Hi, Thanks for the welcome Model 99er. I am still figuring out the search function and reading. My only centerfire rifle is a bolt 700 in 30 06 and while it works good on big game i am not fond of shooting long sessions enough to get in sufficient practice. My rimfires get shot a lot more. I have a groundhog problem the often presents itself at ranges outside of what i usually shoot at with my 22lr. I have been reading online about the 243 and 257 roberts and am leaning to the 243 because i don't reload yet. I want something bigger than a 22 centerfire because i also want to be able to use it for deer and keep the 30 06 for big deer and elk. What is your experience and is my reasoning ok so far? I am thinking that 300 yards would be the most common max distance with occasional opportunities further. Most shots would be less but i want to be able to reach out to 300. How far is a 243 effective on groundhogs and also on deer? Are there tables somehwere here i haven't found and general ideas of energy requirements? Fast second shots are of interest to me when presented with multiple targets. Is a semi auto accurate enough for groundhog at the end of the 243's range? I have shot a rem 7400 and a ruger min 14 that belonged to others, and that was just plinking so i don't know what kind of groups they would get. What about a pump? Should i stick to a bolt? Other ideas on caliber?
Thanks, it is fun to think about the next project.
jhk

A lot really depends on your choice of scopes as far as distance and fast target acquisition, perhaps just as much as the gun. I'd probably still stick with a bolt action for their accuracy.

I wouldn't go anything less than a 243 cal. if you also plan to do some Deer hunting with it as well. My memory isn't as good as it once was, but I think there is a recommended miniumum around 1000 to 1200 (done even forgot what measurement that's even in ... prolly foot-lbs) of energy for a clean effective Deer kill. The 243 will come close to that out to around 300yds, depending on your choice of ammo.

Personally, I wouldn't go above much 250yds with a a 243 on Deer, but that's more of a personal choice thing than anything else. As far as groundhogs .. I think my longest was around 350 yards or so.

Depending on the terrain you plan to hunt (goundhogs as well as Deer), you might want to go with strickly a lighter caliber (22-250 or a 220 Swift come to mind) for just groundhogs since you already have a 30-06. I don't own or have any experience with either caliber, but you might also consider a 25-06 or even a 270 for your dual purpose use ... again, depending on the terrain where your planning on hunting both; you might even want to drop down to low caliber just for groundhog use, if you are in tight quarters.

Hopefully some other folks will add their comments as well !!!


99er

jhk... Welcome to the forum... Glad to have you join us...... To toss in my 2 cents... The .243 is a dandy for average size deer, and smaller critters... It should be effective on groundhogs about as far away as you can hit them... On deer I would limit my shots to 250 or so yards. I'm sure it would work to longer distances with good shot placement...but about 250 yards is my personal limit with this cartridge for deer... I have taken several deer with the .243, but will admit that the furtherest I recall having taken one with this cartridge was only about 125 yards... However, I have taken coyotes to 300 yards or perhaps a bit more with the .243.

As to the action type, that is a matter of personal preference... I own 2 rifles in .243, a bolt and a lever, and I like them both, but if my plans were to be shooting longer distances regularly, I would choose the bolt gun... It is generally considered that bolt actions are, as a rule, the most accurate type of action... That is not to say that other types of actions are not accurate. Many are extremely accurate... But on the whole, you will find that bolt guns, (and single-shots), are generally the more accurate action type(s).

I'll also toss this in... Like 99er, I too would suggest that if you primarily plan to use this rifle for long distance groundhog hunting, then the .22-250 should be given some serious consideration. There is not really all that much difference between it and the .220 Swift in preformance, but with your not being a handloader, you need to consider ammo availability of different cartridges, and this makes the .22-250 the better choice for you. (In the smaller centerfire calibers .224" and below, only the .223 Remington has a wider selection of bullets and loadings.)... Long distance varmint whacking accuracy is one of the first lines in the .22-250's job description...and while I consider it a bit light for deer, in many areas it is legal for this, and with the right bullet it can be very effective on them as well... In fact the last deer I took, a small 6 point, was taken with a .22-250 while I was out calling coyotes.

My thoughts...

First off the 243 is a fine offering. If you ever do get into reloading get the 243 AI!

I would let the 30-06 continue it's duty as your carry/hunting rifle and go for a "varmint rifle". The 220 Swift and 22-250 are great choices but there are two thers I'd put ahead of them for varmints. The 204 Ruger and the 17 Remington Fireball. The 17 RFB is the factory (production) version of the 17 Mach IV (for the most part). The big thing I like about the 17RFB is that it will launch a 20 grain bullet at just over 4000 fps with just under 20 grains of powder. This will dispense with any varmint it meets up with (including coyotes). The nice thing about the smaller capacity cartridges is the number of shots you can take before you need to let the barrel cool down, add to that a heavy varmint contour barrel and you get to shoot a few more (accurate) rounds before cooling!

The 204 Ruger is a true killer of varmints (out past 500 yards), there is nothing like a 32 grain ballistic tip bullet meeting up with Mr. Varmint! This one is based on the 222 Remington Magnum, necked down with a 30 degree shoulder. Published data says a 32 grain V-Max will fly at 4100 fps with just over 28 grains of powder, although I have seen loads chrono'd at just about 4300 fps. With proper bullet selection the 204 is fur friendly and will take a coyote out past 300 yards quite effectively. There has been a load of hype on how the 204 Ruger is a barrel burner (as is any rifle if shoot it beyond a reasonable barrel temperature) but this hype is totally unfounded and mostly disproved as many shooters have well over 2000 rounds through their tubes with no loss in accuracy!

There are a bunch of personal preferences you will have to make, most importantly is how the rifle feels in your hands and up in a shooting position!

How much do you want to spend on said rifle?

edit: I forgot to touch on the 257 Roberts. If you want to go with .257" bullet give the 25 WSSM a try.

I have used the 243 Winchester to shoot mule deer ,pronghorn, and prairie dogs. I have used the 257 Roberts on mule deer. A accurate 243 W with a 4.5-14X scope is good for varmints and deer. Factory ammo is available with ( varmints)55 Gr, 58 Gr, 70 Gr,75 Gr, 80Gr,(deer) 85 Gr ,95 Gr, and 100 Gr bullets for the 243 Winchester. Some time if you do a lot of varmint shooting you may get a 22 centerfire varmint rifle. 22-250 Rem ,220 Swift, or 223 WSSM for large varmints. 223 Rem, and 204 Ruger for small varmints like prairie dogs.

Welcome jhk,

I like your choice of the .243 Win for Whitetail deer to 250 yards and any varmint as far as you can see it. As you mentioned, some states do not alow .22 cal rifles for deer. There a many loads available for the non-reloader and that is a big plus. There are some very accurate .243 AR-15s out there that can hold them in one inch at 100 yards. The ARs at around $1200 (less scope and mounts), would cost you twice as much as a good bolt gun of the same accuracy, but they are a real hoot to shoot. Fast followup shots are easy with the AR-15 even in.243. Magazine restrictions are common in most states for big game but not for most varmint hunting. Check your local regulations. If your a walking hunter, the ARs can be quite heavy.