.243 performance

[Tobiano]

 Hi All..

   Am very curious about the performance of the .243 Winchester from the 15" Encore barrel. Anyone with experience want to enlighten me?

   What type of accuracy can be expected ? 

   What would be its' range limit for deer ?

   Is it excessively hard on scopes ?

   Is the .243 caliber workable on other T/C pistol  frames besides the Encore ?

  Any actual observations about it would be welcomed !

 Thanks All !

[7bru]

it is made for an encore.  will not work on a contender.  .243 in an 15 inch barrel will give a whitetail a bad day out to 250 yards easily.  velocity should be above 2500 easy with an 85 gr.    pleasant to shoot and easy on optics.

BRU

[Catfish]

What BRU said. Really it depends on how well you can shoot it. I would recommend a 2X Leupold for it, especially if you have not had any experience with scoped handguns. A 2X will be good enough for groundhogs at 250 yrds. plus a little and any more any more and you`ll have a hard time seeing through.I have a 2 1/2 x 8 Leupold on a Striker, but I started shooting scoped handguns in 1969 and still only shoot it over a rest, even on 2 1/2X.

[SD Handgunner]

I really like the .243 Winchester in a 15" T/C Encore. For the past two years I have been experimenting with a buddies 15" Encore in .243. I have tested almost a dozen different loads in it so far, and to be quite honest have been quite impressed with it.

Some of the better loads are with the following bullets:

55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with Hodgdon Varget to 3240 FPS
80gr. Speer Hot Core Spitzers loaded with H-4895 to 2920 FPR
95gr. Nosler Ballsitic Tips loaded with H-4350 to 2717 FPS

All of the above combinations will print 3/4" or less 5 shot groups at 100 yards from the bench.

Last January 1st I used this very 15" T/C Encore in .243 Winchester to harvest two Whitetail Does during South Dakota's Antlerless Deer Season. Both shots were 200 + yards. The first was a one shot kill, with the bullet entering the Deer right behind the near side shoulder, half way top to bottom. The lungs were destroyed, a rib was hit on exit leaving a 50 cent piece size exit hole. The Doe dropped in her tracks. The second one was a little different. This Doe was walking at the shot and I hit a little far back. She sprinted for about 100 yards (going right to left) and a second shot put where the first shot should have been placed put her down for the count. Bullet performance on the second shot was much like it was on the first Doe.

I have also shot a few Varmints with the 15" .243 Encore and all I can say is it is devestating.

Recoil is very managable, but with the wrong powder muzzle blast can be quite loud. The 55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with Varget for some reason is really loud. I have also tested Federal 100gr. Power Shok Soft Points and Winchester 80gr. Pointed Soft Point Factory Ammo. Neither of these loads would print under 1 1/2" 5 shot groups from the bench out of this Encore. While I haven't tested them as yet, I want to test the Federal 80gr. Power Shok Ammo as it is now being loaded with the 80gr. Speer Hot Core Spitzer bullet that I have had such good results from over the years in a few different .243/6mm Handguns.

Larry

[Tobiano]

  Thanks SD...

   I've used the .243 a bunch in rifles. A load that has always provided splendid accuracy in all my rifles is:

   Hornady 87gr BTHP over 42.5gr. IMR #4350

   ... and that load (from the rifles) has dropped a trainload of deer for me.

   Am seriously thinking to get an Encore for .243.

 Thanks again !

[SD Handgunner]

You are very welcome. If you get a .243 Encore I sure hope it shoots as good as my buddies does.

Larry

[xphunter]

  Thanks SD...

   I've used the .243 a bunch in rifles. A load that has always provided splendid accuracy in all my rifles is:

   Hornady 87gr BTHP over 42.5gr. IMR #4350

   ... and that load (from the rifles) has dropped a trainload of deer for me.

   Am seriously thinking to get an Encore for .243.

 Thanks again !

The 243 is a good little cartridge for deer.  Expect MV's to be a 200-300 fps slower than what you achieved with your rifle.
I use a 6-284 in a SP and it has done quite well on deer and antelope.  I use heavier bullets typically, compared to most, but have had very satisfying results.

[Tobiano]

 Hi XP...

   Thanks for the info!  Was wondering about the velocity loss and trajectory impact.

  Neighbor used a 6/284 rifle for pronghorn last Fall in Wyoming. Reportedly bagged his buck at a lasered 726 yds.  He is way into that "trans-zip-code" marksmanship so I don't doubt his report at all. Boggles the mind.

