#10MinuteTalk
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- čas přidán 17. 06. 2019
- Per request of Ryan Muckenhirn, we sat down for 10 minutes to show a little love to the .243 Winchester - The 6mm before the 6mm was cool. This nifty little cartridge is very versatile and it would seem that in recent years it’s become somewhat forgotten, perhaps incorrectly so. What are your thoughts on the SAE 6mm? What other calibers do you think deserve a little 10 minutes of love? We’d love to get your thoughts.
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If you read enough hunting magazines you will notice a trend: when the authors or their hunting partners are bringing along a youngster on his first hunt they often equip him with a rifle chambered in .243 Win. while they use a .300 Win Mag, a 7mm Rem. Mag or something similar. I have often wondered: if the .243 Win. is good enough for an adolescent to get a deer, why does the author think he needs a magnum? Also, the .243 Win. has outlasted a lot of similar calibers and I suspect will continue to do so in the future.
That is a super excellent question. Growing up, I did not get to hunt but knew some fellas in school who hunted with a .243. Like you said, it was considered a "junior" rifle. When you grow up and get hair on your chest, maybe you can shoot a magnum caliber or at least a long action, like .30-06. Well, if the .243 Win was adequate enough for a youngster to harvest a deer, how does it lose its power and effectiveness when you reach the age of voter eligibility? I think it is one of those "manly" things that doesn't make sense.
Another youtuber, deermeatfordinner, brought down a mule deer with a 6.5 Creedmoor. It took two shots. I think, because it was dusk and the beast was quartering a way.
And having a shoulder slammer cartridge does not guarantee a fast drop. There is a video of Ron Spomer shooting a Mossberg Patriot 7 mm Rem Mag (probably 200 or 220 grain) and it took 3 shots to make that bull elk drop. The were on a flat hill top and the beast was going to get away.
Some tell me that I am underpowered for hunting whitetail with my .308 Win. That I should be shooting a .300 Win Mag. Some may tell me I am underpowered for hunting feral hog with my 5.56.
But you hit the nail on the head. The cartridge doesn't lose effective just because the shooter is now able to legally join the military and sign a binding contract. Humans are funny people.
I will keep hunting with my .308. I just like that cartridge and all of my rifles except the M4A3 are in .308. I am comfortable with it and know what to expect. In fact, I am going to get even more comfortable with it and put on muzzle brakes. In the woods, there is no one right next to me to say "Damn, that's loud!" At the range, most everyone is already using a muzzle brake. Or suppressor.
@@ronws2007 I've always been a .308 guy. Started with it growing up, still works great. Most hunters can't shoot good enough to get the added range from the magnums anyways.
@@andyd2960 That is quite a possibility. Not just how to handle magnums but also how to shoot far enough that the reach would be helped. The few people, such as Ron Spomer and that kid from Gunwerks who got an elk at 1300 with a 7 mm Rem Mag, he regularly practiced to over 1000 yards. So, that kid had the skill. Spomer had the reflexes to keep firing and track the movement while firing.
I have been reading "The Art of the Rifle" by Jeff Cooper. The technical details are great but what is also helpful is the philosophy. This is the Jeff Cooper who taught Marine snipers and inspired the scout sniper rifle in the configuration many know it for, with the forward mounted scope. If can move closer, move closer. Don't shoot so far just to show. Definitely hunt within the range of your abilities and location. Where I hunt on public land, most shots will be 50 yards. So, if I can stand or rest on a branch or my tripod and shoot with no more than half an inch drift (which is 1 MOA at 100 yards, then I am effective.
In fact, that is why I will zero at 100 instead of a PBR of 25 - 270. I would rather dial my scope up .5 MOA and be dead on, not just somewhere in the ballpark. Aim small, miss small.
@@ronws2007 that's some great information. I have personally never fired a shot at game past 200yards. Where I hunt, 50 yards is probably the average for deer. I'll have to get that book. Kinda in my wheelhouse I'm trying to get ready for some kind of shooting competition next year.
