Better caliber for long range shooting 7mm or 243?

[WEATHERBY460]

I have 2 options....243 using 80 grain nosler ballistic tip bullets 1-10 twist

or

7mm using 168 bergers 1x9.5 twist


What would make a better gun for shooting at paper 500 yards or less

(i understand this is not long range to some, but for me it is)

thanks

 

[REDHEAD]

I would say its more up to your pain threshold. 7 mm is going t beat you up alot more than 243.gun)

 

[matt_3479]

I have both and I can tell you for
Paper punching I'm saying 243. Win. Faster, flatter, way less recoil, resulting in better groups. But when game comes into the picture then 7mm all the way

 

[roninflag]

what kind of groups do you get with each at that range?? i would say - the one with a remington action and a krieger barrel. both of my 7mm mags do will real good way past 500 yards. only one has a muzzle break. my .243 kicks more than than the one with a break . my .243 does reall good at 500 yards too. the 168 berger have a lot less wind drift than the 80 .243.

 

[cummins cowboy]

given your choices of bullets, the 7 mag is going to be the clear winner, however I think if you have a faster twist with the 243 and can shoot 105's, that is going to be better. 80 grain 243 bullets just aren't that sleek

 

[MontanaRifleman]

For just paper punching to 500 yds... no brainer... the 243. Waayyy more enjoyable to shoot and a little cheaper to load for. With a 10 twist you could shoot up to a 90 gr Berger VLD and that or something similar is what i would use to help buck wind.

-Mark

 

[WEATHERBY460]

i was going to use the nosler 80 ballistic tip because the gun already shoots the factory hornady 58's at 1/2" i figured the 80 would be better because the twist is better......thanks for the help

 

[Don Ward]

A 243 in a factory twist with a decent BC bullet like 95 VLD mentioned above if it likes them or a heavier Ballistic tip or Scirocco makes a good 500 yd gun for your purposes.

The factory twist 243s I've had experience with (limited) all shot one of the above well and put a hurt on the 632 yard gong. I know some have even liked the 105gr when pushed hard.

We use the 243 quite a bit for deer & antelope with great success. Ours are twisted for the heavier bullets (105), but they are still a cool cartridge with the lighter ones and very effective. Just plain fun to shoot.

 

[ClickMonkey]

It really depends on the twist rate of your gun(s). A 7mm 180gr berger VLD has a BC way over what is used in .243, 6.5mm, or even most .30 calibers. If high BC matters to you, the 7mm (as long as you have a barrel that can stabilize these heavy bullets) is probably one of the best choices out there. But, on a calm day at 500 yards, the BC difference probably wont be a deal-breaker. A .243 will be slightly less expensive to shoot, have less recoil, and a somewhat flatter trajectory, but will lose effectiveness past 500 yards, especially with any sort of wind. The 180gr 7mm is still going strong at 1000 yards, with still enough energy to be effective on game. It will also buck the wind significantly better at longer ranges. If 500 yards is what you'll be shooting most at, go with the .243, if you want to shoot past 500 yards with regularity, then go with a 7mm mag.

Note: Before you guys jump on me, I'm not saying a .243 isn't capable of shooting accurately past 500 yards, I'm just saying that the 7mm will be significantly better in this regard, especially in conditions that aren't perfect.

Just my 2 cents

 

[liltank]

7mm-08 or 284 Winchester with a 1:9 twist shooting 140 or 168 grain bullets. 243, 6xc, 6BR, with a 1:8 shooting 105 A-max or 107 SMK's will get you to 500 easy and beyond. All soft on the shoulder. Put a break on any of them and make it real easy to shoot.

Tank

 

[roninflag]

7mm-08 or 284 Winchester with a 1:9 twist shooting 140 or 168 grain bullets. 243, 6xc, 6BR, with a 1:8 shooting 105 A-max or 107 SMK's will get you to 500 easy and beyond. All soft on the shoulder. Put a break on any of them and make it real easy to shoot.

Tank

he does not have any of those ; neither does his question include anything about buying one.

 

[WEATHERBY460]

i am leaning towards using the 243 and putting a muzzle break on to see my hits also...i think the 80 noslers would be a nice bullet for this gun...its a tikka t3

 

[dkhunt14]

The 87 grain Berger should fly good in a 10 twist and should help a little with the longer shots. Matt

 

[liltank]

he does not have any of those ; neither does his question include anything about buying one.

Sorry, I did include the 243! Anyway, never checked the twist on my model 7 Remmy, and never had any issues shooting 100 core lokt's or right now I am shooting 95gr SST's. It's suppose to be a 1:10 twist.

Tank