Ok, I was in the bookstore a little bit ago and was looking at the .243 in "catriges of the world" . The author claimed that ballasticians had given the .243 a reputation for being erratic. Does anyone know what this guy is talking about or if it is true. Im thinking of buying a .243 soon to use for vamint and deer, and i want a caliber I can depend on every time to be accurate on very small varmints. I want sub moa, but i want more punch than a .223 or 22-250.

Accuracy is not erratic with good 243 rifles. Bullet performance on deer and antelope can be if the proper bullet selection is not made. Don't use pure varmint bullets on deer.

Rambink,

There was a time when I was hearing the same things about the 243 when using very light varmint bullets with the powders designed for 80 gr and heavier bullets.

Whenever I have a shooter come to me with this problem or similiar problem with light bullets and larger case volume, it is nearly always a powder/primer problem.

Let me explain. We don't see much of it anymore because shooters are becoming more educated but when Nosler released its 55gr Ballistic Tip in 6mm on the market, handloaders went crazy.

The problem is that alot of them used the wrong powders hoping to reach ultra-high velocities. These powders such as IMR-4350 and that class work great with 80gr bullets or heavier but not with the light weight bullets. They work but velocities can be erratic.

So use powders that are correct for the bullet weight you are using and the 243 is a pussy-cat. One example is my brothers Ruger M77VT in 243 Win. He uses H-VarGet under the 55gr Ballistic Silvertip. This rifle will hold five shots well under 1/2" at a velocity of +4200 fps.

The problem with a case like the 243 Win is that when using the lightest bullets for that caliber, the 55-58gr class, its case volume is quite large. When using the heavy bullets in that caliber, 100-105gr class, its capacity is not large at all.

It is a totally different beast with different bullet weights so use specific powders to bring the best out in the 243.

If your looking for the ultimate in a conventional long range varmint rifle, the 243 is very hard to beat.

Good Hunting!!!

50

Hey Guys
Thanks so much for the info. What a relief. After looking at the ballistic charts, I was really hoping the .243 would a good reliable step up from my 22 hornet. I needed something I could connect with on coyotes at a distance and use for deer as well. thanks 50 for the explanation. makes good sense.

Rambink, I have been using a winchester push feed 243 for about 15 years. The first 10 years I shot it it had a wood stock. The accuracy with this gun was only about 1 1/2" at 100 yards. I got a fiberglass stock and bedded it. I made it so the barrel was floated. Now it shoots 100 gr hornady's in a 3/4" group any day. Speed on that load is 3150. i have shot big deer and some small elk with it with good results.
Ron

I like IMR 3031 with the 55, 58, and 60 grain .243 bullets.

Even though the Nosler manual says H414 is the most accurate powder they tested with their 55's, and even though that most folks I know like a case full of H380 behind these 55's, I have to agree with fifty-driver: Get a little quicker with the powder, and consistency is less troublesome.

Another plus to the faster powder is extended bore life.

My custom barreled Mannlicher-Schoenauer shoots 40.5 grains of IMR 3031 behind Hornady's 58 grain VMAX's into sub 1/2 MOA groups.

I've also had excellent luck with 39.8 grains of IMR 3031 behind Sierra's 60 grain HP.

I think that the .243 was very misunderstood for many years. I think even the gun gurus didn't always realize what to do with the .243, and such ignorance probably prompted the comment you asked about.

I've had excellent luck with Varget behind the 70 grain Nosler BT's (42.0 grains), and I normally use IMR 4350 or IMR 4831 behind the 85 grain Sierra BTHP's.

In my opinion, the .243 has it all over the 22-250 for versatility.

Load the .243 correctly, and with the proper powder, and you'll have a new favorite rifle chambering...

Dan Newberry
green 788

IMR-4064 works great with light bullets in my .243

Hey Rambink, I completely agree with "rick & 50" in their posts.

I've only seen a few inaccurate 243Wins and the ones I saw were corrected through proper cleaning techniques. (That does not mean I disagree with Ron about his rifle.)

Never wasted my time with bullets below 70gr in any of mine. My current Varmint Load uses the 75gr Sierra Flat Base HP fueled with H-380 and is very accurate. A couple of years ago I put a 3-shot group using it on a target and set the rifle aside. Shot some other rifles and a buddy and I walked down to check the targets. Got back and handed him the 243Win and he put a 3-shot group on top of my original group. The combined 2-man 6-shot group was in the 6s. Had a hard time "prying" the S&S M7 out of Don's hands.

My current 22 centerfire is a 223Rem and I agree with your concept to move right on up to the 243Win as the next level from your 22Hornet.

...

Concerning Deer Loads, I've killed a bunch of them with various 85gr, 90gr, 95gr and 100gr bullets in the 243Win. Right now I'm using the 90gr Speer Hot-Cor and it has proven to be excellent "for the shots I take". I use H-450 with it, but Hodgdon is not selling it right now. So, if you see any on a Gun Shop shelf or at a Gun Show, you might want to get some to try in your rifle with the heavier bullets.

Just wanted to let you guys know how much I appreciate the info...great forum you have here

Hot Core, The problem I had with my 243 was the orignal stock. It had a ridge of wood that went right down the middle of the barrel channel. I could have probably got the same results by floating the wood stock. But what the heck.
I have never tried using small bullets. After I found the one load for the 100's I just use it for everything. Some day I am going to have to try some of those real small bullets for ground squirrels some day.

