Dumped my last 243.

Muir

Well-Known Member
I traded my dratted Winchester Model 70, 243 back to the trading post tonight. The gun shot OK after a bit of bedding work but it was just too little gun for deer and too much for prairiedogs so I had no emotion for it. My new gun? A Smith and Wesson Model 29-3, six inch 44 magnum in really decent shape. A much more useful weapon, I think.

I traded even across. (Squeal!! :D)~Muir
 
We're both probably going to get flamed for this, but I feel the same way about 243's, by the way good trade, I had the same pistol years ago. True to form I traded it, for a Ruger No1 lightwieght sporter in 7x57. I gave it to my Dad for his birthday so it was for a good cause.

I'm going to get my fire retardent clothing now AB
 
jack of all trades it is, suitor of all, master of none....hence I have a sako 75 in .243:doh:,,mind, one day when that barrel wears out, I'm sure it will become an HCM.
 
I suspect there would be a lot less of them in the UK if our firearms legislation was different, it almost directs you to 243 if you want to shoot deer and fox with the same rifle. Although I use my 243 as a fox, small deer gun and it works well. I suspect the deer you shoot are generally bigger than roe and muntjac.
 
My 3 243's also went. Saying that the 243 is ideal for lighter sika, roe and fox. My son is putting himself a 243 together as his first rifle.

Muir, I'd love to follow you into the trading post one day... that salesman seems to pull you over the table every week...:D
edi
 
I traded my dratted Winchester Model 70, 243 back to the trading post tonight. The gun shot OK after a bit of bedding work but it was just too little gun for deer and too much for prairiedogs so I had no emotion for it. My new gun? A Smith and Wesson Model 29-3, six inch 44 magnum in really decent shape. A much more useful weapon, I think.

I traded even across. (Squeal!! :D)~Muir

That's interesting

My first "deer" rifle was a lovely BSA CF2 Hunter in .243win. I didn't take long to trade it up for a Sako in .270win which I later rebarreled to .30-06. I won't be having another .243 and I wouldn't advise anyone to buy a .243 unless they only need it for shooting foxes and roe deer. There are far better calibres for that case, from 6.5mm to .338"

If I remember correctly, the cartridge was first developed for US coyote shooters.
 
I have had a few 243's and enjoyed shooting with them all. Don't think I can recall any time where I thought something would have been better at that time, except perhaps for windy conditions or rutting stags, although the rifles still did what was asked.

Nowadays though I don't know if I would ever go back to one. Not because of it being a poor chambering, far from it, but just because I think for what I ask from a rifle there is better choices out there, especially if someone is sticking to one rifle and shooting in a mixture of wood and open ground and also for several different species...

I sold a couple fo rifles recently in preperation for a few changes and I am not sure what to go for. I am currently using my 308 for everything just now and cannot see where a 243 would fit into what I do to be honest in the future. For example in preference to the 243 I would now opt for the 6.5x47Lapua as a one gun fits all...

For roe deer and foxes I would rather use a 22-250, and for the bigger stuff like sika stags I would opt for a 7mm or 30 cal I think.

As has been said before, nothing wrong with the 243, but is it a bit of a Jack-of-all-trades and master of none?
 
I think that the .243 is a delight to use, flat shooting with low noise and recoil and kills deer efficiently with minimal meat damage. atb Tim
 
I think that the .243 is a delight to use, flat shooting with low noise and recoil and kills deer efficiently with minimal meat damage. atb Tim

That's the thing though, none of the attributes you mention are unique to the 243...

My 308 using 150grn Sierra Gamekings causes far, far less damage than any bullets I used in the 243. Even the 308 is within an inch or so of matching the 243's (100grn bullets) zero at 100yds for being on at 200. It will more than make up for that inch in less wind drift at further distances and the 308 is a puppy to shoot, especially when fitted with a moderator.

I am not rying to champion the 308 (becasue I think I would choose others over it) or rubbish the 243, just stating plain facts...
 
I think that the .243 is a delight to use, flat shooting with low noise and recoil and kills deer efficiently with minimal meat damage. atb Tim


It 'IS' :D

The problem is it is 'too' perfect - unless you shoot boar or elk, etc. you only need the one rifle, and that stinks if you're a gun-lover;)

I think I'm psychologically trying to convince myself the .243 isn't great so I can justify having a bunch more rifles on either side of the calibre spectrum, but in reality, I'd probably be fine with just my 75 in .243 for everything I do 99% of the time, and shoot better because of it:oops:
 
I wont be getting rid of mine anytime soon, great calibre for muntys and fox regards biker1
 
I think PKL hit the nail on the head. I too had a 223 for foxing a 243 for roe and a 308 for fallow - these being the species I shoot. The 223 was first to go and then the 308. Now my sako 75 Syn SS in 243 does it all and I am a better shot for using one gun. Boring though it is, I have one good set up and although I sometimes think I would not mind one of those, I find it difficult to justify when my trusty 243 will do the business.
 
I think PKL hit the nail on the head. I too had a 223 for foxing a 243 for roe and a 308 for fallow - these being the species I shoot. The 223 was first to go and then the 308. Now my sako 75 Syn SS in 243 does it all and I am a better shot for using one gun. Boring though it is, I have one good set up and although I sometimes think I would not mind one of those, I find it difficult to justify when my trusty 243 will do the business.

Thats pretty similar here I sold my .223 and have stuck with spending more on a .243 and scope than I would otherwise had I been buying two or three different rifles. I could have bought a few different ones and justified it but so far I haven't felt the need for anything else. Drops muntjac roe and fallow no problems and as for foxes well its a cracker on them with 75grn vmax
 
I think each calibre has its faults and benefits. The fact that most have forgotten is that some land (especially on the south coast) is restricted unless in receipt of an open ticket.

Before mine was opened several bits of land I have as permissions were restricted to nothing more than .243. So although a .308 would have been a nice choice it wouldn't have been an option.

I like my .243, it has served me well - proven last night with a fellow SD member with three fox and one at 557 yards. It's been used on fallow and roe and although at times didn't drop them on the spot they weren't far.

A good friend (ex marine sniper) gave me some great advice: "don't worry too much about calibre but more about the shot placement".

Dont get me wrong and think that the .243 is the best calibre, I just think it has it's place like the rest of them.
 
I love my 0.243 full stocked Mannlicher, with no mod fitted it is a great woodland rifle and has taken fox, Roe and Red no problem but admit to owning a 6.5 and a 0.308 "gunwhore" was mentioned earlier !!
 
I love my 0.243 full stocked Mannlicher, with no mod fitted it is a great woodland rifle and has taken fox, Roe and Red no problem but admit to owning a 6.5 and a 0.308 "gunwhore" was mentioned earlier !!

Great choice of rifle: I'm waiting for one in 7mm-08, but unfortunately it won't be here in time for Christmas...
 
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