243 rifle

243 Rifle

243 Rifle (.243 Winchester)

most widely used hunting caliber

243 rifle Improved (left) and 243 rifle original (right)

The first prototype of 243 rifle cartridge was developed by Warren Page and introduced to the public in 1955 by Winchester with Model 70 bolt-action and Model 88 lever-action sporting rifles. Ever since the 1963 Deer Act was introduced in UK which requires a minimum bullet diamter of .240, .243 became the most widely used caliber for deer hunting. Back in the early days, 243 rifle was also used by Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD) Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit.

Whitetail deer hunting is the most popular big game in the USA and 243 rifle is the most widely used hunting caliber. It can be used on other medium to larger games such as mule deer, pronghorn, wild hogs, black bear and caribou. 243 rifle is popular because it has a flat trajectotry, light recoiling round which gives comfort for any shooters while also providing very good accuracy. In fact, it serves multi purpose as varmint and deer cartridge, making it the very first true dual purpose class of catridges. They are available in the range of 55 grains (3.6 g) up to 105 grains (6.8 g) with its common range between 75–90 grain (5-6 g).

There is a difference between various 243 rifle calibers. Some are built to open up quickly upon contact which makes it hard to penetrate through larger animals. So we need to choose the right bullet that can hold together, expand and penetrate when hunting for larger animals such as deer. The ideal 243 bullet for this would be Barnes 85 grain XLC with solid copper coating construction. From experience, this bullet does its job in penetration and channeling through, showing great wound expansion.

To make it an extremely effective varmint round, try loading it with lighter bullets can send a 79 grain bullet out the barrel at 3500 feet per second which is about 400 yard mark, In comparison, it is an excellent deer and antelope round good for 300 yards if loaded with 100 grain bullets at 3000 feet per second. An ideal bullet weight of 87 grains would serve a dual purpose of varmint and deer cartridge.

With its range of benefits, 243 rifle has quickly gained popularity among sportsmen worldwide with just about every major manufacturer offers rifles chambered in .243. I would highly recommend any beginners getting into hunting sports using 243 rifle as well as those who are recoil sensitive.