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.243 Win vs. .308 Win

Discussion about what manufactured ammunition feeds your Henry or other firearms
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ESquared
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Re: .243 Win vs. .308 Win

Post by ESquared » Sat Aug 11, 2018 1:44 pm

Ozarkridgerunner wrote:I apologize ESquared ! I should have read your post more closely. I see now you were comparing felt recoil between the two. My mistake.
No problem! I think I got close enough in the "Recoil Force" comparison and it's pretty amazing how close the .357 and the .243 seem to be, provided I used the online tool correctly.
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Re: .243 Win vs. .308 Win

Post by Mistered » Sat Aug 11, 2018 1:53 pm

And just to show ya I ain't kidding here are 50 rounds of shiny .243 brass ready for powder & bullets!
IMG_1162[1].JPG
IMG_1162[1].JPG (137.67 KiB) Viewed 2136 times
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Re: .243 Win vs. .308 Win

Post by Ozarkridgerunner » Sat Aug 11, 2018 1:54 pm

I too am a fan of big calibers that throw big chunks of lead especially when hunting big tough game. I've taken whitetail deer with everything from .223 to .243 to .30-06 , .300 Win Mag and .444 at varying ranges and conditions. The overall performance of the .243 is superb. I don't worry much about recoil especially in hunting situations so it isn't e real reason for it being my personal favorite. It's the one shot kill drops on whitetail out to some long distances over the years that make it my favorite deer round
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Re: .243 Win vs. .308 Win

Post by North Country Gal » Sat Aug 11, 2018 1:59 pm

Okay, to muddy the water, here, don't forget that there are a lot of other cartridges that fit between the 243 and the 308 afar as recoil and some offer better big game performance than the 243.

My favorite has always been the 257 Roberts. Recoil is on a par with the 243 and another great dual use cartridge. It was actually the original dual purpose varmint/deer cartridge and much loved by Jack O'Connor. Gets you into a little heavier 117 or 120 grain bullet for big game work. Really got mothballed, though, when the gun market writers hyped the 243 when it was introduced. Factory ammo, though, is harder to find and pricey, now. An old-timer friend of ours used to work for the DNR as a deer culler in areas where deer were a problem. He never used anything but his 257 Roberts Model 70 and literally shot hundreds of deer with it. Sweet shooting cartridge.

The 7mm-08 is another great in-between cartridge. Still less recoil than the 308, but not as good a varmint cartridge as the 243 as far as factory ammo selection. Very accurate, though.
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Re: .243 Win vs. .308 Win

Post by Ozarkridgerunner » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:14 pm

I agree with NCG there are a lot of excellent calibers out there in between the .243 and .308. And as was also mentioned, the 6 mm Rem is almost identical to the .243. We have two in Remington 700 models and love them. Spot on also on the .257 Roberts , NCG. My Dad now deer hunts primarily with that caliber in a Custom Remington 700 BDL. A tack driving , deer slaying machine.
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Re: .243 Win vs. .308 Win

Post by ESquared » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:16 pm

ESquared wrote:
Ozarkridgerunner wrote:I apologize ESquared ! I should have read your post more closely. I see now you were comparing felt recoil between the two. My mistake.
No problem! I think I got close enough in the "Recoil Force" comparison and it's pretty amazing how close the .357 and the .243 seem to be, provided I used the online tool correctly.
My mistake on reading the chart. Bad mistake, actually.

The .357 BBS, at 7 lbs rifle wt, pushing a 158 gr bullet at 1,800 fps at the muzzle, using 8.8 gr of powder (my only "best guess" in all of this) would produce "Recoil Energy" of 4.89 ft lbs.
That's on par with the .223 (NOT the 243), which is published on this site as having 5.06 ft lbs or Recoil Energy.

In contrast, they estimate the .243 to have Recoil Energy of 12.3 ft lbs (more than double the 223) and the 308 to have Recoil Energy of 21.17 ft lbs, or 72% greater than the 243. Does that seem right to any of you who have shot both?

Again, recoil isn't the deal-breaker here, just trying to understand it from those who have experienced it. If nothing else, it makes me understand what a pussycat my Big Boy Steel 357 is!
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Re: .243 Win vs. .308 Win

Post by ESquared » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:24 pm

Ozarkridgerunner wrote:I agree with NCG there are a lot of excellent calibers out there in between the .243 and .308. And as was also mentioned, the 6 mm Rem is almost identical to the .243. We have two in Remington 700 models and love them. Spot on also on the .257 Roberts , NCG. My Dad now deer hunts primarily with that caliber in a Custom Remington 700 BDL. A tack driving , deer slaying machine.
North Country Gal wrote:Okay, to muddy the water, here, don't forget that there are a lot of other cartridges that fit between the 243 and the 308 afar as recoil and some offer better big game performance than the 243.

My favorite has always been the 257 Roberts. Recoil is on a par with the 243 and another great dual use cartridge. It was actually the original dual purpose varmint/deer cartridge and much loved by Jack O'Connor. Gets you into a little heavier 117 or 120 grain bullet for big game work. Really got mothballed, though, when the gun market writers hyped the 243 when it was introduced. Factory ammo, though, is harder to find and pricey, now. An old-timer friend of ours used to work for the DNR as a deer culler in areas where deer were a problem. He never used anything but his 257 Roberts Model 70 and literally shot hundreds of deer with it. Sweet shooting cartridge.

The 7mm-08 is another great in-between cartridge. Still less recoil than the 308, but not as good a varmint cartridge as the 243 as far as factory ammo selection. Very accurate, though.
You guys are making this very interesting, aren't you?

Not to play the fan-boy, but I'm particularly taken right now with the Long Ranger, so I haven't even thrown the caliber choices you note above into the mix, even though I'm sure they're all legitimate, fantastic choices! I love my lever actions and I've quickly become a Henry convert. And, my research on the Long Ranger has furthered my enthusiasm for the brand and this particular model.

But, just for grins, what current brands/models are candidates for a 257 Roberts round, or a 7mm-08 or the 6mm Rem? It's all new to me, so why not check it out, right?

And I thought I had it narrowed down...
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Re: .243 Win vs. .308 Win

Post by Mistered » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:26 pm

Does that seem right to any of you who have shot both?
Yes it does however providing bullet weight is considered and I did not see that in the .243/.308 comparison.
E.G. if the .308 and .243 are both loaded with 100 grain bullets recoil will be similar however shoot the .243 with an 85 grain bullet and then shoot the .308 with a 200 grain bullet and that 72% greater will no doubt be correct!
Last edited by Mistered on Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: .243 Win vs. .308 Win

Post by Ozarkridgerunner » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:26 pm

Yes I would agree with those stats on the recoil. I promise though in a well built rifle weighing 7 +pounds the felt recoil of the .243 is quite mild. That's why many claim it to bean excellent choice for the Ladies or Youth. I like it because it shoots so darn well and lays deer down extremely effectively
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Re: .243 Win vs. .308 Win

Post by ESquared » Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:27 pm

Mistered wrote:And just to show ya I ain't kidding here are 50 rounds of shiny .243 brass ready for powder & bullets!
IMG_1162[1].JPG
That's a beautiful thing, isn't it, Ed? I can't even think about re-loading right now. My head surely would explode! But, that said, I admire and envy your skills!
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