.243 advice

[PEM406]

Thanks for starting this thread! Was looking for advice on here and this all helped a lot because I’m looking at my second 243.

Not experienced compared to people on here but couple of thoughts:

Tikka. Works for me and no issues with reliability or accuracy. Any misses or bad shots were 100% my fault not the rifle.

20” barrel has been good. Especially in some thick woods. Have used one in 24” and feels a lot harder to handle.

Varmint barrel. Someone told me it would last longer and doesn’t heat up so much. Experience so far: too heavy by far for stalking and overheating not an issue for one or two shots. Maybe helps with recoil but 243 isn’t bad. This is my reason for changing rifles my current one

QD mounts. Thought I’d swap day and night scopes but never have. Save the money for your scope and get rings that give you a good shooting position. Get it right for you and leave it alone.

 

[25 Sharps]

I do rather fancy a 45-70! Was looking at Guntrader only yesterday!

Great fun, a real thumper though, especially in a lever gun.

Still playing with loads in mine, was having accuracy issues but this week I think I’ve narrowed it down to the bullets clipping the muzzle brake.

The hornady monoflex look good, I’ve tried expansion on water filled ad blu containers and they expand to .8” with very sharp petals. Probably a bit much for roe but dead is dead!

 

[25 Sharps]

Thanks for starting this thread! Was looking for advice on here and this all helped a lot because I’m looking at my second 243.

Not experienced compared to people on here but couple of thoughts:

Tikka. Works for me and no issues with reliability or accuracy. Any misses or bad shots were 100% my fault not the rifle.

20” barrel has been good. Especially in some thick woods. Have used one in 24” and feels a lot harder to handle.

Varmint barrel. Someone told me it would last longer and doesn’t heat up so much. Experience so far: too heavy by far for stalking and overheating not an issue for one or two shots. Maybe helps with recoil but 243 isn’t bad. This is my reason for changing rifles my current one

QD mounts. Thought I’d swap day and night scopes but never have. Save the money for your scope and get rings that give you a good shooting position. Get it right for you and leave it alone.

I’m a weirdo I think, my .280 has a 26” heavy barrel , 6.5 CM the same, 25-45 25” semi Varmint and .243 & 6.5x55 have 24” barrels. All shot with mods and no issues carrying in the field.

 

[doric_prince]

Yup, bought mine in 1995 The .243 blade is 80gr too - same as TTSX (but annoying is slimmer in diameter so my neck tension is different). The Scottish changes were:

View attachment 368506

Deer authorisations

Find out about the general authorisation that can be used to control deer in the closed season and about the specific authorisations that you must apply for.

www.nature.scot

Hate to be a pedant ( I own a .243 win), but at the time this change was going through, I did wonder if they should also be dropping the ME when dropping the min grain of bullets? Rational being less bullet weight = reduced ME.

From a quick Google, Testing non-lead ammunition in .243 calibre. Graham Downing investigates. link to ST article testing a range of copper (sub 100 grains) none met the Scottish minimum ME!

Has this been an oversight when making this change in legislation? Or are there 80 grain .243 win cartridges that meet the min ME of 1750ft/lbs? Genuine question. Thanks.

 

[guns 6br]

I think tikka now offering the 243 with a 1 in 8 twist

 

[GordonB]

I've tested Barnes Vortex and had good results, and they meet the criteria:

https://www.barnesbullets.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Barnes-Ballistics-Centerfire-Rifle-VOR-TX-2023.pdf

 

[GordonB]

sorry Vor-tx 80g

 

[wytonpjs]

Hate to be a pedant ( I own a .243 win), but at the time this change was going through, I did wonder if they should also be dropping the ME when dropping the min grain of bullets? Rational being less bullet weight = reduced ME.

From a quick Google, Testing non-lead ammunition in .243 calibre. Graham Downing investigates. link to ST article testing a range of copper (sub 100 grains) none met the Scottish minimum ME!