@@andyd2960 I live in northeast Texas, so everything here looks like a primeval forest. However, over near Amarillo is the Cap Rock Canyon WMA and the state has a raffle to win a hunt there for mule deer. The information for that hunt warns you to expect snow and ice and adverse conditions (the high desert.) And making shots at least 200 yards (not a lot of foliage to cover you, so you need to shoot from a distance.) So, then, it becomes important to get some time in at a long range and I finally found one less than two hours away from me. About 40 minutes outside of Dallas in Kaufman County. They go out to a mile. But you have to test for that distance by hitting at least twice at 700 yards.
My grandmother was one of the best hunters I have ever seen. Deer, elk, bear, cougars…. You name it she dropped it. In all her years and through all her game, she only used one rifle and swore by the cartridge, the .243. Now my oldest daughter carries her rifle, I swear she is my grandmother reincarnated. I’ve never really used the .243 so I can’t say if it’s the rifle, cartridge or lady, but holy cow, I’ve seen some wild shots come from them.
Recoil is easy to manage and almost no need to adjust elevation under 300yds. The .243 holds a place in my heart and has my respect.
Wow what years did she hunt in?
The 270 Winchester, overall is a better cartridge then the 243 Winchester. Anyone that complains about a 270’s recoil should be laughed at, been shooting one since I was 11 years old and I’ve killed many, many mule deer with it .
@@cannabislife1688 Nope. The 270 has a bigger bullet and more powder, not more performance. The 243 has a slightly higher ballistic coefficient at every range than the 270. Try again. I own both, and I hand load all my own ammo. The 243 will kill anything the 270 will. 243 will reliably snap deer necks with headshots all day long.
@@twistedpixel2558 the 270 Win objectively has more Kinetic energy, thus having more performance over the 243 Win. “ I own both and load all my own ammo “ I couldn’t care less that’s your anecdotal experience.
@cannabislife1688 It's not anecdotal experience numbskull. You can look up the manufacturers rated loadings and performance for yourself. More power doesn't equate to a better shot, accuracy does though.
I bought my rem 700 243 when I was 13, it was the only centerfire rifle I owned for 20 years. Between my brother, and myself it's put down 40+ mule deer, 2 cow elk, a dozen javelina, countless predators and smaller game. I know what you're thinking.... Way too small for elk, both were taken with 1 shot at less than 100yds. Both dropped in their tracks like they were struck by Thor's hammer. When it's the only tool in your box, you learn to use it, and use it well. Like they said, shot placement is everything.
Fear the man with one gun
Isn't it interesting what can be accomplished by a competent marksman and a "Youth Gun" haha, Good Hunting!
Def !
The .243 Winchester 95 grain Ballistic Silvertip cartridge drops deer and antelope in their tracks! The Hornady Superformance 58 grain V-Max also drops coyotes like a ton of bricks! The .243 is a flat shooting, super accurate, economical, readily available and very versatile cartridge.
@@lcjjr.6714 Yes it is... My ol' rifle shoots lights out with 100gr corelokts and 100gr American Whitetail interlocks straight outta the box. I've been hand loading for years and to this day don't reload for that gun.
I got my first ever rifle last month , I just got into hunting and I had to go with that 243 win , it's fantastic
Congrats on getting into hunting! Practice as much as you can in as many field positions as you can and good luck!
@jay marin I've just purchased my first deer rifle Remington 700 243. I hope to bless myself with great meat soon
It’s a great cartridge… works great on mule deer
Keep it forever
Took first deer with .243. 40 yrs ago. Same Nosler 100 grain load used way back then helped me drop a monster 185# Texas buck last year with biggest rack I’ve ever shot (I think my freezer is my trophy case btw). I love to reload and shoot the .243. My hunting .243 is an FN Mauser with the most beautiful wood. I have only used that to hunt larger animals (deer and hogs) with to save the bore. My other .243 is a big old Sako bull barrel used for prairie dogs and such. I love the .243. I was thinking about jumping on the 6.5 Creedmoor bandwagon but then asked myself “why?” I have had 40 years of exceptional 243 service. That would be a bad breakup after so long.
My first deer, and my last deer fell to a 243. All with 100gr Nosler Partition. I have also shot a bunch of coyotes with that load. I took my 243 as my backup to a 22-250 on a prairie dog shoot. I used 75 grain Speer bullets. I used it for my longer shots. Honestly the 243 is a fabulous cartridge. I’m never giving it up.
