243 win

H80Hunter

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I’ve had actually incredible results with the Barnes 80 gr TTSX. A couple times I got away with hits I’d have thought should be avoided with a 243 and had exceptional results.
 
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In a related question... I've been hemming and hawwing about getting another rifle to bridge the gap tween .223 and .308 The idea being if my son (15yo 5'6" but thin 107 Lbs) was with me, he'd carry that. If he's not with me, I'd probably carry it, instead of the .308 for a more mild recoil.

My question is.... I'm pretty sure the choices would be .243win vs 6.5cm. We have to do lead-free out here, and I'm interested in hearing about peoples success with .243win on Mule Deer w/ Lead-Free.

Wanting to hear if they believe with a .243win a person should really try to avoid quartering away/to shots or not?

I also last year I bought a FoxPro, so have begun enjoying calling in predators, so I figured a .243win would likely tear em up less than 6.5cm, Yes? Seems like there's more Varmint specific stuff in .243win as well.

What say ye?

8 Twist 243 loaded with Barnes 95gr LRX would be leathal. I ran the same thing for a couple years but in 6mm Creedmoor flavor which is basically the same thing. It does massive internal damage but doesn't wreck meat or hides. Even foxes at inside 100 yards never had large exits. Caliber in and usually dize sized out, sometimes quarter if it would catch a rib. I've taken quartering shots on deer punching the shoulder and they still exited too.
 
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Got price on tikka last night going to drop deposit on one this week.

I'd highly suggest getting an SS version, not just for rust and corrosion resistance since this will be a long term rifle, but the barrels are quite a bit faster than the CM's too. TIkka CM barrels are notoriously slow.
 

jeffpenland123

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 24, 2023
Messages
189
Both decent. B/t the two, I give the nod to the Tikka. Smoother bolt, better trigger and better accuracy.
not true the trigger on a tikka sucks compared to the trigger on my vanguard s2 model with a trigger tech trigger bolt might be smother on the tikka but accuracy watch whoteewho on youtube with his 243 weatherby vanguard better than tikka.
 

jeffpenland123

Lil-Rokslider
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Nov 24, 2023
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5’ 12 yrs old. Big kid.
get him a 300 weatherby mag in a weatherby vanguard he wil find everything he hits never will have a problem with elk hunting. thats how big and old i was when i started shooting a 300 weatherby mag he will love it and it dont kick that much.
 

jeffpenland123

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 24, 2023
Messages
189
In a related question... I've been hemming and hawwing about getting another rifle to bridge the gap tween .223 and .308 The idea being if my son (15yo 5'6" but thin 107 Lbs) was with me, he'd carry that. If he's not with me, I'd probably carry it, instead of the .308 for a more mild recoil.

My question is.... I'm pretty sure the choices would be .243win vs 6.5cm. We have to do lead-free out here, and I'm interested in hearing about peoples success with .243win on Mule Deer w/ Lead-Free.

Wanting to hear if they believe with a .243win a person should really try to avoid quartering away/to shots or not?

I also last year I bought a FoxPro, so have begun enjoying calling in predators, so I figured a .243win would likely tear em up less than 6.5cm, Yes? Seems like there's more Varmint specific stuff in .243win as well.

What say ye?
300 weatherby mag works perfect i was 12 years old 5'6" 140 pounds when i started shooting that and you or him will have no problem shooting that.
 

TheGDog

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Jun 12, 2020
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Location
OC, CA
300 weatherby mag works perfect i was 12 years old 5'6" 140 pounds when i started shooting that and you or him will have no problem shooting that.
My son, from not having a lot of experience... and me.... because of previous shoulder injury/surgery... no thanks, no magnums.

I ended up getting a Howa UltraLite in 6.5cm for him. Love that thing!
 

jeffpenland123

Lil-Rokslider
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Nov 24, 2023
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My son, from not having a lot of experience... and me.... because of previous shoulder injury/surgery... no thanks, no magnums.

I ended up getting a Howa UltraLite in 6.5cm for him. Love that thing!
ok creedmoore is nice but 3250 fps and 4221 energy is nicer. thats my opinion take no offence.
 

