.243 Winchester recoil and bullet weight questions

Been doing some research lately for rifles and calibers for me and the family.

After researching all the manufacturers that I was interested in I've selected Savage as they will build the set ups that I want.

I have pretty much settled on the .22-250 but have also started researching the .243 Winchester over the last few days and was curious about a couple of points regarding the caliber as I have never shot one before. Just want to explore all the options before placing and order.

I read posts from different forums about what bullet weights shoot well out of 1:9.25 and 1:10 twist barrels, unfortunately rifle manufacturer's were not named. Answers range from 58gr A-Max to 105gr bullets working in some. but not all of the barrels, and that the same bullet and load combination print .5 to .75 MOA in one shooters barrel while another shooter could only get 1.25 to 2.5 MOA out of the same twist. I guess different manufactures and quality would account for that. So for those that own a Savage with the 1:9.25 twist barrel, any problems shooting 60gr varmint bullets up to 90gr or even up to 100gr bullets for deer and hog, and other medium game? One rifle cannot "do it all" but would like to use one caliber to shoot varmints and medium game with sub-MOA groups.

From reading other posts the recoil is about 1/3 to 1/5 that of the .308, is this correct?

For those with 8-10yo kids, especially daughters, have you notice any recoil issues / sensitivity?

Guess the best bet is to find someone that owns one and meet up at the range with a couple of boxes of ammo and the kids in tow to try it out. :cool:

Thanks,

Steve

I've been running a 243 in competition for the majority of 2015. I run a 1 in 7 twist barrel and have shot up to 115gr VLD's. I believe a 1 in 8 twist will effectively stabalize everything you've mentioned the best. I like the Berger 105 match hybrid best as an all around bullet followed by the 115 DTAC. As far as hunting goes I would probably grab the 115 hunting VLD since I've already tested it and I have the 7 twist.

id go with a 243 if those were my only 2 choices. how and what you load in the 243 is going to determine recoil...the heavier the bullet/charge the more recoil...i think a 100g bullet is pushing the edge with a 9,25 but from about 90g down will work well and would be a good rifle to learn on and after 1500-2000 rounds you can re-barrel to a tighter twist if you want or even a different caliber.
also keep in mind that if you want to shoot heavy bullets you can always put a break on it to reduce recoil even more.

Recoil is rather negligible in the 243. My rig is in the 12-13lbs range though.

Sierra 85 gr hpbt and imr4350 will do anything you have any business doing with a 243. Unless you're building a super light gun and have a really small shooter,recoil shouldn't be a problem. 243 is just about my favorite round.

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Originally Posted by Grim

From reading other posts the recoil is about 1/3 to 1/5 that of the .308, is this correct?

Steve

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You have to compare apple to apples.

"Free recoil" is a product of gun weight, bullet weight, powder charge and muzzle velocity. All things being equal free recoil is the same regardless of the caliber.
"Felt recoil" is product of recoil pads, brakes, stock profile, hold and the shooter's perception of it.

So the idea this or that cartridge produces more or less recoil can be misleading. http://www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

Bill

I M O, if it is to be used as a family plinking/target only gun and recoil is an issue, just get a 223.
My kids and now grandkids spend hours at our range (supervised) shooting clay birds up to 400 yds.
As they mature they graduate to larger cartridges like 308s to shoot longer distances.

grim,,,,,, in my opinion to the uninitiated , i think the differance between the two rounds is significant, especialy to a begginer ,,,the 243 just kicks more, hands down,,,, first timers can be very recoil sensitive , dont turn off a potential new shooter with to much recoil,,,,also,,, dont forget goooood hearing protection,,, i was in my late teens in the early 70s and had been around everything from a B B gun,,, to 222 mag, 30-06 , 243, weatherby 340 , 25-06 , 458 and a lot inbetween,,,,,, before i ever used hearing protection,,, the first time i shot my dads 30-06 with hearing protection i swear it felt like it reduced the recoil perception in half,,,,,,,, so to speak,,,, point being gooood hearing protection makes the whole event better,,,,,, im nooooooo 223 fan ,,, but yock is dead right,,,, and ammo is sooo cheap,,,, good luck

Grim My .243 is 1:10 and loves the 100gr Sierra. I've not been able to get anything below that to shoot very well.

Can't remember the twist on a barrel I bought and installed on a spare action I had but it liked the 90gr.

I have 2 243's in the safe currently and they shoot anything factory loads come with, quite well. I have never used a bullet over 100gr so cannot give advice there.

The advice given above, for new/young shooters should NOT be ignored. If you want to scare them off, give the a good whallop of recoil. They will either develop a life long flinch or shy away from shooting altogether.

If they are new shooters, get a 22 for them to learn on and a rifle for you to hunt with. While a 22-250 with the right bullet will kill deer or hogs, I wouldn't recommend it. One exception might be if you were in Texas or similar with small deer. The 243 and 22-250 will both put out quite a loud report, regardless of bullet weight, so GOOD hearing protection is a MUST.

One thing about the 243, is when loaded with a bullet like the Barnes TSX or TTSX in 80-85gr, you will most likely never have to worry about penetration.

Personally 8yrs old is a little small for a 243, but that's me. I learned on a bb gun, then hunted till I was 12 with a 22, rabbits and squirrels. It builds confidence and skill to start small.

I believe the post referred to 8-10 year olds. When offered a choice, my granddaughters respond the same way my daughters did. They choose rimfires every time. At 15 years old they started shooting .223 and love the caliber to this day.

Just stick with the good ol tried and true .243Win. Ammo, good match ammo, can be had at a good price, or components can be had cheaply enough. I use the .243Win exclusively, as well as my wife too. I use it for competition, paper, steel, and flesh type targets. My rifle is extremely accurate, and almost no recoil impulse. My wife absolutely loves it, so I will probably be changing her hunting rifle over to a comp rifle. Super accurate, easy to load for, tons of powder and projectile combinations to choose from... they just flat out work.

Currently, with my latest 20" barrel (not shooting the 18" anymore), I am using Hornady 105gr Amax, 41.2 grains of IMR4350 powder, CCI 250 primers, Lapua brass, and I am pushing the higher end of 3015-3025fps @ 6200ft asl. This is a new barrel, so I have no idea how long those numbers will last. This barrel actually prefers a little less powder than my last one too.

DK

The youngsters and the .243 are not going to mix well.

Of my battery I'd recommend the .223 in a bolt gun for starters. The Ruger American Compact comes to mind. It's my daily tractor gun here on the ranch.

And don't think it's my only choice ........ but it's so light and portable, all my others make my arms grow in length carrying them from the truck to the house and back again for another day.

Three 44s