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

 

[3855WIN]

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.

I don’t think the killing of the big game with the .243 is the problem. It’s the lack of sign left by the .243 that causes some to seek other calibers. This site is dominated by Western hunters, so the lack of concern about an obvious blood trail is understandable. For those in the eastern half of the country, more consideration about calibers might be prudent. Of course, a well constructed bullet can solve most of these issues.
One of my hunting mentors killed hundreds of whitetails with a .243 in his meat hunting days. Later in life, he became a trophy hunter, and switched to a 270 WBY mag. One morning, he killed a mature, 181” whitetail buck in a five year old regrown cutover. His 300 mag shooting buddy asked him, “At any time this morning did you wish you had your .243?” My friend admitted that he answered no.

 

[BuzzH]

I don’t think the killing of the big game with the .243 is the problem. It’s the lack of sign left by the .243 that causes some to seek other calibers. This site is dominated by Western hunters, so the lack of concern about an obvious blood trail is understandable. For those in the eastern half of the country, more consideration about calibers might be prudent. Of course, a well constructed bullet can solve most of these issues.
One of my hunting mentors killed hundreds of whitetails with a .243 in his meat hunting days. Later in life, he became a trophy hunter, and switched to a 270 WBY mag. One morning, he killed a mature, 181” whitetail buck in a five year old regrown cutover. His 300 mag shooting buddy asked him, “At any time this morning did you wish you had your .243?” My friend admitted that he answered no.

Right, why I shoot controlled expansion bullets in every caliber. There is no lack of "sign" if you can read it...

368 yards with a .243, Stevie Wonder possibly would have trouble.

About 50-60 yards to a very dead cow elk:

 

[jt13]

I have a late season doe tag that I have yet to use. This thread has inspired me to take out and try the Remington Model Seven in .243 Win that I bought for my daughter a few years back.

 

[SGP]

With today’s new 6mms shooting heavy bullets is the 243win even relevant?

I think it is but it’s not talked about anymore it seems.

Recently picked up two tikka compacts in 243win for dirt cheap. Pulling the barrel on one and the other went to my wife. I have to say impressed with this rifle and cartridge.

I’ve got the 95gr partition load to 3150fps and the 55gr BTs going 3750fps out of a 20” barrel. It should put a hurting in deer and yotes.

Now to move on to monos.

What’s your thoughts?

Shoot the Barnes 85 gr TSX with great results

 

[TheJason]

It always amuses me how some folks think a couple hundredths of an inch in diameter truly is the difference maker.

Shoot what you want to shoot, but I will echo the above. If you struggle to kill things with a .243 you’ll struggle to kill them with a bigger caliber.

 

[Forkyfinder]

It always amuses me how some folks think a couple hundredths of an inch in diameter truly is the difference maker.

Shoot what you want to shoot, but I will echo the above. If you struggle to kill things with a .243 you’ll struggle to kill them with a bigger caliber.

Would you say the same thing about 22 caliber?

 

[TN2shot07]

Would you say the same thing about 22 caliber?

A lot of animals fall every year to a 22 centerfire. If you’re talking about deer sized game you should read up on the 22 creedmoor and of course the 223 has been around for a while too. Bullets have come a long ways

 

[Sheltowee]

It always amuses me how some folks think a couple hundredths of an inch in diameter truly is the difference maker.

Shoot what you want to shoot, but I will echo the above. If you struggle to kill things with a .243 you’ll struggle to kill them with a bigger caliber.

It isn't so much the diameter but the mass of the projectile and energy thereby transferred. A 150grain .243 diameter bullet and a 150grain .308 diameter bullet propelled at the same velocity would have the same energy. Of course, energy is not the only consideration (nor even the primary one, in my opinion). All the energy in the world doesn't matter if you aren't applying it to structures that interrupt blood flow or nerve impulses.

The reason the .243 kills is it sends a small bullet at high velocity, imparting energy into the vitals. The reason the .243 wounds is that its projectile does not always have sufficient mass to penetrate into the vitals with sufficient energy to disrupt. I had a terrible experience as a youth hunter with a .243 and Winchester PowerPoints on a small doe. I'd have no hesitation to shoot Southern whitetails with a .243 today *provided* I was shooting a heavy for caliber, well-constructed lead core bullet (Accubond, Partition, whatever) or a well-made all copper bullet (TTSX, HHT, GMX).

 

[Forkyfinder]

A lot of animals fall every year to a 22 centerfire. If you’re talking about deer sized game you should read up on the 22 creedmoor and of course the 223 has been around for a while too. Bullets have come a long ways

Oh i know - 22 creedmoor, 22 arc, 224 valkyrie, or even 22-250/220 swift were doing it a long time ago with lesser bullets.

I find it astonishing a lot of peope think 243/25-06 adequate for elk but a 22 cal isnt anywhere close to cutting it for them.