BT is nasty. If you want to go above 3000 fps in a barrel that short, you really do have to run the lighter bullets. Nosler says the BT expands down to 1800 fps (I think), But you really want to have some room for error and be above 2000 minimum at impact. My 90 BT load is at 2970 fps and it's not really being pushed. Just happened to find an accurate node. I'm 2000+ out to 400 yards. I wouldn't go hunt an elk or muley with it at extended ranges, but it does fine for my work.

 

[Orange Dust]

Thas your opinion Lefty, but I really work on getting my kids shooting off hand and open sights before scopes and rests. Besides in the Pacific Northwest brush things are different than other places.......I'm not going to tell me girls, they can't hunt because they have to lean backwards to hold a rifle up........ getting a good rest in the brush with a Blacktail 25 yards away isn't going to happen! I'll figure out a cartridge that works well that they can shoot off hand with good shot placement and proper form, ( like the 6.5 Grendel) rather than tell them "you can't go because you can't hold a 20" barrel steady" but that's just me.....I'd rather see kids have a good time and success.

BTW.. WE NEVER lost a deer with the 243.....I sad I was underwhelmed.

I'm going to ask a question that hasn't been asked. You said the rifle has been sitting awhile. How big are the kids now? The reason I am asking is both my girls killed their first deer when they were 6. Actually the little one killed her first one just before her 6th BD. By the time they were 9 or 10 they were shooting a .308 with a break. Recoils no more than a .243 without one. At the time wife was shooting a 7-08. When the little one took over the .308 the older one stole the 7-08, wife got a 7MM Weatherby. So it goes. These were girls and small for their size. They also shot alot. If I were you I would be looking hard at a 7-08 with a Ti break and a sporter wt 22" barrel. I have to cringe saying this but a 6.5 Creed might also be a great answer. If it is thick there a .308 would be better than the others and you could get by with a 20" barrel on that one.

 

[Hard rock]

I have an 18" 243 and I've used the light Nosler BTs to great success. I toyed with the Barnes, both 80 TTSX and the 85 TSX, and never fell in love. But I also hunt Texas whitetails who are about large dog sized.

Agree that it's a great youth rifle. Almost zero recoil and the BT is nasty. If you want to go above 3000 fps in a barrel that short, you really do have to run the lighter bullets. Nosler says the BT expands down to 1800 fps (I think), But you really want to have some room for error and be above 2000 minimum at impact. My 90 BT load is at 2970 fps and it's not really being pushed. Just happened to find an accurate node. I'm 2000+ out to 400 yards. I wouldn't go hunt an elk or muley with it at extended ranges, but it does fine for my work.

Like I said I have a 243 custom made by my dad small ring mauser 22 in mcgowen barrel very accurate love the little gun but the 260 rem will do everything better with all the bullet choices out there especilly in a 1-8 or 1-7.5 twist shooting light weight hammer bullets or heavier hammers for larger game at longer distances that rem 600 in a 260 rem with the proper twist would be hard to beat