Has this been an oversight when making this change in legislation? Or are there 80 grain .243 win cartridges that meet the min ME of 1750ft/lbs? Genuine question. Thanks.

Yes, you are quite correct. However, I reload and the first TTSX load I worked up for this rifle was stunningly accurate but fell below the energy levels. So, back to the drawing board to crank up the speed and I now have a very fast home load which, whilst not as accurate as my first, is more than good enough. It’s only just legal but at the ranges I typically shoot, I’m very happy with the performance. I’m currently away so I cannot provide the details off-hand but I did have worries that it may turn into a bit of a barrel-burner but have detected no issues so far.

 

[VSS]

Well put and sensible - I would still rather make big holes with heavier bullets than do the minimum but I am not preaching and am not saying you shouldn’t use .243, just suggesting that maybe a novice might want a bit more knock down power for comfort. Both my original sources shoot a lot of deer and both are not happy with killing power of .243 copper and have changed calibre. One is a reloader the other uses factory.

I think you're sort of hitting the nail on the head there with "more knock down power for comfort", because if a deer doesn't drop to the 243 it's a failing of the shooter, not the calibre. I'm speaking from my own experience.
Like many, I started out with a 243 as a complete novice stalker. I got on OK with it, but after a couple of big fallow bucks didn't die as quickly as they should have done I lost my confidence in the 243 and moved up to 270. With my confidence now restored, and looking back with a more critical eye, I realise that it was my own failing in shot placement that caused the issue, not the calibre. However, I don't know if I would ever have rebuilt my confidence if I hadn't had that extra bit of "comfort" in the form of more knock down power.
Now, with more experience, I'm quite happy using either the 243 or the 270 for fallow.
(The 270 is the one that makes me grin though! )

 

[PEM406]

N

I’m a weirdo I think, my .280 has a 26” heavy barrel , 6.5 CM the same, 25-45 25” semi Varmint and .243 & 6.5x55 have 24” barrels. All shot with mods and no issues carrying in the field.

Not weird at all. Each to their own. Have a 6.5CM in 24” and it’s great for certain things but moving round trees and under branches it always catches. The 243 at 20” is much nicer in those conditions for but super varmint is a lump on longer days. Also didn’t say but rifles also used by someone much shorter and 24” looks like a radio mast

 

[GBR66]

Great fun, a real thumper though, especially in a lever gun.

Still playing with loads in mine, was having accuracy issues but this week I think I’ve narrowed it down to the bullets clipping the muzzle brake.

The hornady monoflex look good, I’ve tried expansion on water filled ad blu containers and they expand to .8” with very sharp petals. Probably a bit much for roe but dead is dead!

Ahhh - back to making big holes in things!! I thought it would be a great woodland rifle with sat a 1.5-6x scope.

 

[GBR66]

People are getting night licences all over Scotland with level 1 and even though i have held level 2 the best part of 20 years ( when it was iffy if you where not told to " gain more experience if it was just the three minimum in the portfolio) . A great amount of head stalkers only have level 1 . If i remember correctly when i read the terms of applying a level one needs another authorised person to vouch for them .
Target shooters get unfair treatment from stalkers ( and a target shooter just means they target shoot not that they are rather good at it ) . A good PRS or similar shooter has to be competent with their wind dope over and through the contours . Like we use the term "stalker " when really they can be an out of condition , noisy and very average at best shooter who might never have planned his way round contours and wind to get into a load of eyes and noses and get in close enough to shoot . Really just a mate of the factor LOL
Some people will still call me a target shooter and i have not attended any true comp or decent rage in decades

"an out of condition , noisy and very average at best shooter"....I didn't know you knew me Bowland?!

 

[25 Sharps]

Ahhh - back to making big holes in things!! I thought it would be a great woodland rifle with sat a 1.5-6x scope.

my thoughts exactly.

Though just like making big bangs, not fun off a bench or prone!!

