Will the .243 work for Hogs?

[ozstriker22]

There's a Steyr.243 at my local gunshop that I REALLY want to buy. But I'll pass on it if that round isn't powerfull enough for a hog. The box says it can be used on black bear... but pigs may be different...

Here are the bullet statistics for a 100 grainsierra Game King BTSP:
100yds-1690 ft-lbs... 200yds-1460 ft-lbs... 300yds-1260 ft-lbs...

Well - is it enough gun?

A fast reply is needed because it's the last one on clearence. Thanks guys!

Jesse

 

[Speckmisser]

Oz,

You definitely ought to do a search on this one. It's another of those heap hot topics that almost always draws down a rain of fire.

Before it starts, let me just say that it's not the ideal caliber. Will it work. Yes. But "marginal" is the best I'll call it.

If you're primarily interested in pigs, with some deer hunting and maybe elk later... then the .243 is definitely not the right gun for you. Since you haven't already bought it (and assuming you can only buy one gun), then don't buy it. Get a 30-06 or .270. Heck, I'm no fan of the magnums, but .300 or 7mm are good, versatile choices too.

 

[prohunter]

it is plenty of gun. i don't know why everyone is always saying it is not. the #1 poaching round for deer is a .22 magnum. i even saw a .243 punch thru a metal plate at 300 yards. if you don't want it tell me where it's at & how much. maybe i will buy it!

 

[prohunter]

i have the Steyr ProHunter (7mm-08) & love it!

 

[ozstriker22]

I'm sorry, I can NEVER find ANYTHING when I search for topics. What should I type into the search field? Thanks!

 

[prohunter]

check the rifle forum. you should find all you need there.

 

[Shot]

Speckmisser,

well said, when I saw the topic I knew you would respond and save everyone some time.

 

[ozstriker22]

Thanks speck, go ahead and dump this post - I read the link on advanced searches and figured out how to find what i was looking for.

As much as i want this gun i'm going to pass. I can't count on not hitting the shoulder of a big pig and wouldn't want to take on that tracking task!

prohunter - pm me and i'll give you the info on the gun...

Jesse

 

[CaliDuckPro]

ozstriker22 -
.243 IS plenty of gun, even for deer, don't let anybody else tell you otherwise. No, it will not bring down an elk, but a pig for sure. I used a .243 Winchester just last deer season in zone X-6B, and killed a massive buck with it at 250 yds, dropped him where he stood. There ARE definitely more efficient calibers, such as .270 as Speck had mentioned. but a .243 is a great round nonetheless. But in the all around use of the gun, whether it would be for pig, deer, or even elk, something bigger would be nicer. Just thought I'd share a little piece of info on the .243, and tell you that it DOES have more knock down power than a lot of people think.

CDP

 

[pitdog]

Last year at the POR, I shot a 140lb hog with a .270 and it didn't pass through. I hit the pig in the lung with a 150gr Nosler partition. It hit a rib on the way in, and stopped after going through the other cage.

Personaly, I would never use less than a .270 for pigs.

 

[Heathen]

243 is plenty gun.It's all about shot placement. Don't shoot them in the body and you won't have problems. Shot them in the forehead,ear,or neck. I've killed pigs with my 9mm and .22. Put the bullet were it counts.

 

[Speckmisser]

Here we go again... I wonder why I bother?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Don't shoot them in the body and you won't have problems.[/b]

This is exactly the reason why I (and many other folks) recommend against the .243 as a hog gun. The limitations of the caliber are unreasonable.

Yes, you could use it. And yes, it will kill hogs with well-placed shots. But what that means is NOT taking shots where you can't guarantee that well-placed pill. It means passing marginal opportunities that would be slam-dunks if you chose to use enough gun in the first place. It means long, difficult tracking jobs if you don't thread the needle. Bottom line, it means you're handicapping yourself in a big way, and totally unnecessarily.

Sure, the .243 will drop 'em dead. With a well-placed and well-constructed bullet, almost any centerfire caliber will kill a hog. I know trappers who say they're perfectly happy with a .22 mag or 9mm to kill the hogs in the trap. But that's a different scenario altogether now, isn't it?

