.243 Winchester

The .243 Winchester (6×52mm) is a popular sporting rifle cartridge. Initially designed as a target/varmint round, it may be used for animals such as coyote, blacktail deer, whitetail deer, mule deer, pronghorn, and wild hogs. It can also be used against larger animals such as black bear or elk but is sometimes said to be "too light" for such large animals. Rounds of at least 90 grains are better suited for hunting larger animals while rounds less than 90 grains are more suitable for varmints.^[3] The .243 is based on a necked down .308 cartridge case. It is very popular with target shooters, Metallic Silhouette, and long range shooters, because of its accuracy and low recoil.

History

.243 Winchester Improved (left) and .243 Winchester (right)

This cartridge was first introduced in 1955 for the Winchester Model 70 bolt-action and Model 88 lever-action sporting rifles and quickly gained popularity among sportsmen worldwide.^[4] Just about every major manufacturer offers rifles chambered in .243.

It was a ground-breaking development of the day, combining a very useful combination of lightweight (70 to 85 grain) bullets optimized for long-range performance for varmint hunters (groundhogs, coyotes, prairie dogs) and 90 to 105-grain bullets suitable for the game up to the size of deer and pronghorn antelope. Its predecessor in the Winchester lineup, the very similar .257 Roberts, could have easily been selected to accomplish the same tasks, but was not available factory loaded with either lighter, varmint-weight bullets or pointed, long range spitzer (pointed) bullets, so it never achieved the popularity of the newer round.

Remington also saw the 6mm (.243") family as suitable for this dual-purpose use and introduced their version, the .244 Remington, in the same year (1955) based upon the .257 Roberts necked down to accept .243 bullets up to 90 grains in weight. The Winchester round remains available today whereas the .244 Remington, later renamed the 6mm Remington with the introduction of 100-grain bullets, is far less popular even though it can push all bullet weights slightly faster with maximum loads due to the larger capacity case. The fact that the .243 Win was originally offered in a 1 in 10" rifling twist rate, a rate better able to stabilize heavier 100 and 105-grain bullets, versus the .244 Remington's 1 in 12" twist (hence the 90-grain factory offering) was also a factor in their popularity.

Since the enactment of the Deer Act 1963 in the United Kingdom, which stipulated a minimum bullet diameter of .240 inches, together with minimum levels of muzzle velocity and bullet energy, the .243 is now perceived as the entry-level caliber for legal deer-stalking. Firearms that would normally be chambered in .308 Winchester/7.62×51mm NATO are sometimes available in .243 in countries–such as Spain–whose regulations restrict or forbid private ownership of so-called military calibers. No military is known to currently designate this round for service.

In a non-sporting context, bolt-action rifles chambered for the .243 were utilized by the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) unit during its early years.^[5] A specialist 115 grain projectile can move up to 3150fps from a 28 inch barrel, or over 3000fps from a 26 inch barrel.^[6]

P. O. Ackley created an improved version of this cartridge called the .243 Winchester Improved (Ackley).^[7] Like other improved cartridges, this created a steeper shoulder and blew the sides out, giving about 10% more powder capacity, and some small improvement in velocity. Both versions of the .243 cartridge are good for hunting deer.

Performance

The .243 produces a velocity of 2,960 feet (902.21 m) per second with a 100-grain (6.6 gram) projectile from a 24-inch (610 mm) barrel. Commercially loaded .243 ammunition is available with bullet weight ranging from 55 grains (3.6 g) up to 115 grains (6.8 g). Twist rate of the barrel is the major deciding factor in which bullets to use, 1:10 being the most popular as it is sufficient to stabilize up to 100-gr. bullets. However, for VLD (very low drag)-profile and bullets heavier than 100 grs., a 1:8 or 1:7 (for 115-gr. VLD bullets) is necessary.

(Left to Right) .223 Remington, .243 Winchester, .308 Winchester

Some 243 Winchester Cartridges (circle size proportional to recoil).
Game Class vs 6 in Maximum Point Blank Range.  Sectional Density vs Ballistic Coefficient.

