The 243 - Rediscovered

[K22]

I have several 243's which now a days I use for an occasional deer hunt and general target practice in the cold months to keep the marksmanship skills sharp. The 243 was my first center fire rifle all the way back in the mid 60's. In those days up until the mid 70's I used it for deer hunting and varmint hunting. I was a one rifle guy due to my very limited financial situation. I shot factory ammo, 100 grain for deer, 80 grain for varmints. I was a simple man back then.

The 243 always has been one of my favorite cartridges because of the low recoil, fine accuracy and flat shooting capability. For the last 15 years however I've been using the 223 Rem and 22 250 for varmint and predator hunting and have been totally satisfied with both cartridges. Over that period I've shot 1,559 ghogs to date with those two cartridges and a bunch of predators.

I had an old box of Sierra 80 Blitz 243 bullets laying around in my reloading bench. Just for fun I loaded up a bunch with IMR 4064 and re sighted my Rem 700 and went out on a ghog Safari last Wednesday. I nailed three, one at 154, one 239 and one at 220. Nothing spectacular but it sure was fun to hunt ghogs with the 243 again recalling those good old days when I was a one - gun - fit - all hunter.

The only thing I regret is that I traded my first 243, a Winchester Model 70 many years ago when I became a two gun hunter, a 30-06 for deer and a 222 Rem for varmints. I sure wish I hadn't traded that rifle. Fast forward today - I have a whole safe full of rifles but I still have a soft spot in my heart for the 243 - it truly is a dual purpose cartridge.

If the politicians limit us to one gun in the "Brave New World of the Future" it's good to know that the 243 can still get the job done for me.

 

[nakneker]

Enjoyed the post and sentiments. My first centerfire was a 700 .243, I too regret letting it slip away. I was naive and went to a gun show in my late teens and got bamboozled by a slick gun trader. I'm like you now, safe full of rifles, a couple .243s and still have a soft spot for them. Nicw post.

 

[timeout]

My first rifle and only one for a long time was a 788 Rem in .243 Win caliber. It would shoot. A few years later I got a Model 70 Winchester .243 in a trade deal. It did not group like the 788, so I sold it. My finest memory of the old 788 was 2 great Whitetail bucks in one day. First one a wide, tall 10 point and the second a heavy 11 point. Just a young man that didn't know any better but I was shooting 70 grain Hornadys over IMR4350. Shot the 10 between the eyes under 100 yards. Took the 11 @ approximately 200. Exploded his heart. The widest blood trail of anything I have ever shot to this day. He did not go far. There were a couple guys vowing to own .243's at the end of that day's hunt.

 

[K22]

Yea - my first white tail was with a 243, it was a small four point, about 120 lbs. I nailed with a Remington 100 grain Core Lokt. After a few years and a few more white tails I read too many gun magazines and traded up to a 30 06. Nothing wrong with the 30 06 but the deer were just as dead with the 243. I acquired a 222 Rem 700 for varmints and predators. I was never disappointed in the 222 but the 243 worked just as well for me.

 

[jakelly]

I had a Ruger #1 in 243, shot five whitetail one day with it and couldn't believe how hard it hit them. 100-350 yards, no recoil, and impacts were crushing.

 

[nmkid]

I got my first .243 from Sears. Yeah, it's been that long! My opinion...It's the best caliber to start a youngster with and they can grow old with it!!

 

[Riesel]

Since we're doing this, first centerfire rifle was a Parker Hale in .243 with a Weaver 3x9 bought from a little gun store in Clovis NM in 1972. Shot scads of PDs with it and later in life it was my one and only deer rifle. Then someone stole her away from me. Bought a Ruger 77 bull barrel and all. Nice rifle but..............started doing hobby gunsmithing on old mauser actions, then Savage the Remington 700's and 788 and I've got a .243 in all of them with the Shilen barrel 788 my favorite. Use the Hornady 100 grain Round nose and it hits like a sledge hammer.

 

[Tommie]

I'm giddy seeing the 788 mentioned so often.

 

[Mark W]

I have three 6 mm rifles with two being .243s. Definetly two of my favorite rifles!!!

 

[stacy]

MY LITTLE MODEL 7 IN 243 SURE HAS SERVED ITS PURPOSE FOR ME. LOVE THE 5 243'S THAT AROUND HERE FROM PAPER TO FOOD ON THE TABLE THEY WORK WELL !!!!!!!!

 

[jds holler]

Yeah baby!! Happy memories for me. 1974 high school graduation present. Ruger 77, tang safety, sporter barrel, Weaver K-4, and a Lee Loader to pound cartridges together. The rifle shot many dime sized groups from the bags, and I shot many 6" groups off-hand at a hundred.

It was truly an all around rifle, and I killed my first buck with it -- and around twenty more, most of them on the ground pretty much where I nailed them. A truck load of ground squirrels, rock chucks, coyotes, a few coons and badgers, two truckloads of jack rabbits, and even one elk (my wifes a few years ago).

Kinda makes me wonder why we need so many different cartridges. jd

 

[Tommie]

It doesn't take a 300 Win Mag to kill a scrawny white tail deer? Say it aint so!