.243 Win vs. .308 Win

[ESquared]

Until I read this article, I assumed that the .308 was a no-brainer choice when thinking about moving from .357 BBS to something with longer range for whitetail hunting. The Long Ranger is on my radar, which is available in both 243 and 308, which led to me doing the search that led to this article.

Anybody have any experience with one or both of these, preferably both, for real-world comparisons? Some great data here, but "here's how it's worked for me in the field" feedback would be great, too.

https://www.swggun.org/243-vs-308/

Thanks in advance!

[Mistered]

The .243 is a fantastic round - and one of my favorite and I have owned several - but just one currently. For game up to deer size it is excellent and while legal for elk (as it is in Oregon) I personally wouldn't use it but some have with bullet placement being paramount.
Out here in the 'West' it excels as a long range varmint caliber and I have taken all manner of varmints with mine. Accuracy is typically excellent in nearly any quality rifle with some on the 'heels' of high end custom guns. 'Way back when' I owned a Mod 788 Remington in .243 and this particular rifle was well known for it near match grade accuracy in what was a 'economy' rifle - and mine was right up there. They are now commanding nearly collector prices. I was looking at one recently from 1978 in excellent condition with an asking price of $600.
Unless you are planning on hunting elk or larger size game the .308 is 'overkill' and the .243 will serve you well.

[North Country Gal]

I've used both and have had no complaints about either one. Yes, there is a noticeable difference in recoil. That is beyond dispute. I can shoot all the 243 I want in a range session, but only so many 308 rounds.

Note that in some circles, there is still a prejudice against using smaller caliber rounds for deer hunting. My experience does NOT support this with the 243, but you may encounter it when comparing the two cartridges.

There is, likewise, no comparison between the two as to which is the better dual purpose varmint/deer round. The 243 is about as good as it gets for a cartridge that you can use to shoot prairie dogs in the morning and deer in the evening. The caveat, here, when buying factory ammo, is to know which loads are meant for varmints and which are meant for deer. Good performance on deer with the 243 is very dependent on the right bullet and load. I cut my teeth shooting varmints with the 6mm Remington, which was basically Remington's version of the 243. Could shoot it all day. Later, took deer with a 243.

As for availability, in our heavily forested area, it's definitely easier to find factory 308 loads. The 308 has been a traditional deer cartridge in our area for along, long, time. The 243 is regarded as more of an open country round by our hunters, or a round for women, but I think that's selling the 243 short. At out typical deer ranges, the 243 will do anything the 308 will do.

Also, the 308 is used in some black gun platforms, so it's easier to find bulk 308, these days, if you want to shoot on the cheap. Not sure where the author is finding bulk 243 ammo to shoot.

[Mags]

... Not sure where the author is finding bulk 243 ammo to shoot.

A quick check online, many places .243 can be bought in bulk, BUT there is no price advantage. Buying a box of 20 or 500 the price per round is about the same.

[ESquared]

Just out of curiosity, I went to an interesting site that calculates a lot of ballistics (and other) data, and tried to approximate the recoil of of the BBS 357, shooting 158 gr Hornady XTP with 8.8 gr of powder (could be off on that one estimate) at 1,800 fps muzzle velocity out of a 7 lb rifle. It seems tom come out amazingly close to the .243.

http://www.shooterscalculator.com/recoil-calculator.php

[Ozarkridgerunner]

ESquared , I was typing out a long winded post concerning your topic. I was making a lot of comments on personal experiences with both of these great rounds and the thoughts were really flowing then my electronic device died and I lost it all. I'm very slow to type and will never regain my exact train of thought I was trying to convey. So here it is in a nutshell. Two venerable cartridges with great histories of performance. I own rifles in both calibers but have used the .243 more. With a 90 to 100 gr load in a good hunting round that little .243 is a fast, flat shooting deer slayer. Hydrostatic shock and terminal performance are devastating. With the lighter rounds it is a varmint getter extriodinare ! The .308 would be better choice for larger game with its heavier bullet selection and energy but in your application I wouldn't think twice on choosing the .243. The most accurate rifle I own is a.243. I have the utmost confidence in that cartridge when I settle the crosshairs and squeeze the trigger.

[Ozarkridgerunner]

Just out of curiosity, I went to an interesting site that calculates a lot of ballistics (and other) data, and tried to approximate the recoil of of the BBS 357, shooting 158 gr Hornady XTP with 8.8 gr of powder (could be off on that one estimate) at 1,800 fps muzzle velocity out of a 7 lb rifle. It seems tom come out amazingly close to the .243.

http://www.shooterscalculator.com/recoil-calculator.php

.243 ballistics are running from 3200 fps on the 100 gr loads, up to a scorching 4000 plus fps in the varmint rounds. These are factory , no hand loads. Also , all of these rounds will have muzzle energies in the 2000+ ft lbs range. While the .357 round has very respectable ballistics out of a rifle , the .243 is a whole different animal when it comes to ballistic performance

[Ozarkridgerunner]

I apologize ESquared ! I should have read your post more closely. I see now you were comparing felt recoil between the two. My mistake.

[JEBar]

I've used both calibers, and agree with the info provided above .... in the area of felt recoil, the 243 is much lighter .... if you are looking for a rifle to take to a range and fire bunches of bullets each session, the lighter recoil of a 243 would be a consideration .... as mentioned, in our part of the country it is still a caliber often used by ladies and young hunters for whom the recoil of a 308 is a bit much .... as has been noted and I agree, the 243's lighter bullet requires better shot placement .... it simply cannot provide shock found in heavier 308 bullets .... if there is any possibility of running into big game like boar or boar, I wouldn't even consider a 243 .... in addition, one has a much larger variety of both factory ammo and handloading bullets available for a 308 .... all things being considered, between the two calibers, I'd go with a 308

[ESquared]

ESquared , I was typing out a long winded post concerning your topic. I was making a lot of comments on personal experiences with both of these great rounds and the thoughts were really flowing then my electronic device died and I lost it all. I'm very slow to type and will never regain my exact train of thought I was trying to convey. So here it is in a nutshell. Two venerable cartridges with great histories of performance. I own rifles in both calibers but have used the .243 more. With a 90 to 100 gr load in a good hunting round that little .243 is a fast, flat shooting deer slayer. Hydrostatic shock and terminal performance are devastating. With the lighter rounds it is a varmint getter extriodinare ! The .308 would be better choice for larger game with its heavier bullet selection and energy but in your application I wouldn't think twice on choosing the .243. The most accurate rifle I own is a.243. I have the utmost confidence in that cartridge when I settle the crosshairs and squeeze the trigger.

Thanks, Ridgerunner, that's very helpful as well, since you and I are in the same neck of the woods, so to speak. This real-world perspective is great to get, vs. some random guys from some other chat board from 7 years ago. You're the 3rd in a row to endorse the .243. Learning more here every day, as it wasn't all that long ago that I didn't even know it existed or anything about it.
Thanks very much for your advice and counsel.

[ESquared]

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.

[Mistered]

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 (137.67 KiB) Viewed 3446 times

[Ozarkridgerunner]

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

[North Country Gal]

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.

[Ozarkridgerunner]

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.

[ESquared]

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!

[ESquared]

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.

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...

[Mistered]

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!

[Ozarkridgerunner]

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

[ESquared]

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!