Ep. 065 - The Versatile 243 Win 

Nice job guys. Good information and relaxed, entertaining conversation.

The thing I love about my 243 is that I can sit at the range and shoot it ALL DAY. Never develop a flinch. Never sore. I can reach out to 600yrd proficiently. My favorite rifle hands down. New subscriber. Nice work gentlemen.

My daughter just harvested a cow elk in arizona using a .243 with hand loads using 103 grain ELDX bullets. It was only 90 yards and got the job done. I enjoy your content, Keep up the good work.

Favorite all around cartridge, so under appreciated

This takes me back to my youth (probably in the very late 1970's) when my dad bought a Ruger M77 in .243 for a coyote/deer gun. I also used it several times on some local prarie dog towns in Western Kansas. I learned to hand load ammo for it as a young teen. I settled on 3031 for the powder and Nosler 85gr soft point boattail that the 22" shorter barrel would shoot right around 1". What great memories! Thanks for featuring this classic cartridge.

In Australia we are at the end of March which is early autumn. It is just before lambing time so where I am it is mostly rabbits, foxes, cats, goats, pigs and kangaroos (Roos). The 243 is perfect. I hunt at night with thermal. 87grain vmax with 43.5 grains AR2209. Outstanding.

Had a 243 Model 700 as a kid back in the 1960's. Compared to my 30-30 it shot like a bolt of lightning with a hand loaded Hornady 100 gr soft point.

Grew up on 270 but have always had an interest in 243. I think they pair well for all hunting scenarios

The .243 Winchester might be the most under-rated cartridge in history. I have burned out 2 barrels and loved every trigger squeeze. Everything from 58gr VMAX at 4,000fps to 87gr VMAX at 3440fps(WAARRRRRMMM! ~ Ace Ventura) to now running the 103 ELDX at 3120fps in a 24" Barrel with Lapua Brass and H4350 in a restored Winchester Model 670, throated long with a 7" Twist Barrel. Even if you get it hot, it's a 1,500 to 2,000 round barrel. That's not great, but it's not a 700 round barrel like my 257 Weatherby. Every deer I've ever shot with a 243 has dropped in it's tracks. My current Prairie Dog Record is a double at 930yds on the second shot. I love me some 243! Side Note: The Legend - John Whidden has won 6 National High Power Championships @ 1,000yds, with a 243. Your 6 Creed is a great cartridge gentlemen, but it has nothing on a long throated, tight twist 243. Great stuff guys. More cartridge podcasts!

I've done a ton of hunting with a .243, it was the only rifle I owned until I was probably 26 or so. I have always shot 90 gr monolithic Barnes in it with great effect. Personally it has put the hurting on a fair amount of coyotes driving fields after a fresh snow, lots of mule deer and blacktail, I've also used it on a couple cow elk and black bears through the years as well. With a well constructed bullet, they are a great choice. The thing is a tack driver and quick, which is about all I can ask for out of a rifle. That old savage 110 shoots a 3 shot groups with hand loads you can cover with a dime at 100 yards. I

I had always been a 30-06 guy ,as age and a bad shoulder ,I switched to a 308 ,finally got a 243 great round for me for sure ,thanks for posting

Warren Page was also a 7mm proponent. He wrote extensively about his work with the 7mm Mashburn Magnum. That would become the 7mm REM Mag. I had an opportunity to meet him, and later Jack O’Conner. They were good friends with Fred Huntington of RCBS. The “sort of museum” at the store is fascinating with pictures of the Page, O’Connor and other writers of the day. I think Huntington very early on made died for the .243. Huntington was innovative. Rick Chuck Bullet Swaging. Fred was making varmint bullets using fired .22 long rifle brass. Hornady, RCBS, Sierra and others responded to a growing sport in post WW II. We all owe a nod to those guys.

I have a custom remington 700 in .243, krieger barrel and jewel trigger. It been blueprinted by a master gunsmith and that thing is incredible.

The first centerfire rifle I ever owned was a .243 Wichester model 70. Still a favorite. I've shot deer, antelope, prairie dogs, groundhogs, and coyotes with it.

Wow. Fantastic podcast. Here in Pennsylvania the .243 Win. is highly respected. Last year, 2022 the Game Commission discontinued rifles for the fall turkey season. It wasn’t that big of a deal because everyone that hunts in PA has a shotgun! Most also have a .22 rimfire and a centerfire rifle in .243 to .300 Zippidydomag! Coyotes have become out of control and the “deer rifle” is the go to gun. The .243 is the ideal combination gun for us older guys. No recoil. It just quietly and efficiently get the job done! Thank again for a great podcasr!

