ANY line-up of the most popular centrefire rifle cartridges includes the .243 Winchester. Since the .243 Winchester’s appearance in 1955, it has been challenged by numerous newcomers, last but not least being the 6mm Creedmoor.
Recoil of the .243 is tolerable, even in lightweight rifles which naturally appeal to young and female shooters. The cartridge delivers sufficient energy for game animals such as pigs, goats and deer — provided the correct bullet is used and properly placed. That’s the problem. There’s little margin for error; miss the vitals and you’ll be faced with a long tracking job or lose the animal.
So it appears the .243 Win is more of an expert’s cartridge than a beginner’s. Despite this, the .243 is still a popular choice, not only with pig hunters and deer hunters, but also varmint shooters.
This mild little round is popular in other countries too. I’ve seen .243s in the hands of Inuit eskimos in the Arctic who use them not only for seals but polar bears. I’ve also seen the .243 used in Zimbabwe to bag antelopes varying in size from duiker to eland for the biltong market.
The .243 Win started life as a wildcat just three years after the birth of its parent, the .308 Win. It was the brainchild of Warren Page, gun editor of magazine, who was
