At 53, my wife has decided she would like to try hunting, and thinks that a caribou hunt in Alaska would be fun. She has a .243 that she shoots extremely well with. To those of you with real experience, do you think that a .243 with 100 grain Nosler Partitions is a reasonable minimum for Caribou if only ideal shots are taken? I will be backing her with a .375 H&H if a follow-up is necessary.
Posts: 3856 | Location: Eastern Slope, Colorado, USA | Registered: 01 March 2001
I have used the same bullet on deer, and it works quite well. The .243 is a very underrated cartridge, but at the same time, shot placement is the key, maybe more so than with larger rounds. It should have no problem dropping a caribou, provided the shooter does their part.
I have a friend who lives in Anchorage, and he tells me that caribou are not too difficult to stop. He also says that the 243 is used a lot to hunt them. Good luck and good shooting
Posts: 849 | Location: Between Doan's Crossing and Red River Station | Registered: 22 July 2001
I am a big fan of the 243 and have done my fair share of hunting with it but I would choose another round. I also will not shoot anything deer size or above past 200 yards and even that is with premium bullets.
Is recoil an issue? If so,why not have her try a 25-06 or better yet, a 270?
------------------ Good Hunting & Hunt Safe, David
the 243 should work but i would recommend and this is from experience i would defintly use a larger caliber can you wifle shoot a 270 very well has she tried a 270
even the 25/06 would be better then you could at least go to 120grs.
as long as you stay away from the shoulder and put it threw the lungs it wont go very far.
------------------ black powder rules
Posts: 2095 | Location: B.C | Registered: 31 January 2002
Caribou seem to die quite easily. With proper shot placement, the .243 should do the trick. The reason most of us use the big "thundersticks" for caribou hunting up here, is that caribou are in grizzly country. But you'll have your .375, so no problem.
I would recomend more gun for whitetails and mule deer before I would for caribou. A 25-06 would be my first choice but your 243 with 100 gr. bullets will be fine. The indians are shooting them with 222's and 223's regularily.
While I personally prefer something bigger, you convinced me when you said she shoots the 243 well. As mentioned prior posts, you will have more if more is needed due to other omnivores being in the area, so ability to shoot well is a big plus. Here's hoping the trip turns out well, and good shooting to you both!!
------------------ Good Shooting!
Posts: 1944 | Location: Moses Lake, WA | Registered: 06 November 2001
My experience with caribou is that they're much easier to bring down than a large whitetail, but I've only been there for the harvesting of 10. Have her use the .243 with confidence.
LnB-- One of my buddies has shot 3 caribou with the 240 weatherby. And as you know that is not all that much hotter. I feel that she could handle it well , and the caribou won't mind with good shot placement. The 240 is a good kid/lady gun. if you want to try mine with your wife come by the house and take it for a test. MD
Posts: 1899 | Location: Alaska | Registered: 03 May 2001
Thanks for all the replies. The point is that my wife already has a .243 that she loves to shoot, and shoots very well. She consistantly will put 10 consecutive shots into 8 inches at 100 yards offhand with her rifle. She could shoot my 7x57 0r 7x64, but she wants to shoot a caribou with HER gun if it is not an irresponsible thing to do.
Posts: 3856 | Location: Eastern Slope, Colorado, USA | Registered: 01 March 2001
rem 9 1/2 pr primer remington case nosler 130 grain partition 45.5 grains imr 3031
yields one 130 grain bullet at 2945 fps and 15 ft lb of recoil.
15 ft lb is in the same range as a 257 roberts and 260 remington.
my girlfriend wants to hunt this year and I'm gonna get her a 270 to use. that way if she doesn't like hunting I will have a 270 instead of getting stuck with a 260 remington or something like that.
oh yeah this data if from the imr website. and the rifle weight is 8 lbs.
[This message has been edited by rock42 (edited 02-08-2002).]
quote:Originally posted by rock42: a recipe for a light recoiling 270
rem 9 1/2 pr primer remington case nosler 130 grain partition 45.5 grains imr 3031
yields one 130 grain bullet at 2945 fps and 15 ft lb of recoil.
15 ft lb is in the same range as a 257 roberts and 260 remington.
my girlfriend wants to hunt this year and I'm gonna get her a 270 to use. that way if she doesn't like hunting I will have a 270 instead of getting stuck with a 260 remington or something like that.
oh yeah this data if from the imr website. and the rifle weight is 8 lbs.
[This message has been edited by rock42 (edited 02-08-2002).]
I have only shot factory loads in sporting rifles, the recoil and muzzle blast from those were ear ringing and eye watering. This is why I grimace when I see people reccomending the 270 as a light recoil number.
Your loads sound good to me and I'm sure transform things however most people wouldn't go to those lengths and might just take a stock 270 and ammunition and aquire a flinch.
Posts: 2258 | Location: Bristol, England | Registered: 24 April 2001
rock 42 and 1894 - A few years ago I was fooling around with a 270, using 45 IMR 4064 and 130 grain something or others. Velocity was in the 2800 range, and recoil was hardly there at all, with impressive accuracy. That load would kill any caribou, and most other critters, you'll run across.
loud - A guy I know travels to Colorado (or Montana or someplace far West) each year and kills an elk and mule deer with the 243 and 100 Grain R-P factory loads, never lost one. He's been doing this for 15 or 20 years, and is amazed that anybody would think something more is needed.
At the risk of offending the membership, I don't think the animals we're hunting are as impressed with ballistics as we are sometimes.
R-WEST
Posts: 1483 | Location: Windber, PA | Registered: 24 January 2001
With the success I have with a .243 I see no problem with using it for caribou. The most important thing with a rifle is if you are comfortable shooting it and if you can shoot it well.
Well when I whacked my Elk 2 years ago I was in a position where-as I was either able to kill the animal cleanly 350 yrds+ away, or I would have to go home with no animal.
Oh I dont care all that much if I dont make something bleed but I dont live out west, and these hunts cost to many greenbacks, for me to load the .243 in the truck and drive to parts west.
Instead I threw the .338 in back, sat in the Quakies with the "Hot trail" 350 away, and flattened my Bull. My last thought before sqeezing off at that Beastie was, "thank God I dont have a .243".
I believe that one should "bring the right tool for the job" and nobody is ever going to convinve me that a .243, with 100 grn bullets, is the right tool for Big Bull Elk.............good shooting..........10
I think a 243 will work fine....actually I would say use paritions if that is what you want but IMHO premium bullets aren't required. As long as you don't shoot varmit bullets you should be fine. I think premiums are great for moose, elk, bears and such but not needed 99% of the time for thinner skinned game.
Caribou are not that tough...I think the most difficult aspects of caribou hunting(in open country where I have experience) are range estimation and dealing with wind.
I know people who like to shoot a 300 win mag/7mm mag/ 270 at caribou mainly because of ballistics, they zero at 200 and feel confident to 400. That way they don't ever need to hold off the animal.
I went through a debate like this with my wife, and in the end, it came down to this. She would practice for hours with the 6mm, and about 6 rounds with the 270 or 280. So, I let her shoot the 6mm, a hole through the lungs is a hole through the lungs. A hole in the air, is a hole in the air. JMO, Dutch.
Posts: 4564 | Location: Idaho Falls, ID, USA | Registered: 21 September 2000