Rambink, I experienced some of that "ERATIC" stuff first hand not long after the 243 first came out. Bullet performance was so squirrelly that I got rid of my rifle and pretty well wrote the caliber off as a flop. Over the years I've ignored the 243 and felt sorry for folks that shot one. Last year I finally decided to try one again. Winchester M-70. It's an accurate and pleasant rifle to shoot. I haven't had the chance to play with it too much but it seems like there's a lot better bunch of 6mm bullets running around now and lots of guys on these forums swear by the thing. Most are knowledgable enough that it pays to listen to them.

Probably few rifles have endured as much negative press as the 243 has suffered and still survived in production today. Lots and lots of shooters have relegated the 243 to the category of being a "good first rifle" for their kids growing up or a "good rifle for the little woman" just to give her some sort of hunting experience for the hunting wives. Point being a LOT of hunters don't take the 243 serious nor do they consider it a MAN'S rifle. No self respecting MAN would go off hunting with such little sissy bullets. Would they?

Well, of course the truth is the 243 is a plenty capable cartridge for all varmits and deer and antelope to boot! Some fellows have done impressive things with it on larger game than this but none of them will actually call it an elk rifle or bear rifle...nor would I. But it's a good cartridge and in steady hands with some good bullets a potent one. Very pleasing velocity and trajectory to boot.

[ 12-11-2002, 08:07: Message edited by: Pecos45 ]

Hey Ron, I understand what you mean about the wood stocks(aka Termite Food). Just went in to make sure, and all my rifles have the good old, home-grown, warm, full-of-character -- "synthetics"!

I do admit a piece of wood can be made so it is very beautiful. I've had them and enjoyed them. Even enjoyed the plane-grade ones. Also wrestled with some of them having strange problems too.

Not sure if it just old age or less patience on my part, but I really try to live a "Problem Avoidance" lifestyle. And that includes getting rid of wood stocks. No argument with people who like them at all though. If they use them long enough, they will learn for themselves all the little squirrley, inconsistent, hard-to-track-down problems you can have with them.

I see you are using the 100gr Hornady. I agree with you about it being an excellent bullet. I feel sure I've not used it on Black Bears or Hogs, but it certainly works well on our small SE Whitetails. Interesting that you have killed Elk with it. Did it go far after the shot? Where did you hit it? How far away? What did it look like "inside" the Elk?

Just remembered a buddy who shot a Black Bear in the head with the 100gr Hornady SP about 20 years or so ago in a 6mmRem. It seems he was watching for Deer in our NC mountains and noticed the Bear moving along the side of the mountain above him. He wanted to take it, but couldn't get a "safe" shot due to the Bear being skylined. Finally it moved to a Safe-shot position directly above him about 80yds away and he shot. All of a sudden, HERE COMES THE BEAR!!! Unknown to him, it was DEAD but rolling down the side of the mountain directly toward him. It stopped within a barrels length of him as he finally got ready for a second shot. Big swallow of Liquid Corn by him at this point each time the story is told.

You might be pleasently surprised at the accuracy found in some of the 70gr, 75gr, 80gr and 85gr bullets available for the 243Win. Everybody makes good ones, or I've yet to find a bad one. Some can provide "double duty" like the 85gr Sierra HPBT GameKing and the 85gr Nosler Partition for Varmints and Deer. But I still prefer the 75gr Sierra for Varmint size stuff.

Best of luck to you.

Hot Core, I have been thinking about getting a McMillan stock for my pre-64 270. I had some stock trouble with it. I am sure by next fall it will be updated.
The elk was hit through the ribs at 80 yards. At the shot the spike bull took off. I gave him about 20 minutes and went down to track. I had my pack goats along. I got to the spot where I hit it and they went on point. I looked at what they were looking at and the bull was done. The bull died in less than 30 yards. I am the one on the right in the picture.



The bullet was a perfect mushroom. I found it under the hide on the off side. The bullet weighs 48 grains. I like the 100 hornady's a lot. That rifle is probably my favorite rifle. Ron

Hey Ron, Sounds like the 100gr Hornady did right well on that Spike. And only a 30yd run is great for stopping that quickly with a Lung shot with ANY size bullet or caliber.

Don't think I've had a McMillan stock, but I've never heard a bad word about them. Doubt you could go wrong with them "IF" their dimensions fit your frame. I'd encourage you to find someone who has the model you are thinking about getting and handle it a bit first just to be sure.

One of my buddies managed to snag a $400 Brown Precision (One Pound)stock off the net for $100 a few weeks ago. He handed it to me this past Sunday and I was expecting it to weigh a good bit more. Nearly hit him in the face with it as my hand went up. Now he is wondering if it will make his M700 Mountain Rifle handle like a Banjo.

He also has a couple of Bell and Carlson stocks which fit him perfectly and they were not expensive at all.

I've had some RamLine stocks in the past, but they were a bit large in the grip area. Of course that was years ago and their advertisement showed a full size truck parked atop the empty magazine mortise with the action removed. No idea if they have thinned them down now days or not.

I do have two Kevlar stocks and they are excellent for strength and relatively light weight. All the rest are various forms of factory synthetics which have proven to be quite rugged too.

Best of luck as you go for the new synthetic.