My daughter, Chrissy, and I were seated overlooking a hardwood bench when a group of far off deer angled down the hill and disappeared. Two minutes later they reappeared and ran back at us, stopping some 50 yards away.
Chrissy raised her Model 7 Remington, aimed carefully and squeezed the trigger. The little rifle barked and the deer dropped instantly. Chrissy’s first deer left her thrilled and amazed. She’s loved that trusty rifle ever after – they’re a team.
Many hunters have different tastes in rifles and the cartridge they’re chambered for. Different likes, experiences, upbringing and perceptions all contribute to this, but few cartridges ever gain a universal following over this diverse group.
However, there are a few cartridges that perform so well, are so easy to shoot that almost everyone falls in love with them. The.243 Winchester certainly is one of these “super calibers.”
Originally Remington necked down the 7×57 case to 6 mm intending it to be used as a long range varmint round, naming it the .244 Remington. Lighter bullets could be shot at very high velocities and the ballistics were very impressive. Bullet weights of 58, 62, 70, 75, 80, 85 and 87 grains were offered. The biggest bullet available then weighed 90 grains, the heaviest the rifling twist would stabilize. For its intended design the caliber was a great one.
It wasn’t long until a few hunters wondered how the new .244 would perform on deer. After all, the large case made the round look more like a deer cartridge than a varmint one and a 90-grain bullet at 3,000 feet per second promised to be a devastating one.
The results were mixed. A deer standing broadside thumped behind the shoulder usually dropped in his tracks, the 90-grain bullet exploding with devastating effect. However, hit a heavy shoulder and the bullet failed to penetrate deeply enough and the deer ran off.
Nowadays we realize the problem wasn’t the caliber, it was the bullets, but back then technology wasn’t what it is today. The hunters looking for a duel varmint/deer rifle were frustrated with the .244.
Winchester saw the problem and the possibilities and took immediate action. In a stroke of genius they necked down the .308 case and changed the twist to stabilize a 100-grain bullet, naming the new creation the .243 Winchester and a star was born.
Rifle sales for the .243 immediately took off; professional and amateur hunters alike loved the new round for many reasons. One was the availability of military 308 brass they could simply neck down and reload and others were innate to the round itself.
Though none of us really like to admit it, recoil and muzzle blast simply aren’t pleasing to the normal human being. The ear shattering crack of a large bore rifle, the painful belt in the shoulder, occasional scope cuts to the eyebrows if our heads were a little too far forward, the sharp jolt to the head and neck can be tolerated, but certainly not loved. Some shooters can manage these negatives better than others, but the less noise and recoil the better, it’s only natural.
The .243’s muzzle blast is noticeable less than larger caliber rifles. Its smaller diameter bore, modest powder charge, lighter bullet all help keep the noise level at an acceptable level. With proper hearing protection there’s seldom an issue.
Next and even more importantly is the .243’s lack of recoil. The only way I can describe firing a .243 is “pleasant.” You cradle the rifle, line up the cross hair; squeeze the trigger and the rifle fires. The muzzle jumps a little, the stocks presses back into your shoulder, but there is no jar, pain, or snap of the head. You crank open the bolt and look forward to the next shot. Firing this cartridge is an enjoyable experience.
With today’s high tech bullets the .243 becomes an even better deer cartridge. Today almost every manufacturer’s 100-grain bullets jackets are bonded to their cores and will not fly apart. They will shoot completely through a deer or break a shoulder and still reach the vitals.
Solid copper hollow point bullets have a very high sectional density and extreme penetration. The 85 grain TSX can be shot faster than a traditional lead core bullet and penetrate just as far. They can be reloaded to 3,300 feet per second and zeroed in at 200 yards drops just 5.9 inches at 300 yards and a scant 17.7 inches at 400 yards, still retaining over 900 foot pounds of energy traveling at 2,202 feet per second.
What’s not to like about those ballistics?
Though I can’t say I recommend it, many western hunters use the .243 on elk and in Newfoundland some use it on moose. Perfect shot placement would be necessary for sure, but though the .243 will get the job done, there’s no room for error and a little risky to my way of thinking.
I’m shooting 65-grain Hornady V-Max bullets for varmints and 95 grain Nosler or 100-grain Hornady Interlocks for deer. They all shoot in the same spot at 100 yards; I don’t have to change my zero no matter which of the bullet weights I’m firing.
As you may have guessed by now my daughter Chrissy shot her first deer with a .243 and to her mind it’s the finest deer cartridge out there for any hunter, man or women, who wish to enjoy shooting and still experience excellent results hunting either varmints or deer-sized game.
I can’t argue with her.