Even just soft points are brutal...
I've taken two elk with the 243. All you have to do is put your bullet in the right spot. Great video!!
I've been shooting .243 for decades through a Ruger no.1 drop block and have taken deer all the way down to 400 yd prairie dog shots. Its probably to me the most versatile cartridge next to 30.06. Its a workhorse for sure.
Just call the .243 a 6mm08 if you want it to sound new and fancy
I think 10 minute talk about this kind of stuff is amazing. It’s not too short but not too long. It’s just right and you get the right amount of information. As long as the people doing it know they’re talking about. And you guys know what you’re talking about
I've heard people call 243 a girls gun or a starter gun and the same people go out and buy a AR 15 in the 223 and call it a man's gun
I thoroughly enjoy watching you guys talk about different cartridges A recent one you spoke of the 25 06 which I own Also the 270 which I have one of. And now my favourite custom gun I built the 243 Which in all fairness With the same weight bullet Will stomp a mud hole in A.6.5 creedmore
loved this convo, glad the .243 is getting some much deserved love.
243 does everything for me in the last 25 years .
I love hearing about specific cartridges and learning more about them. loved this video! Also I would love to hear about .270 and .25-06
25 06 is a woman or children's caliber. Too light for deer.
@@Lol-cd4ii my uncle has killed many deer in texas with his for 10 years. thanks for the input though.
@@Lol-cd4ii my teacher has taken many deer in Alberta with her 25-06, and with Barnes TTSX it’s even taken cow elk. But everyone is entitled to their opinion, and there are different schools of thought on what is adequate. Shoot straight.
@@Lol-cd4ii wow, most people would disagree. 223 and 25/06 are two of the most popular whitetail rounds where I live.
@@Lol-cd4ii you must be a terrible shot then. One of those guy that needs a “338 lapua” for 80 lb deer at 25 yards
Remington Model 600 Mohawk in .243 is my go to whitetail deer gun. 3X9 Leupold. Good at 200 yards. Winchester 90 grain ballistic tips. 👍
Had a Rem 700 .243 and it was an absolute tack driver and you could shoot all day without getting beaten up.
Great ten minute talk! The 243, IMHO, is one of the greatest cartridges of all time! And the saying it is for kids and women is BS!
Thanks for watching!
I love the 243. Hunt with it all the time.
@@VortexNation the 250-300 (250 Savage) is an interesting follow up to this since they are so equal in speed and energy and Remington used the 243 and 260 to put the 250 out of business. When the 257 Roberts and 25-06 started using 110 & 117 gr bullets, Remington started producing 250-3000 ammo with the heavier bullets. When the 1:14 🔀 twist rate didn't stabilize them the gun shops would tell them their barrel was shot out. Called the gun a barrel burner. They would say they had a trade in special on the 243 and the 260 if they wanted to trade in, which was cheaper then rebarrelling the older gun.
The 250 Savage if sold today as the 6.25 mm Savage would be considerably more efficient then the Creedmoor using less brass, less powder, with lower pressures meaning brass lasts better.
If it's good for women and kids, that means a grown strong men should be even more accurate with it. That's exactly what one would want in hunting.
.243 is a great cartridge.....but it is absolutely the best cartridge for kids. Both my son and daughter started with a .243. Light recoil, very accurate, and ammo or components are readily available.
Great idea taking a particular cartridge to talk about . Lean heavy towards the 243 and 25.06 my self. Keep it up!
I been enjoying these so far now that I’ve seen a few. And I love the .243 I took my first deer with it and it’s just one of the funnest rounds I’ve shot.
243 is my favorite caliber. Please do a longer, more in depth video. It would be awesome to add video clips of hunting different game with versatile ammo like the 243, 22-250, etc. I know that it's a podcast but with short clips, accompanied by an explanation of what we're seeing, for example, with the 55 grain 243 on a coyote and 80 grain 243 on a deer or antelope, it would be amazing.
Love the 10 minute cartridge segments! I've been using the .243 for over 20 years now, it's my #1 for whitetail. You're so spot on with the discussion, proper bullet choice is key, very accurate round.
I am new to shooting high powered rifles and love these talks about cartridges. I am learning so much. Keep it up.
