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.243

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.243 Winchester ammunition is very common among North American hunters. The round itself is a centerfire, rimless, bottle-necked, .243 caliber rifle cartridge that was introduced by Winchester in 1955 for use in their model 70 bolt action rifle.

Starting with a .308 Winchester case, Winchester's design team reduced the size of the case's neck to accept a .243 caliber bullet in order to create a varmint cartridge with an extremely flat trajectory that was capable of instantly killing larger varmint species (such as Coyotes) than could be humanely taken with the various .22 caliber cartridges. Consequently, this cartridge found immediate success with avid varmint hunters when loaded with lightweight, hollow point or ballistic tip bullets.

It didn’t take long for Eastern deer hunters and Western Antelope hunters to quickly discover that 243 ammo also makes an excellent long range deer and goat cartridge when loaded with 100 grain, soft point, spitzer bullets and it can even be used successfully on Mule Deer at closer ranges when loaded with tough, heavy, bullets.

In fact, with a range of available bullet weights and designs from 58 grain hollow point spitzer bullets to 100 grain soft point spitzer bullets as well as a 105 grain match grade boat tail hollow point bullet and even a 90 grain Full Metal Jacket design to choose from, .243 Win ammo is a very versatile cartridge.

Consequently, due to the 243’s versatility, many hunters choose rifles chambered for this cartridge as their sole hunting rifle and thus, nearly all American firearms manufacturers have chambered one or models of their rifles for this cartridge.

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20rds - .243 Win. Federal Power-Shok 100gr. SP Ammo
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$34.95

$1.75/ppr

167 In Stock
20rds - 243 Winchester Super-X 100gr. Power Point Soft Point Ammo
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$39.95

$2.00/ppr

143 In Stock
20rds – 243 Win Barnes VOR-TX 80gr. TTSX BT Ammo
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$44.95

$2.25/ppr

135 In Stock
20rds - 243 Winchester Nosler 90gr. Ballistic Tip Hunting

$49.95

$2.50/ppr

145 In Stock
20rds – 243 Win. Winchester Ballistic SilverTip 95gr. Polymer Tip Ammo

$49.95

$2.50/ppr

25 In Stock
20rds - 243 Win. Hornady Superformance 95gr. SST Ammo
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$54.95

$2.75/ppr

45 In Stock
20rds – 243 Win Federal 85gr. Barnes TSX Ammo

$54.95

$2.75/ppr

98 In Stock

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Common 243 Winchester Ammo Questions

How Far Can You Accurately Shoot with a .243 Winchester?

Quite a distance! Trajectory, of course, depends on many factors, including bullet design, barrel length, and bullet weight, so all cartridges will perform differently. However, Winchester’s Varmint X with 55-grain hollow points when zeroed to 100 yards will only drop 1.7 inches at 200 and 7.7 inches at 300 yards, all while maintaining speeds over 2,000 feet per second. (The muzzle velocity for this round is 3,910 feet per second.)

Even larger bullets loaded into the .243 Winchester have excellent trajectories. Winchester’s 100-grain Power Max Bonded ammunition only drops 3.3 inches at 200 yards when zeroed to 100. At 300, it drops 12.2 inches. For the bullet size, these are excellent trajectories.

What is the Best .243 Winchester Bullet for Deer Hunting?

That’s a tough question, but you should always choose a round that has an expanding bullet for hunting of any type. You’ll want a jacketed hollow point or ballistic tip round to ensure proper expansion, which will result in a larger wound channel and a faster, more humane harvest. For deer, you’ll want something on the larger end of the scale, which for a .243 Winchester cartridge is about 90 to 100 grains. When properly placed, this bullet size can effectively drop a whitetail deer and many other medium-sized game animals. Check out this article if you're unfamiliar with the common bullet types deer hunters use.

What Firearms Shoot .243 Winchester ammo?

The .243 Winchester is a rifle cartridge, and the majority of firearms that load this round are bolt-action weapons. Bolt-action rifles are known for their accuracy and effectiveness, allowing you to place one shot exactly where you want it. You can find semi-automatic rifles that shoot the .243 Winchester, but they are relatively rare. If you're unsure, check your firearm near the barrel area. If it says it's chambered in "243 win" or "243 Winchester", this is the ammo you want.

How Does the .243 Winchester Compare to the .308 Winchester?

Considering that the .243 Winchester was based on the .308 Winchester cartridge, it’s easy to compare and contrast the two. A comparison also reveals the strengths and weaknesses of each. The most notable difference is bullet diameter, which are both reflected in the bullets’ names. This difference is seen in the bullet weight as well; a .243 Winchester has bullets that go up to about 100 grains, while .308 Winchester ammunition will easily go up to 180, giving it far more muzzle energy. Speed, however, goes to the .243, which has cartridges rated over 4,000 feet per second in muzzle velocity; the .308 usually maxes out at about 3,100 feet per second.

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