You done good pal! Is that a tang safety model?
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.243 or .270, what say YOU?
- Thread starter MissouriBoy
- Start date
You done good pal! Is that a tang safety model?
Deerhead
Senior Member
I like your choice! Congrats!
MissouriBoy
Senior Member
I have no clue. I’m new to these types of calibers and actions! But now that you asked I will figure out for sure, because I want to know!
MissouriBoy
Senior Member
It appears to be situated behind the bolt. Has 3 functions. Can lock the bolt entirely, unlock the bolt, and fire.
transfixer
Senior Member
I believe the early M77's had the tang safety, when they went to the markII versions it was at the rear of the bolt, and three position, my .243 is a M77 tang safety version, bought new in the 80's
Good choice ! I've always liked the M77's, classic lines and just feels good ! and I've always like their scope mounts !
Good choice ! I've always liked the M77's, classic lines and just feels good ! and I've always like their scope mounts !
MissouriBoy
Senior Member
I was sold when I held it. I have a few synthetic stock weapons, but wanted the feel of a wooden stock. Walked into a place today and held it, looked through the scope, and knew it was the one!
Robert28
Senior Member
That’s what I prefer. Nice rifle! I’m jealous!
You're right! I over looked the Mk2 comment he made about the rifle
Big7
The Oracle
I've been using a .243 for deer and coyote for prolly 20 years. Easy to load, plenty of choices in components. Many 1000 yd shots have consistently been made in competition since the clambering was made available. There is a reason for that. Super accuracy and excellent terminal ballistics.
Anyone who thinks a .243 is "underpowered" for ANY game in North America, except maybe Brown and Grizzly bear is clueless IMO.
TomC
Senior Member
The ol' ego and comments from people on forums will lead you to the 270 but the deer won't know the difference. My 243 hasn't let me down over the past 35 years.....not once and WITHOUT QUESTION for deer I'd take my 243 over my 7mag. Am growing pretty fond of the 25-06 of late I must admit.
GunnSmokeer
Senior Member
I have a .308 as my primary rifle, then got an inexpensive 7 mm Rem mag. as a loaner / backup. But I didn't care for it and it didn't seem to have any better performance than my 308, so I replaced it with a 243 Winchester as a loaner or spare rifle.
I love the .243, and I'm increasingly taking it out and leaving my .308 in the gun safe.
If I wanted to hunt any bigger game then Whitetail deer or wild hogs, and if I were going to be hunting out west or in the Midwest where 400+ yard shots were more common, then I'd want that 7 mm mag rifle,
or a 7 mm- 08,
or a 270 Winchester
or a 260 Remington...
But considering who I am, and where I live, and the type of shooting and hunting I do, the 243 Winchester seems to fill the role just fine.
Bottom line: The .270 Win. cartridge is more versatile, for hunting bigger animals at longer ranges in different locations around North America.
But if you're just doing typical deer / hog hunting at reasonable ranges here in Georgia, the 243 will get the job done! With less recoil.
So pick whichever one you like!
I love the .243, and I'm increasingly taking it out and leaving my .308 in the gun safe.
If I wanted to hunt any bigger game then Whitetail deer or wild hogs, and if I were going to be hunting out west or in the Midwest where 400+ yard shots were more common, then I'd want that 7 mm mag rifle,
or a 7 mm- 08,
or a 270 Winchester
or a 260 Remington...
But considering who I am, and where I live, and the type of shooting and hunting I do, the 243 Winchester seems to fill the role just fine.
Bottom line: The .270 Win. cartridge is more versatile, for hunting bigger animals at longer ranges in different locations around North America.
But if you're just doing typical deer / hog hunting at reasonable ranges here in Georgia, the 243 will get the job done! With less recoil.
So pick whichever one you like!
Dub
Senior Member
Buckman18
Senior Member
I may not like them very much but a friend of mine who lives in Colorado elk hunts with a 243.
ringorock
Senior Member
There isn't a single caliber .223 and up that I wouldn't use on deer if I had to. Practice, practice, opportunity, shot placement. There are calibers that I would prefer over others depending on the environment that I hunt, but they give me specific advantages to what I expect my shot opportunities to be. If I had to choose between the two as my only rifle, it'd be a 270. Why? There really are opportunities in trees where you need a distance, flat shooter. Someone said to me once months ago on here, a 300 winny will do everything a 308 can do and more, but a 308 will never do that more you get from a 300. So as a self proclaimed educated man, I bought both.
rosewood
Senior Member
GT-40 GUY
Gone But Not Forgotten
GunnSmokeer
Senior Member
I witnessed an highpower rifle national champion do a demonstration on a golf course-- he fired one shot from a cold bore at a target 1000 yards away.
His rifle was a 243 Winchester with peep sights, but it had a custom barrel withunusually fast twist rifling rate-I think 1:8 rather than the standard one-in-10. He nailed the bull's-eye with the first shot at 1000 yards.
His rifle was a 243 Winchester with peep sights, but it had a custom barrel withunusually fast twist rifling rate-I think 1:8 rather than the standard one-in-10. He nailed the bull's-eye with the first shot at 1000 yards.
GunnSmokeer
Senior Member
Running a comparison of the two rounds on GunData site, the .270 Win with Federal 130 gr. ballistic tips vs. the .243 Win. using 95 grain federal ballistic tips:
If each rifle were fitted with a scope whose center line was 1.7 inches above the bore and zeroed for 200 yards...
At 100 yards (by far the most likely distance you would shoot a deer from-- if not even closer!)
The .270 has 1/10" less bullet drop, a 50 f.p.s. velocity advantage, and significantly more foot pounds of energy, although the 243 is no slouch with over 1600 foot-pounds.
At 300 yards, which is probably the upper limit for ethical hunting, firing from a cold bore under real-life field conditions,
The .270 and .243 have basically the same bullet drop from their 200 yard zero; each being about 6.5 inches below the crosshairs.
They have nearly the same velocity, with the 270 at 2400 ft./s and the 243 coming in at 2300 feet/ second.
But of course the heavier bullet from the 270 slams the target with more energy. Even at 300 yards, it has 1700 foot-pounds.
The .243 is down to 1100.
I think the ballistic performance of the 243 is adequate to even 400 yards. But due to the accuracy limitations of most shooters and most rifles in the field under real life conditions (away from the shooting bench and the range) I'd say both of these calibers are equally good at 300 yards.
If you're one of the rare shooters who can ethically take shots beyond 400 yards on the deer size game animals then go with the 270.
If each rifle were fitted with a scope whose center line was 1.7 inches above the bore and zeroed for 200 yards...
At 100 yards (by far the most likely distance you would shoot a deer from-- if not even closer!)
The .270 has 1/10" less bullet drop, a 50 f.p.s. velocity advantage, and significantly more foot pounds of energy, although the 243 is no slouch with over 1600 foot-pounds.
At 300 yards, which is probably the upper limit for ethical hunting, firing from a cold bore under real-life field conditions,
The .270 and .243 have basically the same bullet drop from their 200 yard zero; each being about 6.5 inches below the crosshairs.
They have nearly the same velocity, with the 270 at 2400 ft./s and the 243 coming in at 2300 feet/ second.
But of course the heavier bullet from the 270 slams the target with more energy. Even at 300 yards, it has 1700 foot-pounds.
The .243 is down to 1100.
I think the ballistic performance of the 243 is adequate to even 400 yards. But due to the accuracy limitations of most shooters and most rifles in the field under real life conditions (away from the shooting bench and the range) I'd say both of these calibers are equally good at 300 yards.
If you're one of the rare shooters who can ethically take shots beyond 400 yards on the deer size game animals then go with the 270.
