Where is the love for 243?

[foesgth]

I picked up a NEF Handirifle in 243. So, I am about to launch myself into the world of .243 boolits. When I run a search for "243" on this site I get no hits. Yet, I have paged through this forum and found some threads on .243. I guess my search powers are lacking.

I have ordered an RCBS 243-095-SP that seems to be the most popular mold. The mold and the rest of the goodies (gas checks, etc.) should be here this week. Any of you folks loading cast in 243? Any fatherly advice for this poor lost boy?

[Camper64]

Here is a hit list for your mold.

Under Advanced Search, Single Search Content Type tab enter "RCBS 243-095-SP" in the keywords field including the quotes.

[foesgth]

Here is a hit list for your mold http://castboolits.gunloads.com/search.php?searchid=6115206

Well, something is going on with my computer! When I click your link I get a "no hits message".

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I use the NOE 245-75 FN with my Savage Axis in 243win
I use a 94-3-3 alloy, air cooled for light loads and heat treated to 22 BHN for hot loads.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?248671-Heat-treat&highlight=
sorry, all the photobucket images are gone :(

As to searching.
just type 243 into "google custom search window" on the top tool bar and get lots of hits.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/google.php?cx=partner-pub-6216953551359885%3A1942134700&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=243&sa.x=0&sa.y=0&siteurl=castboolits.gunloads.com%2Fshowthread.php% 3F248671-Heat-treat%2Fpage2&ref=castboolits.gunloads.com%2Fshowthread.php%3F24 8671-Heat-treat%26highlight%3D&ss=375j113825j3

[Uncle Grinch]

The 243, i.e., 6mm Remington for me, is the only caliber I don’t load cast bullets for. Nothing wrong with the 243, I just live on the other side of the tracks!

[Dan Cash]

Where is the love? Don't have any. Pretty big for varmints and coyotes, not big enough for serious deer and larger. Had a beautiful #1 in .243 years ago and satisfied my curiosity.

[MT Gianni]

I get good success with 2400 starting about 12 gr and going up or down from there. You should get near what you can with jacketed at 100 yards. I do have to raise my scope 40 clicks or so.
As far as jacketed you could fill a dump truck with the deer and antelope I have killed over the years with it.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Just cast yesterday, my mould is an old "Ideal" 245403 that throws an 83.5gn 'Loverin' style boolit.

[Hawks Feather]

While I don't shoot cast in my .243, I do love the rifle. In fact a .243 was my first high power rifle and it would drop groundhogs at over 400 yards. Too many new homes have been built in the country since I used to do the long shots so now I am down to using a smaller case and do the sit and wait when I go out.

[Rich/WIS]

Have used the RCBS 243-095, a Lyman whose number I forget that was modded to a PB 75gr for mouse fart loads, and the NOE 246-105 in three 243's. Currently only have the NOE mold as the 75gr PB didn't shoot well in my current rifle and the NOE is a five cavity versus the RCBS double. Cast of approximately 93-5-2 and sized .244 with Gator checks they come in about 105 grs. Tried a lot of loads but settled on 12.5 grs of Blue Dot for @1600 fps. Accuracy is good, but not great, about 2 MOA or slightly less in a new controlled feed Win M70 FWT. In my daughters Rem 700 Classic and a Rem 788 carbine accuracy was about the same. With J bullets had no issues as a deer rifle, but no longer hunt and only took four deer with the 243, and my daughter two. None went more than 40-50 yards although the shots were well within 50 yards. Got equally good or slightly better results with IMR 4198 once I found a sweet spot, but no luck with 7625, 4759 (3-4 MOA) and Red Dot was even worse. I haven't attempted to tweak the load as all I shoot anymore are steel plates and the smallest we have at 100 yards is 6 inch. Even with the heavier cast bullets it is economical on alloy and very user friendly recoil wise.

[tdoor4570]

Where is the love? Don't have any. Pretty big for varmints and coyotes, not big enough for serious deer and larger. Had a beautiful #1 in .243 years ago and satisfied my curiosity.

Don't know where you get the idea that a 243 is not big enough for serious deer and larger game. I have a Rem 788 I bought in 1971 and that rifle has accounted for lots of deer and elk over the last 49 years. the biggest problem I see is some people who bash the 243 can't shoot. I just got an RCBS 243-95-sp mold and have not had a chance to use it.

