# Our 243 story.



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Sept 1973 Rob and I were out shooting our Winchester Model 100 308 semi autos. We had the mags installed but not loaded, just drop a round in and release the bolt.


Rob had just did one and all kinds of crap was flying thru the air.


I picked up over 134 pieces of wood and metal parts.





I now had a fear of shooting the model 100 I had so sat about getting rid of it. I went to many a gun shop with the Idea of coming home with a bolt action rifle capable of killing white tail deer and not loose my shirt in the deal.





After about two weeks I found a shop willing to do a nearly equal trade. The Rifle I had was a Winchester Model 100 nice wood very little worn blueing and a Tasco scope 3x9.


Gun shop gun was a Remington model 700 bolt action 243, nice wood and no wear of blueing at all. It had no scope but that could be added later.


Dealer said for me to take the rifle and two boxes of shells home and shot it some to see how I liked it.


I do not remember the ammo bullet weight today, but shooting water bottles pumpkins and other things that blew up I was impressed and did the trade. Dealer and I became friends with that trade.





Fellow I worked with sold cameras, scopes and other glass on the side. I bought a Bushnell 3x9 with BDC rings and rails off him.


The dealer I made the trade with also hunted with a 243 so he recommended a load for deer. Regular rifle primers, IMR 4350 Powder and 100 gr. Round nose bullets.


I loaded up a batch and they seemed to do a good job killing pumpkins so I saved a few for deer season.





I found out deer are not pumpkins and the first deer I shot I tracked drops yes drops of blood nearly 300 yards to find the dead deer. I became unimpressed with the 243 for deer, went and ordered a brand new Remington 700 in 308 since I still had ammo left.


I bought another Bushnell. 3x9 BDC scope look thru mounts and rails from the guy at work. That became my deer rifle the 3d rifle I now owned.


Thanks giving day We were out hunting, we were my self, brother and new brother in law. It was close to dinner time so were headed up to Robs jeep and go home for Turkey and foot ball. A doe came by us and didn’t look right, then we saw the neighbor guy, a hypocrite. Said to us why didn’t you shoot the deer, because it was a doe, your so anti doe hunting why are you trailing her. I thought she was a buck and shot her so she is wounded. Told us he was done chasing her now that he knew she was a doe. 





We went on home and had dinner but no foot ball. We went back and started tracking that doe. Tracked her a long way finally jumping her once but could not get a shot off.


The neighbors son caught up with us. We jumped the deer again and the kid shot the deer, bang flop she is down.


I asked what he was using, said a Savage something in 243 hand loaded 85 gr. Bullet.


That stuck with me.





Nearly a year later I had a accident and had some bad head trauma so the doctor at work would not allow me to work for a while.


This was during labor day week, every one else working so I decided to play with different loadings for the 243 all 85gr bullets.


Settled on the 85gr Serra HPBT bullets over top of IMR 4350 powder.


You did not have to mash potatoes just shoot them with that round.





Finally Robs settlement with Winchester was finished and he could not only get a pocket full of cash but any rifle they made. He got a Winchester model 70 bolt action in 243 4x12 red field scope.


He also used the same recipe for his hand loads of course we lived together so one of use was always loading some thing shoot shells, rifles or pistols.





My hunting partner Rick also bought a Savage rifle in 243 and use the same round. He got the package deal scope which turned out to not be much. We were shooting a lot of crows then.





I bought my dad a Rugar 77 tang safety rifle in 243 3x10 Simmons scope so on a week end we would get together to shoot for fun. So there we are 4 guys with 4 different brands of rifles scopes and shoot into our hill side where we put targets all different types cause the water filled stuff went quick.





Soon Rob and Rick would get to betting on who could hit the closest to dead center of a milk jug cap or shoot a water bottles cap off with out hurting the bottle. 





I have no idea how many crows we shot with the 243’s, deer, wood chucks, Rick shot a bear in Canada with his. 


Rob and I shot a lot of snow shoe hare in March near the end of the season with ours.


We love our pea shooters.





I still have my Remington, Dads Rugar too. One ofRicks grand sons got his when he passed and Robs daughter got his before he passed.





I have no Idea who will get mine when I am gone. My son doesn’t hunt nor is his son interested either. My daughters son isn’t interested either. 


So If I do not find any one before my time is up Kare will do with them as she wishes.





Remington 700 308.











Remington 700 243,

Al


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Was Rob injured when the gun exploded?

Sounds like fun having a shooting competition with all different types of guns and ammo. 

My son has been told to sell anything I might have at that time. I know he won't want them and my daughter doesn't need them.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Yes Rob was injured when the gun exploded. He had some part got thru his foot and burns in the groin area.

He was still useing crutches when fire arm deer season opened up Nov. 15th.

Al


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Wow, he was lucky it wasn't worse. No matter how much money you get from something like that it doesn't make up for what you go through.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Well took months to settle. Rob went nd bought a Remington 760 carbine pump in 308 for that hunting season.
He fell in love with that rifle. We got to calling it the flame thrower.

Al


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## Whoo (Apr 28, 2016)

Your memory to recall a story is amazing! Thank you for sharing. I have a Ruger M77 Mark II 243 that I took my first deer with 31 years ago when I was 8. My son took his first deer with it last year. Both were with one shot!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

With the right load and shot place ment the 243 is a great rifle to have around. Handy for windy day coyote hunting, light recoil for amy one kids and women to use on white tail deer. 
My second choice would be a 6.5 some thing, like the. 260 Remington if you reload other wise ammo is to expencive.

Al


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## Seth (Dec 3, 2012)

I love the .243 round, deer hunted with it for years, then used it in the summer for coyote and groundhog hunting. Great all around caliber. Mine is a Savage M10.


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

Have one in a 788 remington. The old load it liked was with 4350, and I'm rationing it right now. Have some 4320 IMR I'm not using in anything, anybody have any success with that powder?


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

My daughter and her husband both hunt with .243's.
Jim took a doe at 310 yds.
Sarah took a buck at 250 yds.
Both were bang flops.
Shot placement is everything and the .243 has the accuracy to make it happen.


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

I've been trying to work up a load in a Rossi youth gun (the one with the three interchangeable barrels) It appears to not like the 100 grain bullets. It shoots 80 grain factory loads at the most accurate level I have seen out of it. I'm using 87 grain bullets, cycled through IMR 4320 at grain increments, started on imr 3031. Need a calm day that I'm home. Hate to get into my 4350 supply but I might have to. Have a pound of w-760 but I'm kind of leery of the ball powder with the whole hot/cold thing.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

My best load for the .243 is a Sierra 85gr BTHP with CCI
primers and 35.4gr of IMR 4064.
From a bench I best three shot group at 100yds measured center to center at .151". It hit the dime size target dead center.
Love the .243.


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