Really enjoy the cartridge podcasts especially seeing young men sit and discuss cartridges and ballistics. So critical to keep our heritage, tradition, and culture alive during all the chaos in our wonderful country. As a lifelong hunter/shooter/loader I’m grateful for those to choose passing it on and exposing it to our children. The .243 fits right in with our culture.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR ALL OF US.

After decades of predator hunting with the 243 using exclusively 70 and 90 grain ballistic tips with hammer of Thor results I had to try a 90 grain ballistic tip out of my little Remington 600 on a deer. Hammer of Thor! It broke through both shoulder plates with a hair over max book loading on a 18 yard shot and stoped under the hide. Deer dropped at the shot like a Mack truck hit it and never even quivered or flinched just like coyotes do when hot with the bullet. The lead core was seperated from the jacket but still sitting in it. Still weighed 3/4's of the original weight. The shooters that say 243 is not enough for deer have poorly placed shots…you’ll never convince me else wise. I shot a deer with my 300 rum the day before and it went a 110 yards with a heart shot. Bigger isnt always better.. Good stuff guys!

Yes , an Ackley podcast would be great!

I have always liked the 243 Win. Shoots very well, took a lot of chucks and deer with that caliber. We always used 85 gr hpbt or 105 sp , haven't tried any Hornady bullets yet!! Soon maybe this summer reload some. Great podcast, thanks.

Bring back the 100gr round nose for 243

Ive had 5 .243 rifles and 1 i have owned twice , my current. 243 is an xbolt hunter and absolutely love it

I am a fan of this style of podcast on cartridges. Keep them coming gentleman. I love hearing the personal hunting stories along with history and ballistics.

I’m retired now but still have my Rugar bolt action243 that I bought when I was a teenager. I used to use it for woodchucks and whitetail deer back on the farm in upstate NY. I now live in South Dakota so a lot of pheasant hunting. Would like to try and hunt some coyotes with it. Never let me down, never had to track a deer very far very accurate cartridge. Love it. Enjoyed listening to your podcast, good job.

I have loved my 243 for 40yr. I reload and it's just so much fun to shoot. 😂. Go to the range and stack up the holes. Other shooters can't believe. I was also taught how to shoot by an old Marine precision shooter.😊

I’m also a fan of specific cartridge podcasts. Love learning the history of a cartridge, what the creators were hoping to achieve with the cartridge and how things have/have not changed over the years.

1st rifle was a 1915 6.5 swede absolutely amazing. Still accurate but i love my 243 and 30-06

I have a Tikka T3 in 243 Winchester that shoots most 80-100 grain factory loads into tiny little 3 shot clusters,the American Whitetail 100 grain load is one of it’s favorite’s 🇺🇸

One of my 243s is 3 years old and that darn thing will never have to be reloaded for. It will poke a single jagged hole group at 100 yards EVERY TIME I do my part right. It doesn't matter if it's a Remington or winchester 100 gr. Softpoint. I always let my barrels cool off for 10 minutes between shots for accuracy testing. I feel really lucky to have purchased this rifle as I have never found a factory rifle that can do this with factory ammunition. It's a Howa model 1500 with a hogue soft rubber stock. The last 3 deer that I harvested went down to this rig and bullet performance was complete pass through the ribcage system and no runoffs, and these were large axis does between 90- 140 lbs field dressed.

Been shooting 243 for the past 4 decades on small and medium game. Great

Great podcast guys! It was nice to hear the old 88 and 100 Winchesters mentioned. Between my dad and i we have 3 model 100s 1 in .284 and 2 in.308 also have a model 88 in .308. They get used every year. Great classic rifles!

I still have my Model 100 .243 which my dad bought for me in 1965 for my 14th birthday, it's harvested many deer, including quite a few on the dead run. By the way, open sights only.

Really enjoyed the conversations. I have an older tang safety Ruger mod.77 International that I haven't shot very much. Now I'm so wound up. Thanks.

