I'm such a huge fan of the .243. It kills way better than it should with very low recoil... it's just plain fun to shoot and hunt with. I shoot Hornady Superformance 95 grain SST's out of my Ruger 77. Most of the time deer, sheep, and hogs fall in their tracks with these little poison pills! How many of you love the .243 as well?

I own a Pre-64 Win. Model 70 in .243. Love it to death.

243 fan here, have killed more critters with it than all my other rifles combined. I have 3 and about to buy 2 more.

Been shooting one for 25 years, just started shooting a 25-06 and will give the .243 to my 11 year old

Great caliber and I've taken every game animal in Texas with mine. If I had to go with just one caliber for the rest of my life, it would be the .243 Winchester!

I love my .243 too.

Welcome !!!!

When you get your feet wet jump into the longrage game with us. Build a custom .243 with a 7-8 twist barrel. shoot the 105 grain missiles a LONG way out

We’ve only lost one animal with a .243 and it was a jumbo hog my daughter shot. She did hit back, but there was a huge chunk of liver laying on the ground. Pretty certain he died, but it was very cold and I wasn’t overly committed to looking. I gave both of my son in laws and youngest daughters .243s and they couldn’t be happier.

I like a bit more punch.

It’s all one needs for TX deer and pigs.
Use a good bullet and put it in the right place.

Started out about age 9 with a Savage 99 in 243 (still have it). Then, a Model 600 in 243 (gave that to my grandson) I now have just two - the 99 and a Weatherby Vanguard. The Vanguard shoots itty-bitty groups out to 500. Using the 90 gra Accubond with a dose of IMR4350.

Welcome Ruger Rebel
My wife shoots the same bullet and gun, in a stainless heavy barrel, she loves that gun. She is a killing machine.

This is my position as well.

Maybe with a different bullet combo my opinion may change. I know a lot of people swear by the 80 grain TSX loading.

I’ve seen somewhere around 6-10 deer shot with a .243 and 100 grain soft points. Some died quickly some ran for a long ways with all the shots being well in the vitals.


For hill country deer and antelope its adaquate, but for bigger south Texas deer, mule deer and the common exotics I like a bigger caliber. I just don’t believe a .243 is a do all gun, even in Texas.

115 DTAC. Buzz.

No competition between those and 105's. 105's can get blown around a whole lot.

My .243 is my favorite rifle.

I agree. I like a little bigger bullet hole too.

For all those that say it is not powerful enough this shot was taken at Hwyman's place a ways back with a .243 100 grain power point. This is the video I was tlalknig about last week.

On the pipeline, love the narration!

I've shot many of the popular calibers out there, but for the last several years it's been the .243 that I've taken to the woods.
This years shot was 200 yards and the deer ran about 75 yards with a double lung hit and bright blood trail.
Every deer I've taken was one shot, one kill.
,243 gets it done!

My daughter shoots what she calls "the cheapo gray box" Winchester power points in her 243 too. Nothing lives.

Never said it wouldn’t kill, but I’ve seen more than one deer shot with a 243 that didn’t have an exit wound.

I like holes on both sides of a critter and at least a .30 cal bullet.

I repeat: .243 will kill just fine.

That video really doesent prove a whole lot.

What was the deer (buck/doe, where was it hit, etc)


Almost looked like a spine shot

I own two, a Browning Micro Medallion that my youngest daughter shoots and a Savage XP II that I purchased last year as a utility rifle.

Thanks for the warm welcome guys!

The funny thing is... I probably never would have bought a .243 for myself. My father in-law won a .243 Ruger Hawkeye Standard at a local banquet. He knows how much of a Ruger man I am and gave me the rifle... It was love at first sight!