Anyone else think semi-auto rifle in .243 a good idea?

[bushmaster1313]

Not sure why I have this

Does not seem very popular

 

[6GUNSONLY]

Perfect coyote rifle. Accurate, hard-hitting, flat shooting, multiple shot capability. I've thought about trading my AR platform .308 for one in .243 for those reasons. I have no practical use for an AR .308, but I have it. Guess I could get another upper in .243...

 

[robertrwalsh]

I suppose it depends on what you intend to use it for. For coyote or feral dogs it would be great. For moose, not so much. Maybe a little too much for rabbits.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

.243 Winchester is an excellent cartridge, perfectly suitable for any North American game animal up to mule deer size and capable of fine accuracy in a good rifle. Cartridge case is the same as .308 Winchester/7.62NATO, just necked-down for the 6mm bullets, so magazines are not a problem. Unlike some other popular developments, .243 Win is readily available as a commercial cartridge so no home ammo manufacturing is required. Recoil is very mild.

If you enjoy it I think it's worth having. What's not to like?

 

[Baggy Wrinkle]

.243 Win is a great all-round cartridge. I use mine for everything from coyote to mule deer. Accurate with mild recoil. Just have to pick the right load for each application. But, I fail to see the advantage of the cartridge in a semi-auto. One shot, one kill. Plus, the AR format is heavier than most bolt actions. Just my 2 cents.

 

[hkcavalier]

The 6.5C pretty much killed off any market for a .243 semi-auto. Just a tad more recoil and can do more. Not sure if anyone is making a 6mmC AR but it would truly fill the niche.

 

[JayFramer]

Decent enough, but the 6.5 Creeder Critter probably makes more sense in the AR weapons system platform.

 

[Univibe]

That's actually quite close to what NATO wanted after WW2, a .250 or .260 cartridge.

But the ISA forced 7.62x51 on them, then switched to 5.56.

 

[4barrel]

Winchester made a 742 for 243 caliber. I had a short barrel 308 & the mag was stamped 308-243.

 

[rwsmith]

Good cartridge...

It's in the 6mm category, so it's a legal deer hunting rifle in this state. And it would be effective on everything else around here. The only possible exception would by the Scape Ore Lizardman, but I wouldn't worry about him because he's never seen anymore except once a year at his Festival in Bishopville.

 

[brucev]

First high powered rifle I ever bought was a Win. 70 in ... .243 Winchester. Hot dog! That was a great rifle! Light recoil. Pure poison on anything that walked or crawled in Louisiana. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[weatherby]

Popular with who.....
I like it.

 

[duane_wade]

One of the first centerfire rifles I ever bought was an Interarms X in .243 and it was good for any i needed to kill here in Indiana. Sub 1" groups out of it with about any ammo i put through it which was outstanding considering it had a sporter barrel on it.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[505Gibbs]

Unless you reload I don't think you'll get the best out of it depending on the twist rate you have.
Factory loads tended to have heavier bullets[at least that's the way is use to be]. I personally haven't looked at the offerings in years.

 

[Oldbev]

First of all nice AR and nice pictures.Nothing wrong with the .243 round.Sometimes we get caught up in the latest and greatest new cartridge on the block. Most of the new ones seem to mimic some existing round,but made to function in an AR. Don't want to start any arguments but have seen moose shot with .243. As well as the loweley 30.30. Some people just shoot a .243 better . Bullet selection and shot placement gets it done . We seem to think we need a lot more gun than our grandfathers did Nuf said

 

[jake1945]

I prefer the 6mm Remington over the .243.

 

[gwpercle]

It's as good as any and better than most !

243 can can cover a lot of uses and if you wanted only one rifle ...this wouldn't be a bad choice .
I would prefer it to 223 .
Gary

 

[Buick]

Always wondered why the military didnt adopt it vice the 5.56.
I guess the ammo weight

 

[H Richard]

.243 is a fine Prairie Dog round if you need to reach out a little further. When I was active I used a Savage 110 for shots in the 500+ range. Shot closer will really make a dog do a heavenly hop.

 

[BAM-BAM]

That's a sweeeet set up....... .243 is readily available just about anywhere vs the new exotic 6mm rounds........

I've used a .243 in Pa for everything from varmints (70gr) to deer (105gr) in a Ruger 77 International/mannlicher since about 1980