[Bohica793]

RCBS 243-95 sized .244 with 17gr RL-7 in a Ruger American 243 does MOA at 100 in my tests.

[Tripplebeards]

The 243, i.e., 6mm Remington for me, is the only caliber I don’t load cast bullets for. Nothing wrong with the 243, I just live on the other side of the tracks!

Yep...some like it hot!

My 243’s are made for speed. Nosler ballistic tips get ran in all. My AR10 243 shoots .3” at 100 yards using 55 grainers at 4100 FPS , my 26” heavy barrel Remington 700 go all in the same hole using a charge about 2 grains over max with 70 grainers at 3650 FPS(my coyote hammer), and my little 1967 Remington 600 gets 90 grainers at a max charge for best accuracy shooting .3” groups or better when I do my part. I floated the barrel, glass bedded the action, and installed a Rifle basics trigger that uses the original safety for originality. The NBT’s like to be pushed hard in my guns for best accuracy.

I have two buddies that I’ve used them for deer hunting for over 20 years now and they both dump deer where they stand every year. Loaded up some 100 grain hornady fro buddies kid to try. He put down two deer in their tracks with them the season before last. I’ve read but haven’t tried them yet that the 95 grain nosler ballistic tip is the “goto” bullet if you want to drop deer in there tracks. Maybe I’ll try it with my little 600 next year with the 90 grainers I already have loaded up. I sure there’s not much difference between the 90 and 95 grain ballistic tip. I know the 90 grainers will flip coyotes backwards. The shooters that have trouble with them are poor shots and end up hitting deer in the guts and butt that would not drop a deer with any caliber imo. Most that comment on them never shot one and have only read about poor reviews. There are hunters that drop deer every year with lesser energy calibers...300 B.O,22-250, and 223.

[ole_270]

I've posted before that the three largest bucks I've seen killed, all B&C eligible, were killed with a 243. One at very close range, one at roughly 285 yards. I've used mine on several deer and antelope with my M70 Fwt Classic using the 100 Hornady flat base, the 95 Partition, and 95 Ballistic Tip. It stays sighted for the Ballistic tip anymore, but has taken a back seat to the pair of 250-3000 rifles these days.

[Tripplebeards]

Not to mention it’s about the flattest shooting standard production caliber out there with a 55 grain bullet out to 500/600 yards. The 17 Rem might be hair flatter until the wind blows.


After the ultra mags came out and all the super short mags it got beat...and then the super short mags all died out. The 243 was the number one most accurate long range caliber for competition shooting for years till the 6.5’s started coming into play... And they’re still going back to the 243 lately.

[444ttd]

i've shot the rem 700 adl and bdl and the m7 in 243. i've used it hunting deer, foxes, groundhogs...etc. for hunting varmints A+++. for hunting deer F--------. it didn't matter if the deer was shoulder shot or behind the shoulder shot, the deer ran about 100-125 yards away. i used 85gr barnes x bullet, 100gr speer, 100gr hornady and 100gr sierra bullets. the deer were 30-50 yards from the muzzle. there was also no or little tracking blood. i shot a really big doe at 40 yards+/- using 100gr hornady rn. i shot it behind the shoulder and it went clean thru. she ran about 150 yards+/- before she died. there was a little tracking blood but thankfully it snowed the nite before. oh, i forgot to mention she ran into mountain laurel that was thick as fleas. meaning i was down on all fours most of time. i found her and dragged her out. i gutted her and the lungs had only a pencil sized whole. the entrance and exit wounds were minimal too. i can't remember(25+ years ago) if the bullet hit a rib or two. that was the last deer i shot with the 243. i traded it to a 270 win. i shot 6 or 7 deer with the 243. i found all of them.

i had shot one doe in the head with the 22-250ai. that was enuff head shots(one) for me.

[Dapaki]

Wheres the love?

The 6.5 Creedmoor is getting it all.

From Sniper Country: "Up to 500 yards, the . 243 Win rounds show a flatter trajectory than the 6.5 Creedmoor rounds and at 700 yards, the two have a near identical bullet drop. At 1,000 yards, the 6.5 Creedmoor shows a little over 50 inches less bullet drop than the . 243 Win".

