.243 questions/advice needed

C

cmdc

New member
I have recently taken up a primary residence in FL, and want to hunt feral hogs here. I have quite a number of rifles that would suffice for hog hunting, but I don't currently own a .243 and want to get one. Is it big enough for any hogs I might encounter in Florida?

I was thinking about a Remington 7600 synthetic stock.

Thanks for any input.
 
the .243 Winchester is an excellent cartridge. I have taken animals as large as Rocky Mountain elk with it. I imagine it will work fine for Florida swine.
 
ANY excuse to buy a new gun is a GOOD one...... You need a 243, without it all of your friends will point and laugh at you and make funny faces when your back is turned. Don't become the laughing stock of your group!!!

Go buy a 243 NOW!!!

Seriously, it will beat them little piggies down....
 
I've been using a .243 with Federal Power Shok 80 grain cartridges for a few years now. Very effective...
 
Based on my experience, I would say yes.

I have used Remington model 7 in 243 to take several FL hogs up to 219 lbs. plus couple deers. I use Winchester 100gr. Power Point ammo in mine since they are readily available at any Walmart store and cheap ($19,98 per box). The icing on the cake is that they will shoot 1" groups at 100 yards all day. The 100gr. Remington Core Lok is good too but they are not easily found around here.
 
Remington's slide action rifle has been perfected since it's introduction in the late 1950's. They really build a very good fast handling hunting rifle. Elitist critics say the trigger is mushy but I've found the tiny bit of creep to my liking for precision shooting. In a so-called normal hunting situation the trigger is quite good indeed.

243 has been slaying beasts of all sizes for several decades. Its a keeper!

Black Hills Ammo offers super accurate factory ammunition if that is your focus. But Winchester, FEDERAL, Remington, and Hornady offer good hunting ammo, too.

Good hunting to you.

Jack
 
Thanks guys, the 7600 is on its way. Now if you would be so kind as to make a scope recommendation?
 
Assuming you don't choose a bullet designed for exploding in a chipmunk.
At the moment, the Meopta MeoPro is a heck of a scope for what it costs.
You can do better, but I dont know of anything that even begins to rival it in the dollar for dollar category.
 
I'm a big fan of the 7600,good choice I use 3x9x50 Leupold on mine fond on sale @LGS FOR 200 BUCKS. good luck
 
I appreciate the input from you guys.

The place where I ordered the .243 also has a 7600 synthetic in .270. I'm thinking about getting that one as well. Those two rifles would take care of just about anything in the lower 48, let alone Florida, I'm thinking.
 
I think you'll be very happy choosing a 243 Winchester, it is one of my favorite cartridges. Light, light recoil, very accurate, and if you do your part and put the right bullet in the right spot it does an excellent job of killing.
 
IMHO the best value for the money right now is the Bushnell 4200 Elite 3-9X40mm scope. This is an excellent scope for 95% of hunting people will do. The glass is very sharp and clear and mechanically they hold up to some heavy recoiling calibers. I feel they are just as good or maybe even better than Leupold VXIII or Nikon Monarch series scopes. I have one on my truck rifle for past 3 years and despite all the abuse it gets the scope has never failed me. The scope's POA/POI has not changed at all. I've liked them enough to buy 3 more. I found them on the internet for under $300 each.
 
I got the first one from Natchez.
Other 3 were ordered from Overstock.com and Opticsplanet.com
Last one I got was only $199 with free shipping from Overstock.com
 
Having grown up in Florida hunting deer and hogs, and having the opportunity to chase pigs in a couple other states thanks to the USAF, the .243 will serve you well. My oldest used one to take her first pig, a 250 lb sow, as well as her first deer, a 100 lb spike, and both were 1-shot deals using 100gr Winchester Silvertip ammo. Growing up, many of my friends used .243s and I first-hand witnessed their effectiveness.

As for scopes, you've been given many great recommendations. I'll also throw in Nikon. I use several with no problems.

I have also done business with Natchez and have been pleased.
 
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Great suggestions, thanks to all of you. When hunting pigs, do any of you who are experienced in that endeavor find that an illuminated reticle is preferable?
 
Illuminated reticle can be a good feature but it can also be totally useless.

If you are hunting on public land (WMA) your shooting time is from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset and during those first and last 30 minutes you can turn down the magnification on the scope and collect enough light to see your target and reticle without any problem. It is not necessary to have illuminated reticle. I personally just keep my 3-9X scope at 3X for 95% of my shooting and I can see everything.

On private land you can hunt hogs at night (hogs are mostly active at night) with gun light and illuminated reticle can be as asset as it makes it easier to pickup your POA. Some people hunt them at night during full moon in the open land and if you keep your scope set a low power you can pickup the hogs and reticle without too much problem especially if you have light color back ground... like sugar sand. An illuminated scope would help in such hunting situations.

One problem with illuminated reticle is that cheap one are too bright to use during low light periods. Even at the minimum brightness setting they are too bright and you have problem seeing the target. Well made (read expensive) illuminated reticle scopes are useful as their low settings are usually very low and has just a slight red illumination that doesn't destroy rest of the view yet allow you to pickup the POA quickly and easily.
 
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