PLANNING ON BUYING A .223/5.56 OR A .243

Dawnandusk

Dawnandusk

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Sep 26, 2018
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Bonita
I am planning on buying one of the two, it has to be a bolt action rifle. I already have an "evil" gun so I do not need another one.
Anybody knows someone with an extra one that want to sell it to another caring hunter?
Of course it will be another gift for my wife... LOL
 
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Lee, I have a .308 already, I want to add another caliber that could serve two purposes. I want a rifle for my son to come with me deer hunting, and also something to hunt predators without blowing them up in pieces. As you know my semiautomatic rifle ( the "evil one") can do only one of the two. That is the reason behind this quest.
Truduct, i have heard great things about the .243 that is the reason I am choosing that caliber. I might shoot at paper only to zero in the scope, then I might shoot one or two bullets per outing, I had thought about the cost of ammo but quickly realized that the cost of the trip is higher, so I can live with that.
I guess the next problem we will face is finding non-lead ammo for our guns.
 
"I have a .308 already, I want to add another caliber that could serve two purposes. I want a rifle for my son to come with me deer hunting, "
Then the reason to buy 243 Xtra
Deer rifle.
Mind is slipping I should have
Remembered your 308.
 
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longbowhunter2 said:
"I have a .308 already, I want to add another caliber that could serve two purposes. I want a rifle for my son to come with me deer hunting, "
Then the reason to buy 243 Xtra
Deer rifle.
Mind is slipping I should have
Remembered your 308.
Click to expand...
Not a big deal Lee!! LOL
 
If I had it to do over again, I feel pretty certain today I'd buy a .243 instead of a .308. And then I probably wouldn't have bought a .223

Ya got all these other varmint/predator specific loads readily avail for the .243

Then when you're ready... put back in a big game load (preferably with a Barnes TTSX projectile) and ya got a round with basically the same (or higher in some instances) energy numbers as a .30-30, but with much better ballistics.

And if you search the InterWebz, many have taken Black Bear and even Elk with .243 thanks to the copper ammo.
 
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Dawnandusk said:
I am planning on buying one of the two, it has to be a bolt action rifle. I already have an "evil" gun so I do not need another one.
Anybody knows someone with an extra one that want to sell it to another caring hunter?
Of course it will be another gift for my wife... LOL
Click to expand...


I have a friend with a Rem 700 .243 (I believe it is the SPS model) with a Leupold VX-3 3.5-10 on it. It was all purchased and set up at Fine Firearms. He asked me recently if I knew anyone that would want to buy it. Pretty sure the gun has less than 100 rounds through it, but you'd have to confirm with him. The one time I went to the range with him it was shooting well under MOA with some cheap factory ammunition (don't recall what it was). Let me know if you want to chat with him and I'll put you in touch.
 
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My 243 is staying by my side. Thinking of all the taxedermy it can get for me next year. Bobcat is a must.
You mention the possibility of getting a bear with a 243. That may work on YouTube but I’d definitely want another firearm with me in case the vitals are missed on the first shot.
 
DanSanDiego said:
My 243 is staying by my side. Thinking of all the taxedermy it can get for me next year. Bobcat is a must.
You mention the possibility of getting a bear with a 243. That may work on YouTube but I’d definitely want another firearm with me in case the vitals are missed on the first shot.
Click to expand...

So far I dont have intentions of going after bear.
I decided due to the overwelming recomendations to go with .243
 
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.223 can exert a LOT of force on a yote. My first shot on a yote... was a very rushed shot opportunity at close distance, approx 25yds. Because of the rushed nature of he shot, I'm pretty sure the bullet *probably hit him just above his spine and collided with the phalanges which protrude up from the vertebrae above his shoulder region.

It was crazy impressive to watch... that sucker did a complete barrel-roll mid-air!... then fell to the ground in a slump like a sack of potatoes.

However... since the shot apparently did not hit vitals... about about maybe 5 to 6 seconds of him laying on the ground rocking back-and-forth wallowing in pain... Son of a B if he didn't get back up... rise to his feet.... turn to look at me.... then take off running up and over the knoll the draw I was working my way up was on the side of!

I posted a video about it on YouTube. I blood trailed him at least 250+yds... up that knoll... down into the ravine... took off my pack and climb under a scrub oak and verified that he had rested in there for a second at the bottom of the ravine... searched around that scrub oak.. finally found two drops that point up the other side of the ravine.. sure enough on a small flat spot starting to go up that ravine, found more blood there... then...... nothing!

I fanned out in ever-widening circles... then went back to point of impact and trailed in again making the video to document all the blood I was finding 'cause I couldn't believe that he'd be able to run up and out of that ravine after being shot like that!

I even hung around where the trail went cold and sat and just watched all the ravens that routinely patrol the area on the winds... just to see if any one of them might happen to show a peculiar interest in any one area in particular. No dice. That was my first time not recovering an animal I'd made a shot on.

I feel certain he must have died that evening. I also *think* that if I'd have been using a more frangible round that I'd have recovered him. That I recall it was a 62gr Barnes TSX, which really is more meant for a Deer. But certainly could do the job on a yote if my shot placement would have been better. Like I said, it was a very quick shot opportunity. I had finished calling with mouth calls some number of minutes before... surveyed the landscape.. decided on the route I would take to go to next possible area to call from. So walked across this knoll I was on.. was gonna drop into that draw... work my way up it then climb onto a distant ridge. While slowly and quietly workng my way up the draw... at a certain point I was like "Oh sh*t..." I saw the yote boppin' along coming down the draw. Up on the knoll, the wind was pretty strong. Maybe 25mph I'd say. So I figured he was trying to do down that draw in order to loop around downwind of where I had previously been sitting while calling with the mouth call.

Anyhoo... hopefully this year I can seal the deal on one back out there in that spot. For now I'm concentrating on trying to fill this Bobcat tag at a much different spot where I'd previously called one in to 10yds without knowing it until I finally stood up, after working the caller for 45 minutes. Sucks... suppose to totally rain there this weekend too. But time is running short so figure I gotta just suck it up and go back out there anyway to increase chances of making it happen. Plus figure SuperBowl weekend will keep lots of other people at home too which could help my chances.
 
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just_ducky_1 said:
Well if you want more flex you can get a 7mm08. I didn’t want to thread jack but was going to say if you want a bolt gun go 243 or 7mm08. Leave 223 and 5.56 for those evil guns.
Click to expand...

I understand. There are many good calibers. Some love the .270, some the 6 and 6.5 creedmoor, 30-06 and 30-30 to name a few. We all have our favorite.
Next, after I nail the .243, I will go after a lever action rifle and my collection will be “almost” complete...
 
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