I'm a real big fan of the .243 as a deer gun. It was almost all I used for years on North Carolina whitetail, and I never had a cleanly hit deer run off. If you hold it to reasonable ranges, I'd be happy to recommend it for anything from Saskatchewan Whitetail to Montana Mulies to Sitka blacktail. But deer and hogs are very different animals. When you start talking about heavy-bodied, thick-skinned game, like hogs or elk, the .243 is simply too light for all but optimum shots.

I'm not saying never use it. If it's all you have, then get a good bullet and let's go hunting! Or if you're willing to limit yourself to perfect, close-in shots only, then drag it out of the safe and come on. But if you're in the situation that OzStriker is in, and you're looking for a versatile, first, good hunting rifle with designs on hogs, deer, and elk, then the .243 is a very poor choice... especially given all the awesome alternatives on the market right now.

 

[DILPRXO]

What Speck Said..

 

[Heathen]

One shot one kill. If you don't think you can put it down in one well placed shot .....then pass the shot up. I don't care what your shooting.There will always be other days.There hasn't been a time yet that I felt I had to shot a pig in the body.I eat what I kill. Why waste meat? Pigs that are shot in the body (not spine) will almost always run off and body shots don't bleed very well. Hard to track. A pig shot in the neck or head behind the eyes will drop like a box of hammers. I killed a large number of hogs with a .22 ,9mm.,and my 223(these weren't in traps),with no problems. Typical starter guns ,out here ,for kids is the 243.It has a long history of success hunting hogs.
Every now and then I hear a story about some guy who shoots a hog about forty times before it dies.It's not the gun or the bullet......it's the shooter.

 

[Shot]

One more thing, if your looking for a all around good caliber I would go with the .06. If you decided to hunt elf, moose, bear, this should be enough power. Thats if you don't want to buy two many rifles (one for each application).

 

[Heathen]

Other point I'd like to make is that you should shoot what comfortable for you. When I guided hunters they would show up with the biggest pieces of artillary you ever saw. They didn't want to pay for a hunt and lose an animal by wounding it. Flinch factor. You got to at least hit'em to wound them. There's a gun for every situtation. I've got a pile of guns.I choose to hunt hogs with my 223 because I can hit a nail with it. My advise is borrow a weapon from a friend .....see if your comfortable with it first.243 is a great round.Great hog,coyote,and whitetail gun.A 50 cal is a great weapon. You can make easy kills at a mile with it.......but you may not want to hunt with one.
Placement,and practice.

 

[m57jager]

I figured elves are wirey little creatures and probably hard to keep your reticles on them, but I never figured them for powerfulful beings. Hell I bet you could drop an elf at 50 yrds with a Daisy Red Rider.

 

[intimidater37]

hey shot where do you get your elf tags are there any left?

 

[huntducks]

Heathen

I'm with you on caliber and shot placement on pigs, I have killed several dead with a 243 and a friend of mine and some time poster here Lameduck just got back from a pig hunt in Texas he and a friend both took pigs one used a 22-250 and the other a 17HRM both shot there pigs right through the ear.

I hunted with a elk guide & Outfitter in Idaho Ken Smith all he used was a 243 Browning BLR, I don't remember how many elk he had killed with it but it was in the dozens he was a stickler on shot placement.

Here in Ca. the pig has become the cape buffalo of Africa where legends abound.

 

[Speckmisser]

Guys,

Let's see if we can address the original question. It wasn't whether or not the .243 would work, but whether the Steyr .243 is the right rifle for this hunter to go out and buy.

Here's a guy looking for a good, first sporting rifle. Now considering the following things:

• He may not have the benefit of years of rifle hunting experience
• He may not have the means to buy several different rifles for different applications (hogs, elk, bear, deer, etc.)
• He's likely to be paying between $300-$400 for a chance to shoot a hog
• He may not be willing to pass up good body shots and go home empty-handed
• There are so many more versatile calibers available

Would you honestly recommend that he go out and buy the .243?

It's not a knock on the .243. It's just practicality.