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243 vs 223: Review & Comparison
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May 10, 2024
To learn more about popular calibers like the 223 Remington and 243 Winchester, visit: https://huntingguns101.com/optin1615146914565?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=HG101&utm_term=YT&utm_content=243vs223 In this video, I do detailed analysis of the 243 vs 223 Remington and which one you should be using in your rifle. I think most hunters would agree that the 223 Remington and 243 Winchester both fantastic cartridges for hunting a variety of game. However, while there is a lot of overlap in their capabilities, there are some significant differences between the 243 vs 223 cartridges you should be aware of. Unfortunately, it’s often hard to separate fact from fiction or to determine the true capabilities of a cartridge these days. As you’ll learn here shortly, both cartridges are best suited for different tasks, but can be adapted to other uses to a certain degree by switching bullet weights and types. In this episode, I’m investigate the 243 vs 223 debate in detail and provide some insight into which cartridge is better suited for various situations so you can make an informed decision on which one will work best for you. To read a more detailed comparison of the 223 vs 243 Winchester, visit: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/243-vs-223/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow BGHB: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBigGameHuntingBlog Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebiggamehunter_/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBigGameHunt
View Video Transcript
0:00
Hi there, I'm John McAdams, founder of the Big Game Hunting blog, and in this video I'm
0:05
going to do a detailed comparison of the .243 Winchester and the .223 Remington
0:11
cartridges. Now, I think that most hunters would agree that the .223 and the .243 are
0:17
both fantastic cartridges for hunting certain species of game. However, while there is a certain amount of overlap in their capabilities, there are some
0:25
significant differences between the .243 and the .223 cartridges that you should be aware of. Unfortunately, it is often hard to separate fact from fiction
0:36
or to determine the true capabilities of a cartridge these days. As you will
0:42
learn here shortly, both of these cartridges are best suited for different
0:45
tasks, but they can be adapted to different uses to a certain degree by
0:51
switching bullet weights and types. So in this episode, I'm going to investigate
0:55
the .223 vs. the .243 debate in detail, and then provide some insight into which
1:01
cartridge is best suited for various situations so you can make an informed
1:06
decision on which one will work best for you. As usual, we'll start with the
1:12
history of these two cartridges. Now, the story of the .243 and the .223 both
1:17
really begin with the .308 Winchester. Winchester unveiled the cartridge we now
1:22
know as the .308 Winchester back in 1952, and the new cartridge quickly developed
1:28
a reputation for accuracy, power, and efficiency with hunters and shooters. As
1:33
is the case with many good cartridges, wildcatters and gun designers started
1:37
modifying the .308 Winchester to develop new and more specialized wildcat cartridges almost immediately after it hit the market. Among others, the .260
1:47
Remington, the 7mm .08 Remington, the .338 Federal, and the .358 Winchester are all descended from the .308 Winchester as designers
1:56
necked the case up or down as necessary to shoot smaller or larger 6.5mm
2:03
7mm, .33 caliber, or .35 caliber bullets, respectively. Now, experiments with necking down the .308 to shoot smaller 6mm or .243
2:15
bullets yielded one of the first cartridges descended from the .308 Winchester in 1955, the .243 Winchester. By necking down the .308 case to shoot
2:26
smaller caliber bullets, the designers of the .243 Winchester built a cartridge
2:32
with a higher velocity, flatter trajectory, and less recoil than the .308
2:37
Winchester. The new .243 Winchester really caught on with a segment of the
2:42
hunting population that wanted a flat shooting and light recoiling cartridge that was still powerful enough to cleanly take big game like deer and
2:50
pronghorn. Capable of shooting heavy as well as light bullets with very good
2:56
accuracy, the .243 Winchester was also a great varmint hunting cartridge and
3:01
successfully bridged the gap between traditional varmint cartridges of the day like the .22 Hornet and the .220 Swift on one hand, and popular big-game
3:12
hunting cartridges like the .270 Winchester and the .30-06 Springfield on the
3:16
other. While the .243 was indeed very well designed and a very effective
3:21
cartridge, there are plenty of good cartridges that don't experience commercial success for one reason or another
3:29
Fortunately for the .243 Winchester, Field and Stream editor Warren Page extolled the virtues of the .243 in his columns, similar to what Jack O'Connor
3:40
did for the .270 Winchester at Outdoor Life, Page's columns almost certainly