Two of the best deer hunters that I have ever known (my uncle was one of them) had Ruger 77 rifles in .243 Win. One had a Nikon scope and the other a Leupold. They sure did like them and shot loads of deer on depredation permits at the farm or just plain woods hunting, and even a couple of black bears with those rifles. When coyotes invaded the Northeast they both went to .222 and 22-250 for being more fur friendly, but if they only had the.243 with them it was still a dead dog. Great podcast as always.

being an Iowan we never had a reason to get a center fire hunting rifle due to state regs on shotgun hunting (up until a couple years ago.) So when I was a teenager 20 some years ago, my grandpa gave me his .243 in a Remington 788 that hadn't been fired in at least 30 years at that time. I had no idea what versatility it could do with it. I recently picked up coyote hunting and completely overhauled and refinished that rifle to today's rifle standards and instantly fell in love with it. 22-250 is the universal talking cartirdge associated with predator hunting but I ran the ballistics and the .243 is far superior for predator hunting. 55 grain Noslers and 58 grain Vmax's over 4000 fps stacks up with the 22-250 but passes it by shooting the heavier varmint loads that are able to buck the wind. I'm currently building out a 6mm creedmore to get into the match competitions. To be able load a 55 grain to a 110 grain Amax projectile is fascinating and so versatile it's a great round.

My first high-power rifle. Reloaded and shot my Remington 700 BDL everything from p-dogs to deer. "Funny" thing happened during the last ammo shortage-went to Cabelas, couldn't find any 243 Win. Guy working the department told me that the 243 was outdated and they didn't carry it anymore!! Blew me away, knew that the 243 was and has been in the top ten selling cartridge for years. They did however have stacks of 303 Brit available?!

Great stuff guys. When I was a kid in the 80’s, we bought an M1A barreled for 243. I’m shooting it a lot now, added a YHM flash hider/quick attach for a 30 cal suppressor. Coyote slayer w the 58 gr Vmax and easy on the barrel. I’m going to load some on my lock n load for plinking.

Makes me happy I have a fast twist 243 barrel on order!

Seth, the BLR 243 is my favorite rifle I own. When you were talking about your personal experience with it growing up, as soon as you mentioned the BAR and the model 88 I knew you would bring up the BLR.

Always a lot of info content. thanks. I hunted with 243, my first deer rifle, for ten years before buying a 308. I still hunt with it some (American Whitetail), and hand load target shooting - Hornady 105 BTHP, Savage twist rate stabilizes them at 3,000 ft el. Like the low recoil.

My primary Hornady bullet for 243 is your old 2440 87g Spire Point,,,before it changed to the v-max. Not sure if there was an actual design change as I've not used the v-max?? I run them through my BAR from c 1988. Always thought 243 was the PERFECT calibre for the BAR!!! I've collected many many of old boxes of these bullets from estate sales, garage sales, auctions etc. Dozens of big Michigan whitetail have crumpled with this good oldie at up to 450m.

I really enjoyed this podcast. I have a Savage 110C I got over 50 years ago as my first rifle. It has had many thousands of rounds through it. It no longer shoots accurately enough for varminting but still shoots minute of whitetail and my daughter has taken 3 deer in 3 years with it. I’m thinking a new barrel is in order for it and it can go another 50 years.

Dropped a pile of critters and dented a lot of steel with my ole 243. Torched the barrel and rechambered it to a 25creed . Looking forward to the release of the 134ELDM. Definitely have a special place in my heart for the 243 SST combi. Thank you for another great podcast

You guys make great ammo, bullets, 4DOF, and components. However, the podcast has taught me so much and improved how I look at and use those other things. Thank you for the podcast. It has been invaluable. Okay, with that said, get back to producing 6.5PRC ELD-X 😂

In my opinion 80gr cx loaded hot is one of the best antelope cartridges out there. Easy flat shooting for those speed goats.

Great podcast gentlemen! To the comment about states that you can hammer turkeys with a rifle, in Montana you can use a rifle in the fall for a Turkey if you so choose. Would love a 6mm creed podcast! Keep up the great work!

Shot my first Whitetail with a 243 Win. Still love it, even if I really only use it now for coyotes. Got quite a few options now including my Weatherby 257 Mag, but she still good to go should the need arise!

I have a Remington model 700 in 243, love it, been kind of hard to find ammo lately.

To me there is no better round for coyotes than the 58gr VMAX in a 243. I've had great success using the same round for Nebraska mule deer as well. Incredibly versatile, fast, flat and deadly.

God I love the god ole Corn huskers state. Still need to find myself a good coyote spot

I thoroughly enjoy my Ruger in 243. It has a 1:9.25 twist. One of the big reasons I got into the 6arc was because I have plenty of slugs for the 243. Great job gent's, thanks for the history and information on the cartridge.

TIKKA T3 70GR VMAX, AR2209 40Gr powder , knocks them down all day long, a versatile mid-range cartridge with plenty of punch. great vid thanks guys

I love the Hornady coffee cup. Good convo too

My first deer rifle was a Savage 99F in 243 Winchester. It did it all

I love the videos on different cartridges

Since early 80s, have a Savage 112J 243 with no magazine cutout, untapered 1 in 12" twist 26" barrel, 1 lb trigger, heavy target stock, 8 - 32 variable 50mm scope with total rifle weight over 12 lbs. Experienced target shooting friends have scores with this combination of many 5 shot, 100 yd. 3/8" groups with 75 gr. Sierra target bullets. Will now have reason to send 90 gr and under Hornady bullets down barrel. Next barrel with have 1 in 9 twist for heavier bullets. Thanks for excellent video!