[xphunter]

Tobinano,
The 6-284 does quite well in SP's as well.  this fall while antelope hunting my buddy challenged me to hit a small white rock @ over 750 yards with my 6-284 XP (115 DTACS @ 2725 fps) and I hit the rock on the first try.  Also last summer Carol Pilant of Sierra Bullets borrowed the same XP for a LR handgun competition in  Sundance, WY.  He won the 750 yard match using the same load with a 5-shot group of 5.25 inches.
In 06 my teenage daughter shot a nice 8 pt. buck @ 350 yards with the same set-up.
The 6mm's are quite capable.  With the 6mm's I will only take deer and antelope sized game when they have a broadside presentation-FWIW.

[Tobiano]

 
   Hi XP...

   Whew! 700+ yds. is too much ham for my eggs !

   I assist a farmer neighbor shoot deer on crop damage permits in the Summer and the shots are typically 100-200 yds. out in the beanfields. If I can be confident of dropping deer in their tracks with the Encore at 250 yds. I'll be delighted.

[xphunter]

   Hi XP...
   Whew! 700+ yds. is too much ham for my eggs !
   I assist a farmer neighbor shoot deer on crop damage permits in the Summer and the shots are typically 100-200 yds. out in the beanfields. If I can be confident of dropping deer in their tracks with the Encore at 250 yds. I'll be delighted.

Tobiano,
Proper bullet & placement will tag your deer every time with a 243 Win at those ranges.
Good luck and keep us informed.

[SD Handgunner]

Yep what XPHunter said.

Put the right bullet in the right place and at the ranges you are talking about you'll be harvesting Deer.

I guess the one cartridge I have always wanted to try (but never have) is the .243 Ackley improved. In my opinion I think this would make a dandy cartridge for a 15" Speciality Pistol. I also think that the Ackley Improved design will help do away with one of the problems inherent to the .243 Winchester, case stretching due to the sloping shoulder. I think with the 40 degree shoulder of the .243 Ackley Improved there will be less brass flow and less trimming.

The .243 Ackley Improved is available through T/C's Custom Shop for roughly a $50.00 more than a standard production barrel costs. Factory .243 Ammo would be used to fireform brass into .243 Ackley Improved cases.

Either way, I think the .243 is a very capable Deer Cartridge with the right bullet in the right hands.

Larry

[Tobiano]

 Hi SP...

   The AI sounds slick but personally, I'll opt for the convenience of a factory caliber that I've already loaded a million of. The brass flow problem has never really bothered me. Just some extra trimming.
   But the AI is still interesting.  What kind of velocities do you get from a 15" barrel ?  What bullet design(s) give good performance on deer from an AI Contender or Encore ?
   I've had such great luck with the Hornady 87gr BTHP in the standard .243 Winchester I'll be hoping I don't have to go on a search to find something toreplace it. Haven't tried any of Hornady's Vmax ammo yet but will soon. Have seen it used in .22/250 on about 20 deer and it is "Sudden Death" (with head or neck shots).

 Thanks for the info !!

[SD Handgunner]

I have not yet worked with a .243 AI. However I have worked with a couple different Savage Strikers in .243 Winchester and the 15" T/C Encore in .243 Winchester. I am not sure if this Encore Barrel is a super fast barrel or if the Strikers I had had super slow barrels, but the Encore produced velocities quite a bit higher than I obtained with the 2 Strikers.

I have also worked with a couple different 6mm-223's and 6mm T/CU's over the years, and they too have always impressed me. I guess I just like .243/6mm Cartridges.

In regards to the 87gr. Hornady V-MAX on Whitetails. I have not shot any but a buddy used that bullet to take a Whitetail over across the border from me in Minnesota. He didn't get much if any expansion as the bullet blew up on entry. I have had such good results with the 80gr. Speer Hot Core Spitzer over the years that I have just stuck with that bullet for me needs in the .243. The 80gr. Speer Hot Core Spitzer is a little tough for 6mm-223 or 6mm T/CU velocities, but if the shot is placed in the right spot it works.

Larry

[tn_junk]

I shot my 15" .243 for the first time today. I was very surprised by both the accuracy and the mild recoil. I had loaded a bunch of 55 grain V-Max at just the starting load, and it was sweeet to shoot. Mine has a 4x Simmons, which is plenty of scope.
Good luck, and hope you find something to your liking.

alan