.243 vs .308

elkkid3

elkkid3

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Sep 26, 2009
903
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34
Tonto Basin, AZ
#1
I would like to get a remington 700 in 308 but i only have 660$. I already have a 243 savage model 11, I was thinking about upgrading the 243. How much more accuracy could I get out of a 308? Oh yeah, How are the Super sniper scopes?

Thanks,

Rhett
 
#2
Re: .243 vs .308

Target shooting?

Right now .243 looks like a viable option, I see the ammo in stores, smaller faster bullet.....what's not to like?

Find a Savage or an older Remington 788 in 308!
smile.gif
 
#3
Re: .243 vs .308

I dont think you gain anything with a .308 over a .243

the only advantage I see is that the .308 is a veyr efficient, mild cartridge.

The .243 is more of an overbore cartridge and is not as efficient with powder.

I chose a .243 over a .308 because I could shoot higher BC bullets, faster, with the same amount of powder and the same length barrel.
 
#5
Re: .243 vs .308

308 Winchester isn't any more accurate than 243 Winchester. Both have the same accuracy potential. The barrel on the 308 Win will last longer though.

Your money would be better spent re-barreling the Savage than on buying another factory stick. A good custom barrel will be more accurate in either caliber than a factory barrel. You could make it any caliber that shares the same bolt head: 243 Win, 7mm-08, 260 Rem, 308 Win. and a bunch of others.
 
#7
Re: .243 vs .308

The biggest difference will be determined by the twist of your barrel.

If your 243 barrel is a fast enough twist to shoot the heavier bullets, then it will smoke the 308. If it isn't fast then you are limited on bullet choices.
 
#8
Re: .243 vs .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: huntinaz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is there much price difference in 243 or 308, I am starting in with reloading? What are good barrels? Theres a guy who makes them in my town and I have heard there great. </div></div>
Here is a good place to start.
 
#10
Re: .243 vs .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bacarrat</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: huntinaz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is there much price difference in 243 or 308, I am starting in with reloading? What are good barrels? Theres a guy who makes them in my town and I have heard there great. </div></div>
Here is a good place to start.
</div></div>

when i click the link it says page not found?
 
#11
Re: .243 vs .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: huntinaz</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If I re barrel it whats the best twist for all around target and hunting? </div></div>

For which caliber?

For 243 1-8 or faster with the 107 or 115gr
For 308 1-11.27 with the 155 to 175gr
 
#12
Re: .243 vs .308

Only time when a 308 is better served than a 243 is when you need to send bigger lead down range. The 243 has some seriously high BC bullets. If you can set your stick to shoot at least the 105, or 107 grains then you are GTG. Ideally, the 115 grains is the way to go, but you are going to need a special throat and faster twist barrel to shoot that bullet.
 
#13
Re: .243 vs .308

Hunting at "normal" ranges I would suggest a .308 is better, if you want to stretch out or if this is for paper and steel only I would do as has been suggested and aim for 115 DTAC from a 1-7.8 twist.

Rath
 
#16
Re: .243 vs .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RADcustom</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I really can't think of anything that a 308 can do better than a 243 except shoot more rounds before needing a new barrel. </div></div>

I can think of one other thing.

<span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-weight: bold">MEAT DAMAGE</span></span>

Anything shot through the heart/lungs with a fast .243 (I'm using 90grn Nosler Ballistic tips) is going to cause a lot of meat loss due to blood 'hydraulic-ing' into the tissue. Not as much of an issue in .308.

I might be able to find an article in 'Deer' magazine which actually lists the cartridges which produce the most meat loss, if you're interested.

Basically anything forward of the ribs is for sausage if you use a hi-steppin' .243.

Just my 0.02c

Neil
 
#17
Re: .243 vs .308

With the heavier bullets meat loss from a 243 is not that big a deal. I shot this antelope a couple weeks ago with my 243Ai at 556 yards. You could have eaten nearly up to the hole. I had the same experience a couple years ago with an 8pt I shot at 488. I was using the d-tac on the antelope and a 115 berger on the whitetail. The internals were wicked messed up but meat damage was minimal.

trip013.jpg
 
#18
Re: .243 vs .308

Hi Rhett,

+1 to what Kombayotch stated.

Often times people spend the money for a new rifle/caliber to try and get better accuracy only to find out that the new gun doesn't shoot any better than the old one.That's how allot of mass produced guns are.It's really a gamble.Sometimes you get a good one,sometimes not.Sounds like you might not have the money to take a chance.

Savages can be made to shoot incredibly well with a match barrel.Maybe some truing of the bolt face is in order too,bedding,etc.

A 7.5 twist is a good compromise for 243 heavy bullets.It will work well with 105's and 115's.

308's are OK but (IMO) I like the better ballistics,less wind drift,lower recoil of 6mm's over the barrel life of the 308.

Steve
 
#20
Re: .243 vs .308

Hi Eddybo,

Nice shootin Tex!

I agree with what you said about the meat damage, but what I was trying to point out was that a FAST .243 (like my 90grn, stepping out at 3000fps) within 220m is going to cause a lot of meat loss.

