? Best LR paper/steel puncher/'yote shooter ...22-250 or 243

What say the Peanut Gallery about this category, with either shooter exactly like the other one in standard for caliber twist rates out of a 24" HB 10 lb + scope rig?

The hook is that I suspect the 243 would be the easiest to re-bore to a 260 - like my go to everyday shooter is now in a stock T3 - right?
Ron

243 all day long.

Standard twist .22-250 won't stabilize bullets with much of a BC. I've shot more than one plain vanilla .243 to a thousand yards.

Next?

Ginger or Mary Ann?

Flip a coin, I'm good either way.

243 ...As I suspected but wanted confirmation and not depend on my late nite musings. Gonna dump some guns I don't shoot regularly to fund the deal.

Not a big fan of the 243 for WTail sized critters based on some 40 year old hands on data from my 1st real Deer Rifle, a hyper accurate SAKO 579 pre Garcia std grade, I could "write" my initials with on a business card at 100 yards as long as I could see the peppercorn sized dot pattern out of the old Redfield 3x9.

Mebbe there's Mo Bettah Boolits out there these days huh? Thought so
Ron

Heck yes there's better bullets. No telling how many thousands of whitetail have fallen clean, from a .243 hit.

You're so hardcore

WC, although I have no first hand experience on critters, the 87 gr. VLD does very well out of my .243 and can be pushed well over 3100 fps. JG walked me out to 800 yards with very few hiccups.

P_102

If you already have a .260, why not just get another? Why 'rebore' later on, or are you speaking of a 'shot-out' situation?

Between my dad and I, we've probably taken over 200 WTs with .243, the majority with 100gr Rem Corelokts. I've moved up but my dad still uses his, now mainly with 95 gr SSTs. Granted these are small central TX WT but I wouldn't hesitate to shoot any deer in Texas with a .243.

The 260 is a 6lb 2oz + scope do all go anywhere shooter in a 22" barrel...althought it does have a 2-10x50 30mm Minox on top that weighs more than a regular ole 3x9x40... and the lite gun "wiggles" a bit swinging on off hand running shots that I am fond of making out to 150+ish...and will practice with a Marlin 781 22lr at 25-50 yards to begin with. Killed lots more WTails moving than not...they must feel safer moving than standing heheheh.

Nope, I'm gonna find a std VT HB 24" 10lb'er configuration and learn to shoot as much LR as I can make happen, either seated & off a pair of sticks or a tall bipod, since I have so much trouble getting off the ground from prone nowdays. Lost about 40lbs which helps, but my old bones & joints are getting REAL brittle the further past 70 I get. My granpop hunted the last 15-20 years of his life walking with a cane dragging one leg with a fused non flexible knee joint, looks like I can learn to use a cane successfully too.
Ron

Ron, let me know if I can help.

We can shoot seated/ kneeling all day if that's what you want to do. Hopefully you have a favorite backpack you wear to wherever you hunt. That can be incorporated into getting steady for the shot. We shoot as far as you want to.

It'll be sometime next spring probably before I can get the free time to do more than the basic prep work and re establish breathing and trigger discipline, and have access to a 200 yard range down here that is available to me anytime, about 30 minutes away.

Putting this old house together is eating my lunch, and we are not close to being to a place where we can sit down for a while. Got lots of "I feel the need " built up that needs to be addressed constructively.

I'll take you up on the offer for sure though....would love to make the Spring Shoot at the farm.
Ron

The correct answer is yes.

My preference is .243.

How about both!

.243 and 95gr Nosler BT's. My buddy's son dumped this nice muley buck with this combo....

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No telling how many have been hit and not found either....

.243 if you plan on shooting factory ammo. 6mm Creedmoor if you hand load

As is the case with any cartridge. And odds are far more in favor of a .243 getting the job done, on vitals, versus the .22-250

Surely you know a .243 is barely adaquate for prairie dogs, much less the monster free range deer in Texas.

That's why I won't hunt with anything smaller than a 408 Cheytac. I don't want those prairie dogs mauling me.

On a more serious note,

For a do almost all caliber the .243 will be the better all around performer than a 22-250. Shooting the heaviest bullet that will work with the barrels twist rate will let it shoot long range for the days you want to bang steel. You can use the same load for varmint hunting or maybe pick a lighter/faster bullet if you are trying to stretch the rifle's maximum point blank range.
The 22-250 would be my choice for a dedicated varmint/paper target rifle but it can't keep up with the .243 once the distances start stretching out. There's just too much bullet drop and wind drift.

If a 243 leaves wounded deer around, it aint the calibers fault.

I've had the 243 vs whitetail discussion with many including a guy that tracks wounded deer very often. Our conclusion is that too many 1st time hunters use the 243 and it leads to wounded deer. Those same shooters could have been shooting anything with similar results. I've killed 100+ deer with the 22-250 but I will not shoot a trophy or try a long shot with it. My choice is the 6.5 creed or 260 for general Texas hunting and shooting now. In the rifles I have shot either one has the same or less recoil than 243 and carries more energy and death down range. I know what the 105gr + .244 bullets can do and if the factory rifles would stabilize the heavier bullets the 243 would be right in there. I shoot all the cartridges listed above and each have a place but 22-250 and 243 are not on the same class with factory loadings/twist rates.

Next rifle is a 243

I may go buy 3 more.

Pure truth.

How about 243 vs 243AI? Any real reason to go with Ackley Improved?