TheGDog

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ok creedmoore is nice but 3250 fps and 4221 energy is nicer. thats my opinion take no offence.
Oh no doubt, who doesn't want to have a laser-beam of a gun with less fussing over drops. But... prior injuries, aging, etc... just is what it is. So... you adapt.
 

eric1115

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Jun 26, 2018
Messages
531
ok creedmoore is nice but 3250 fps and 4221 energy is nicer. thats my opinion take no offence.
I sincerely mean this with all respect (I looked through some of your post history, and you seem to take things like this seriously, wanting to understand stuff)... there's some reading that you ought to do. There has been a significant shift in the last several years in terms of bullet performance. I agree that in the past your perspective was right (big tough bullets, pushed fast by big magnum rifles for most consistent performance). I was in that camp not very many years ago. There are other 100% viable options these days though, that suit 99.9% of shooters much better.

They are long threads, but absolutely chock full of valuable information if you are willing to spend some time reading and looking at photos with an open mind. This information changed my (and my kids') shooting lives for the better.




Happy reading!
 

Mulyhuntr

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Location
CA
not true the trigger on a tikka sucks compared to the trigger on my vanguard s2 model with a trigger tech trigger bolt might be smother on the tikka but accuracy watch whoteewho on youtube with his 243 weatherby vanguard better than tikka.

I'd sure hope a $200+ aftermarket trigger is better than an excellent oem offering. A 2lb tikka trigger does not "suck".
 
Joined
Jun 7, 2023
Messages
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OP, you made a wise choice. The Tikka in .243 cartridge is excellent choice that can't be beat. My only knock on the Tikka is action length. If they had a magnum length, .308 length, and .223 length versions, I'd have zero issues with this Finnish delight. Compared to the Vanguard/Howa, it's a far better purchase.

As for the .243, this is the Rodney Dangerfield of cartridges. It don't get no respect! In the big-game cartridge world, the only thing in my mind that beats it is the 6mm Creedmoor.
 

jeffpenland123

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 24, 2023
Messages
189
I sincerely mean this with all respect (I looked through some of your post history, and you seem to take things like this seriously, wanting to understand stuff)... there's some reading that you ought to do. There has been a significant shift in the last several years in terms of bullet performance. I agree that in the past your perspective was right (big tough bullets, pushed fast by big magnum rifles for most consistent performance). I was in that camp not very many years ago. There are other 100% viable options these days though, that suit 99.9% of shooters much better.

They are long threads, but absolutely chock full of valuable information if you are willing to spend some time reading and looking at photos with an open mind. This information changed my (and my kids') shooting lives for the better.




Happy reading!
i also hunt with 243 win 223 win 300 winchester magnum 270 win 308 win 30-06
 

eric1115

WKR
Joined
Jun 26, 2018
Messages
531
i also hunt with 243 win 223 win 300 winchester magnum 270 win 308 win 30-06
Ok, but you also recommended a .300 wby for a 12 year old. You've also stated that 6mm bullets are best suited for coyotes and small deer.

People are killing (very emphatically) deer and elk with 6mm bullets at 800+ yards and posting photos of the damage.

You do you, use what you want, but I'd encourage you to do more reading before recommending a rifle with 30? 35? ft lb of recoil for a 12 year old. Grown men who are competent shooters show measurably improved hit rates every step going from 30+ to 20 to 10 to 5 ft lb of recoil. (.300WM to .30-06 to .243 to .223 roughly). Kids are a lot more affected by it than adults.

After teaching a pile of kids to shoot, I firmly believe that a .223 is absolutely the best young kids' deer rifle, followed by a 6mm ARC (or 22 ARC now). No chance I'm starting a pre-teen kid on the old standard "kid guns" like a .260/6.5CM, 7mm-08, etc.

Sorry for the tangent OP.
 
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jeffpenland123

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 24, 2023
Messages
189
Ok, but you also recommended a .300 wby for a 12 year old. You've also stated that 6mm bullets are best suited for coyotes and small deer.

People are killing (very emphatically) deer and elk with 6mm bullets at 800+ yards and posting photos of the damage.

You do you, use what you want, but I'd encourage you to do more reading before recommending a rifle with 30? 35? ft lb of recoil for a 12 year old. Grown men who are competent shooters show measurably improved hit rates every step going from 30+ to 20 to 10 to 5 ft lb of recoil. (.300WM to .30-06 to .243 to .223 roughly). Kids are a lot more affected by it than adults.

After teaching a pile of kids to shoot, I firmly believe that a .223 is absolutely the best young kids' deer rifle, followed by a 6mm ARC (or 22 ARC now). No chance I'm starting a pre-teen kid on the old standard "kid guns" like a .260/6.5CM, 7mm-08, etc.

Sorry for the tangent OP.
well bub you got me i have nothing to say. maybe its cause when i was twelve i shot better than compent shooters cause then i could stack 5 shots right at 1 maybe 1 /2 inches.
 
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