223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Gwion » 06 Oct 2016, 7:34 am

Depends on your intended use. If you're culling pests, for instance, you'll need to change barrels almost twice as often in a 243 and also burn close to twice the powder.

If on the other hand you go hunting occasionally for anything from foxes to goats to pigs, the 243 is probably the better option to cover different quarry with different loads.

There is never a simple answer or fixed rule to choose a caliber or chambering.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Lorgar » 06 Oct 2016, 8:49 am

Gwion wrote:Depends on your intended use.


Exactly.

.223 is a pest control cartridge. .243 is a small-med game cartridge.

.243 is very versatile and yes you can load lighter bullets for pest but it's still massive over kill.

I think people who haven't used a .243 themselves and are just giving information based on paper-knowledge think a .243 with 55gr loads is similar to a .223 because they fire the same weight pill. (That's not aimed at anyone here, just commenting for the OP's future reference).

Anyone who's used both knows they're not at all. I'm not knocking the .243 either... I had one, liked a lot about it, but as OP is focused on beating the flinch they picked up from the .308 it wouldn't be my pick.

.243 recoil with 80gr - 90gr bullets is too similar to .308 to be much benefit I would say. And with any load the audible report is loud as hell.

Adding a .223 to the .22 and .308 would give a good lineup IMO. .22 for pests at short range, .223 for some longer range varminting, .308 for hunting. Sorted.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Lorgar » 06 Oct 2016, 8:49 am

Gwion wrote:There is never a simple answer or fixed rule to choose a caliber or chambering.


*cough* 7mm, best for everything! :mrgreen: :lol:
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by scotty87 » 06 Oct 2016, 9:12 am

Not sure if the OP decided on anything but thought I'd post my experience with dealing with my .308 flinch.

Projectiles, start with a lighter projectile OSA 135gr hollow point factory ammo is a good place to start, cheap when purchased in large quantities and 1 MOA accurate in my sporter HOWA.

Stock, I replaced my synthetic Hogue stock with a Boyds laminate stock and bedded the action to accurise the rifle as much as possible. Get a limb saver recoil pad, almost halves felt recoil IMO.

Scope, use a lower power, I find I stick to 4-7x even though my scope is a 10x Power.

Trigger, should be light, under 2 pounds and have minimal creep. Creep is the enemy, do all you can to eliminate it from your trigger.

Technique, most important part, practice your breathing and trigger squeeze with your smaller calibres and try to repeat it on your .308, HOLD your foreend if shooting over a pack or solid rest, I feel wih sporter style rifles this is important to control the recoil and you don't need to be thinking about what the foreend is going to be doing after you fire off your shot.

Just my experience for overcoming my flinch, still not there yet but bought my worst groups back to 1.5-2" at 100m an my best groups under an inch.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Tinked » 18 Oct 2016, 9:46 am

scotty87 wrote:Get a limb saver recoil pad, almost halves felt recoil IMO.


Agreed, a squishy pad makes a surprising difference.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by dpskipper » 18 Oct 2016, 4:57 pm

.223 is more a varmint round. It still is 20 caliber like your .22 but its flying out much faster. .243 is very versatile and in the heavy pills can be used for deer.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by brett1868 » 18 Oct 2016, 10:10 pm

Get both...problem solved :)
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by duncan61 » 19 Oct 2016, 1:28 am

Something I have noticed is with my .222 soft loaded with 50 gr psp prodjy on 22.2 grains of 2208 ADI "yes it works how cool is that"at about 2700 fps when you hit a fox or head shoot a roo you dont lose your sight picture and can watch the bunny or roo fall over.The .243 blasts and there is no way you can see the shot or how it went.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by duncan61 » 19 Oct 2016, 1:29 am

If you flinch with a .222 take up golf
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Oldbloke » 22 Oct 2016, 6:42 pm

Gibbo wrote:
<<Genesis93>> wrote:In Vic you'll need to keep the 308win for the deer, at least the most common variety... 260Rem is a no go except for some smaller deer

But I see why you want to get rid of it.... its a Rem :lol: :sarcasm:


Thanks i will take that into consideration. Starting to think I am better off with a 223 for spotlighting and a separate deer rifle, my mate just bought a Sako A7 in 270 which is nice. I am a bit old school and wouldn't mind a 30-30 lever with a peep sight, don't know if anyone has any experience hunting deer with one on here. Seems to have taken a few deer in it's time in the US. Ta


30-30 are great in a lever but due to the tube magazine they must use flat nose bullets and therefore limited in range as mentioned above. I think they would be ok for most of our deer within range but not enough for sambar. Need at least 308 or 270 for them. I think you will find most of the US deer are smaller than Sambar.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Garth » 25 Oct 2016, 12:19 pm

Stick with 243 dam good cal but get what you want not what we would choose
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Oldbloke » 25 Oct 2016, 7:19 pm

Lorgar wrote:
Gwion wrote:Depends on your intended use.


Exactly.

.223 is a pest control cartridge. .243 is a small-med game cartridge.

.243 is very versatile and yes you can load lighter bullets for pest but it's still massive over kill.

I think people who haven't used a .243 themselves and are just giving information based on paper-knowledge think a .243 with 55gr loads is similar to a .223 because they fire the same weight pill. (That's not aimed at anyone here, just commenting for the OP's future reference).

Anyone who's used both knows they're not at all. I'm not knocking the .243 either... I had one, liked a lot about it, but as OP is focused on beating the flinch they picked up from the .308 it wouldn't be my pick.

.243 recoil with 80gr - 90gr bullets is too similar to .308 to be much benefit I would say. And with any load the audible report is loud as hell.