3:44
helped drive demand for the .243 Winchester. However, the .243 also got
3:50
something of an unintended assist from Remington when they released the competing .244 Remington the same year Winchester released the .243. Designed by
4:01
necking down a .257 Roberts case, itself a neck-down 7mm Mauser to .243 caliber, the .244 Remington had a small ballistic advantage over the .243
4:12
Winchester. However, the folks at Big Green made the unfortunate initial decision to use a slower 1-12 inch rifling twist in their .244 Remington
4:23
rifles. Those rifles performed very well with lighter bullets for use on smaller
4:28
predators environments like coyotes, but they were unable to stabilize the longer
4:33
100 grain bullets that were best suited for use on bigger game like deer and
4:38
antelope. Since Winchester produced their .243 rifles with a faster twist rate of
4:44
1 in 10 inches instead of 1 in 12 like Remington did, they could accurately
4:49
shoot heavier bullets in addition to lighter bullets and thus were more
4:54
versatile than the .244 Remington initially. Remington renamed the .244 the 6mm Remington a few years later and started producing rifles with a 1 in 9
5:05
inch twist rate, but the damage had already been done and the .243 Winchester
5:10
was already well established and had claimed the majority of the 6mm
5:15
centerfire rifle market share. Now the .244 slash 6mm Remington was not a
5:21
big commercial success for the company, but Remington did much better with
5:26
another cartridge they also developed in the 1950s. The US military began
5:31
searching for a replacement for the relatively new M14 rifle in the 7.62x51mm
5:37
cartridge during the 1950s. They eventually settled on the M16 rifle in the high-velocity 5.56x45mm cartridge, which was derived from the .222
5:50
Remington. Remington saw the potential for a tremendous commercial opportunity and developed a civilian version of the new cartridge that was extremely similar
5:59
but not identical to the 5.56 NATO cartridge. Formally standardized with SAMI as the .223 Remington in the early 1960s, the new cartridge was capable of
6:12
firing a 55 grain bullet at muzzle velocities approaching 3,300 feet per
6:18
second. The 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge had very similar ballistics and the original 5.56x45mm M193 ball load fired a .224
6:30
caliber 55 grain full metal jacket bullet at 3,250 feet per second. Now
6:37
unfortunately the 5.56 NATO cartridge and the M16 rifle got off to a very rough
6:43
start in the service with the US Army and Marine Corps in Vietnam. Modifications
6:48
to the rifle and ammo solved most of the reliability problems that really plagued
6:53
the system during the war. Large numbers of people in the US military still had
6:57
serious concerns regarding the stopping power of the little cartridge though. This was especially true with the new M855 load adopted with the M16A2 rifle
7:07
Incorporating a new bullet design with a steel penetrator, the M855 load fired a
7:13
62 grain full metal jacket bullet at 3,025 feet per second. Now the M855
7:20
penetrates better than the M193 but complaints about the terminal performance of the 5.56mm cartridge from soldiers grew even
7:30
louder after the new ball load saw use in combat in the 1990s and the early
7:35
2000s. Now civilian hunters who adopted the AR-15 and the .223 Remington
7:41
cartridge during the last couple decades of the 20th century shared many of those
7:45
concerns. The rifle and cartridge worked extremely well for predator and varmint
7:50
hunting as well as target shooting but the .223 Remington also developed a
7:55
reputation for unsatisfactory performance on bigger game like deer. With all that said, the .223 Remington remains one of the most popular
8:03
cartridges in North America today. In terms of ammo sales, it's probably the
8:08
single most popular centerfire rifle cartridge in the US. The cartridge is
8:13
extremely popular among those who enjoy shooting the AR platform as well as
8:18
predator and varmint hunters. It's also very common with recreational shooters ranging from those who just enjoy casual plinking to more serious competitive
8:28
shooting. Additionally, while it's still on the light side for that sort of work
8:32
advances in bullet technology have made the .223 Remington much more effective on
8:38
deer-sized game today than was the case even 10 to 20 years ago
8:44
Now let's talk about the relative sizes of the .243 and the .223 Remington
8:49
First, the .223 Remington is physically quite a bit smaller than the .243
8:54
Winchester. The .243 Winchester has a longer overall length and uses a longer
9:00
case length than the .223 Remington. The Winchester cartridge has an overall
9:04
length of 2.71 inches and uses a case 2.045 inches long. The .223
9:11
Remington has an overall length of 2.26 inches and uses a 1.76 inch long case
9:17
That said, the .223 Remington is designed for use in an AR-15, which can only
9:23
accommodate cartridges up to 2.26 inches long. So the .223 is the maximum
9:29
size cartridge that will fit in an AR-15. The longer .243 Winchester is too long
