Warren Page could indeed be called the father of both the .243 and the >244 (6mm Rem). As to which he preferred his article in the 1961 Gun Digest makes it clear:

"As a reloader and as one who likes to squeeze the last practicable bit of efficient performance out of a caliber, I still pick the .244 case form, however. This even though the .243 grew out of a wildcat the late Al Marciante and I dreamed up almost ten years ago, Winchester unfortunately chose to use the factory case, which has a much shorter neck and more sloping shoulder than we used on the basic .240 Page. The .244 Remington brass, which follows our original wildcat shape holds an edge on two scores - working capacity and loading life."

This article has always influenced my opinion of the .243 and as a result I've never owned one. I don't think he was particularly happy with the .243 even though he could be thought of as its father.

Jerry Liles

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
Mikleravy--Not popular with serious gun nuts? Warren Page was a casual gun nut with just a passing interest?

Warren Page did not design the .243 Winchester. His cartridge, the .240 Page Pooper, was formed from the T-65 cartridge, which was the forerunner of the .308 Winchester, and had a 30 degree shoulder and correspondingly longer (5/16" or .3125") neck than the .243 with its 20 degree shoulder and short (.240") neck.

Uh, because it's almost a 6mm Rem?

Well more about why I like the 243/6MM rifles. Friday nite I went hog hunting and took my 243 Smith&Wesson Howa. We crossed the railroad traks and there stands a big coyote, he runs a ways and stops allowing me to get out of the truck. For some reason he stands there when hit with an LED spotlight but he falls when the 70gr. BT blows thru him. When we put out the stinkum and sit in the truck for a couple of hours then go sneaking up on the bait piles from down wind the little rifle destroys the skulls and neck vertibrae of three feral hogs. 4 shots and four dead animals with little fear of a bullet hitting something it shouldn't. I am thinking about loading a faster powder than H414 and pushing the little bullet to 2800 fps or so to lighten muzzle blast a bit.

Amazing long range varmint cartridge... great antelope, roe deer, chamois round.
best suited with slow powder and a 24/25 ic barrel.
95 grains NBT and berger are just top of top...
A perfect 6mm "Magnum"

I teased my cousin so unmercifully about his little pissant caliber for deer and coyotes that he has been shooting with great success for 30 years now that I had to apologize when I bought one. It is in a cheep Savage. Truck gun form has killed all the animals it has been shot at and loves 100 Gain cheap Remington corelokts.

It works well as my loaner for new hunters and I'm sure my son will grab it up the minute I hit the dirt if I don't give it to him sooner.