243v .308

[yanik101]

what’s better 243 vs .308 the only reason I’m asking is cause .308 ammo is cheap

 

[jb1]

If cheap is a concern then 308 is better.
Simples.

 

[needsy]

I've got both tend to use .243 for foxes & the odd munty, but .308 is my go to deer rifle, find less damage with it.

 

[Jon P]

Depends on what you shooting I guess, I have both, very rare do I use my .243 now , however is nice to use on occasion, no recoil and a bit quieter. That may be the T8 sound mod on it though, I took my .308 to Africa on plains game, stopped every I shot at with no issues at all. Would not want to take a .243 out there. So a lot depends on what you want to do in the long term if you thinking of having just one calibre.

 

[palmer_mike]

Maybe use the search facility. This ones been done to death many times

 

[Mungo]

The .308 makes a bigger hole and more noise.

 

[Brave Echo Niner]

Caliber decision

Trying to choose a rifle for DSC1 and use thereafter. In all likelihood this will eventually be for roe once I have gained experience under supervision. Realistically yomping over the Perthshire and Sutherland hills is beyond me health wise. So, I think a .243 is the sensible option for me...

www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk

take a look at that - pretty much covers this exact point

 

[Tim.243]

what’s better 243 vs .308 the only reason I’m asking is cause .308 ammo is cheap

Have you taken up this offer as it is in your price range

Sold: - FREE STALK ON ROE BUCKS IN JUNE FOR A NOVICE.

I have ONE opening left on my Roe bucks for this coming June, which I have decided to give away for FREE to a complete NOVICE. By that I mean someone who has only been stalking once or twice or not at all. Estate rifle will be provided. This is in West Sussex near Horsham. No kill fee on a...

www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk

 

[andyk]

Neither is better, they're different (hmm, very PC).

If price is a concern, the .308 will be cheaper. for hunting though that won't really be a big issue as the price difference on comes into play if you're firing lots of shots.

Should you be planning on firing lots of shots, and are concerned about price, then I wouldn't hesitate to say .308 is 'better' as it has much longer barrel life. That said, and whilst .308 recoil isn't massive, it is enough for some people to find it wearing over a shooting session.

 

[25 Sharps]

Neither is better, they're different (hmm, very PC).

If price is a concern, the .308 will be cheaper. for hunting though that won't really be a big issue as the price difference on comes into play if you're firing lots of shots.

Should you be planning on firing lots of shots, and are concerned about price, then I wouldn't hesitate to say .308 is 'better' as it has much longer barrel life. That said, and whilst .308 recoil isn't massive, it is enough for some people to find it wearing over a shooting session.

If you get .308/7.62 on your ticket you also have the option of cheaper milsurp ammo for practice

To answer the OP, unless your other pastime is crochet the .308 is better in every way.

To save you searching the other thread at 300 yards with factory ammo the .308 drops 1-2" more but has retained double the energy at the target compared to the .243.

 

[Penyard]

Despite sharing the same case they are quite different ballistically. Cheap bullets is possibly a consideration for many but not really the main factor over choosing a calibre although availability and choice is very much an important consideration if you don't hand load. I have a .243 and a .308 they do quite different jobs, the .243 is shooting 55gr BT home loads at 3,850fps for foxes and the .308 is shooting 165gr Accubonds at 2,600 fps for wild boar and the odd deer. The decision on which rifle to use for which application has nothing to do with the price of the ammunition as they would both be near to useless if used for the other ones job. Horses for courses. If you want to shoot foxes, roe and muntjac then get a .243. If you want to shoot mainly larger deer and the odd boar then get a .308 although the .308 is very useful on smaller deer and with the right bullet can do a decent job foxing.

 

[Tim.243]

If you get .308/7.62 on your ticket you also have the option of cheaper milsurp ammo for practice

To answer the OP, unless your other pastime is crochet the .308 is better in every way.

To save you searching the other thread at 300 yards with factory ammo the .308 drops 1-2" more but has retained double the energy at the target compared to the .243.