With the popularity of long distance shooting, the . 243 Win just can't keep up.

[MT Gianni]

243 did give me one of the weirdest experiences ever while hunting. I shot an antelope at 80 yards with a 100 gr Hornaday which was my go to bullet and 4064 powder for a 2900+ fps. The bullet entered just behind the left shoulder and exited just behind the last rib on the left side. Buck was angling towards me at about 30 degrees. I put him down but it was ugly as he broke into a fast run. I still have no idea how the bullet turned after entering the ribcage to exit it on the same side.

[Dan Cash]

Don't know where you get the idea that a 243 is not big enough for serious deer and larger game. I have a Rem 788 I bought in 1971 and that rifle has accounted for lots of deer and elk over the last 49 years. the biggest problem I see is some people who bash the 243 can't shoot. I just got an RCBS 243-95-sp mold and have not had a chance to use it.

We could extend that argument to say, the largest problem with the .22 LR is that people just can't shoot. No argument that the .243 won't kill deer or elk or grizzly bears; it is just not enough gun for reliability.

[foesgth]

Wow,
I stirred up a hornets nest with this caliber! I used to be a run and gun steel shooter. I got rear ended a couple of years ago and broke my back. I am now a hobble and plink shooter. Some of the guys where I shoot have an informal single shot competition. I found this NEF for cheap and thought I would go play. JonB, good info in your old post. Had a tuna sandwich for lunch yesterday and the stupid can has a plastic lining! Don't know how well that will do in the oven. I have been powder coating most of my boolits so I am going to try quenching them out of the oven and see how fast I can go. The way I figure it I can't come in any farther back than last. Last place has to bring the donuts next time so it could get expensive.

[Tripplebeards]

Send me all your Junk, underpowered, and unreliable 243’s please.

[Seeker]

I absolutely love my MKII 77 .243. It's the only gun I have that I don't cast for, so I'll be following this thread for awhile. I've shot varmints with 87g vmax loads with no fur damage and every deer I've ever shot with 100g loads were drt.

[kaiser]

Where is the love[smilie=1:? The .243 has always been a controversial cartridge ever since its appearance in 1955, while the .250/3000 has always been regarded as a "giant killer" of sorts. (Even .22/250's seem to have a better reputation than the .243?!?) I believe the .243 is more than adequate for deer if the proper bullet is chosen and the range is not too far (300yds or less). IMO, the most effective shots on deer are when the heart and lung are taken out shooting for the far shoulder. Other than the Partition, or original Speer Grand Slam bullets, few lead core bullets will hold together for "angle shots" on large deer where bone gets in the way.

The first 100gr .243 (6mm) bullets designed for big game did not open fast enough to leave big wounds (or blood trails). The next offerings during the late 60's and 70's opened too fast without sufficient penetration. While most manufacturers (like Sierra) learned along the way to either rectify their problems by redesigning the "thickness" of the jacket, their initial failures followed the caliber's reputation to this day.

One of my favorite rifles is in a .243, which is a Sako Carbine. I learned early on that if I was sure of my shot, I would find a dead deer even if there was little blood trail and I had to "widen my scearch". When I moved the shot to the top of the shoulder, the majority of the deer dropped within sight. The fact the cartridge is easy to shoot (little recoil) and most rifles are sufficiently accurate gives beginning hunters a lot of confidence, which sometimes encourages shots beyond the small caliber's capabilities (22/250 even more so). Admittedly, I usually pick a larger caliber if I expect extended range shots or bigger game. That being said, I also own a 700LTD .250/3000 and enjoy using both smaller cartridges in lightweight guns when hunting Whitetails from a blind or stand where I can pick my shots and pass on bad angles. My .02

[Tripplebeards]

I absolutely love my MKII 77 .243. It's the only gun I have that I don't cast for, so I'll be following this thread for awhile. I've shot varmints with 87g vmax loads with no fur damage and every deer I've ever shot with 100g loads were drt.

I can clap my hands in holes I’ve left in coyotes with 70 and 90 grain ballistic tips if I hit bone going in or out.

