A look at 243 Ballistics with information for some of the most popular 243 Winchester ammo loads available in the United States.

Winchester brought us .243 Winchester as a caliber for varmint hunting and target shooting. It’s lightweight, delivers fairly low recoil and, tends to be accurate. Let’s take a look at what this popular deer and hog hunting round is capable of through an analysis of 243 ballistics.

Quick 243 Winchester Facts

• Based on a necked down 308 Win case, the 243 Win offers lighter bullets, higher muzzle velocities, and less muzzle energy than its predecessor.
• Considered the entry level deer hunting cartridge in Great Britain, where the Deer Act of 1963 necessitates a caliber of no less than .240 and muzzle energy of no less than 1,700 ft lbs.
• Not generally used for self-defense. No national military has ever designated the 243 Win for service, although the LAPD’s SWAT unit did implement it during their infancy.

243 Winchester Ballistics

Load	Barrel Length	Muzzle	100 yds	200 yds	300 yds	400 yds	500 yds	Muzzle	100 yds	200 yds	300 yds	400 yds	500 yds	Muzzle	100 yds	200 yds	300 yds	400 yds	500 yds	(G1)	(G7)	Sect. Density
Winchester 100 Gr. Power Point	24	3110	2838	2583	2341	2112	1897	2147	1789	1481	1217	990	799	-1.5	1.4	0	-6.6	-19.7	-40.5	0.362	0.182	0.24
Prvi Partizan 100 Gr SP	24	2969	2682	2413	2159	1921	1701	1957	1597	1293	1035	820	643	-1.5	1.68	0	-7.7	-22.9	-47.5	0.325	0.163	0.24
Prvi Partizan 90 Gr SP	24	3100	2775	2474	2191	1928	1686	1921	1540	1223	960	743	568	-1.5	1.53	0	-7.2	-21.8	-45.7	0.295	0.147	0.216
Hornady 75 Gr. V-MAX	24	3580	3254	2952	2670	2405	2155	2134	1763	1451	1187	963	773	-1.5	0.9	0	-4.9	-14.7	-30.5	0.336	0.165	0.18
Federal 95 Gr. Ballistic Tip	24	3025	2774	2536	2310	2096	1893	1930	1623	1356	1126	927	756	-1.5	1.5	0	-6.9	-20.4	-41.6	0.384	0.192	0.228
Winchester 55 Gr. Ballistic Silvertip	24	3910	3493	3114	2766	2444	2144	1867	1489	1184	934	729	561	-1.5	0.7	0	-4.3	-13.1	-27.7	0.281	0.136	0.132
Federal 100 Gr GameKing	24	2960	2741	2533	2334	2145	1964	1945	1669	1425	1210	1021	856	-1.5	1.6	0	-7	-20.4	-41.3	0.437	0.219	0.24
Federal 100 Gr SP	24	2960	2697	2448	2213	1991	1783	1945	1615	1331	1087	880	706	-1.5	1.6	0	-7.5	-22.1	-45.4	0.361	0.182	0.24
Hornady 90 Gr ELD-X	24	3150	2911	2685	2469	2264	2069	1983	1693	1440	1219	1024	855	-1.5	0	-2.6	-10.1	-18	-43.2	0.417	0.209	0.216
Federal 95 Gr Berger Hybrid Hunter	24	3050	2829	2619	2418	2226	2043	1962	1688	1446	1233	1045	880	-1.5	1.4	0	-6.5	-18.9	-38.4	0.441	0.221	0.228
Barnes 80 Gr TTSX	24	3350	3042	2755	2486	2232	1993	1994	1644	1349	1098	885	706	-1.5	1.1	0	-5.7	-17.1	-35.5	0.336	0.167	0.192

243 Win History

Winchester introduced the 243 Win in 1955.

Originally, the East Alton, Illinois company made it available for Winchester’s Model 70 and Model 88. Quickly thereafter, the cartridge won fans worldwide.

Today, you’ll find the versatile 243 Win with a bullet in one of two weight classes: 55-85 grains, which is suitable for rodents up to coyote, and 90-115 grains, like 100 grain Remington Core-Lokt 243 ammo. This weight is more appropriate for whitetail deer and other small-medium sized game.

The 243 Win’s muzzle velocity hinges on its bullet weight. At 55 grains, its bullet achieves 3,910 fps; at 100 grains, 2,960 fps. A heavier bullet delivers greater energy upon impact at the expense of faster bullet drop — which is nothing skilled marksmanship can not accommodate.

Twist Rate’s Impact on Ballistics

One must take barrel twist into account depending on the type of 243 Win cartridge that is fired. A slower barrel twist of 1:10 is generally adequate to stabilize bullets weighing up to 100 grains, while the accuracy of heavier, higher ballistic coefficient bullets is improved by a 1:7 or 1:8 twist. In short, you would do well to use one rifle for varmint hunting and another for deer.

243 Win vs. 308 Win

Although based on the 308 Win, the 243 Win differs substantially from it. The 243 Win delivers substantially less recoil and a flatter trajectory. 308 Win ammo offers a wider frontal area, improved resistance to wind drift, and greater energy over longer distances.

Accuracy Considerations

The 243 Win is an exceptionally accurate round, in part because its low recoil prevents flinching. Larger 243 Win bullets generally offer sectional densities just greater than .200, which is considered adequate for ethical kills, yet its high accuracy permits surgical shot placement that mitigates the suffering game must endure.

Other Attributes

• A small cartridge for an accordingly small rifle, but one that permits the kind of accuracy that amounts to fast and clean kills.
• Popular among metallic silhouette and long range shooters for its low recoil and high accuracy.
• By no means an obscure cartridge, many manufacturers produce the 243 Win with every conceivable bullet type.
• More than six decades on the market means a great variety of rifles available.