.243 or .308?

gunbroker has a tikka compact for a darn good price-thinking about getting one and putting a night scope on it for hogs...anything wrong with this set up? and would yall go .308 or .243? I have shot lots of hogs with .243 and had good results with the right bullet and shot placememnt, but wondering if the .308 would be worth the extra recoil? thinking I could use the .243 as both hog gun and "loaner" for SIL and friends kiddos for deer...

308 with a limbsaver recoil pad...what recoil difference

Yup....

Make sure NV device can handle .308 joules. Most are rated too. .308 will devastate.

308 low recoil ammo, still a good wallop to pigs.

At the distance you'll be shooting with NV, I'd probably go .243 with a good bullet and call it a day.

I mounted an X-Sight on my 306 savage hog hunter. Sure does a good job on hogs and have put 3 boxes through it with range/hunting combined with no issue

What night vision scope should I be looking at?

Depends on how much you want to spend...

Charlie

Let's say you could spend what you wanted to but had a bent towards not being wasteful...$1000 shoes are NICe and all but $65 dollar shoes will do the same job...

.243 at 100 grain. is my pick

On the rifle, I'd always pick the bigger hammmer, which why I have a .308.

There is no "wasteful" with regards to seeing at night... the more money you rub on it, the better you can see, so it depends how far and how good you want to see.

For mid $500+ you can get a Sightmark Photon or ATN X-Sight. Thermals start in the low $2,000 range.

Charlie

308

243 no doubt... fairly flat to 300y. Just more forgiving, efficient and easier to shoot...isn't the 308 casing the same as a243?

Just a fatter neck

.243 at 100 grains for me too

been using a AR-10 308 for the last 2 years on hogs devastating. wife upgraded from a 243 to 308 this year & has no problem with recoil. 243 you are always going to be restricted to 55grain up to 115 grain bullets

while the 308 will use 100grain up to 240grain - the 308 will give you better life out of the barrel in excess 5000 rounds. And while it may not be the best 1000 yard gun it has been doing it for a long time. One of the great things about the .308 Win is the availability of high-quality factory-loaded ammo.


If your going to shoot a 100grain out of the 243 you might as well shoot it out of the 308. I have seen some load data claiming 3200fps 100grain .308. with the 243 & 100grain you are at the upper end of the performance level. 308 your just getting started!!!

Hodgdon Varget
47.5
F210m
Sierra 110 Varmint
Win
3200 fps
Very Accurate Varmint Load, 2.650" COAL

Reloader 15
47.0
F210m
Hornady 110 V-Max
Win
3200 fps
Accurate, hard-hitting Varmint Load. Try .010" into lands

xmas for me will be a Tikka SS/fluted in 308

Sounds like you want a 243. How tall are you? The length of pull will be too short for you on the compact if you're over 5'5"-5'6". That will make the gun feel like it kicks harder. It would be great for your friends kiddos though. LOP on compact is 12.5. I think most guns are in the 13.5-13.75 range.

Do you like skinny chics or kinda fat ones? They both get it on.

They are what they are. Choose one. There is an obvious difference in the cartridges and anyone can find the ballistics online. Both are easy to reload for, and factory ammunition is abundant. Either will reliably kill a hog or deer. Even if it is HogZilla.

I'm with him. They do the same thing on deer and hogs. 243 is deer/hogs and smaller. 308 is deer/hogs and larger. How about a 708 and split the difference. 28 cals are where it's at. I have 708, 280, 28 nosler, lazzeroni firebird. I even shoot a 28 g shotgun.

A man after my heart.

.243 will be great for Javalina, but no contest when it comes to hogs....308 is a hog/deer gun in spades. You're good for anything you'll likely find in Texas.

That said, I know of one ranch that claims to have some Rhinos...not for hunting tho..just to look at.

Sightmark Photon for $700

tikka 308 w/ limb saver

Beautiful combo!!!

Now you have me thinking I want to put a Photon on My sako 85 30-06!

Wouldnt that be nice oh yeah!!!

308 if you like shooting BIG hogs and like actually finding them dead

How many have you lost that were shot with a 243 ?
What bullet did you use?
Where did you hit them?

I've personally seen 2 public land Colorado bull elk shot by a 243. A 243 will take down any hog but a 308 is definitely better suited. Same shot, more damage equates to easier to find. Usually better blood trail, shorter tracking job, etc.

I'll pose the same question to you .......

How many have you lost that you personally shot with a 243 ?
What bullet did you use?
Where did you hit them?

I like larger calibers. The only time I shoot my 243 is predator hunting. Ive shot pigs with it around Childress while predator hunting but in the 80-120 lb range. The smallest caliber I've shot large pigs with is a 257 weatherby or 708. 110 accubond for 257. 120 nbt for 708. I shoot 80 grain Barnes in my 243.

1.none
2.80 ttsx
3. Behind shoulder.