[koger]

The wife and I both love the .243, she shoots the 85gr HP Sierra Game king loaded with a stout load of 3031 behind it, and shoots 1/2" 3 shot groups at 100yds, from a heavy barrel Handi rifle. It has accounted for 34 deer or so for her. I love the Sierra 70gr BTHP for groundhogs and coyotes, out to 400yds or so, shoots flat and drops them soundly. I ran a gunshop for a lot of years, and we always had a big buck contest. Seems to me that most of the fellas that killed the biggest deer for the most part, used the .243. These guys know how to shoot whether 40-70 yds in the woods, or 300+ across a field. Shot placement and using the right bullet will win every time. I only saw one run when the wife cracked down on him, and that was about 25 yard dash, from 150yds away.

[tdoor4570]

We could extend that argument to say, the largest problem with the .22 LR is that people just can't shoot. No argument that the .243 won't kill deer or elk or grizzly bears; it is just not enough gun for reliability.

Just depends on how well you can shoot, bullet placement,and if you are confident and able to make the shot and not just wound the game. I have seen to meny out of state hunters that just can not shoot past 100 yards and take the game no matter what they use. I live in Western Co. and have been hunting for 60 years , I have never lost a mule deer or an elk from a bad or stupid shot. the 243 is just as reliable any mag or large bore you want to carry.

[country gent]

I shot 243 win for a few years in NRA high power matches. For 200 and 300 yds I used the 87 grn hornady hpbt. At 600 yds it was the 107 grn sierra or 105 JLK. 1000 yds was the jlk or 115 berger vlds. Here it shot flatter and better in the wind, was easier on mt over the day, and performed very well. My only real complaint was the short barrel life compared to other rounds being used. I started loosing X x count at 600 around 2200-2400 rounds. At this point at 1000 yds I would also "lose" the occasional berger 115, scorer would tell me the trace just vanished about 200 yds from target.

I have used it for wood chucks and other varmints with great results. I have 2 currently a AR 10 with 26" 1-7 twist krieger barrel. this rifle is a tack driver with 70-115 grn bullets. the second is a pre 64 model 70, tubbs stock, titanium firing pin, Jewel trigger, 1-7 twist hart barrel warner sight and tomkins front. This rifle has a chamber cut with a .268 neck dia.

[Texas by God]

I grew up killing deer with a 22-250 so I figured the 80 gr .243 would work as well. It does. I’ve never used a 100 gr bullet in the .243 for that reason. I’m very fond of the 87 gr .250-3000 for deer, also. They just work for me. Back to the subject- I’ve read that the Handi .243s prefer<100gr jacketed; I don’t know if that quirk extends to cast boolits. I bet it will be a fun rifle.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Finally cast some 85gn boolits for my 243 ready for some range time!

https://i.imgur.com/zl9NBa9l.jpg

[one-eyed fat man]

Don't own a .243. Don't hate it, I just never particularly warmed up to the cartridge. A Model 70 Featherweight in .257 Roberts serves me well enough.

[mattw]

I have 700's in 243 and 6mm Rem. I seem to get better case life out of the 6mm Rem due to the better shoulder angle, sometimes maybe more consistent accuracy as well and again I blame that on the case design as well. We can't game hunt in IL with a rifle, but do get ground hogs and such with them. Mine are set up with full bull barrels and are really designed for shooting paper a long distances. Both can and do well for me in that regard. I like 6mm cases in general. I also shoot a 6mm x 284, fun but no longer practical for me.

[Chad5005]

like a lot of others I started my hunting career with a 243.it was a old worn out interarms bolt action,it killed a lot of deer before I could afford a new rifle.my wife hunts with a 243 and hasn't lost a deer yet,very fine caliber along with the 6mm,i just sold a rem.600 in 6mm to a friend

[Kraschenbirn]

In the safe, stands a .243 M700 with a Weaver K6 (El Paso) that I bought for myself in 1972 as a college graduation present. Never used it on deer but it's dropped more than its share of fox, coyote, and 'chucks over the years. And, even with that "obsolete" steel-tube Weaver, it still shoots sub-MOA out to 300 yds. If I ever had to 'thin the herd' on my bolt guns, it would be the last to go.