Here in south central Ontario Canada my tikka t3x in .243win with a hornady 58gr vmax is a coyote laser beam anchor out to 400 yards all day with a point blank hold. Cheers from Canada eh 🍻🇨🇦🤘

243 with an 8 twist barrel is my go to coyote round. 58 and 87 grain V Max hammers 'em hard!

Another great video guys!

6mm is my favorite caliber. Specifically 6mm rem. I'm contemplating a new build but I'm worried I won't be able to source components. If it wasn't for bad timing, the 6mm rem would have been the 6.5 creed of it's time.

great elk cartridge! me & my dad shot 2 cows this year at 200 & 430yds. shot bulls & cows for years!

My favorite for Deer, Varmint, Antelope, and Elk! Yep, I said Elk! I do not hunt at long range like a lot of my fellow hunters. I have to apply for a hunt in a raffle system to draw an Elk or Antelope tag (which I do every year), but as an Archery hunter, when I get lucky enough to draw that tag, My 243 is my go to. Usually sneak up less than 100 yards for Elk and boom! Meat in the freezer! Great info guys! Thanks for the show and background!

Both of my kids have Savage 110s in 243. Absolutely love the 100 gr Whitetail Classic load. TBH I can barely do as well handloading for it as that load goes...

Many thanks from the UK I have been using the 243 on Roe Deer for nearly 20 years. And I love the 90gr ELDX

Much respect Hornady. 🇺🇸 💯 👍

I still have a few 105 amax, they are a awesome medium to long range deer bullet I'll stick with solid copper expanding for close range.

Next to the .270win the .243win is my favourite calibre there might be little higher preforming calibers that fit into this role ( 6mm cr) but here in Ontario Canada that ammo is hard to find let alone a rifle chambered for it. So I stick with the tried and true, readily available 243win that does everything I ask from it. Cheers from Canada eh 🍻🇨🇦🤘

I killed a bunch of blacktails with a couple of .270s. Then i inherited an M77 in .243 and made it my primary deer rifle. It's a joy to carry with a 2-7 Leupold and the .243 makes them just as dead. It loves American Whitetail ammo. All my shots are 60yds or less and I havent recovered a bullet yet.

Excellent podcast! Nothing more deadly for coyotes is using Hornady Superformance 58 grain V-Max ! Super fast, super flat and super deadly!

I believe tikka t3x .243 is 1:8 twist Please correct me if I am mistaken. I been shooting my dads/ grandpa's husqvarna since I was 12 now I'm going teach my girls with that gun. Love the cartridge!! Thanks for doing this episode!

I have a Remington 243 Win 783 with the laminate stock and a 26" heavy barrel. I am hitting steel out to 1100 yd. I have a 6 X 24 X 50 monstrum Tactical scope The reticle is in MOA Along with the turrets. I am doing this with factory-loaded ammo Mainly Winchester Ammo and federal ammunition. I have a 1 in 9 twist And it seems to favor 90 and 95-grain bullets.

They say a .243 has taken more game than it should have been able to.... If you ever owned a .243 and sell it, - you will wish you had it back!

The custom lite shoots one hole out of a Mossberg patriot for my daughter. Recoil is so light I fight myself hunting with it from time to time

I got a Savage Model 11 Left Hand in 243 a late 90's model pre AccuTrigger and it is sub MOA all day ol faithfull 100 gr soft points.

I am a Savage simp, I have the exact model 10 in a .308 win. I also have a Howa 1500 in .308 win. The Savage is my go to. My .243 win is a Remington 700. The .308 was the first 30 caliber firearm I have owned. I always used the .243, .260, 280, or .270. I am from northeast Louisiana and all of these smaller diameter calibers are all I ever needed.

I stepped down from a 7 mag to the 243 because my hunting conditions changed. Now my max is about 200 so it was a perfect choice. I load a 65 gr VMAX to right at 3600 fps and a Nosler ballistic tip to roughly 3050. South Central Kansas keeps it busy with coyotes and deer. The wife's 25-06 is running a 75 gr VMAX to about 3450, so I'm still faster!

