Which First?

SussexFallow

Well-Known Member
Hi All

I am soon to be granted my FAC. I have put in for 17HMR 243 and 308.
Not having the money to buy all three at once which would you suggest I get between 243 and 308? I am looking at tikka t3 stainless.

Regards Steve
 
Steve

If it helps, I use a .308 on everything from muntjac and roe to red. It also works well on wild boar I'm told.

I've yet to find a rational reason to buy another deer rifle - plenty of irrational ones mind you.... ;)

willie_gunn
 
Save your money and don't bother with the .243 at all (I'm sure many will disagree :D )

You can make the .308 do anything with correct cartridge choice.

Better still, ditch them both for a 6.5 (here we go again!) Sorry, the .308 is a great cartridge, go with that one and you'll be set up for anything.
 
i second frax do you really need 2 deer rifles just go with the .308 dont be put off by it being to big for smaller deer i.e. roe as you cant over kill anything it only die's once and the meat damage is no different to that of a .243 or even just get the .243 i wouldnt bother with both but if it was my choice and having owned both calibers i would go .308
 
The 243 must be one of the most versatile calibres out there? Load up 55gr for varmints and as we are told, 100gr for deer species. Fast and flat with little or no recoil.
308 a great round but I think a bit of overkill on small vermin, had one and dropped down to the 243 as I was shooting more foxes.
If you only had one choice for all seasons you would have to consider the 243.
Save the money you are going to spend on a 308, scope, mod? and bipod? and put some of it towards upgrading the 243 outfit and you will still have money left over.
Cheers
 
The 243 must be one of the most versatile calibres out there? Load up 55gr for varmints and as we are told, 100gr for deer species. Fast and flat with little or no recoil.
308 a great round but I think a bit of overkill on small vermin, had one and dropped down to the 243 as I was shooting more foxes.
If you only had one choice for all seasons you would have to consider the 243.
Save the money you are going to spend on a 308, scope, mod? and bipod? and put some of it towards upgrading the 243 outfit and you will still have money left over.
Cheers
 
I have .308, .243 and have recently added a .223 also. I think your choice needs to be led by the following questions..

What will you be shooting with it on your own ground?
I have fox, munti, roe and occasional fallow and any rifle I have is more than capable of dropping any of them on the spot with correct bullet choice and shot placement. At certain times of the year the land is literally covered with livestock and many foxes are shot in amongst the sheep/lambs – probably wouldn’t choose the .308 for that, even the .243 with 55gn ballistic tips has some pass throughs, that’s why the .223 has been added. However the .308 has taken a few foxes and certainly does the trick, with 125gn b tips it shoots 1” high at 100 and 1” low at 200. With 55gn ballistic tips the .243 is like a death laser out to 300m, but the weapon of choice at the moment is the little .223.

What invites will you be getting, and what would your host prefer you to use?
I get a few invites a year and for some the .243 would probably not be as welcome as the .308, especially for the larger deer that are sometimes encountered. If I am going specifically to shoot deer I take the .308 every time and if I was taking a complete novice I would definitely put the .308 in their hand to get their first one on the ground – quicker the better. Saying that, there are people out there who prefer the smaller calibers and the chance to give their dog some work!
 
Well said Bucksden,
223 and 308 are very practical to have and cover most things.
These two calibers have two big advantages over some other calibers, one can buy loads of cheap ammunition and they have a great barrel life.
This allows one to practice plenty which in turn mostly leads to better shot placement. I enjoy my 308 and every now and then throw up a target in any old field at around 300m. Quite consistent now at hitting the 4" circle at that distance even in field conditions.

edi
 
which first

Hi Fellas

Thanks for the replies. The 17hmr is already on order as I have plenty of rabbits and foxes to take out. The 243 is a rifle I have used for all the fallow that surround me and the 308 for the boar we have locally. I suppose sense says to get the 308 first as this covers both deer and boar. I have to admit to not firing this calibre yet so I cant compare it!

