buyers remorse?

[S O K A R]

So being the impulse buyer I am I went out and bought a .243 for a bigger hunting rifle and something to ease myself into long range target stuff, but starting to wonder if I made the right choice?
Starting to wonder if I should have went a .308 instead?
I have a .223 that suits most of my hunting needs, so its mostly target stuff this rifle is intended for
Should I have gone the .308 route?

[animalpest]

How long range is your idea of long range?

[in2anity]

For casually punching paper at distance 243 and 308 are similar. Just go shoot - you have much to learn before you should be getting too caught up on this technicality. Stop reading keyboard hunter articles on the web - they are just trying to make a quid through their graphs and numbers.

[S O K A R]

How long range is your idea of long range?

Ideally I'd like to eventually be able to punch it out to the 1,000+ yards mark
Eventually being the key word here

[on_one_wheel]

There's obviously better choices but It's definitely achievable, plenty of lads plink away at 1000 y targets with .243's

Check utube out

You'll want a tapered rail, some good magnification and heavy pills. I think you can get yarget style 115 grain .243 projectiles now

[Oldbloke]

Like the new avatar on one wheel. Lol

[on_one_wheel]

Like the new avatar on one wheel. Lol

Cheers OB
Flowing. 243's lead on that one re the NSC uniting shooters thing, his avatar is way cooler though.
Boot lickers
I'll rock with that for a while

[bigpete]

Yes you should have bought a 308

[deye243]

Yes 308 will give you 3 to 4000 accurate grounds 243 loaded to correct velocity will only give you around 1000 to 1500 .
accuracy level required for 1000 yards plus if you are using something like the burger 95 grain vld then you would need a quicker twist than one in 10 which most 243 Winchester barrels come with I shot 3 243w with this projectile and everyone of them only showed the same 0.410 BC of the 87 grain Vmax if I had of used a more rapid twist barrel I would have got the full I think I will stand corrected on this.45 + BC of the burger.
never buy a long-range product until you do your research simple as that not having a go just my personal opinion because it will end I tears .
Like blade I shoot 22rf out to silly ranges and centerfire out 1800 yards if you would like to discuss this farther pm me a ph # and I can help .
I don't want to come off as someone who is bragging but this group went sub 4 inches.
And you will see it is the original group by the shape of it at the end of the video even though the still picture was taken in the dark reason being I got back up to the four-wheel drive in the opposite direction there were two targets that I shot and by the time I dressed them out got back to the steel Target it was way after dark

https://youtu.be/4HlMxoO27fI

[SCJ429]

The 6mm is what you want to shoot, it has every advantage over the 308 except barrel life. For longer range work, over 500 metres, a 1:8 twist will allow you to use high BC projectiles. 6mm cases will run rings around 308s at comps I go to. Also 308 Win is a harder rifle to shoot especially for newer shooters, your 243 is pleasent to shoot by comparison. I used a 243 AI for a while in competition shooting 105 grain bullets, compare the ballistics of this bullet compared to a 308 shooting 155s.

[in2anity]

The 6mm is what you want to shoot, it has every advantage over the 308 except barrel life. For longer range work, over 500 metres, a 1:8 twist will allow you to use high BC projectiles. 6mm cases will run rings around 308s at comps I go to. Also 308 Win is a harder rifle to shoot especially for newer shooters, your 243 is pleasent to shoot by comparison. I used a 243 AI for a while in competition shooting 105 grain bullets, compare the ballistics of this bullet compared to a 308 shooting 155s.

Completely agree. If the intent is to shoot F-open or benchrest, or even PRS, neither the 308 or 243 are relevant. But neither is the factory rifle. Basically it’s all or nothing in those realms - you need a dedicated target rifle running the most competitive cartridge, if the group size of critical importance… otherwise just appreciate what yu got

[SCJ429]

Agree with you there, run what you got. The OP has a 223, to start out in long range I would use the 223 to shoot between 300 and 500 metres. Easy and cheap to shoot, easy to load for and very capable at those ranges. Even at 1000 metres the 223 can be fun but that is where the extra BC of 6mm and 7mm bullets have the advantage.

[likeimjohnwayne]

Agree with you there, run what you got. The OP has a 223, to start out in long range I would use the 223 to shoot between 300 and 500 metres. Easy and cheap to shoot, easy to load for and very capable at those ranges.

What sort of barrel life would you expect from shooting factory 223 ammo?

[in2anity]

Agree with you there, run what you got. The OP has a 223, to start out in long range I would use the 223 to shoot between 300 and 500 metres. Easy and cheap to shoot, easy to load for and very capable at those ranges. Even at 1000 metres the 223 can be fun but that is where the extra BC of 6mm and 7mm bullets have the advantage.

For TR, the 223 running 80.5s is almost as good as the 155gr palmas, almost. And the recoil is less so you have less natural point of aim disturbance so it’s tradeoffs. From the sling I’ve seen guys group x12 into 1.5moa at 800m with a 223 palma rifle - but reading the wind to that degree takes literally years of weekly practice on the mound. Could the 243 do this? Abso-f-ing-lutely, provided the gun and load is up to the task. Nuthin wrong with the 243 in the accuracy department.

[bladeracer]

So being the impulse buyer I am I went out and bought a .243 for a bigger hunting rifle and something to ease myself into long range target stuff, but starting to wonder if I made the right choice?
Starting to wonder if I should have went a .308 instead?
I have a .223 that suits most of my hunting needs, so its mostly target stuff this rifle is intended for
Should I have gone the .308 route?

Go shooting and see if you enjoy it. If it has a tighter twist rate you can shoot the longer target bullets and it would do very well at longer distances. If it's a more relaxed rate then you're stuck with the shorter bullets which tend to be aimed at hunting. These will be more effected by wind but I can't imagine why you won't still be able to put them on paper or steel at 1000m.

Just go shooting, learn what you need to learn with the .243, then decide if you want to move to something different.

[SCJ429]

Agree with you there, run what you got. The OP has a 223, to start out in long range I would use the 223 to shoot between 300 and 500 metres. Easy and cheap to shoot, easy to load for and very capable at those ranges.

What sort of barrel life would you expect from shooting factory 223 ammo?

A 223 would have similar barrel life to a 308, probably around 4000 to 5000 rounds depending on your shooting style and how rough you are cleaning it. Factory ammo will not give you any extra barrel life unless you load on the extreme end of pressures.

[S O K A R]

Thanks for the replies
Decided to stick with the 243 for now
Makes more sense then eventually move up from there, seems like a good starter rifle for it

[Larry]

The 243 is the rifle I pick out of the safe more than any other.

[JohnV]

My varmint chassis is .243 and 30-06 AI . I used the 243 barrel most of the time as I mainly see foxes , dogs and a few goats and the 243 can handle them quite well out to 3 or 400 meters if the terrain allows . Going to longer ranges means tighter twist barrels , possible chamber mods and more expensive bullets and better scopes . I just stick with a 1 in 10 twist and 75 to 87 grain bullets .

[northdude]

I wouldnt regret it. If I could only have 1 centerfire rifle 243 would be on my list to consider

[JohnV]

I wouldnt regret it. If I could only have 1 centerfire rifle 243 would be on my list to consider

That's why I have switch barrels on two of my guns . So if I had to choose one rifle I get two cartridges .