Let’s talk about the 243win

[Ringbill27]

How are you still liking the Tikka Compact? I'm contemplating buying one, but I wish it had a stainless barrel.

It’s a tikka it’s a sweet handling and shooting rifle. Since hunting season I haven’t done much with this rifle. To busy. My wife carried it, but never got to use it.

You could pick up a stainless and see if any one on here or rokslide, etc. has a compact stock they are willing to trade. I picked up two of these compacts for $500 a piece. One was for my rifle and I kept the compact stock. The other I plan to rebarrel to a different cartridge. But I traded the compact stock for a regular.

 

[Mallardsx2]

In my opinion, it should go down as one of the worst cartridges ever for deer hunting. Terrible blood trails. I have seen a lot of deer get away over the years that were shot with a 243. Granted, most were not good shots, but they would have been fatal with a 30-06 for sure.

But that’s just my opinion. And I do realize that most people’s opinions on the 243 are a lot different than mine. And that’s fine too.

It is, however, a terrific gun to shoot coyotes with.

 

[BuzzH]

I've shot the .243/6mm since 1978, awesome rounds that kill way better than you think they should. I've shot everything from prairie dogs to elk with them, never one issue. I have shot 6 elk with either a .243 or 6mm rem, all one shot each.

My nephew killed his first elk with a .243 at 368 yards, mature cow, one shot, awesome blood trail.

I can't say how many deer and pronghorn I've shot with my 6mm, more than most people will shoot in a couple lifetimes.

I've shot a majority of big game with either 100 grain partitions or old style nosler solid base bullets. More recently the 95 grain ballistic tip and 90 grain accubond on elk, deer, and pronghorn. Both bullets performed great.

Also, my friend Jerry has shot over 50 elk in Wyoming with his .243 using 100 grain partitions. That includes some big bulls.

I think nosler would be smart to introduce a 105ish grain accubond in the .243, it would be a great bullet that would really make the .243/6mm even better.

Anyone that has troubles killing big game with a .243/6mm would have trouble with anything else.

 

[pocoyocohunter]

My 243 shot 100gr balls well enough for deer hunting, but i wanted to be able to use it for groundhogs so i worked up a load for Hornady 58gr V-max. It is a shooter with that load.

 

[Bux_N_Beards]

Anyone that has troubles killing big game with a .243/6mm would have trouble with anything else

Well said. Have kept one around in some combination since high school, taking numerous whitetails between myself, family, and friends. Bullets used have primarily been 100gr Sierras in the early days, 100gr Hornady Interlocks for a long run, 80gr Barnes TTSX, and more recently the 95gr Ballistic Tip.

Small sample, but have taken a mature whitetail buck and doe this season and am very intrigued with the results. After studying the origin of that bullet I finally developed a load and am glad I did.

 

[mtmuley]

Anyone that has troubles killing big game with a .243/6mm would have trouble with anything else
Yep. I'm well known here of my use of a RUM, but I do fit a .243 into some things. mtmuley

 

[recon6036]

My daughter has killed 5 whitetail bucks with her Remington 700 .243. All but one dropped where they stood….the other ran 20 yards and fell dead.
I’ve also shot 2 Antelope with the same results. 100gr Hornady interlocks.
I told her I was going to get her a new rifle for next year…her response was “why? I think this one works great.”

 

[cahunter805]

In my opinion, it should go down as one of the worst cartridges ever for deer hunting. Terrible blood trails. I have seen a lot of deer get away over the years that were shot with a 243. Granted, most were not good shots, but they would have been fatal with a 30-06 for sure.

But that’s just my opinion. And I do realize that most people’s opinions on the 243 are a lot different than mine. And that’s fine too.

It is, however, a terrific gun to shoot coyotes with.

The 243win is a very capable cartridge for deer. Blood trails and deer getting away isn’t the 243win fault. It’s poor shot placement or poor bullet choice.

A 30-06 poor shoot would be just as non lethal as a 243win.

I’ve taken well over a dozen deer with my 243 and many pigs and trust it completely and at longer distance also.

In the last 10 years 6mm bullets have really come a long way.

 

[CPAjeff]

I posted this pic on another thread, but chalk another one up to the .243 (even if the fawn was the size of a large lab).

 

[OKED]

I posted this pic on another thread, but chalk another one up to the .243 (even if the fawn was the size of a large lab).

View attachment 353653

That smile says it all!!!

 

[Fire_9]

I posted this pic on another thread, but chalk another one up to the .243 (even if the fawn was the size of a large lab).

View attachment 353653

I took my first deer and a few other with almost that exact same setup