Bill

[Texas by God]

I grew up with one brother owning a .243 and one owning a 6mm. Based on side by side comparison I came to prefer the 6mm Remington. Too bad it failed in the marketplace. All three of my adult kids have .243s, though.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Eddie Southgate]

I feed five of the little buggers so you could say 'The Love" is right here . They have never not done anything I have asked them to do using a accuracy (minimum) load from the 1970 Lyman book for 100 gr jacketed . I have not shot cast but I have fairly recently bought both a Lee and a Lyman mold so that I can do so if I feel like it . Don't think I would try hunting Moose or Elk with a .243 but I would have full confidence with it against anything smaller and less tough . If you can't reliably kill any Deer or smaller Bear with this cartridge you need shooting lessons not a larger cartridge . Eskimos killed tons of Polar bears with both the .218 Bee and .22 Hornet , not something I would want to do but it is a good example of correct shot placement being more important than what you hit with .

[Petander]

I used to have a beautiful Tikka 55 (?) for many years but sold it 20 years ago.

243 is the smallest whitetail legal caliber here where I live in Finland. But being far from moose legal, I ended up mostly looking at it. One of those guns that I sometimes miss. It was great fun at moving moose range practise, my wife liked to shoot it,too. You were allowed shoot the moose test with a deer legal rifle back then.

[tdoor4570]

Send me all your Junk, underpowered, and unreliable 243’s please.

If you get a lot I can use the overflow, want the underpowered and unreliable ones first tdoor4570

[Tripplebeards]

I’m kind of shocked I figured I would’ve had a bunch of private messages with donated 243’s...not one.

[rbuck351]

My love for the 243 is in the varmint arena. It shoots light wieght bullets very fast with explosive results. Mine, a 670 Win, has a 1/12 Shilen barrel so bullets over about 85grs don't shoot so well. Shooting deer from front or back is probably going to hamburger a large chunk of meat and they don't always stand sideways to you. I've only shot one deer with a 243. Shot at about 60 yds, the bullet, an 85gr Speer btsp, hit just behind the front shoulder and blew up the lungs and put fragments in the heart without a hole in the far side. The deer ran about 50 yds and dropped leaving no blood trail. Because of thick timber, no blood trail and three deer in the group, tracking was very difficult and took about an hour to find. Because I was using the 243 I opted for the heart lung shot rather than a front shoulder shot which although it would have been DRT, there would have been a bunch of wasted meat. The 243 is about the best varmint gun there is up to about wolf sized critters as there is no worry about wasted meat and it gives a very fast kill and is a very flat shooter. Anyway, IMHO, the 243 is an excellent large varmint or target round. Using is for moose or brown bear puts it out of it's class.
Yeah, I know the Eskimo use very small rounds to shoot polar bear with the 223 being top of the list. But it's usually at about 5 feet in their dens. Takes a lot of guts to do that but it works.

[Three44s]

Love for the 243?

You bet! No cast in them as of yet though.

I started with a Win 670 in 243 Win for my first dedicated coyote rifle. I sold it and bought a Ruger 77V in 243. A Liberty model that is still with me.

Over 45 years I have never met a coyote that could argue with the cartridge!

A few years ago, I added a Savage 99E and a Lefty Savage stainless bolt gun in the cartridge. They are all shooters but I work with .204 Ruger, .223 Rem. and the .22-250 more these days.

I have even branched out to the .25-06 in the meantime.

The truth is that if I had never strayed away from the .243 I would not have missed much.

Yes! I still love the .243 Win!

Three44s

[arlon]

One good thing about the .243 falling out of favor is that there are a lot of really nice ones out there for pretty cheap right now.

[bruce drake]

I owned a .257 Roberts for several years and then started shooting 6.5mm cartridges (currently I own rifles in 6.5 Jap, 260 Rem, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creedmoor and 6.5x55) and never saw the need to add a 6mm cartridge to the mix. (I cast for or reload for 26 standard or wildcat rifle and 12 different pistol cartridges already and none in 6mm)

That said, I'm seeing NRA Highpower and PRS shooters using 6mm Creedmoor rifles more in matches lately so perhaps more folks are picking up the 6mm chambered rifles for a reason. For me? Lack of mold selections in 6mm keeps me from adding the caliber to the list of rifles I own.