I said the 243 will get the job done. I think the 308 does a better job.

How dead do they have to be?

You could split the difference, I believe they chamber that rifle in 7mm-08.

On the dead scale probably a 7 plus. I think a larger wound channel gets the job done quicker. I also think a high velocity round gives more shock and puts them down quicker. in my book quicker is better.

Based on that perhaps he should get a 338 Lapua and get it over with?

I'm still waiting on real-world examples of the inadequacies of the 243 when hunting hogs ........

We can throw a 338 lapua in but he only asked between 243 and 308. Honestly, I have both calibers and I prefer to shoot a different caliber. A 243 is not inadequate most of the time. If I was making a 300 yard shot on a 400 pound pig, a 243 would be way down the list of calibers I would choose. Let's say you misjudge the wind and you hit a little forward. I don't think the 243 has enough to go through the hard plate, bone and make a fast kill. Other calibers could. It's not a perfect shot but I think if you were shooting a bigger caliber, you would have a better chance of a quick kill and recovering your game. I know everyone on this forum is an expert marksman and way better shot than me.

Most pigs are shot at rather close range so my favorite 243 pig load is the 85 grain Nosler Partition loaded to an easy 2700 fps. Plenty of penetration for the neck and head shots I usually make. Add light recoil and lessened noise this works out pretty good. In my 308 I am running 150 grain Nosler Partitions at the same speed. With this load it is important to know what is on the far side of your pig as it so far has always gone through. I hunt hogs at night mostly in cow country and this is an important issue. I have good success with my 223 also but I always make head or neck shots, I like to find them laying where shot when it's dark and brushy out there. I'm running the 75 grain Hornady BTHP match bullet in it presently, testing to be started after deer season is over. The lesson really is to shoot for the central nervous system, spine, neck and head.

Pitchfork said it all.

BTW: that goes for big deer as well.

Do yourself a favor, and use enough gun. Someone was talking about overpenetration using the .308 and a Nosler partition bullet. That is alot of bullet, meant to penetrate... 150 gr. Sierra Game Kings, or Ballistic Tips would expend all their energy in the hog.
result: Dead game laying right where you squeezed the trigger on it. (provided you do your part) Every Time.

Either, I like both. .243 has plenty of power and shoots flatter. .308 might have more ammo choices and a betelter knock down insurance policy.

Any personal evidence of the 243 failing?

I've seen many people fail the 243. Everyone on here talks about shooting 22's at big hogs. They obviously can get the job done, but it's all about shot placement. A bigger heavier faster bullet increases the margin of error. It does a better job of going through bone, etc. I'm a bow hunter so I think of broad heads. I could kill a deer with a field point but my spitfire does a better job.

A gut shot is a gut shot and no bullet or caliber will help that.

This is a poor comparison. .243 shoots a 95 grain bullet about 3100 fps and has over 2000 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle. And it maintains over 1000 ft lbs of energy past 300 yards. It's 50% bigger/heavier and has over 50% more energy out the muzzle. Bigger. Heavier. Faster. (I'm sure u can post data of a super fast lightweight .223 compared to a heavy .243 load and show the .223 being faster. But in that case the ..243 would be more than double the weight of the .223 and be only about 100-200 fps slower and still have substantially more energy/knockdown power at normal hunting distances so that woulent be a fair comparison either).
A .223 shoots a 62 grain pill 3000 fps and has about 1300 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle. That's a substantial difference.
Some use a .22 magnum or a.22 Lr in a pig in a trap at 5 yards, which is also not a fair comparison to hunting hogs at 100+ yards.
Bullet selection is importsnt regardless of caliber. With decent expanding/penetrating hunting ammo a center shoulder shot on a big 250+ lb pig at 125 yards ought to leave a solid blood trail and a dead pig 50 yards away. Although these animals are super tough and there are those zombies pig that refuse to die stories that happen from time to time.

BINGO!

You just proved my point.

Failures with the 243 are due to poor shooting. A 308 isn't going to correct that.

I think everyone's on the same page. All calibers can get the job done if the shooter does his part. Inexperienced shooters should use larger calibers if it doesn't hurt their accuracy because it causes more damage. I shot a deer slightly quartering to me at 240 yards last year. I thought he was broadside but it was a weird angle. It was windy and my shot hit a little forward and because of the angle the bullet exited a little high. Deer dropped in its tracks but didn't die immediately. I had to shoot him again when I walked up. I guarantee the same shot with my Lazzeroni would have immediately killed the deer. A larger faster bullet causes more damage. I think it's a simple concept. I didn't do my part, still got the animal, but I wish I could have avoided having to shoot him again. If you're shooting from a blind 55 yards from the feeder pick whatever caliber you want. If you're stalking animals in uncontrolled situations I think a larger caliber is better.

I don't like shooting my Lazzeroni anymore because it causes too much damage. It's all about finding the happy medium.

