Thread: A few Questions about the 243

It's a model 16 got it off trade me new and unfired model pre the accustock. Bit of bedding work, trigger adjustment and its a tack driver. Changed a few barrels for others as well. Was going to use it for a project but it just shoots so well, so left it alone.

Im a huge fan of the 243 for deer hunting, its my go to rifle. For a bush stalker its perfect, from small fallow to the largest of Red stags it knock them all over no problem. Shoulder is the way to go if you want certain knockdown, hitting bone gives the best perforance from a 243 round in my opinion.
ive shot heaps of deer and had only one get away with the 243 from a very a poor shot. I only use Factory FED Powershoks 100gr SP. They are awesome , esp for 0-250m range.
Theres always lots of talk about fancy projectiles for certain Cals, esp the 243 but the factory FED POWERshok 100gr Soft point will do the job as good or better than anything else out there as dead is dead.
If using for longer range reloading and other projectiles will offer better results i suppose but i dont use the 243 past the 200m generally as its my bush rifle. (have shot a deer at 300m thou and dropped it)
The people that think its good only for meat animals and goats are WRONG.
In the roar if bush hunting and using in areas where its likely 220m etc would be a long range shot i take the 243 over my 308 all day long. It knock over 150kg plus stags without blinking a eye. Esp if you hit them in the shoulder.
Ive shot many big stags now, 90 pcent of them with the 243 over the 308 and they all gone down, all with a Factory soft point, they fgood but the right projectile and it work as good as anything for a mid range rifle.
Certainly has its limits thou and hence have a 308 for areas where a longer shot is required but i have no worries at all about its fire power in bush type ranges with a 243 thou,

pleased you camw along bud...was hoping you would chime in.....Max,listen to this man,he knows his stuff.

I got one for the wife(tikka 595) and it was an absolute tack driver with 95gr targex and 2208....in theory 2208 should be too fast for 90gr weight class but it just worked!
Wife head shot our hoggart to be spit roasted for our wedding and kinda lost interest after that so I claimed it and shot a few deer with it out to 350y...nothing walked at all.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Where did you get your Savage from @Walker? They don't seem to have ever been that popular here, and I haven't come across a dealer with a good selection of the various models. In my experience of them the finish can be a bit rough but man can they shoot. My cuzzies pretty much only use Savage rifles and do a lot of semi-custom jobs with them, building rifles for very specific applications in their sheds and kitchens! That barrel nut makes a bit difference.
@Max Headroom the Savage .243 factory barrel is a 1:9.25" twist and shoots the boat tail 100gr bullets extremely well. Never discount a Savage, there's a lot of shit written about them but they are one of the best selling brands in the US for good reason.

What-cha-talkin-bout. We have three of them here. One with the bolt handle on the wrong side for the girl. I wanted a spare mag so for a little more than the price of a new mag I bought a second hand one to part out. Shot too well so my brother-in-law has it on the farm. They love the 100gn Speer/Sierra pills with some 2209 behind them.

edit: Bought first one new from Sportways, the other two used from trademe.

Love the two we have. In fact, I have claimed the el cheapo browning I bought for wife/kids for myself. So easy/light to throw about but also because I have never shot more accurately with any other rifle.

Strangely it does not like the fed 100s as much as the super x win. Yet to take more than goats with it though.

Awesome wee calibre.

I have a 243 as my main rifle, run factory winchester 80gr soft point.
It it low recoil, accurate and it kills really well
it shoots mostly fallow, goat, pigs and reds.
as long as you accept the rounds limitations its extremely effective, stepping up from a 223 its tons more put down

The last one I had I sold on here after shooting dozens of deer with it.

I sold it because I also had a 7-08, and I rate the 7-08 shooting a 120 grn bullet far superior to the .243 without any disadvantages. Its my .243 on steroids with the 120 grn, and I can step up to 140grn any time I want.

I'm probably stretching a point asking this, but does anybody have a load that works really well for both varmints and deer?

It's a "have your cake and eat it too" kinda question, but curiosity prods me....

The 85gr GameKing hollow point. I'll get out my load notes a little later. I would walk the back paddocks all day with that load and shoot pretty much anything I came across out to say 250-300m. Hares, goats, rabbits, geese, pigs... and a nice fat fallow, all on the same day. A proper do-it-all bullet.

Flyblown - just picked up a 243 and it came with lots of 80gr Federal powershock soft nose.

Are these rounds ok for long range varmints and occasional 0-200m piggies and deer? Energy figures suggest yes.

Originally Posted by mudgripz

Flyblown - just picked up a 243 and it came with lots of 80gr Federal powershock soft nose.

Are these rounds ok for long range varmints and occasional 0-200m piggies and deer? Energy figures suggest yes.

Yeah. Ive got a DOC culler mate and its all he uses.

Thanks for that Tahr...

Originally Posted by deer243

Im a huge fan of the 243 for deer hunting, its my go to rifle. For a bush stalker its perfect, from small fallow to the largest of Red stags it knock them all over no problem. Shoulder is the way to go if you want certain knockdown, hitting bone gives the best perforance from a 243 round in my opinion.
ive shot heaps of deer and had only one get away with the 243 from a very a poor shot. I only use Factory FED Powershoks 100gr SP. They are awesome , esp for 0-250m range.
Theres always lots of talk about fancy projectiles for certain Cals, esp the 243 but the factory FED POWERshok 100gr Soft point will do the job as good or better than anything else out there as dead is dead.
If using for longer range reloading and other projectiles will offer better results i suppose but i dont use the 243 past the 200m generally as its my bush rifle. (have shot a deer at 300m thou and dropped it)
The people that think its good only for meat animals and goats are WRONG.
In the roar if bush hunting and using in areas where its likely 220m etc would be a long range shot i take the 243 over my 308 all day long. It knock over 150kg plus stags without blinking a eye. Esp if you hit them in the shoulder.
Ive shot many big stags now, 90 pcent of them with the 243 over the 308 and they all gone down, all with a Factory soft point, they fgood but the right projectile and it work as good as anything for a mid range rifle.
Certainly has its limits thou and hence have a 308 for areas where a longer shot is required but i have no worries at all about its fire power in bush type ranges with a 243 thou,

+1 federal blue powershok 100 grain. They are great medicine.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

The 85gr GameKing hollow point. I'll get out my load notes a little later. I would walk the back paddocks all day with that load and shoot pretty much anything I came across out to say 250-300m. Hares, goats, rabbits, geese, pigs... and a nice fat fallow, all on the same day. A proper do-it-all bullet.

This is exactly how I intend to set up a 243, for the exact same type of shooting.