[tdoor4570]

Tripplebeards got my first donated 243 kind of, my son brought his over and wants me to build him some test loads for it . At least I have one to play with now.

[Tripplebeards]

I’m trying to pawn off a lee Enfield to buy a another 243 upper before the election.

[Tripplebeards]

Sold my Lee Enfield the other day. I just used the proceeds a few minutes ago to order a rear charging 20” bear creek Arsenal 243 upper for $318. Woo Hooo!!! That will put me at 4...wait...3 and a half 243’s. I’ll try it out on my current 243 lower and see how it shoots before it’s gets it’s own lower. I’m sure I’ll buy another Areo M5 lower for it eventually.

[Shopdog]

Bunch of 243's here,and one nice old R700V in 6mm. Years ago as I was just starting to transition away from JB's had never cast for anything smaller than the 30's. I have been casting since the mid 1970's so had plenty of experience,just nothing "small". Snagged a RCBS 95g mould. Even with it not fully broken in,and dropping a precious few,even visually acceptable specimens.....

Found the jam length in the minty 6mm,did basic case prep,found a starting load of 4759 and it shoots bugholes. Hasn't been dramatically different in the 243's. Working with a TC Prohunter now in 243. Have been loading and shooting almost every day. It's a whole heckuva lot lighter than a bolt action varmint rig.

[oldsalt444]

I love my 243. Killed my first deer with it 50 years ago, and I still have the rifle - a Rem 660. Never tried cast in it, though. I know guys who routinely kill elk with it, but I'm not too keen on that idea. But it shows how good penetration is with the right bullet. Too big for varmints? Nonsense. Who eats ground squirrels anyway? All in all, a very versatile caliber.

[quilbilly]

My wife's Mossberg 243 absolutely loves the CB's from an old Lyman Loverin style mold. The powder is Unique and the MV is 1850 fps. She is a better shot than I am, of course, and MOA or smaller groups are normal for her. I wish I could get my 6mm Rem to like CB's as much.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

We have a couple or 3 Savage 99's in 243. My wife has killed many antelope with her 99 Featherweight and the 95 gr Partition. It is a under MOA with 95 Partition, under 3/4 MOA with the Sierra 100 gr. I carry 99E as a truck rifle and 'not elk season' saddle gun. We have a 99C we use on the range with 55gr Noslers. I have cast for 243 with an 84 grain Loverin style from Lyman with good accuracy. OK for practice or coyotes and smaller under 200. The lack of recoil is pleasant, with a flat trajectory with jacketed useful for very long ranges. The 243 is one of easiest to find of the factory loadings, up there with the 30-30, 30-06, 308 and 270.

[Walks]

Sorry I have No love for the .243Win, tried it using a Rem600.
It didn't kill any better then a .250-3000 with 100gr Sierra's and wasn't as accurate as my old Savage 99-A.
My ancient .257Rob'ts uses 115-120gr bullets shoots farther and kills better.
Traded the REM 600 in on a New Ruger M77 in .250-3000.
Most Accurate .25cal I own.

And no I've never tried cast in anything smaller the 7X57.

[GSP7]

no love for the 243 either

6.5x55 is way more better :mrgreen:

[9mmskng]

The 243win doesn't need accolades, those who own one, know the virtues of the venerable 243win!

[Three44s]

One good thing about the .243 falling out of favor is that there are a lot of really nice ones out there for pretty cheap right now.

Well said!

A few years ago I bought my first lefty, a stainless Savage in 243. As I recall it was $289 and barely used.

As a Savage rifle tinkerer, I swapped out the 243 barrel after shooting it a while (it shoots well) and fitted my 6mm BR barrel on it. It would not feed well from the fixed magazine with the shorty round so I single fed it. Then I swapped it to .22-250 and it feeds and shoots great.

That .243 stainless barrel is not going anywhere, trust me.

I also have a stainless sportier 260 Rem barrel, a Varmint weight .220 Swift, a .22/243 AI 40 degree ...... all in line to try.

Warning, do not become a Savage bolt gun nut!

It is a mental disease!

LOL!

Three44s