Seth Love the podcast ... Have you done or could you do a podcast on the AR 308 With your ammo What to use or not to use.. I Herd some thing about Primer strike.. I only use Hornady ammo in every gun.. hand gun or rifle... I prefer superformance and Matched.. JUST BECAUSE THEY WORK EVRY TIME ... THANKS ... LUV YA...

Im a .308 guy but my 13 year old nephew hammers deer near and far with his Single shot Rossi 243 with an 18" barrel.👍👍👍100 gr.

I really like the way you are visiting different calibers Id like to see u visit the 30-30

I got my first Elk with A 243, Love that bullet

I have 2 ruger american rifles one in 308 and one in 243 magazines interchange. both rifles shoot great.

I have a remington 243 etronx shooting 95 gr nosler ballistic tips all factory loads, that I took a blacktail deer at 484 yards a few years ago. 1 shot threw the heart and it ran about 30 yards.

in a mini mauser was my first try with it could not believe the accuracy at 200 yards at a friend's range i was inside of a small paper plate with iron sights! at that point the farthest shots I've ever fired. I was hooked.

The only thing better than the 243 is two 243s. I own two and love them both. I shoot the 80-90g class of bullets, but don't shoot the lighter weight stuff too much. This works good for deer and the coyotes don't seem to mind too much. Also, when I am coyote calling if a mountain lion were to show up that 80-90g bullet would do the trick. I have not shot a mountain lion yet, but am trying.

For larger deer a 80-90 grain mono metal bullet is absolutely deadly. Deep penetration, exit on broadside shots.

I would like to see a video like this on the 7mm-08 Remington cartridge, the .284 Winchester cartridge, and the .280 Remington and Ackley Improved cartridges !!

The old Brown Box Custom Ammo was the most accurate factory loads in 100 gr for 243 and the 130gr for270 Win I have ever found

Shot my 19th elk last year with a clapped out Savage 110 in 243, fantastic round especially loaded with the "right" bullet.

i have a rem 700 compact, 20" in 243. it shoots 100gr american whitetail like a champ. short light gun that is easy to move around.

I must hang out with you fellows some time !! 🇺🇸 👍

My favorite

I have used 243 Win and 6mm Rem with 65gr VMAX for years. I took my largest whitetail with them and a ton of coyotes. Anchors them. Velocity is king on coyotes. Only thing that smacks coyotes similar is my 220 Swift with 50 gr anythings, VMAX, Blitzkings, Varminators.

Hey guys love the podcast! This one hits home for me, I’m one of the guys you talked about with a Remington 700 VLS (26” 1:9-1/8” twist barrel) and I absolutely love this gun. It was the first gun I bought brand new at 21, although I had been shooting and hunting for most of my life this one is served me well for the last 16 years. I’ve had fantastic results with the 70gr blitzking and the 70gr nosler ballistic tip varmint propelled by varget. Unfortunately I’m having some difficulty finding either of these bullets, what is showing up up here in Canada are the 75gr v-max! My question, should I continue to see great results with varget or would you recommend a different propellant? Again I can’t give you guys enough props for the awesome and very informative podcast

I use 87gr Vmax for reloading 243 and have had a one inch group from 900yrds with a Ruger American!

I had a pre 64 Winchester back in the 80’s. I have to look for a left hand.243 in a Browning or another with a 60 degree bolt.

I wish I had bought a .243 back when i was working. But the .308 will have to do me. That is if I don't use my 30-30 in our woods here in Maine. FYI something I did not know, Maine actually allows 22 wmr for deer hunting. (in rifle only) Only state in the union I believe. Not that I would use my back yard varminter for deer. Thanks for the video. Great info.

I have a savage precision in 243win. Chose it over 6.5 for long range shooting and coyotes. This gun loves to shoot the 108gr eldx. 100gr interlock for deer.

Bolt action - .243 win AI 24” 1-8 twist, light taper barrel with a longer throat for the 100-110 VLD projecties. The 55-70 traditional lead copper jacket have a very long jump but the 70-90 solid coppers are amazing. Keeping the velocities reasonable for a decent barrel life and the AI shoulder means the brass lasts a very long time with minimal stretch so almost no trimming. The hornady V-max projectiles are brilliant on predators, and the soft points are amazing on medium herd animals or even tougher herd animals like boar. If I could only take one rifle on a trip it would probably be a .243 The calibers I currently use regular for hunting. (At least 2-3 times a year.) .22lr .223rem .243win AI 7-08 7 rem mag (probably changing to a 7PRC next rebarrel) .308 win 300 PRC (used to be a 300 win mag infill I rebarelled it last year.)

243 Winchester is an awesome deer caliber.

1996, Jezz, that was the year I joined...