New Interest

[GrampaJer]

243 Cal, Lever. Is there such a thing ? I have been playing the ROCKY MOUNTAIN TROPHY HUNTER, on the Computer, and this Rifle is a real GEM, as far as taking Game without a Telescopic Site.. Does a nice job on BEAR, but have to track ELK, and MOOSE. I might like to take a look at one if its for real..

[psycho]

243 is a gun that needs a scope IMO.. its a tack driver.. Never seen it in lever though.

Wouldnt use it on big bear either.

[GrampaJer]

It looks like " Doc's ) New used Rifle.. It is classified as a brush gun.. Maybe BIGBLUE, will get into this. ;D

[psycho]

243 is not a brush gun

[GrampaJer]

If it is a CARBINE, it might be. I will get the Specs from the game and let you know..

[psycho]

243 is not brush gun in any way... that bullet is to small and not enough weight to knock any brush out of the way.

I have one and know what it is capable of... Its a predator, varmint, and at a maximum, a good whitetail round.

The 243 is capable of killing larger game, but is not the best of ideas.
Want a brush gun, get a 30-30, 45-70, or a 450. IMO

[GrampaJer]

I never gave it a thought that it meant knocking brush out of the way. To me it meant a shorter barrel for carrying through brush.. I don't need a small bullet. the Game description of the 243 is a lever action Rifle better suited to woods, and brush... Got a nice ELK at 143 yards with it today, ;D

[bigblue]

Jer,
Browning does make a lever action .243.
www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=003B&cat_id=034&type_id=009
A brush gun usually utilizes a slower heavy for caliber cartridge as Psycho pointed out, a 30-30, .32 Spec., .35 Rem, .356, .358,.44 mag., .444, 450, or 45/70. There are others. While it's long been held that they have the ability to better penetrate brush without disruption, that is somewhat questionable. I think their real value lies in the fact that they can hit at speeds slow enough at close range that the bullets won't come apart on impact. Most high velocity cartridges, like the .243, are still moving so fast at brush hunting ranges that the bullets stand a good chance of breaking up on contact. Most bullets made for high velocity round (3000+feet per second) are designed to be used beyond 150 yards. These slower moving brush cartridges use bullets made to be used between 50-150 yards.
That said, I'm sure that most of the time the .243 would work fine for you in brush hunting situations, but there are better choices especially in a lever action rifle. Like the 25-06, the .243 is known as a crossover cartridge good for deer or varmint hunting. I took a button buck last year with a 100gr. Sierra Pro-hunter bullet from my Stevens .243. It took out one section of it's vertebra and the deer dropped on the spot.

Don

[GrampaJer]

I don't like the 20" barrel. I would take the 7mm Mag. instead

[bigblue]

tenisiejer said:

I don't like the 20" barrel. I would take the 7mm Mag. instead

Shorter barrels are another signature feature of a brush gun. One of my all time favorites was a Marlin 1894P. It was chambered for the .44 mag. and had a short 16.25" barrel. For hunting heavy brush with shots under 100 yards it was hard to beat using 320gr. hard cast bullets.
Don

[psycho]

16.25? WOW my 450 is 18 and I thought it was short

[bigblue]

I really like short barreled rifles, but in some cases you loose too much velocity. The slower big bore rifles and pistol calibers like the .44 mag. loose a lot less velocity per inch of barrel length shortened than a high velocity rifle like the .243.
Here's a list of optimal barrel lengths for each listed caliber. It came from Savage Shooter Supply and they do a lot of barrel work:


.17 Mach IV - 23"
.17 Rem - 23"

.20 Tactical - 24"
.204 Ruger - 24"
.20 BR - 24"

.221 Fireball - 22"
.222 Rem - 22"
.223 Rem - 22" (slow twist)
.223 Rem - 24" (fast twist)
.22 BR - 24"
.22-250 Rem - 25"
.22-250 Ack. Imp. - 26"
.220 Swift - 26"
.22-243 Ack. Imp. - 26"
.22-6mm (224 lTH) - 26"
.223 WSSM - 24"

6 PPC - 22"
6mm BR Norma - 24"
6-250 - 24"
.243 Win - 24"
.243 Ack. Imp. - 26"
.243 WSSM - 26"
6mm Rem - 26"
6mm Ack. Imp. - 27"
6-284 - 27"

250-3000 Savage - 24"
.25-06 Rem - 26"
.25-06 Ack. Imp. - 26"

.260 Rem - 24"
6.5~55S swede - 26"
6.5-284 - 27"

7mm BR - 24"
7mrn Rem Mag - 26"
7mm RSUM - 26"
7mm-08 Rem - 24"
7 STW - 27"
7mm WSM - 26"

.308 Win - 24"
.30-06 Spfld - 24"
.300 Win Mag - 26"
.300 WSM - 24"
.300 RUM - 27"
.300 Whisper - 16"

.338 Win Mag - 24"

[bubbawitha4570]

I noticed they didn't put up a minimum length for the 45/70......

[bigblue]

bubbawitha4570 said:

I noticed they didn't put up a minimum length for the 45/70......

I think it's 22"!
I don't think Savage Shooter Supply has a lot of call for 45/70 barrels so they don't list it.
Don