Now you're back on the "bigger is better" train. So how big do we go? If he had asked about 308 vs 30-06 would you have recommended the 30-06?

If you could choose one, what would you choose?

If I were to have one gun, I would pick a 308 over a 243. It hits harder, handles the wind better, more ammo variety, a 10 year old can shoot it with reduced loads (available in stores). It can do everything a 243 can do and more.

I think a 308 could handle the majority of hunting situations in North America.

I have about 30 calibers and I don't have a 30-06. It's never interested me. I started with a 308 and moved up to a 300 when I was 17. So I started with bigger and I think they're better. Recoil doesnt bother me I never feel recoil except at the gun range. I've started shooting smaller, lower speed calibers to change it up. They're nice and get the job done, but big kills them quicker with shorter blood trails.

I have shot hogs with everything from a .22 to a 7mag. To answer the OP's question I would need to know what type of hunting do you do and what is the typical distance for most shot. I would pick a .243 if I was shooting them at a feeder because I can be more pinpoint with my shot. If I am stalking them I would pick a 308. I would also pick a 308 if only own one of them. There is no right answer but simply a preference.

308.

243

Creedmoor, you got your panties in a wad for nothing.
Never said .243 would not kill a hog.
Heck I've personally seen a hog killed with a .22 long rifle. But I sure wouldn't rely on one to drop him in his tracks. I have tracked both deer and hogs after they were shot with a .243 for quite a long way.
I personally dont own a .243, because PERSONALLY, I consider it marginal for deer, and definitely too small for hogs.

You on the other hand, do not.

The man wanted recommendations, I gave mine.

LOL. Make no mistake, my panties are just fine.

I was just asking for personal experiences where the 243 had failed. No need to get all upset about it.

I have been shooting a 243 for deer and hogs and most everything else you can shoot in Texas for over 45 years, only complaint is that sometimes there is little to no blood trail due to the bullet staying inside the critter, but about 19 times out of 20 the critter only goes about 2 feet, straight down.

First question for the OP:
Have you actually done any hunting with night vision?

If you have done much, you soon realize that pretty much ANY gun will take pigs with a properly placed shot at the distances most night shots are taken.
Sure, you can take longer distance shots at night if you know the area well but I tend to err on the side of safety.

A bolt gun usually only gets one shot off before they scatter so you should take your shots carefully.
Again, pretty much any cal will do this.

The biggest consideration for me would be IF the chosen night vision will handle the recoil - with a decent illuminator, ALL of them will easily "see" 150 yards.
Yeah, I killed a couple due to recoil.
It was supposed to handle a 50cal but only took a dozen shots with a 458 Socom to send the sensor into LALA Land.

I don't have a dog in this hunt since I have what I want gun wise for pig hunting but still drool over the thermal stuff.
IF it's a dedicated night gun, I know I won't be shooting over 150 yards at night AND how expensive good NV is, I would go with the 243.
If it was going to be a mixed use gun that may see daytime service or general use, I would go 308 due to large variety of ammo.

I do reload so tailoring a target specific bullet is not a deal as I already have .243 and .308 dies and consumables.

Either will do the job.
Night shots tend to mostly happen between 50 and 150 yards.
Who will be shooting it most of the time, smaller folks and kids?

I've been in the mood for a 243. Always heard it's for woman and kids.
I think it would fit in good between my 223 and 308.
I hand load and really like what I've been hearing about the 95 grain bullets.
The 243 would be a great all round Texas gun. Varmi, pigs, and deer with light recoil and easy loading.
Very soft recoil and better than me accuracy.

FIFY

But a 222,204, 223 are manly rounds???

These caliber threads crack me up.

243 all day every day

I like my 243 win mag. I just wanted to see how many 243 diehards were out there.

I use mine for coyote hunting when I might run into some hogs. Great all around gun.

6.5 Creedmor! The hogs will be much more impressed with your cartridge selection.

Please just put bullets in hogs. They are a becoming a greater problem daily. I will kill them with absolutely any weapon that is nearby. 22lr, 22mag, 9mm, 40sw, 10mm, 45 acp, 223, 22-250, 243, 6mm, 224tth, 7.62x39, 25-06, 308, 300wm, 300rum, 300 saum, 7mag, 12gauge, tannerite, arrow, snare and Bowie knife is all I can remember killing pigs with. I don't like animals to suffer and make humane kills whenever possible but when it comes to hogs I just make as many holes as possible. Numbers in our area are way up this year.

Almost forgot 6.5 creedmoor and Grendel.

243

I am a big fan of both, but I prefer the .243

Man, I love my new Tikka T3 CTR in 260. It shoots awesome with little more recoil than the 243.

Get both...243 for feeder hunting and 308 if your walking around..no brainer.

308 or 6.8 AR

There's no replacement for displacement. .308 everytime.