I love the cartridge talks. I have all of the old school calibers so it is interesting to see how they stack up. I mostly do archery these days, but I want to take a hand at some long range shooting. These cartridge talks are helping me in my decision.
Love the versatility of the cartridge,matched to a good bolt gun they are exceptional shooters.
I have a howa 1500 in 243 and i love that gun for deer
I love these 10-ish minute talks about cartridges! I'm constantly learning, I started with a .308, went to a .30-06 and then got small .223. I inherited a .270 but got rid of it when I was consolidating (simplifying) cartridge logistics reloading.
That is awesome! We appreciate you tuning in, Brian! :)
I have used my Remington model 660 since I was 12 48 years later I still love that rifle hand loaded 100 grain boat tail soft point drops white tails in there tracks every time
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
👍
The 243, choice of the second best deer hunter in the world ...my Grandpa. He did a lot of hunting to feed his family. My Dad went to the 270. I do not hunt but ended up with both rifles... Found the information given great.
Would definitely love to see more videos on specific cartridges. Like 25-06, 30-06, 270, 308, 35 just to name a few. Really enjoy the podcast and Vortex products as a whole. 👍
Guys I've taken many deer , and some extremely huge Hogs with the 243 Winchester, I've never had a bad result with it, it's extremely accurate in a lot of rifles, the ideal bullet weight is 80 grains , the Optimum weight for big game to me is the 95 grain Winchester xp .great bullet . Low recoil , flat shooting pretty much a loaders dream formula.
What powder would you recommend for the .243?
I like the versatility of the .243 cartridge. As stated in the video it's effective from varmints to deer. That's just a start. Numerous black bear have been taken with the .243 Winchester. Take it for what is is and I wish folks would stop their snickering and sneering.
I don’t hand load but I do like the 100gr loads off the shelf. 100gr at 2900+fps is pretty good. Will knock a whitetail down no problem.
Love the discussions of different cartridges. Great vids!
Love these 10 minute talks...great information.
This was very helpful. Great talk. Thanks guys!
Love my 243, put down many a deer with it. Y'all need to give the 444 Marlin some love too, it's an awesome but underrated caliber that will easily take any North American game
the 243 is just my favorite. i have been shooting since i was 12 ( i am 47 now ) i have taken so many different types of game with it. But folks always seem to shit on it.
@Christopher Walrath, Same, I have a Ruger M77 in .243, it's such a great cartridge to shoot, whoever says it's a kids or ladies cartridge couldn't be anymore wrong wrong, all cartridges are for everyone, especially the .243, even in the early years of the LAPD SWAT teams used it as a sniper round.
Great cartridge, the 243, we can thank Mr. Warren Page, the outdoor writer for the 243 super pooper, which was the beginning of it all. He took it to New Zealand and was very successful with it there. I'm with the fella on the right, why own a 6mm Creedmoor, when you have a 243. By the way you folks make some nice scopes too,
So right Darren the creedmore is a huge laugh to me it's under powered and anemic on bullet weights , it is accurate but any low velocity round can be made to shoot tight groups
Love the 10 min talks listen to it every night really appreciate your hard work and information about the cartridges
Great show gentlemen! Love the .243 win, I've harvested many deer and a few coyotes with it. I'd like to see you guys talk about the .41 rem mag. This is another caliber I hunt deer sized game with and it has been around since the 1960's but it lives in the shadows of the .44 and .357 magnum rounds as far as popularity.
Love this channel. Very informative, I’m a little older than you guys and thought I knew a lot . I stay humble and open minded so I can learn more. I did know the difference between the 243 and 6 creed until now. Thank you
After my Mosin my next rifle was Ruger American in .243 Winchester. Love it, i can still find rounds on shelves for it unlike my other calibers
Such a shame that this like every calibre discussion these days has to be corrupted by mentioning the 6.5 man bun.
hahahah...well said.
I hear this all the time chicks with dicks 6.5 cartridge
I've gotten along perfectly fine for 65 years without a 6 point 5 ( or .270) in my arsenal
I find it a bigger shame that people feel the need to make fun of any cartridge and the people that shoot them. Makes no sense to me. We should be supporting each other in this anti-hunting/gun age. If it kills an animal ethically why is it a bad cartridge?