Regards Steve
 
steve
everyone to there own i personally dont consider the hmr
a fox rifle i own one and had a lucky escape on a big dog fox
a couple of years ago
i let the 243 do the buisiness on them now
pete
 
Sounds like you should get the 308 first mate and you can use it on your deer and boar. Some people can even get fox as a condition so you might want to do that mate :)

If I could of got a 308 to start I would have and not bothered with the 243 but for a first time CF the Police round me around tight on it and won't let you get one right off :cry: I do hope to get one in the future though 8)
Although maybe a 7mm-08 as they are supposed to be very nice rifles, some say as good as the 308 with less kick and flatter shooting :)
 
Re: which first

Bordersman said:
I have to admit to not firing this calibre yet so I cant compare it!

its great and compared to the .243 you will hardly notice the difference. i shoot a moderated .308 and .243 in the same rifle ( a blaser r93) i use the same t4 30 cal mod on both setups and the .308 shoots like a dream. a big shove in the shoulder and a tiny brush on the eyebrow with the scope just to remind you that its a proper gun! i must admit with the moderator off its a completely different beast altogether!

go .308 and insist on fox on your ticket, not just while stalking but in its own right. dont be fooled into thinking you need a flatter shooting gun for foxes, kep your shots to sub 200m and your strike rate will be pretty high.

you might want to have second thoughts about getting a tikka though ;)
 
Thanks for all the advice guys I think im being swayed to a 308.
Bucksden why not a tikka?
What do you 308 guys suggest?

Thanks Steve
 
Calibre

Hiya

I was only allowed a .243 to start, so thats what I went for - now im buying a 7x57, which allows me to go for boar and will have that little bit more stopping power on larger deer.

I would be perfectly happy with a 308 though, I shoot a friends Saur now and again and even without a mod on its not terribly different from the .243 recoil wise IMHO.

Will I keep the .243? not sure yet, i'd be happier foxing with it than the 7x57 just through shooting lighter, faster, flatter loads - but it could just as well be a .223.

Given the choice at the start, i'd have probably gone for either 7mm 08, 7x57, .270 or 308 for deer and boar, and then maybe a .223 for foxing - but its a tool at the end of the day and you pick what you need for the shooting you'll be doing.

.308 first, then have a think about whether you really need another rifle straight away.

Cheers

Daemon

:D
 
Calibre

Hiya

I was only allowed a .243 to start, so thats what I went for - now im buying a 7x57, which allows me to go for boar and will have that little bit more stopping power on larger deer.

I would be perfectly happy with a 308 though, I shoot a friends Saur now and again and even without a mod on its not terribly different from the .243 recoil wise IMHO.

Will I keep the .243? not sure yet, i'd be happier foxing with it than the 7x57 just through shooting lighter, faster, flatter loads - but it could just as well be a .223.

Given the choice at the start, i'd have probably gone for either 7mm 08, 7x57, .270 or 308 for deer and boar, and then maybe a .223 for foxing - but its a tool at the end of the day and you pick what you need for the shooting you'll be doing.

.308 first, then have a think about whether you really need another rifle straight away.

Cheers

Daemon

:D
 
If you are only considering deer and boar then I think you need to consider what a 243 can do, at reasonable hunting ranges, that a 308 can't and I suspect the answer is nothing. On the other hand you can get 100 grain heads designed for deer for the 308 and they are going to shoot just like a 100 grain 243 round in the field. So, that has the 308 doing pretty much everything the 243 can. However, if you are going for big reds some people may not be too keen on your turning up with a 243, if you want heavier heads than 100 grains then the 308 has it covered, the 308 barrel life is very good, inexpensive mil surplus ammo is available for practise, reloading components are readily available in a wide range, ammo can be bought in every gun shop etc.

So, my take on it when I went for 308 is that it does just about everything you need here in the UK pretty well plus you can load it to perform just like a 243 under all reasonable field situations. You get two guns for the price of one with the 308. I shot my first deer with a 243 and it is a great round but if you have a 308 you don't really need one and depending how you are for cash you might be glad to save a few quid for some optics or even a few days in the highlands.
 
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