243 or 308

beretta391

which one is better or they much the same

kildarejoe

Better for what exactly.
What do you want to use it for.

beretta391

might be going for my deer licence

poulo6.5

.308 is much more powerful but you should have no problem with a .243 if your shot placement is good. As with any cal.

I have a .308 and had a 6.5x55 and just got a .243. Even though I used a .243 in the past this is my first time owning one so if you can wait a few weeks into the season I will be able to tell you defiantly which is best. For me that is as your needs might differ.

Neither the 6.5x55 or the .308 ever disappointed me in it's ability to do the job. I hope the .243 does the same.

beretta391

cheers poula for that, then i do the fox shooting, 308 be a bit much id say

kildarejoe

Depends on the deer as well.
Reds and fallow are a bit softer than sika.
The 243 seems to knock the red and fallow handy enough, but the sika are a bit hardier, while it will kill them, they may run quite a bit before keeling over where the 308 will have a better chance at dropping them on the spot but it all depends on the shot placement as well.
Either of them in the spine at the neck or brain will drop them on the spot.

It wasn't me!

.243 will be more versatile if you want to shoot foxes too, but you might feel a bit lacking on tougher deer. .308 is a great, great all rounder, but there's precious little dedicated foxing ammo available. That said, you put a 150gr expanding bullet like a partition, gameking, SST or ballistic tip in a fox's chest and he'll never know the difference. Always make sure you're equipped for the biggest, toughest game you want to deal with and forget about having more than you need at the other end would be my philosophy on the matter.

beretta391

interesting, so if it was you, you be going for 308 and still shoot foxes with it

It wasn't me!

beretta391 wrote: »

interesting, so if it was you, you be going for 308 and still shoot foxes with it

Yep. Same as if I have one stalking rifle to do everything from muntjac to kudu and eland, it's likely to be a .300 magnum of some kind, even if that seems crazy for shooting sika in Wicklow. I'd rather be overgunned (Though the term is a bit clumsy - will a .243 kill it more gently, or will it be less dead?) 95% of the time than undergunned just once.

Cass

A .243 in the right hands in better than a .308 in the wrong hands. Sounds blantantly obvious, but you'd be surprised at the amount of lads that look at the biggest caliber they can get simply because its the biggest.

I had a .243 years ago and there was nothing it couldn't do once i done my part. After saying that i'm a huge, huge fan of the .308. With ammo ranging from 100 gr to 220 gr there is now a round for every job, and as said above dead is dead, the fox won't know any better. Plus if its a fox with a 109 gr and then a massive 16 pointer Red with a 185gr the .308 covers you everyway.

Its really a personal choice, and you might find yourself picking a rifle in a .243 simply bcause the rifle suits you better.

If its opinions you're after then i vote for .308. Back to the old adage of "it does everything a .243 can do and a .308".

arrowloopboy

.308,you can't kill something too much,i've seen sikas shot in the heart with the .308 (160gr bullet)running 70 yards.

clivej

Dead is dead

9 outa 10 Deer i've shot said they prefered the 308

Clean entry large exit.

ejg

308 is the better cartridge, that's why it is so popular.
Better because it translates the same powder into more energy at the same overall length. Has much better stopping power and can take much larger game.
Then again if one shoots smaller stuff mainly the 243 would do to and has an advantage
that smaller faster bullets are available.
I've shot fox with the 308, doesn't seem right though.
Looking forward to my new custom 243.
edi

rowa

You can use the .308 to shoot game such as wild boar etc in eastern europe if you wanted to , the .243 wouldn't be allowed , in fact the .243 isn't allowed to be used on red deer in germany , so the .308 is by far the most versatile calibre , or you could go to .30 06......

patsat

My friend uses a .243 with 100 gr soft points for shooting deer and does a large amount of fox shooting using 55gr ballistic tips!

staghunter

kildarejoe wrote: »

Depends on the deer as well.
Reds and fallow are a bit softer than sika.
The 243 seems to knock the red and fallow handy enough, but the sika are a bit hardier, while it will kill them, they may run quite a bit before keeling over where the 308 will have a better chance at dropping them on the spot but it all depends on the shot placement as well.
Either of them in the spine at the neck or brain will drop them on the spot.

this is an honest question but is sika deer really hardier than a big red i find it hard to believe but in sayin that ive never shot a sika

323

Shot placement is everything but seen a number of Red's go a long way with well placed 243's.

To quore Robert Ruark from the 1950's: "Use Enough Gun" is sound advice, and a good read.

It wasn't me! wrote: »

I'd rather be overgunned (Though the term is a bit clumsy - will a .243 kill it more gently, or will it be less dead?) 95% of the time than undergunned just once.

Wise man

I'd go for the 308 and use it for everything

beretta391

any of ye know what Marlin are like in 308, there dirt cheap to buy 450 new

Cass

From a previous post of mine on another thread about a similar topic;

I don't want to run down the Marlin as i've never fired it, but i did get a good look at one the other day. X7 model. The rifle is ultra light, both the stock and the barrel. It does not appear to be fully floated and the muzzle is so thin that threading it for a mod would be "tricky" at best. It is ULTRA light. Too light actually. The barrel is so thin that the gunsmith i seen it in said threading it is a "challenge". I could hold the rifle extended out with one hand and it was effortless.

They are great value, but you really do get what you pay for and in this case it would seem to "little is best" attitude. As i said though i've never fired one so cannot comment on performance. Only going on look, and feel.

Not saying not to consider it, but i would look at something with a little more "body". I know recoil is only a small part of the obvious problems but your shoulder will thank you for it

All in all the price reflects the quality.

This opinion only applies to the X7 model i seen, not every or any other model for that matter.