@@jinjaturtle8406 It's not really the cartridge so much as it's the jackwings that love it and openly crap on everything else, it's a decent cartridge but it's not magical, most people (myself included) think that it is EXTREMELY over hyped. I could write a paragraph detailing my distain for the cartridge but I believe I'd be preaching to the choir.
I think the 6.5 Remington Mag would be fun. Although it’s somewhat obscure, it’s still a great cartridge and really an original short Mag.
Thanks for your post on the .243 Winchester round. I picked up my first .243 around 2,000 and I'm shooting one these days. It's just one of many calibers I carry to the range.
I've owned a ruger 243 for over 35 years. It was one of the popular deer rifle calibers in Texas at the time. I do have to say I went a remington pump 270 and never looked back.
I enjoy when you're ten minute talks go over ten minutes. But you both are doing a great job and keep it up!
I own quite a few calibers. .243 is my favorite to go shoot and practice with. Tack driver and hits above its weight. Love this caliber.
.243 is my favorite centerfire rifle caliber in existence. I have two, a Savage 12 VLP and a Henry Long Ranger, both with pretty nice Leupold scopes and a fair amount of action/trigger work. It’s a VERY flat-shooting, inherently accurate round, even in the wind. It can be loaded light enough for varmints and heavy enough for even elk if you want to. Ammo’s everywhere and cheap, it’s a soft kicker, and that ammo is widely varied and ballistically superior to almost anything remotely similar out to 3-400 yards (here in the Appalachian mountain foothills of West Virginia, you almost NEVER need to shoot any further because of the landscape). Oh, and you can TOTALLY get .243 barrels for M1As…
I have a BLR in 243, love it. I also have a 25-20 in a Marlin. Great bush gun for small to medium game and varmints. Just wish there was more brass available.
Liked your format, and information presentation! Very interesting, and not prejudiced!! Great job!! Chose to save it to my list! Thanks!
Great caliber, easily the most under rated round in the US. I always laugh when my friends look down on a .243 bolt gun because it's "to small" to be a good deer rifle, but somehow being chambered in a AR15 makes their 223s "deerslayers". lol. I'd love to hear about the .300 WSM and the 7mm-08 if you have time.
They make .243 uppers for the AR-10 platform that perform well.
@@keithlucas6260 Stop, stop, youre making my mouth water.
I own 2 Remington 700's chambered in .243 Winchester. I've been downing coyotes for 20 plus years with them. Great cartridge hands down!!
Why 2? Was there a 2for1special?
Yes it was a estate sale
What gr bullets are you using? Wanting to have minimum hide damage
55 grain to 90 grain varmint bullets. 55 grain shoots flat as a lazer. But doesn't do well in heavy wind. I prefer a 90 grain. It bucks the wind better and has more knock down power out to 600 yards. 300 yards and under. Both have no difference other than slight recoil change
@@mattjubie One was my father's willed to me.
Love my.243’s. Thanks for the talk. ❤️
Thanks for tuning in, Rich! :)
Love the talks! Keep em coming!
243 is THE cartridge, for taking whitetail deer, in south Texas... I've had great success...
and countless foxes, dozens roe deers and sooooooooo many wildboars (here in France ...). My fav caliber for almost 20 years.
Absolutely wonderful and very informative! Keep doing the ten minute talks! How about one on the 480 ruger?
Really like the talks and the format. Very informative.
For a fact .243 caliber is one of
The top five all time selling
Cartridges. Must be pretty
Good for something. Not
Just a low recoil round
For your wife or kid.
Women and children can harvest deer with a .243 and you can't? Better hit the range, Hombre...lol
Thanks for the video. I've been thinking about getting a Henry long ranger in .243. The info from videos like this and the viewer comments are really great in helping make the decision.
The day I took a whitetail at 384yds with a 100grn gameking .243 on a frontal shot that traveled the entire length of the deer and was just lodged under the skin in the rear end. The bullet was in perfect condition with considerable expansion and little loss. My 243 heckling 7mm mag carrying buddies stopped and took notice to the capability in a little 100 grain pill traveling at some incredible velocities.
My 243 Remington 700 is my favorite gun. It shoots the 100 grains soft points from Hornady beautifully at most distances. Where I live I never have a chance to shoot over about 250 or so.
