.243 Potential

[Hagar]

Hi Guys ,I am fairly new here and would like to here your input on the potential of the .243 Winchester and herring about you experience with this caliber for hunting deer and sheep size game.I currently have a Finnish made Browning with factory heavy barrel that I have used to take a few deer and coyotes with however have not had an opportunity to use it over 150 yards.I have not yet begun to hand load for it but would be interested in both your input and experience with the .243.

Thanks

SDW

 

[silvertip-co]

You wont go wrong with it. As I have posted in many hunt forums, we have 14yo's here in Colo who regulalry take bull and cow elk with the .243. So dont let an expert tell ya it's sub-calibre. You may try it with Hornady Light Magnums if you fear you are under powered. But believe me, you are not.

Good luck.

 

[blackco]

IMO the 243/6mm is the Hammer of Thor on deer sized game. I have been shooting deer with it since I was 12 and it is still my goto gun for deer and antelope. I had a 6mmRem when I lived in Alaska (still have it) and shot several caribou with it up to 350ish yards with fabulous results. A load that I stumbled on for it was a stout load of 4350 behind a Speer 105gr spitzer; I used that for a long time. Since then I found a load of Rel-19 behind a 85gr Rem cor-lok is too accurate in my gun to ignore. Between the two loads me and my kids have shot 3 caribou, 4 antelope, dozens of deer, two elk...gophers...fox...coyote...some out to the 400 yard area. Not meant to flame but I think the 234/6mm is a little small for elk (I won't do it again). Before that, my folks used 243's for deer hunting in Utah and Oregon and shot a few deer waaaay out there, including some BIG bucks.

Of the standard calibers, I think the 243/6mmRem is about perfect for deer sized animals and under. In about two weeks I should have some photos of my daughter and an antelope for proof; if everything goes as planned.

 

[Dead Beat]

well i use to think of the 243 as a child/ women rifle after taking a deer with one i now have 3 firearms in 243 win. a remington VLS a encore pro hunter pistol and a custom encore rifle with 21 inch Shilen barrel
JIM

 

[Hagar]

Great input guys,thanks

Blackco would like to here more on the loads you use,I have found a couple of loads that look pretty good,but would have to try them and see what my rifle likes.

SDW

 

[Dead Beat]

BLACKO sounds like your lucky that your daughter is interested in hunting or maybe she is that you want her go with you .2 of my sons hunt the encore is for my 12 year old grandson
JIM

 

[Hagar]

It sounds like we all are pretty lucky.I have been taking my 2 boys out for 3 years now and this year my eldest.12,can hunt .We went out today and he was shooting my .243 and he was popping balloons out to 150 yards.It was his first time shooting a high power rifle and considering the weight of my .243 ( 11 lbs) and only using field positions I think he did alright.I will have to get a shooting stick for him though as he was saying how hard it was to hold steady.

 

[browningvarmintwssm]

like these guys are saying you can't go wrong. i shoot the 243 wssm and it's great, but ammo prices suck, that's y i handload. but the two deer i've shot with it so far buckled and went down without a twitch. plus it has the ability to reach out and touch'm without the shoulder pounding kick.

 

[blackco]

Hagar,
These are for my 6mm Remington, I don't know if they will help you or not.

These loads work in my gun ONLY!!! They may be hot in other guns!!!

The loads I found that worked in my gun are:
Speer 105gr Spire point flat base over 43gr IMR4350 and

80gr Rem cor-loc? (the cheap bulk bullets) over 49gr R-19

Both of these loads I stumbled on due to cheap components or stuff I had on hand and wanted practice ammo. I have great luck with the Speer bullets in everything from fox and gophers to caribou. I bought a buch of the 80gr bullets as practice ammo for my kids because it was so cheap but it was so accurate I also use it for hunting. It will hold 3/4 inch in my gun all day and about 1 1/4 inches in my daughters Rem788. Those are about as good as it gets for both guns.

Something you might want to consider is having your gun bored out to either 243AI or 6mmAI. The 6mmAI gets a big boost from the AI improvment. I was going to have it done to my gun but my barrel is too shot out to make it worth it.

Good luck with yours, it is a great cartridge.
'
Dead Beat, I am the lucky one. All four of my kids like hunting (2-boys 2-girls) . My youngest, she's 12 now and hunted (shot) the first time last year (2 deer), has been with me a lot since she was 4. The first time I took her out to a friend's ranch she was 4, I shot a doe real close to the car so she would have a good time and be able to see everything happening. When we got back to the house she ran in told her mom, "guess what, daddy got a deer and I got to hold the leg while daddy GUT it!" She was tickled butit didn't even compare to dad.

Sorry I got onto my kids hunting and a little off topic. Didn't mean to hijack.

 

[redbone]

Dead Beat


What kind of scope mount is on your 243 Encore ?


Redbone

 

[Dead Beat]

redbone im gonna start a thread new post about the rifle

JIM

 

[Thomas George Kontou]

Gday Hagar,

My dad has been shooting with a .243 for many years now and never had any problems with the caliber. He has now given it to me and I have been using it for goats and it works beautifully. Not so long ago we were out goat hunting and were forced to take some shots about 200 meters up a very steep cliff/hill face. I took one shot with an 80gr SP projectile (winchester factory loads) and hit a decent sized billy in the chest, he dropped without any problems at all. Having said this, would not really want to shoot too far beyond that at risk of an inhumane kill. As far as shooting deer with it, shot placement would be important and it would be wise to use the 100gr projectiles. Im not sure how large and tough your American deer can get but for smaller sized deer, shouldnt have a problem taking them down with it.

Take care mate.

 

[Hagar]

Thanks for the input guys.Herring of you success with a .243 at longer ranges is great info.I will be using 100 sp factory loads this season and my start reloading this winter.I have taken a few whitetail and mule deer but nothing over 100 yards so far.

SDW

 

[NYLES]

Katie is 4 for 4 on whitetails at now 14 years old her firts was at 11. 80 yard doe, lung shot 100 yards death run, 125 yard doe base of neck, dropped like a rock, 75 yard doe had to trail this one a lil while liver shot( I dont think she was as comfortable with the sticks as she made out to be, deer was recovered) 142 yard 8 point 100 death run on a perfect double lung shot...she shoots rem factory ammo with 90gr Sirroco's. Not a great buck but a first buck is a first buck...

Hunting Pictures - Kties first buck!

Hunting Pictures - Kties first buck!