The 243 Winchester for Australian Game

[CoElkHunter]

.243, .243, .243

You sure like living on the edge CBH! Soon you’ll be hunting hogs in the lingam tunnels with a Tomahawk! Ha! Ha! Ha!

 

[Dr Ray]

@Dr Ray
As I have said all along with the PROPER PROJECTILES it is probably ik out to 200 yard. The problem is most people don't choose wisely and things go tits up.
I will bet you London to a brick you aren't getting the book velocity of 3,030fps with it. That int to flash compared to a mates bog standard 25/303 that gets 3,200fps with a 100gn speer hot core.
Bob

No way 243 Is gonna get 3000+ fps with 100 grain bullets.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Had my 243 Vanguard at the range to day the 243 is very nice to shoot, 24inch bbl 100 grain Sierra pro hunter bullet 42 grains AR2209 & I do not know or give a shit how fast that load is, shoots about 1.2 MOA for 5 shots its a pleasant rifle to shoot. Velocity is not everything!

@rdog
I agree velocity ain't everything but in the smaller cartridges it helps. If you can get accuracy plus velocity even better.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

No way 243 Is gonna get 3000+ fps with 100 grain bullets.

@Dr Ray
Uncle Nick Harvey reloading book says you can Nd Winchester advertised it as so and they wouldn't lie would they.
2,700 to 2,800 doable.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bob

 

[Dr Ray]

@Dr Ray
Uncle Nick Harvey reloading book says you can Nd Winchester advertised it as so and they wouldn't lie would they.
2,700 to 2,800 doable.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bob

Exactly

 

[CBH Australia]

@Dr Ray
Uncle Nick Harvey reloading book says you can Nd Winchester advertised it as so and they wouldn't lie would they.
2,700 to 2,800 doable.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha
Bob

Just for arguments sake, or for the sake of an argument I will Chronograph the wife's .243 ammo. Full Disclosure it is only a 20" barrel so I expect lower than expected velocity.

But, I do have Uncle Bobs favourite. The much revered 95gn Nosler BT.

Uncle Nick is an accomplished writer in Australia so let the cats loose and let fly.

This will be fun

 

[Dr Ray]

Just for arguments sake, or for the sake of an argument I will Chronograph the wife's .243 ammo. Full Disclosure it is only a 20" barrel so I expect lower than expected velocity.

But, I do have Uncle Bobs favourite. The much revered 95gn Nosler BT.

Uncle Nick is an accomplished writer in Australia so let the cats loose and let fly.

This will be fun

Yes that should be very interesting
I look forward to seeing the results

Nick was a professional kangaroo shooter at St George (QLD)
He’s an Englishman by birth
Very very knowledgeable

 

[CBH Australia]

Yep, a merchant sailor, a Baker , a school bus driver and a gun writer.
If I'm not mistaken he might be the bloke who burned out numerous .270 barrels shooting Roos.
Arthur Langsford of Myra's Sports Store was another very knowledgeable bloke here in my home town.

 

[Dr Ray]

Yep, a merchant sailor, a Baker , a school bus driver and a gun writer.
If I'm not mistaken he might be the bloke who burned out numerous .270 barrels shooting Roos.
Arthur Langsford of Myra's Sports Store was another very knowledgeable bloke here in my home town.

Yes Nick burnt out many 270 barrels - used mainly for longer shots and on windy nights

 

[CBH Australia]

Yes Nick burnt out many 270 barrels - used mainly for longer shots and on windy nights

Eight?

 

[Dr Ray]

Eight?

I think so
I’ve followed his writings for 40 years or close to that

 

[CBH Australia]

Bob has met him.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Yes that should be very interesting
I look forward to seeing the results

Nick was a professional kangaroo shooter at St George (QLD)
He’s an Englishman by birth
Very very knowledgeable

@Dr Ray and @CBH Australia
I have chronoed both the 87 and 100gn out of 2 243s, both 22 inch barrels and the 3rd was by a bloke at the range that was using a speed magneto chrony.
ALL showed the 87 gn VMax at 2,900fps average and the 100 grainers struggling to reach 2,850fps. These were with Max loads of 2209/H4350
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob has met him.

