.243???

[NikatKimber]

What's the general consensus on .243? Is it an accurate short to mid-range caliber? Work well for varmint/target purpose?

[rlt7272]

Started shooting .243 about a year ago thru an NEF single shot. I also start reloading and the .243 was my first round to try. I have found it to be very accurate (I can kill a milk jug at 250 yards) and effective on the 110# deer that I took in November. I have been very happy with the .243, does all that I wanted it to do.

[Hoov]

The .243 will do just about everything you need in Oklahoma. It is a very effective deer and varmint cartridge with mild recoil. I would probably want something larger for hogs.

[YukonGlocker]

.243 is excellent for varmint/target purposes.
Accurate, in an accurate gun; and easy to shoot.
If you have kids, .243 is an excellent introduction to large caliber rifles.

[olyeller]

.243 is a LONG range varmint caliber. much better b.c. than .22cal bullets, except maybe the 90gr ones out there. -but who has a 1/7" twist varminter in .22-250 that they would work in?
.243 is wholly sufficient at any range for deer.

[JCW355]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/JCW355/87GRAINVMAX.jpgI got the remington ADL .243 with a 3x9 on it. Since I reload I have been able to get some good groups out of Hornady VMAX bullets. Not bad to shoot because it won't beat you to death like my ADL 7 MAG. .243:thumb:

[JCW355]

^^^ The smallest 3 shot group was .385" . I was shooting 5 different powder charges to see if one was more accurate than the others. I think all of them shot good and it was me that screwed up to make the one group.790" .465". .498" AND .395" were the group sizes

[DRC458]

I have been shooting .243 for 20+ years and reloaded from day one. It's all I need for Oklahoma. I originally bought one for a knock around gun to carry in the pickup all the time, so I didn't want to invest a lot of money. It was gonna' do everything .. coyotes, skunks, prairie dogs, deer ... whatever presented itself. And, it has done it all very well. My first reloads were 60 grain HP's in necked down .308 military brass ... first loads shot under an inch. I struggled somewhat to find the right 100 grain load to keep it under an inch, but I finally got there. Stick with it, and you'll love it. My son shot his first deer at about age 12 with a .243 ... easy for him to handle. I shoot everything up to and including .458 WinMag. but I still love the .243 and probably shoot it more than anything else.

[NikatKimber]

thanks! I ended up with a .270 in a Rem 700 for my first gun 3 years ago, but I want something now that I can enjoy shooting more. And maybe a little cheaper too.