I own a ton of shotguns 2 muzzleloaders and a few 22lrs a 22 mag, and some 3006'S I've been looking at the remingtons and savages. I want a synthetic stock with a SS barrel. I plan on getting a bedded thumbhole Laminated stock and most likely a nikon monarch. I like the 223 for cheap ammo IE this rifle will be used for yotes and paper mostly. What do you fellas think would be a good set up?? I don't have anything to reload for either of these calibers YET.
.223 or .243?
- Thread starter upstate81
- Start date
nimbleVagrant
New member
both calibers are capable well beyond 300 yards with heavy bullets and a fast barrels. But at 300 yards and against even the most formidable coyote a .223 is plenty.
.300 Weatherby Mag
New member
I'm not a .223 fan.. Other than being economical.. The cartridges does nothing for me... Its less gun than a 22-250 and a .243... Admittedly the .223 Rem is accurate but for my purposes my .22-250 Rem and .243 do what I want... I don't care about barrel life... With the manufacturers making rifles with faster twists for the .22-250s now you shoot heavier bullets and outclass the .223...
More info on the .243 Win... http://www.6mmbr.com/243Win.html
More info on the .243 Win... http://www.6mmbr.com/243Win.html
mrawesome22
New member
22-250Rem. Hold right on to 400.
Well, Upstate, now you've gone and done it. I don't know what to tell you.
I shoot and have both, and like both.
(long pause)
The short answer is get the 243, it is the more versatile of the two.
The cost of 243 brass is almost twice that of the 223 cases, but you don't lose them in a bolt gun and are reusable a good number of times. Bullet cost about the same, maybe a bit more for quality 243 bullets.
223 is what I shoot the most of. 2 AR's and a bolt 223. I also reload.
Out to about 250 to 300 yards the 223 will preform well but the kinetic energy of the 223 will wain in comparison to the 243. If hunting is in your future with the rifle, then it is a slam dunk for the 243.
If all you want to do is paper punching, then the 223 will surfice.
Wind will effect the 223 (55 Grain) to a much greater entent than it will the 243 (95 or 105 grain bullets) and if you want you can push the 40 grain 243 to 4,000 feet per second (shorten barrel life however).
I have posted two pictures, the first is a Savage 223 the second my 243.
Tough choice, I like both.
Jim
I shoot and have both, and like both.
(long pause)
The short answer is get the 243, it is the more versatile of the two.
The cost of 243 brass is almost twice that of the 223 cases, but you don't lose them in a bolt gun and are reusable a good number of times. Bullet cost about the same, maybe a bit more for quality 243 bullets.
223 is what I shoot the most of. 2 AR's and a bolt 223. I also reload.
Out to about 250 to 300 yards the 223 will preform well but the kinetic energy of the 223 will wain in comparison to the 243. If hunting is in your future with the rifle, then it is a slam dunk for the 243.
If all you want to do is paper punching, then the 223 will surfice.
Wind will effect the 223 (55 Grain) to a much greater entent than it will the 243 (95 or 105 grain bullets) and if you want you can push the 40 grain 243 to 4,000 feet per second (shorten barrel life however).
I have posted two pictures, the first is a Savage 223 the second my 243.
Tough choice, I like both.
Jim
4runnerman
New member
Go with the 223. It's cheaper to shoot and very accurate (not that the 243 is not). The 223 is more than capable of yotes past 500 yards with ease. There seems to be this myth always leading to a 55 gn bullet.. I have never shot that light of a bullet in my 223. 55 gn is the most common for everyone to buy but by no means do you have to shoot that weight. I shoot 68 and i also have a awesome load for 75 A-Max also. IMHO a 243 is a overkill for yotes.
True, but not for instant kills, and I use the 75 grain A-Max's as well. And I don't know that once you get past your inital purchase of 500 cases of brass, that it is all that much cheaper to shoot unless you are buying commercial ammo.
At least with the 243, you can use it for deer hunting in pretty much in most of the States of the Union.
Jim
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Clifford L. Hughes
New member
Upstate81:
Both the .243 and the .223 will stop a coyote in its tracks. The advantage of the
.243 is that it's less sensitive to the wind. However, the ammo for the .243 is costlier then then the .223. Most states don't allow .223's to hunt deer. I'm not aware of any states that prohibits the use of 243's on deer. In a hot prairie dog town the .223 is less tiring. When I shot prairie dogs I shot a .223 before the wind came up and then I switched to a 22-250 and I wished that I had a .243.
Semper Fi.
Gunnery sergeant
Clifford L. Hughes
USMC Retired
Both the .243 and the .223 will stop a coyote in its tracks. The advantage of the
.243 is that it's less sensitive to the wind. However, the ammo for the .243 is costlier then then the .223. Most states don't allow .223's to hunt deer. I'm not aware of any states that prohibits the use of 243's on deer. In a hot prairie dog town the .223 is less tiring. When I shot prairie dogs I shot a .223 before the wind came up and then I switched to a 22-250 and I wished that I had a .243.
Semper Fi.
Gunnery sergeant
Clifford L. Hughes
USMC Retired
I've owned and shot both as a varmint hunter. The noticeable difference to me was the ammo cost, the 223 being lower vs 243. The 243 was better in windy conditions. The 243 round was much louder (out in the field with no ear protection), it could reach out a little further, and with accurate hits it was instant (fall over) death to the varmint. Oh, and I used the 243 on whitetail deer, because I wasn't comfortable using the 223 round. Having said all that, it'd pick the 223.