I still have a 1968 Rem 700 in .243 with the original Herter's scope.
@@keithlucas6260 I’ll take it!!!
@@FishHardGetLucky ....stopped by the gunshow today...plenty of pre 64 model 70 Winchesters, Ruger M77s and Remington 700's in .243, .308 & 30:06....
The Remington was a 244 Remington with the 1 in 12 twist. The 6mm Remington was the corrected rifle with a 1 in 9 twist. Of the 244 caliber rifles the 6mm is the better because of the 7x57 case which will hold more powder and has a longer neck. The 243 is known for its short barrel life.
While muley hunting in Central WA this year, I ran into a coastie on top of a desert ridge. He was packing what had to be a 16lb rifle in 300 PRC. super tactical sniper type synthetic stock, the damn barrel had to be 1" diameter, had a 3" muzzle brake. Scope probably weighed 3lbs, was a Nightforce with ridiculous magnification, and about 6" of sunshade on it. He had an Eberlestock pack, was overweight and puffing like a train.
I stopped and BS'd for a minute. He works at one of the data centers in my my little farming hometown. I asked him why he was packing that rifle, and he said "This is my Precision match rifle, spent so much on it, figured I would hunt with it. This beast will take down deer at damn near half a mile!"
This guy was wearing some sort of camo skinny jeans, wearing probably $500 mountain climbing boots.
He pointed at my rifle, a Weatherby Vanguard 2 Badlands in 30.06, and asked what it was. Told him. He said "You'll never be able to kill a deer with a 30.06! Why it barely has a 200 yard effective range!" I laughed, a lot. Told him my rifle with scope weighs barely 8 lbs, and I have killed twice as many deer with a 308, 30.06, 270 and 243 than years he has been alive. Unreal, some of these magnum guys.
The 243 Winchester is a real joy to hand load for, and shooting. Owning a Remington 770 which has showed itself to be a .5 MOA, especially with 100 Gr factory or my hand loads.
The 243 Winchester was made the same year as me 1955
Considered a Rem 770 in 7mm08 for my own first centrefire rifle (I'd been borrowing dads Lee Enfield for some time).
Ended up getting a Zastava mauser in .270. Took some development, but I've got a load that shoots 19mm (3/4") at 100m. It was the second best of the loads that I tested, the best was 14mm (9/16"), but the 19mm was at the top end of the loadings, the 14mm was at the bottom end.
The 270 Win is a long time deer slayer
.243 is awesome
I got my .243 ruger Hawkeye for coyote and mule deer. We test our zero a month before the hunt by shooting milk jugs at 250 yards. The recoil is so low I can shoot a jug, work the bolt and get another jug in only a few seconds.
243 is the perfect whitetail caliber. Never had a deer go more than 10 yards after being shot. The knockdown is incredible with the polymer tip ammo.
If they repeatedly go 10 yards then it dosn't sound like it has "knock-down" power....
@@joshwilcox8941😂
One thing that's important to keep in mind is that the ammunition manufacturers are trying to guess what you're doing with your ammo. So if you buy a 243 box of ammo that is less than 80 grain, they assume you're going for predators or varmints. If you go 80 grain and up, they assume you're going after game animals like whitetail or mule deer. Because of this, the bullet construction is (typically) different at 80 grains and up compared to less-than-80 grains. So while you might technically have enough power on paper to hunt a deer with a 70 grain bullet, the bullet is (probably) *not* made for that. The round is ... but not the construction of that particular bullet.
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I'm not bad-mouthing the 243 at all, I'm only saying that the rounds are pretty distinctly different at 80-and-up versus less-than-80.
Great content idea! Do all the cartridges popular today as well as historical ones.
257, 7mm08, 25-06, .350, .270, 30-06, love all those OG’s!
👍10-Minute Talks...love 'em
@ Vortex Nation Podcast, Please do more 10 minute talks on cartridges, I would love to see a whole series on that.
Awesome assessment guys!
Loving these cartridge 10 minute talks. Can y’all do one on the 6.8spc ??
Enjoying the talks. Have you covered the under appreciated 7mm-08
Love the .243Win! I use it in bolt and AR10 platforms.
Heck yeah!
