.243 Rebore

WoodsQuest · Oct 23, 2017

Two years ago I bought a .243 Win for deer hunting. I have a .30-06 but don't enjoy the recoil and heavy weight of the rifle. I could have bought my .243 in 7-08 but didn't and sort of regret it. Anyways, I moved back north and have thought about reboring it to .260 or 6.5 CM to push heavier bullets. It has a very lightweight barrel that is only .509 at the muzzle and .264 is the largest I could get it bored to. Could go to .308 if the 'smith is ok with only .200 of barrel wall. If I load my .243 with TSX, TTSX, E-Tip or GMX am I wasting my time with a rebore?

Rancho Loco · Oct 23, 2017

why not sell the '06?

Dan O · Oct 23, 2017

Waste of time and money. Sell the 30-06 if you don't like it and buy a 7-08 or 308. Enjoy the 243 and your new rifle.

Good Luck
Dan

WoodsQuest · Oct 23, 2017

The '06 has sentimental value. First rifle I got as a kid. I was going to use the '06 as a backup rifle if I go on a trip. I don't like it, but I can shoot it well. It's a rather crude Savage 111 FCXP, but it works and drives tacks. My .243 is a Ruger Hawkeye, 20 inch barrel, very light and accurate. Not joking my Savage is 10lbs with a scope. I hunt public land and walk a lot. I have zero interest in hunting predators or varmints.

Rancho Loco · Oct 23, 2017

If you're hunting deer, the .243 will kill any deer walking with no fuss.

belly-deep · Oct 23, 2017

Yeah, I’d say largely a waste of time. 243 will kill deer just fine.

WoodsQuest · Oct 23, 2017

Would you poke a black bear with an 80-85 grain TTSX, TSX or similar bullet if the opportunity arose while chasing whitetail? I had plenty of close encounters as a kid in the Adirondacks and those bears aren't small.

WoodsQuest · Oct 23, 2017

Rancho Loco said:
If you're hunting deer, the .243 will kill any deer walking with no fuss.

belly-deep said:
Yeah, I’d say largely a waste of time. 243 will kill deer just fine.

That's what I figured.

Rancho Loco · Oct 23, 2017

WoodsQuest said:
Would you poke a black bear with an 80-85 grain TTSX, TSX or similar bullet if the opportunity arose while chasing whitetail? I had plenty of close encounters as a kid in the Adirondacks and those bears aren't small.

Yes.

WoodsQuest · Oct 23, 2017

I've read about and talked to people who wouldn't hesitate to shoot most anything in NA with a properly loaded .243. Seems a bit extreme to me.

Rancho Loco · Oct 23, 2017

Practice your marksmanship and trust your equipment. You'll be surprised what works..

WoodsQuest · Oct 23, 2017

Rancho Loco said:
Practice your marksmanship and trust your equipment. You'll be surprised what works..

I watched a video with Wayne van Zwoll talking about elk cartridges and he basically said the same thing. I think he said "good marksmanship not cartridge selection kills elk". Made a lot of sense to me. I get flak around here for choosing a .243. Most folks use a 30-somethin'.

I feel like some of the people condemning the .224, .243, and .257 diameter bullets for medium game develop their opinions from people using older C&C bullets or people not knowing what they're buying and picking a varmint bullet. I was a big 556 hater when I was an LEO, until I saw what a 64gr Nosler Bonded Solid Base could do in gel and through barriers. I'd hunt deer with that bullet.

belly-deep · Oct 23, 2017

WoodsQuest said:
I've read about and talked to people who wouldn't hesitate to shoot most anything in NA with a properly loaded .243. Seems a bit extreme to me.

Good thing you’re in NY. Don’t have to worry about those pesky brown bears.

I’d wager more than a few semi loads of elk died via 243 on the MT opener last weekend. If they can do it, you can too.

WoodsQuest · Oct 24, 2017

belly-deep said:
Good thing you’re in NY. Don’t have to worry about those pesky brown bears.

I’d wager more than a few semi loads of elk died via 243 on the MT opener last weekend. If they can do it, you can too.

And yet every time someone mentions using a .243 for elk hunting there is a number of folks on most forums who immediately jump in to proclaim 7 mags and 300's the only rounds capable of such a task. I will most likely never elk hunt so I'm probably fine with a .243.

1_pointer · Oct 30, 2017

Bullets matter more than headstamps IMO...

Gerald Martin · Oct 30, 2017

OP has the best of both worlds. Keep the '06 for the off chance you get to hunt elk some day and feed the .243 an 80 grain TSX. It will be fine deer medicine. My son and I are carrying both calibers and if we see an elk I wouldn't hesitate to have him shoot a bull with his .243 given that the elk is broadside and inside of 300 yards. Is it ideal for elk? No. Is it perfect for deer? Yes.

ol_spark · Oct 31, 2017

Yes, a large waste of effort to rebore.

MJE2083 · Oct 31, 2017

No rebore needed. Don't listen to the naysayers. I know when I was in highschool, the kids with .243's got made fun of a bit but those people were wrong. Hell what's it cost to rebore a rifle anymore? Probably more than buying a new barrel or rifle in many cases.

Coyotes-R-Us · Oct 31, 2017

Combine them both .
Re barrel and re chamber to a 6mm/06

devon deer · Nov 1, 2017

We are pretty restricted in the UK to what and how many rifles we can own, it just so happens my 2 centre fire rifles are a .243 and 30-06.
You have the perfect combination in my opinion.
I have shot some huge red stags in the UK with my .243, although the consensus of opinion in the UK is that the .243 is not up to the task, load of bollocks if you ask me!
But i like both calibres.
I do bring the 30-06 over to Montana with me when i chase deer/elk, but i am confident if i was within 300 yards of a broadside Elk my .243 with 100 grain Speer soft points would do the job.
Cheers
Richard

.243 Rebore

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