AN DU RU FOX
Well-Known Member
im in love with my t3 so it could be a bigger brother
Is .243 big enough???
- Thread starter Dagben77
- Start date
Dagben77
Well-Known Member
Sabian223
Well-Known Member
Brock & Norris - Bullet Points: Brock Norris - Bullet Points - YouTube
Mike at Brock and Norris hits the nail on the head about lighter bullets (particularly around 9 minutes in)
The recoil as you know isnt much different between a 243 and 260. Most 6.5s will shoot 90 - 140g. I think 6.5x55 goes upto around 160?
Mike at Brock and Norris hits the nail on the head about lighter bullets (particularly around 9 minutes in)
The recoil as you know isnt much different between a 243 and 260. Most 6.5s will shoot 90 - 140g. I think 6.5x55 goes upto around 160?
pj1
Well-Known Member
Im only small but changed up from a 243 to a 308. Why use a toffee hammer when you can use a sledge hammer. Yes shot placements is a huge part of it but in the few fallow i had with the 243 it did more meat damage and seemed to exit at differant angles. The 308 however bores on through if it doesnt knock it flat. Very useful if you dtalk small pieces of land
Pirate hunter
Well-Known Member
.243 isn't a barrel burner really know more than 308,6.5-55 etc.
Everything can be accurate if you put the time into it.
AN DU RU FOX
Well-Known Member
thanks sabian ,doug,
Dagben77
Well-Known Member
Cheap (ish). What's the cost without the brass (head, primer and powder)?
An idea on 7mm-08? That looks like a capable little round!
Dagben77
Well-Known Member
54p then! That's good. And the fact there should be no need for a follow up shot makes it half price shooting
.I know this is debated regularly. but I fancied some fresh eyes on it.
I'm looking to move up to a Deer legal calibre with the intent of shooting deer, realistically no bigger than Fallow. I've been looking at 25-06 or maybe a 260 (used a 260 and quite like it), but would a 243 do the job?
There are a couple of immediate financial advantages of shooting 243 as I currently have suitable reloading dies etc. This wouldn't make or break my decision but if its 50:50 it might tip me towards, just handy.
Looking at loading 100gr Hornady Soft Point which would be pushing about 2900fps producing roughly 1860 FPE. Surely this is enough to knock down fallow at sensible distances. I wouldn't be looking to shoot much past 200 yds, Typically 100-125 yds and maybe 300 if an absolute gem of an opportunity presented itself.
From what I gather, the 243 is (or can be) an accurate round, which in my book, accounts for more than an extra 200 PFE at the muzzle.
Thanks in advance.
Dagben77,
I have a good friend in South Africa who has little choice but to own a .243
(tooooooooo long to change or add another calibre)
Does he have problems putting meat in the freezer, no. To him it's meat and when he walks three hours to get a shot he makes it count.
Big bullet weight is good.
As said before on here, beware the man who only has one rifle......
Stan
Dagben77
Well-Known Member
I use a 6.5 for Fallow,Reds and Roe.120grn Norma does the job. I believe a .243 is a bit restrictive in ammo choice where deer are concerned. But the .308 has a vast amount of bullet weight's to choose from and can be very smooth to shoot, as apposed to the old .270s big bang and kick, but boy ! does it knock em over.
Not much help but it usualy comes down to personal choice in the death.
I have to add though, I think a heaveyish callibre would suit a 300yd knockdown, if it runs on and you aint got a dog it could be a long job finishing off what you just started.
Hope you are happy with what ever you choose. Good Luck !
Not much help but it usualy comes down to personal choice in the death.
I have to add though, I think a heaveyish callibre would suit a 300yd knockdown, if it runs on and you aint got a dog it could be a long job finishing off what you just started.
Hope you are happy with what ever you choose. Good Luck !
I've a couple of .243s and a .270, they all do what they say on the tin, but I do love my .270, it's an awesome round, you wouldn't be disappointed!
Crumpy
Offroad Gary
Well-Known Member
.243 is ok for the man with 1 gun, it just shouldnt be his first gun. On an estate where i shoot occasionally with the dmg, nobody has a .243, a few have 6mm's, but nobody has a .243. They are not calibre tarts, they have just learned that a factory 10 twist .243 is not the best you can have as a deer rifle.
When i get a 6mm again it will be a .243, but it will have an 8/9 twist barrel, but my 6.5's will still be my primary deer rifles.
im currently running 1 rifle for everything, a 20" 6.5x47 lapua, because im using it for foxing also its running 100gn ballistic tips at 3080 fps. In the last 2 weeks ive shot 1 fox, two muntjac, 4 roe and 2 fallow, the fallow were a bit further away than some like to shoot, but i couldnt get closer. My normal 120gn bullet would have been a much better choice, with more energy and better bc to hold against the wind. The shots on the fallow would have been borderline with a factory .243, even for the best of shots. Heavier, higher bc bullets are more consistent and predictable.
When i get a 6mm again it will be a .243, but it will have an 8/9 twist barrel, but my 6.5's will still be my primary deer rifles.
im currently running 1 rifle for everything, a 20" 6.5x47 lapua, because im using it for foxing also its running 100gn ballistic tips at 3080 fps. In the last 2 weeks ive shot 1 fox, two muntjac, 4 roe and 2 fallow, the fallow were a bit further away than some like to shoot, but i couldnt get closer. My normal 120gn bullet would have been a much better choice, with more energy and better bc to hold against the wind. The shots on the fallow would have been borderline with a factory .243, even for the best of shots. Heavier, higher bc bullets are more consistent and predictable.
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deeangeo
Well-Known Member
My dear sir, you have opened pandora's box on yet another .243 debate!. I have used a .243 for over 16 years. Shot reds, sika, hybrids, fallow. No problems with it. People say the .243 isn't up to the task on sika or fallow. It's a personal choice. I have never lost an animal because of it or had an animal suffer unnescessarily because of it's use. If I felt it didn't deliver clean kills I would of changed long ago.
Quite so. Friends & I used .243 for twenty years or so, then I moved to .25-06 & others 6.5x47 & 6.5x55SE. As ORG mentions, the 1-10 twist isn't the greatest on .243 (for stabilising a heavier bullets 100gn & above).
Some very big stags have been taken with .243 but there's no forgiveness if a shot isn't quite placed correctly. A long hard search may follow. I know for sure with little additional penalty in recoil a .25-06 takes everything the UK has to offer. No problem, no fuss. As also will other cal/cartridge combinations. A .243 will do it, but you don't have to go much bigger to do it better. Just my view after 30 years stalking. ATB
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