 

[25 Sharps]

N

Not weird at all. Each to their own. Have a 6.5CM in 24” and it’s great for certain things but moving round trees and under branches it always catches. The 243 at 20” is much nicer in those conditions for but super varmint is a lump on longer days. Also didn’t say but rifles also used by someone much shorter and 24” looks like a radio mast

For me its purely a speed thing, I like chasing velocity.....

 

[Ratel]

To me .243 is adequate for. Any UK deer. I know of several lads who do and have shot big red stags in East Anglia with one.. The whole thing is about where you place the pill not the size of the projectile. This from an old boy who started killing Fallow with a .22 rf and then a .22 Hornet. I have seen Sika stags killed with a hornet and I have shot both them and reds across the water with a 22/250 which I would be happy to use for all deer here if legal. Placement and bullet structure are paramount not the hole size it makes.

 

[doric_prince]

Yes, you are quite correct. However, I reload and the first TTSX load I worked up for this rifle was stunningly accurate but fell below the energy levels. So, back to the drawing board to crank up the speed and I now have a very fast home load which, whilst not as accurate as my first, is more than good enough. It’s only just legal but at the ranges I typically shoot, I’m very happy with the performance. I’m currently away so I cannot provide the details off-hand but I did have worries that it may turn into a bit of a barrel-burner but have detected no issues so far.

Thanks,

FFS, what’s the point in legally reducing the grain size if it still requires the same ME, which effectively means you can’t (at least legally) use the now legally revised lower grain copper factory bullets. Surely this has just removed one issue but retained another; and thus will require further amendments to already changed legislation?

Long live the 100 grain lead .243. I recognise that it will drop uk red stags no bother, done so my self, shot placement key as others say (and being a softer recoil calibre it’s a bit easier to be exact imo). But really wish Scot gov could get the legislation right, first attempt at changing it, or am I being unkind?

 

[Tim.243]

To me .243 is adequate for. Any UK deer. I know of several lads who do and have shot big red stags in East Anglia with one.. The whole thing is about where you place the pill not the size of the projectile. This from an old boy who started killing Fallow with a .22 rf and then a .22 Hornet. I have seen Sika stags killed with a hornet and I have shot both them and reds across the water with a 22/250 which I would be happy to use for all deer here if legal. Placement and bullet structure are paramount not the hole size it makes.

Quite as you only have to go through some thin skin a rib and then the round that was doing around 3000 fps is going to have slowed down a bit then will make a mess of the soft spongey lungs/heart.
Duck me it is a deer hide not Chobham armour.

 

[Deerstalker6]

Hi

Looking to buy a .243 as my first rifle, ideally would like it to accept copper bullets for longevity, budget of 1500, can anyone help a beginner out with some recommendations?

evening, there are lots of choices on the new & used market with that budget, as others have stated go into your local rfd's and handle them, get a feel for whats right for yourself by doing this,

Makes and Models I would recommend you have a look at from personal experience using estates rifles and rifles I've bought with my own hard earned coin :

Sako 75, Tikka 595/695 and T3/T3X, Howa 1500 sporter ( avoid one's with the hogue stock the lightning II stock is real good and doesn't have the flex issues ),


I would recommend the Sako A7 standard sporter barrel but that soft touch stock tends to go a bit gummified over time Sako 85's have suffered with this too to be fair

rifle is fantastic though and shoots reet good groups with factory ammo, best i've ever had in 243 federal 85gr bthp was 0.2".

if you did end up getting new one only one I know about at £895 on g/trader chuck those supplied bases away and put a picatinny rail on from GB or Contessa rails

 

[rick1127]

sako 85 finnlite the synthetic stock got its anti slip drop stick to your face hands gun slip coating so i fitted a grs laminated stock.
but what a great gun

 

[Overlay]

If you can find one a Sako 75/85 cabinet queen and your sorted 85 has a nice safety feature