I got a 243 this year and carried it all year deer hunting and had great success with it the only thing I have to add is be careful with ammo because I got Winchester deer season XP 95 grain and I killed my limit this year so they are effective but never dropped one deer they all run 30 yards with no blood trail what so ever
6.5 Swede, 2506, 223. Thank you. Love these talks
Very knowledgeable on history/ballistics of the cartridge and I agree with your assessment of the ,243. The .244 Remington does outperform it though (barely, but enough to mention), and it's a cooler cartridge. Also I can't understand your lukewarm take on the .257 Roberts. They are fairly close in size and purpose with factory loads but handloaders make sure the Roberts leaves the .243 in the dust. C'mon - the "Bob" (when handloaded) is my choice every time over the .243!
Love this series. I find the .243 quite fascinating especially since you can get it in a nice lever action. The 6.5 Swede can do much more with heavy bullets but you cant get it in a lever.
Up here in Alaska, my hunting partner's children have used a 85 gr Barnes TTSX at 3,200 fps for their first Sitka Blacktails, Dall Sheep and Caribou at less than 200 yards.
I'm almost 70 years old. Been hunting about 60 of those years. Hand loading for shotguns, rifles and hand guns almost 50 years. I have a lot of different caliber rifles .224 diameter through .458 but no.243 or 6mm. Not that I haven't tried to get one, especially a custom 6mm Ackley Improved with a fast twist (1/10 or faster) barrel. I have to admit I'm heavily influenced by Jack O'Connor. I also have to admit that it took me a long time to admit that the 243 Winchester is just as good a deer killer, even past 300 yards as my beloved 270. The 243 has been taking deer sized game longer than I've been hunting. Shot placement and bullet selection is everything. A gut shot deer, antelope, elk, whatever with a 270, 30-06, 7mag, 300 mag you name it is still gut shot. A friend of mine's wife has taken 17 Wyoming antelope with a 243.
For hunting with all the caliber options we have I tend to end up with 22 mag or 17 HMR, 223, 243,300 win mag,338, and 375 ultra mag. 20, 12 gauge. But a man should test the other calibers to. Pros and cons to all of them. I am glad we have so many options.
Talk about the 35 Remington. A legend in the North East and as far as Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
I love the length of these videos. Perfect. Interesting. Informative. Opinion on 6.5 PRC, 6.8 Western (new)?
My brother and I split the purchase of a savage axis in .243 on a whim. Love it.
Awesome stuff!
Loved this.
I love the .243! I did buy one for my daughter when she was 12 and she dropped an antelope at 214yds with it. I primarily use mine for coyotes and the like. I bought my daughter a Tikka and used it for years until she took it back so I bought another one. I load for it and use it more than any other rifle I own. I think the .308 case was an inherently accurate cartridge and necking it down was a great idea. I've loaded 70 grainers up to 100 and taken lots of game. Still thinking about the 6mm ARC though! Hahahaha! Never enough.
I have owned a BLR in 243 for at least 40 years, I have taken big body mule deer in Utah, the smaller blacktail mule deer in California and a bunch of pigs. Coyotes, rabbits, I love this rifle. I shot all this game before we had to go to lead free bullets in California, that was all I used.I shot 100 gr Remington Corlokt bullets for the deer and pigs, then I would reload 75 gr Sierra bt and others for coyotes and small game. I recently loaded a bunch of Barns 80 gr TTSX BT bullets for it. My grandson got his license and just turned old enough to hunt deer in California. Now it is his turn to shoot it.
Thanks great info!
An advantage to having a rifle in a common caliber like the .243 is that when you go to shop for ammo, there's a bigger area of the shelf dedicated to it. More selection and easier to find. 6.5 Creed is getting there because of its popularity. Get some strange caliber and yes, your friends will think you're cool, but you will only be able to find ammo through the internet...
"With my skill set, ethically, I wouldn't shoot any game further away than 500 or 600 yards". Wow. He's good! My maximum range on whitetail would be half that, at 300 yards. Anything further gets to live another day.
