I recently picked up a Winchester Model 70 Compact Classic chambered in .243. Its an older rifle manufactured in 1971. Its in great shape and has a good clean barrel. Today was the first time that I took it out shooting. I had never fired a .243 so I didnt know what to expect.

I was extremely pleased with this cartridge. Recoild isnt worth mentioning and its accuracy is excellent. I shot a pop bottle that was laying on the ground at about 100yrds. The bullet grazed the bottle lengthwise leaving about a 6" cut up the side of it. The impressive part was that the bottle barely moved. These bullets cook!

Yep, they do. Which bullet are you shooting in yours?

Mine's actually a 6mm Rem, but they're so close to the same performance that it doesn't really matter. Great shooting little cartridges. Outstanding varmint cartridge that will also take deer cleanly. Nearly 30 years of shooting .24 caliber bullets and I still got a grin on my face earlier today when I took it to the range. Have fun. Guy

Twenty-five years a go I bought a Winchester heavy barrel in that calibre and I thought this was it. Sins then this cal. has always been one of my favourites. Good luck with this gun, and I am shure you will have a lot of fun shooting it

My first time out with my daughters new model 7 243, same thing, bullets right through half full liter bottle of pepsi, I couldn't even tell were the bullets were going. I figured I could be a little high and dropped down a couple inches. The bullet struck below the liquid level this time and the bottle blew up and went twenty feet to the right and about 15 feet in the air. I looked at the remains of the bottle and two bullet holes were also in it just above the pepsi that had been in it. That was a 90gr Ballistic Tip, that baby was smokin.

I'm in love with this caliber. I cant wait to get out and shoot again!

In 1968 I bought my first rifle, a Remington 700 Varmint Special heavy barreled .243. At that time if memory serves me, only 80 gr. and 100 gr. factory ammo was available.

Today, if you handload you can get 55 gr. BTHP from Nosler (Ballistic Tips) as well as a couple other major mfgrs. that achieve velocities of over 4000 FPS from a 24" bbl. At the other end of scale, you can buy bullets that weigh over 105 grains approaching velocities of 3000 FPS.

The .243 will definitely out-hotrod any .22 centerfire today, including the vaunted .220 Swift. Basically, where the .22 centerfires end, the .243 takes over.

Enjoy your new gun.

Safe shooting.