My money is the op won't take up the free youngster stalk via Malc as the rounds are too expensive

 

[Stalker-of-the-deer]

It depends tbh, I use my 243 for foxes and the odd roe deer that's about it.

Everything else I use a 308, I'm not saying a 243 couldn't take down a big red. It quite clearly can, but a 308 is going to have more knock down power and and I just prefer It and feel confident with it. also its cheaper to feed from a home loading pov.

All around I just feel my 308 is a more capable unit and I've got a massive choice of bullet weights for the job on hand.

I plan going boar shooting at somepoint to I can up the weight to 180grain no bother yet drop down to 110/130 grain for non toxic use.

 

[25 Sharps]

My money is the op won't take up the free youngster stalk via Malc as the rounds are too expensive

Hey, we all had to start somewhere, agreed for stalking the odd round makes very little difference cost wise but if you want to practice then cost can come into it. But, stalking is not a cheap hobby and the ammunition is only a small part of the cost particularly if you pay for your stalking so if the cost of ammunition is a major concern it is possibly not the right sport to be getting into. That said it doesn't have to be a hellishly expensive hobby, particularly if you have your own ground and are a naturally good shot so less practice is required!

 

[25 Sharps]

It depends tbh, I use my 243 for foxes and the odd roe deer that's about it.

Everything else I use a 308, I'm not saying a 243 couldn't take down a big red. It quite clearly can, but a 308 is going to have more knock down power and and I just prefer It and feel confident with it. also its cheaper to feed from a home loading pov.

All around I just feel my 308 is a more capable unit and I've got a massive choice of bullet weights for the job on hand.

I plan going boar shooting at somepoint to I can up the weight to 180grain no bother yet drop down to 110/130 grain for non toxic use.

All these threads on .308 and I'm thinking of changing mine (old Fultons TR rifle with a scope) for something a bit more modern and field capable (ie barrel <30") and getting a deer condition put on it ,trouble is it won't do anything my .280 won't do!

 

[Selous]

Talking about hunting, Short of thick skinned or dangerous game there is nothing that the 308 cannot capably do. You cannot say the same of the 243. There is nothing that the 243 can hunt that the 308 cannot.

 

[Heym SR20]

PPU ammo is cheap and pretty much same price for 243 and 308.

For cheap practice get a spring powered air rifle - they have enough recoil and jump that you need to learn to control it, like you do with a centrefire. Or a 22lr - more expensive to run. Both will teach you a huge amount about shot placement, technique and trigger control. And with an air rifle you can learn this in your back garden.

 

[User00033]

This is an easy dilemma to solve. Cost has nothing to do with it. Far more nuanced...


The .243 Win is the preserve of blokes who are naturally way better shots than the .308 Win owners who say you need more gun for weeny English deer. (They say this cos they can’t shoot very well, and hope that more power makes up for their lack of precision.) Therefore the .243 Win.... er.... wins.

Alternatively....

The .308 Win is a man’s rifle, whereas the .243 Win is a lady’s rifle, or maybe a yoof rifle. Clearly, we are MEN and anything as poxy and weak as a 6mm must be a confession of poofterism and weakness. So obviously the .308 Win.... er.... wins.

But...

The 6.5 Creedmoor has arrived, and defeated both, unanimously. All the .243s and .308s ever made haven’t a hope in hell of competing with the sheer weight and awesomeness of all the new tacticool heavy barrelled chassis rifles, as they tip the Earth’s axis ever closer to total Creedmoor domination.

So... what’s it to be? Can you grow a proper special forces beard? Or are you a yoof? A lady perhaps? A crap shot or a living breathing laser beam? Or are you secretly yesterday’s man with a sentimental attachment to 19th century European antiques?

 

[Acm]

Everyone who says neither is better etc etc etc is wrong.
For deer stalking the .308 is better.
But I don’t have either. Because 6.5 is better than both of them, I could never quite manage a true special forces beard, and i like some ABBA music. So mines Swedish flavour. If you find the extra centimetre of bolt pull a challenge you may try a creedmore.

 

[HandB]

I have got two .308s and they are cheap to feed, accurate and powerful. So even though .308 is a bit boring and untrendy, I would suggest get a .308.