@CBH Australia
Yes I have and he is a very nice man, a very accomplished shooter and travelled worldwide hunting.
He will be 90 this year and still hunting.
Bob

 

[Dr Ray]

@Dr Ray and @CBH Australia
I have chronoed both the 87 and 100gn out of 2 243s, both 22 inch barrels and the 3rd was by a bloke at the range that was using a speed magneto chrony.
ALL showed the 87 gn VMax at 2,900fps average and the 100 grainers struggling to reach 2,850fps. These were with Max loads of 2209/H4350
Bob

That’s about what I would expect

 

[rdog]

@rdog
I agree velocity ain't everything but in the smaller cartridges it helps. If you can get accuracy plus velocity even better.
Bob

Yes Bob, i agree the 243 lacks power in some situations that is when you get out your 260 Rem or 6.5x55 or your 7x57
Winchester should have made a 25/308 in stead of the 243.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

That’s about what I would expect

@Dr Ray
If that's about what you would expect from the 243 the old 250/3000 stage was doing that many years beforehand as well as the 117grains at 25 to 2,600fps.
I still say Winchester advertising operated the cartridge to sell rifles snd ammo. A few years after its introduction Winchester revised the velocities down to be more realistic. It didn't matter that the 243 couldn't live upto winchesters initial claim it was now firmly entrenched in shooters minds how good it was.
Like any cartridge if used within its capabilities with the right projectiles it will do a credible job.
Unfortunately velocity wins. It was the s as me with the 250/3000 was sold well because the 87 grain got 3,000fps. It was a better deer round with the 100gn for whitetail at 2,800fps.
Bob

 

[Dr Ray]

@Dr Ray
If that's about what you would expect from the 243 the old 250/3000 stage was doing that many years beforehand as well as the 117grains at 25 to 2,600fps.
I still say Winchester advertising operated the cartridge to sell rifles snd ammo. A few years after its introduction Winchester revised the velocities down to be more realistic. It didn't matter that the 243 couldn't live upto winchesters initial claim it was now firmly entrenched in shooters minds how good it was.
Like any cartridge if used within its capabilities with the right projectiles it will do a credible job.
Unfortunately velocity wins. It was the s as me with the 250/3000 was sold well because the 87 grain got 3,000fps. It was a better deer round with the 100gn for whitetail at 2,800fps.
Bob

The 243 has its place - pigs and goats

 

[CoElkHunter]

@Dr Ray
If that's about what you would expect from the 243 the old 250/3000 stage was doing that many years beforehand as well as the 117grains at 25 to 2,600fps.
I still say Winchester advertising operated the cartridge to sell rifles snd ammo. A few years after its introduction Winchester revised the velocities down to be more realistic. It didn't matter that the 243 couldn't live upto winchesters initial claim it was now firmly entrenched in shooters minds how good it was.
Like any cartridge if used within its capabilities with the right projectiles it will do a credible job.
Unfortunately velocity wins. It was the s as me with the 250/3000 was sold well because the 87 grain got 3,000fps. It was a better deer round with the 100gn for whitetail at 2,800fps.
Bob

Bob,
If Remington hadn't screwed up by having the slower rifling unable to stabilize a 100gr. bullet in their .244 rifles, the .243 Winchester may have never been born? Remington brought out the 6mm later with a faster rifling, but the damage had already been done. Hunters bought the .243 and never looked back.
CEH

 

[Dr Ray]

Bob,
If Remington hadn't screwed up by having the slower rifling unable to stabilize a 100gr. bullet in their .244 rifles, the .243 Winchester may have never been born? Remington brought out the 6mm later with a faster rifling, but the damage had already been done. Hunters bought the .243 and never looked back.
CEH

I have never seen or heard of anyone who had/has a 244