9:34
for the AR-15 and requires the use of a physically larger AR-10 platform if
9:40
you're going to be using it in some sort of an AR. More on this in a minute
9:44
Both cartridges are commonly found in short-action bolt-action rifles though. The .243 has a larger rim diameter than the .223 Remington as well at .473
9:55
inches versus .378 inches. So for all those reasons, the .243 Winchester has
10:02
quite a bit more case capacity than the .223 Remington and can use a lot more
10:06
powder. Bullet size is another one of the important differences between the two
10:11
cartridges. The .243 Winchester uses .243 inch diameter bullets while the .223 Remington uses smaller .224 inch bullets. The .223 Remington is
10:22
capable of using bullets in the 35 to 77 grain range and of these, 55 grain and 62
10:28
grain bullets are by far the most common. On the other hand, the vast majority of
10:33
.243 Winchester factory loads shoot bullets in the 55 to 115 grain range
10:38
with 55, 87, 90, and 100 grain bullets being the most common. And finally, the
10:45
.243 Winchester is also loaded to a higher pressure than the .223 Remington
10:50
with 60,000 psi for the .243 Winchester versus 55,000 psi for the .223
10:57
Now as you can probably imagine, the differences in the external dimensions
11:02
of these cartridges also translate into some important differences in their ballistic performance. This is illustrated when you compare Hornady
11:10
Superformance Varmint, Nosler Varmageddon, and Winchester Deer Season XP factory ammunition. When comparing these lines, the .223 Remington loads use a 35 grain
11:21
NTX with a .177 BC, 55 grain Nosler Varmageddon bullets with a .255 BC
11:29
and 64 grain Winchester Extreme Point bullets with a .282 BC. The .243
11:37
Winchester loads within those lines use 58 grain Hornady VMAX bullets with a
11:43
.250 BC, 70 grain Nosler Varmageddon bullets with a .305 BC, and 95 grain
11:51
Winchester Extreme Point bullets with a .363 BC. The Hornady loads use
11:58
light for caliber varmint bullets fired at a very high velocity for each
12:02
cartridge, the Nosler loads use mid-weight varmint bullets for each one, and the Winchester loads use heavy for caliber bullets designed for deer
12:11
hunting. This allows us to conduct as close to an apples-to-apples comparison
12:16
as is possible for both cartridges for varmint and deer hunting applications
12:21
Now when you compare those loads, that lightweight 58 grain .243 Winchester
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load has by far the flattest trajectory of the group and it has about 10 inches
12:31
less bullet drop at 500 yards than the flattest shooting .223 Remington load
12:36
That 58 grain load also has a muzzle velocity over 800 feet per second faster
12:41
than the 55 grain .223 Remington load and uses a heavier and more
12:46
aerodynamic bullet than the slightly faster 35 grain .223 Remington load from
12:51
the Hornady line. By the same token, the .243 Winchester is also capable of
12:56
firing a 95 grain bullet as fast or faster than the .223 can fire a 55 grain
13:02
or a 64 grain bullet. Now that particular deer season XP load has 56 to 72 percent
13:09
more muzzle energy than the various .223 Remington loads and since it uses a more
13:15
aerodynamic bullet, that edge in kinetic energy grows as range increases. That
13:20
.243 Winchester load drops below 1,000 foot-pounds of energy just shy of 400
13:25
yards but it still has more than double the retained kinetic energy of the most
13:30
powerful .223 load. The results are similar when you compare how much a 10
13:35
mile an hour crosswind impacts those same .223 Remington and .243 Winchester
13:40
loads out to 500 yards. Now this is another area where the .243 Winchester
13:45
shines and the cartridge has a significant advantage over the .223 Remington at all ranges in terms of wind drift. This is because the cartridge
13:53
uses heavier and generally more aerodynamic bullets than the .223 Remington. Now while the .223 Remington is considered a high-velocity cartridge
14:02
it's also often loaded with lighter bullets with a fairly low BC that don't
14:07
retain energy or resist wind deflection very well. Alright now let's talk about
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recoil. To do this I compared hand loads that approximate the performance of the
14:17
Winchester factory loads firing 64 grain and 95 grain bullets from the .223
14:24
Remington and the .243 Winchester when fired from identical 7-pound rifles. Now
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felt recoil will vary from shooter to shooter and rifle to rifle but free
14:34
recoil energy is still a useful way to compare cartridges. Now while the .243
14:39
Winchester really shined with trajectory and wind drift, this is where the .223
14:44
Remington really does well and it has significantly less recoil than the .243
14:49
In fact the .243 Winchester has approximately 67% more recoil when comparing these two loads. That's really saying something too because the .243
14:58