See also

• List of firearms
• List of rifle cartridges
• Table of handgun and rifle cartridges
• .243 Winchester Super Short Magnum
• 6mm Remington
• 6.5×47mm Lapua
• Delta L problem
• Sectional density
• 7.62 mm caliber
• 6.8mm Remington SPC

References

External links

• .243 Winchester Cartridge Guide by AccurateShooter.com
• Cartridge Dimensions

Cartridges derived from the .250-3000 Savage or its derivatives (including wildcats)
First generation	.22-250 Remington 6 mm XC .250 Ackley Improved .300 Savage
Second generation	Based on .300 Savage .308 Winchester Based on .22-250 Remington .22-250 Ackley Improved
Third generation	Based on .308 Winchester .243 Winchester .260 Remington 7mm-08 Remington .307 Winchester .308×1.5-inch Barnes 7.62×51mm NATO .338 Federal .358 Winchester
Fourth generation	Based on .243 Winchester .243 Ackley Improved Based on .307 Winchester .356 Winchester Based on .308×1.5-inch Barnes .22 BR Remington 6mm BR 7mm BR Remington .30 BR

Winchester firearms and cartridges
Rifles	Lever-action Henry rifle Model 1866 Model 1873 Model 1876 Model 1886 Model 1892 Model 1894 Model 1895 Model 53 Model 55 Model 64 Model 65 Model 71 Model 88 Model 150 Model 250 Model 255 Model 9422 Bolt-action Model 1878 Hotchkiss Model 1895 Lee Navy Model 1900 Model 1902 Model 1904 Model 43 Model 47 Model 51 Imperial Model 52 Model 54 Model 56 Model 57 Model 58 Model 59 Model 60 Model 60A Model 67 Model 68 Model 69 Model 70 Model 72 Model 75 Model 121 Model 131 Model 141 Model 320 Model 325 Model 670 Model 770 Pump-action Model 1890 Model 1906 Model 61 Model 62 Model 62A Model 270 Semi-automatic Model 1903 Model 1905 Model 1907 Model 1910 Model 30 Model 63 Model 74 Model 77 Model 100 Model 190 Model 490 Full-automatic Olin/Winchester FAL Model 1917 Falling-block action Model 1885
Shotguns	Pump-action Model 1893 Model 1897 Model 1912 Model 25 Model 42 Model 1200 Model 1300 Lever-action Model 1887 Model 1901 Model 9410 Single-shot Model 20 Model 36 Model 37 Model 37A Model 41 Double-barrel Model 21 Model 24 Model 96 Model 101 Semi-automatic Model 1911 SL Model 40 Model 50 Model 59 Model 1400 Model 1500 SX-1
Cartridges	.17 Winchester Super Magnum .22 Magnum (WMR) .218 Bee .219 Zipper .22 Hornet .220 Swift .223 Winchester Super Short Magnum .225 Winchester .243 Winchester .243 Winchester Super Short Magnum .25-20 WCF .25-20 Winchester .256 Winchester Magnum .25-35 Winchester .25 Winchester Super Short Magnum .264 Winchester Magnum .270 Winchester .270 Winchester Short Magnum 7mm Winchester Short Magnum .284 Winchester .30-30 Winchester .307 Winchester .308 Winchester .300 Winchester Short Magnum .300 Winchester Magnum .32 Winchester Special .32-20 Winchester .325 Winchester Short Magnum .33 Winchester .338 Winchester Magnum .345 Winchester Self-Loading .348 Winchester .35 Winchester .35 Winchester Self-Loading .351 Winchester Self-Loading .356 Winchester .358 Winchester .375 Winchester .38-40 Winchester .38-55 Winchester .38-56 WCF .38-72 Winchester .40-60 Winchester .40-72 Winchester .401 Winchester Self-Loading .405 Winchester .44 Henry .44-40 Winchester .45-60 Winchester .45-75 Winchester .458 Winchester Magnum .50-110 Winchester