Adding a .223 to the .22 and .308 would give a good lineup IMO. .22 for pests at short range, .223 for some longer range varminting, .308 for hunting. Sorted.


Spot on. Except for the comment in next post about the 708.. The 3006 is the best all rounder. :roll:
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by dugachelli » 25 Oct 2016, 10:02 pm

Be like me........got both and a .308...........nice round figure
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Raband » 20 Nov 2019, 9:09 am

Instead of starting a new thread....

Have the .22lr and .308 - am after one to bridge the gap and am tossing up which one.

I was leaning towards the .223 for the smaller critters.

That said - will probably be throwing roos into the mix - would the .223 be viable to them or would the .243 be the logical choice? (or get the .223 and take the .308 for roos/goats etc until I get a 4th gun?)
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by in2anity » 20 Nov 2019, 12:10 pm

Raband wrote:Instead of starting a new thread....

Have the .22lr and .308 - am after one to bridge the gap and am tossing up which one.

I was leaning towards the .223 for the smaller critters.

That said - will probably be throwing roos into the mix - would the .223 be viable to them or would the .243 be the logical choice? (or get the .223 and take the .308 for roos/goats etc until I get a 4th gun?)


roos are varmint in my books. with expanding bullets, the 223 is most definately not underpowered for roos and goats.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Raband » 20 Nov 2019, 12:25 pm

Cheers - head says 223, heart says 243 lol

I think it'll be the 223, so there's still some meat/pelt left on the critters
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by SCJ429 » 20 Nov 2019, 1:08 pm

I bagged an 80 kilo goat with my puny 223. Hit him at the top of the spine at a bit over 200.

What about a 22/250 or a 204 Ruger?
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by in2anity » 20 Nov 2019, 7:05 pm

The 243 can still have a bit of kick - my mate had an old Sako 243 with a hard buttplate - the thing really wasn’t comfortable to shoot from a supported position. After all, it is a 308 derivative. Fast 22cal - whole different category. Fantastic 200m hunting caliber. Point and zap.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by sungazer » 20 Nov 2019, 7:15 pm

Yeah I got both I take the 243 out when I am going semi Hunting. I say semi because most of the time I am jst going with a wander and if something pops up well I am prepared. I use the 243 on Roos I find the 243 a bit more accurate than the 223. 243 is a Sako and the 223 a Howa so that may have something to do with it. If I was just going out for foxes and maybe a few Roos the 223 will get a run on occasion. The 223 while it is more capable than I use it I would only use it out to 200 max ideally less much more confident with the 243 I have a DOPE sheet for that one a bit better bullet a bit of extra range.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Harrynsw » 20 Nov 2019, 7:36 pm

Had this choice in front of me 6 months ago. I chose the .223 over .243 and wish i didnt. Its accurate and a pleasure to shoot, wish it had more power.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by in2anity » 20 Nov 2019, 8:18 pm

Harrynsw wrote:wish it had more power.

Is that because of (lack of) killing power? Or due to long range target shooting limitations?
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Oldbloke » 20 Nov 2019, 8:40 pm

Raband wrote:Cheers - head says 223, heart says 243 lol

I think it'll be the 223, so there's still some meat/pelt left on the critters



Good choice. It doesnt hurt to be a little over gunned ocassionally with the 308
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Harrynsw » 20 Nov 2019, 9:29 pm

[/quote]
Is that because of (lack of) killing power? Or due to long range target shooting limitations?[/quote]

Being restricted to a 60 grain projectile
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Diamond Jim » 21 Nov 2019, 2:18 am

With a .22LR and a .308W already a .243 just doesn't make sense to me (at least). A .223 fills the gap perfectly and you have all the rifles you'll ever need (my opinion only). Then you should think about a nice shotgun.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by in2anity » 21 Nov 2019, 6:11 am

Harrynsw wrote:Being restricted to a 60 grain projectile

ok sure, so is the 60gr not heavy enough for stopping power, or are you wishing for a higher BC to buck the wind a bit better? I take it you're running a 1:12?
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Raband » 21 Nov 2019, 9:42 am

Thanks heaps guys - helped me clarify that the 223 would be hte besdt option this round

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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Harrynsw » 21 Nov 2019, 3:53 pm

in2anity wrote:ok sure, so is the 60gr not heavy enough for stopping power, or are you wishing for a higher BC to buck the wind a bit better? I take it you're running a 1:12?


Running 1:10 twist which stabilizes 60 grain projectiles pretty good. Personally I want a bit more stopping power. Pushing out an 80 or 100 grain projectile would've been better in my mind. To make myself feel better I remind myself I'm only paying 80c a round.
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Blr243 » 21 Nov 2019, 4:35 pm

When they took my mini14 223 away from me I wanted to get a browning lever in 223 but there was only a 243 in stock so I thought that will do. So glad now I have the 243 instead
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by Clem » 22 Nov 2019, 10:36 am

demanda wrote:Hi everyone,

I have a .22 and a .308 already but feel I need something a little smaller as the .308 is giving me a nasty flinching habit. I haven't been hunting all that long but shoot the usual bunnies, foxes, feral cats/dogs, roos etc... I'll be shooting pigs, camels, ponies etc... within the next little while.

I'm needing something light and accurate for a small person to shoot with recoil that won't dislocate my shoulder. A confidence boosting rifle.

Your thoughts?

Cheers :)


The .223 would be my choice. Between a .223 and .308 you can cover a lot of ground. :D

YMMV
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Re: 223 or 243 -- Your opinion?

Post by SCJ429 » 22 Nov 2019, 5:18 pm

You will probably end up with a 222 or a 223 at some stage. The decision is do you want a 1:14, 1:12 or a 1:8 twist rate.
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