AzHunter, your call. What range you going to be hunting at? You have to think about this. Eddybo is right, but then again, so am I. Different bullet, different speed, different range, different result. That's ballistics!

N
 
#23
Re: .243 vs .308

Like said above there are plus's to each. You did say you were going to reload and with that I would go the 308 route and run a lighter weight bullet around the 140g mark or what ever and go from there. You could always buy heavier factory rounds when needed or roll them to. This would keep the barrel life of a 308. JMO
 
#24
Re: .243 vs .308

Meat loss depends on the bullet type. Controlled expansion bullets even driven fastly usually cause less meat loss than cup and core bullets pushed normally. Shoot a Nosler Etip or Barnes TSX as fast as you want and I would suspect very little meat loss.

NBT are designed to expand quickly, hence massive meat loss.
 
#26
Re: .243 vs .308

The point being that the 243 has the versatility to do whatever you want with the right twist and do it better than the 308.

The life of the barrel is dependant on a few things. How fast you push the bullets; length, number, and speed of shot strings are ones that come to mind. I would think the 243 would last about half as long as the 308 under similar conditions, give or take. YMMV
 
#30
Re: .243 vs .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: steve123</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'll stick my neck out on the chopping block here and say 2500 rounds for 243 and 5000 rounds 308 on average.This ought to stir up the pot a little.

Steve </div></div>

Steve. Don't know about the exact round counts for each, but agree with you on the 243 is going to burn the barrel out a bit faster than the 308.
 
#32
Re: .243 vs .308

Meet damage has much more to do with bullet construction and bullet placement...

I prefer shooting non (modest) expanding bullets at a slight angle through the vitals and INTO the 'frame' (skeleton) on the off side, yes I purposely try to take out at least ONE LEG/SHOULDER. I believe, and have experienced, that by doing this the energy and shock of the bullet hitting this frame like 'ripples on a tuning fork' throughout the animal and 'knocks' them over and they usually do not get up. I prefer this and have shot this way for 2 years with great success.

Expanding bullets (rapid type, ballistic tips etc.) I shoot ONLY into the vitals, broad side ONLY. Had many animals run off, some close, some far, MOST recovered after SOME tracking...damages less meat but less often an IMMEDIATE KILL.

My experiences with my .243 and my 300 Win Mag.

My opinion, not my Gospel, LOL!
 
#33
Re: .243 vs .308

As Steve123 said I feel that to get the most out of the .243 Win cartridge you need to have an 1 in 8" twist barrel or faster. That will allow you to shoot the heavier 105, and 107 grain bullets that retain their energy and therefore show less wind drift. After all the range is often easier to determine than the wind in most situations.
A .243 shooting a 105 or 107 grain match bullet is very similar to the .300 Winchester Magnum shooting a 190 grain match bullet- with regard to wind drift and drop. It is NOT similar with respect to recoil and terminal energy. The .243 has much less of each. HOWEVER- most people don't realize that a .243 Win (or 6XC- or 6x47L) has about the same energy as a .308 shooting 175 grain bullets at 1000 yards. This is because these long 6mm bullets retain their energy better.
That being said I don't think most of the over the counter .243 rifles have a twist rate fast enough to stabilize the 105 grain or 107 grain bullets. Perhaps nowadays they do- I don't know for sure. I think most of the factory .243 Win barrels will stabilize a 100 grain hunting bullet though. The throat is also an important consideration if you want to shoot these long bullets.
All of these things pretty much add up to installing a custom barrel. In my mind if you are going to go this far then you should go "whole hog" (can you tell I am originally from Indiana?) and have a custom rifle built for 6mm XC (David Tubbs cartridge).
Why do I say this? Well although I agree with Steve- I think he is being rather optimistic thinking that someone can get 2500 rounds from a .243 Win, but I could be wrong. I would guess around 1800 rounds for .243 Win, 2500 for 6mmXC, and 3500 for .308. The 6XC case achieves within 50 fps (negligible) of the velocity of a .243 while using around 5 grains less powder.
Also the 6XC has a sharper shoulder than the .243 Win. Why is this important? Well with a sharper shoulder when the burning powder is being blasted forward it bounces on the inside of the shoulder and then impacts the inside of the case neck (mostly). This is much preferred over the powder bouncing against the inside of your barrel throat- as happens with a low angle case shoulder. This burning powder is what creates the cracks and erosion of your throat. You can only move your bullets closer to the lands so many times before its time to re-barrel or at least set your barrel back.
The downside to 6mmXC or other cartridges in this class (6.5 or 6x47L) is that it is going to be hard to find brass at your local gun shop.
The question is - are you really going to wear out a factory barrel? I doubt that I could, as it probably would not interest me much due to the fact that it wouldn't be real accurate.

Now you understand why my name is "6mmFan".

Dirk

http://www.stickerballistics.com/

‘‘We, the People are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts — not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow men who pervert the Constitution.’’
— Abraham Lincoln
 
#38
Re: .243 vs .308

Well of course these are just my opinions and I have never owned a .243 Ackley. If I had to guess I would say that the barrel life would be about the same as a .243 because the shoulder angle is sharper therefore it protects the throat better from burning powder. Of course this is offset by the fact that there is quite a bit more burning powder.