Not everyone hunts city deer
That's another thing that needs to be said. Hunt within your limits as a shooter. My rifles are 1 MOA and less. But I, shooting off hand, might be 1 MOA at 100 yards. That is, one of my rifles, in a vice, will shoot 1/3 MOA. Let me pick it up and stand (it is a heavy set up with a bull barrel) and I might waver and move point if impact an inch. Now, the average boiler room shot on a deer where you can get both heart and lungs is about an 8 inch pie plate. At 200 yards, I could be 2 inches off. 300 yards, 3 inches off.
So, your 300 yard limit makes sense.
I usually zero at 100 yards. I could zero at 250 which means my first cross around 50 yards and the second around 250. The rise of the bullet at greatest apogee is about 3.9 inches at a bit past 100 yards. that means you could aim right at the point of the elbow out to 250 yards and you will hit in the target zone, if the gun is perfectly still. But you might be breathing ragged because you just hiked up a hill.
Another good reason for hunting 300 yards or less is being able to see with your optics what you are shooting. If on public land, you will have restrictions. Sometimes you could accidentally shoot a button buck when you were intending for a doe. However, you could shoot farther. The western part of my state is desert and they have a lottery hunt to go for mule deer and they tell in the hunt description that you might be making shots at least 200 yards (not a lot of trees in the desert.)
Take a few gallon milk jugs out to the woods and shoot them at various distances from hunting positions, not bench rest. The farthest distance you can hit the jugs 5 times out of 5 should be your maximum shooting distance on game. Prepare to be humiliated.
@@johnmacleane296 Excellent advice but you need access to some property where you can do that. Easier said than done.
If you can't get closer than 500 or 600... idk maybe work on your stalking...
2 deer seasons ago I bagged 3 large axis with my 243 Howa.
Last season I brought back 3 whitetail back from Alabama with my 308 Ruger American gen 1. All the deer bagged never took another single step and it really doesn't matter which one you use as long as you hit the right place.
Just bought a savage bolt action in 243.awesome gun and caliber.
Got the same for my son this year. He took his first deer with it
I'm looking at a AR-10 chambered in 243 . Deer and varmint all in one package not to mention other "predators".
Definitely a step up from a 223
The 243 is capable of around 300 ft lbs of energy at 1500 yds that’s like point blank 38 special if can’t do the job with that you missed 50 cal be damned unless you’re trying to stop a car at that distance and REALLY who in the hell is gonna carry a 25 to 40 pound rifle in the field not gonna happen except by dream warriors lol
evan marks yessir I have had a 270 and it was awesome I have a 300 WSM and it is awesome and I can't wait to get my hands on the 243 . I'm thinking that it will be awesome as well .
I know it is late but lately the 243 has become more widely available as an upper that fits on LR308 AR uppers. I know someone who uses them on feral hogs, a major pest in lots of places. A strategy to aquire one inexpensively would be to shop separately for uppers and lowers. The lower would be the part shipped to an FFL for transfer. Anyway, to do so, can currently be done for well under $600. Mags and bolt is the same as the 308 part. One company makes then with a right side lever for charging and they sell it with that bolt, which normally costs another $150 to 200 for the conventional bcg and charging handle, and besides, the right side lever makes it easier to use with a large scope and eliminates the button to seat the bolt. And we are talking very quality barrels, though you can get the regular 18 to 20 inch and threaded if you desire.
Very interesting topic, thank you for doing this interview🎉
I got a couple in my gun cabinet my 30 ought 6 Springfield on a 700 Remington action and I've got a model 70 Winchester chambered in 300 Win Mag the original long one 26in barrel I had it cryo. And free floated with a glass bedded lug very accurate rifle
I have 2 Howa 1500's in my gun safe...one in 243 and one in 7mm-08...I usually take the 7mm-08 with me and have the 243 as a backup and also for my wife when she wants to go. The whole reason I ever bought it was because my father had open heart surgery some years ago and became very recoil sensitive. He also had to stop working and hasn't hunted in years, but with extra time he wanted to get back out there. That 243 is my go to rifle for him when he wants to go along, because it isn't too heavy and he can handle the recoil. For our Pennsylvania whitetails it's adequate.
Love it and owned a .243 wish i did still now i have a 25-06 but i know that subject has also been on air love it period i dont care what anyone says about the 25-06 period is it the best thats up to the eyes of rhe beholder i dont knock any cause in my eyes they all great and serve a purpose do they're part