One reason I like the 6XC is that it is not a "wildcat". No forming cases ect... Don't forget that these procedures also burn up barrel life. Another consideration is that every bullet has a theoretical velocity where the best accuracy is achieved. With the 105 Berger VLD and the 107 Sierra Match King that velocity (as I understand it from some shooters that I greatly respect) is around 3000fps. This is not the only velocity where accuracy can be achieved- this is just the optimum- as I understand it. You should be able to achieve 3050fps with a 6XC or 6x47L using the 107 SMK.
By the way I think the brass is a little better with the 6x47L (Lapua vs Norma), but the parent case is 6.5x47L. In other words - all of the joys of a wildcat. The straight 6.5x47L is real good also by the way.
I dont think the .243 Ackley will give you more than 200fps over the 6XC or 6x47L - I could be wrong. The .243 Ackley burns around 46 grains of powder- the standard .243 around 42 grains- and the 6XC around 39 grains.
According to my Sierra Manual a 107 grain Sierra driven at 3100fps drifts 72.25 inches at 1000 yards in a 10 mph crosswind- that is 29 clicks. At 3300fps it will drift 65.54"- that is 26 clicks. That is a difference of - three clicks.
The .243 Ackley burns about 15 percent more powder than the 6XC.
I really like the 6mmBR. It will easily launch a 107 at 2850fps using only around 30 grains of powder and it is VERY accurate. The only problem is that it doesn't feed very well from a magazine.

These are just my opinions - your mileage may vary.


Dirk

http://www.stickerballistics.com/

‘‘We, the People are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts — not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow men who pervert the Constitution.’’
— Abraham Lincoln
 
#39
Re: .243 vs .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: erik the sniper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">don't want to be a sad guy but .243 a pretty shit to use
but if you like it you can use it </div></div>

Erik, I'm very interested to hear how many 243s you own and your experience with them and with what bullets. You must have some great reason why you feel the 243 is "pretty shit to use".
 
#40
Re: .243 vs .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jasonk</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: erik the sniper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">don't want to be a sad guy but .243 a pretty shit to use
but if you like it you can use it </div></div>
Erik, I'm very interested to hear ...

</div></div>

Really, or are you just baiting him to make a bigger a$$ of himself?
smile.gif
 
#42
Re: .243 vs .308

Isn't a savage easy to turn into a switch barrel? Why fight? Get a 308 barrel and keep your 243 barrel. Then you will have both calibers. I am anxiously awaiting my Surgeon 243/308 switch barrel...started this process last Novemeber with the McSwirly order...ugh

FWIW, I'll be using 243 up to mule deer and 308 for elk.
 
#43
Re: .243 vs .308

I've shot match rifles in 243 & .308. The 308 barrel should last longer but either will serve the purpose you intend to use it on. I think Scooter is right, you could use it as a switch barrel from what i remember about the savage action.

I would upgrade the savage to whichever caliber you want & don't look back.
 
#44
Re: .243 vs .308

I pay $19.95 for a bag of 50 Win .243 Win casings, and neck them up for my .260 handloads. No problems worth discussing.

Of all the chamberings patterned on the .308 parent casing, I like the .260 Rem as a best all around application of the case capacity. But any advantage needs to be primarily achieved through handloading. Hunting loads are adequately available as commercial offerings, but commercial match ammunition choices are limited.

The .243 can do what you're asking; I just think the .260 can do it with a bit more effectiveness and bore life.

Greg
 
#45
Re: .243 vs .308

if i got a 243 i would go with a 8 or 10 twist bbl. However 308 go with a 10 or 11.5 from the custom gun bbl makers. I suggest reinstalling a new barrel and/or possible rechambering it too if you wanna a different round. But if what you have been shooting is working why let a good thing go? Just buy a nice bbl and a target knob by AZ precision or another good knob maker
 
#47
Re: .243 vs .308

6mmfan- MORE QUESTIONS- so what you are saying is if I want to use a 105-107gr round go with the 6br? If I want a 115gr go with the 6x47L or 6xc? which one will have the least wind drift and shoots the flatest? Which one will feed from an AI mag?
 
#48
Re: .243 vs .308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RADcustom</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jasonk</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: erik the sniper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">don't want to be a sad guy but .243 a pretty shit to use
but if you like it you can use it </div></div>
Erik, I'm very interested to hear ...

</div></div>

Really, or are you just baiting him to make a bigger a$$ of himself?
smile.gif
</div></div>

Damn it RAD, stop spoiling my fun.
 
#50
Re: .243 vs .308

swarrick,

Why not send 105's at 3100+ fps with the 6x47L!!It's a walk in the park for this cartridge.I got them up to 3312 fps with R-17 before the bolt on my gun even got sticky.Just saying.

6BR might not feed the best out of a stock mag.I think a spacer needs to be installed in the mag.

I shoot 6x47L out of AI mags and they feed fine.

6mmfan has a 6XC and knows allot about that cartridge.

Steve
 
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