Winchester is a very mild recoiling cartridge itself. Now all things considered, most hunters should be able to handle the recoil from the .243
15:08
Winchester without much trouble at all. The .223 Remington just has an extremely
15:13
mild, almost non-existent recoil. So the .223 Remington has a big advantage in
15:18
this respect, especially for smaller or more recoil shy hunters. Now some people
15:24
do handle recoil better than others but all other things being equal, they will
15:29
absolutely shoot more accurately with a milder recoiling cartridge. And having a
15:34
really mild recoil, as is the case with the .223 Remington in this case, really
15:39
helps with spotting your impacts and making a fast follow-up shot. But that
15:45
said, the .243 Winchester, in the case of a rifle that really fits the shooter
15:50
well and all of that stuff, it also does well in those areas too, just not quite
15:56
as good as the .223. Now what about accuracy? Now the .223 Remington in
16:01
particular has seen extensive use in the hands of competition shooters and it
16:05
does have an outstanding reputation in that area. However, the .243 Winchester
16:10
also excels in that area and, if we're being honest, both cartridges are capable
16:15
of absolutely tack-driving accuracy in the right hands. Though the exceptionally mild recoil of the .223 does give that cartridge an advantage at short range
16:25
say 200 yards or less, the .243 Winchester has a longer effective range
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and a bigger advantage at ranges past 200 yards because those heavier and
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more aerodynamic bullets retain more energy and are less susceptible to wind
16:40
drift than the .223 Remington. So this is a case where the ballistics of the
16:45
cartridge can help maximize the advantages of the shooter and help them
16:50
deal with environmental conditions a little bit easier than the .223 Remington. Now there are also a couple of other factors that are worth
16:58
considering. So first, the .243 Winchester uses larger diameter bullets than the
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.223 Remington. Specifically, the larger diameter .243 caliber bullets used by that cartridge have about 18% more frontal surface area, also known as
17:13
cross-sectional area, than the .224 caliber bullets used by the .223 Remington. So all other things being equal, a bigger bullet will make a bigger
17:23
hole, cause more tissue damage, and result in more blood loss in a hunting
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situation. Now this is a small, though definite advantage in favor of the .243
17:31
Winchester, especially on bigger game. Now when you combine that with the fact
17:37
that the .243 Winchester carries more kinetic energy downrange, those larger diameter bullets can be really helpful when hunting bigger game, like deer. Now
17:47
at the same time, the bullets used by the .243 Winchester usually have a higher
17:51
ballistic coefficient than those used by the .223 Remington. The six millimeter
17:56
bore diameter is in something of that sweet spot where it is easier to
18:00
manufacture very high BC bullets that aren't especially heavy, like the Hornady
18:05
ELD Match or the ELD X. Those aerodynamic projectiles don't slow down as fast, and
18:11
they are more resistant to wind drift. That's not a hard and fast rule. For
18:16
instance, the 55 grain .224 caliber V-Max has a .255 BC versus the .250 BC of
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the 58 grain .243 caliber V-Max. However, it is generally the case that .243
18:31
caliber bullets in the most common weights will be more aerodynamic than
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otherwise identical .224 caliber bullets in the most common bullet weights. Now at
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the same time, the .243 Winchester also has an edge over the .223 Remington in
18:46
bullet sectional density. Sectional density is a measure of the ratio of the
18:51
diameter of a projectile to its mass. All other things being equal, a heavier
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projectile of a given caliber will be longer and have a higher sectional
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density and penetrate deeper than projectiles with a lower mass and lower
19:05
sectional density. As an example, 58 grain, 87 grain, and 100 grain .243 caliber
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bullets have sectional densities of .140, .210, and .242 respectively. This compares favorably to 55 grain, 62 grain, and 77 grain .224
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caliber bullets, which have sectional densities of .157, .177, and .219 respectively. While there is a little bit overlap in sectional density with those
19:38
two cartridges, the heavier .243 caliber bullets intended for use on bigger game, where bullet penetration is more important, far outclass those used
19:48
by the .223 Remington. All things considered, the .243 Winchester is simply a
19:53
significantly more powerful cartridge. It is not a heavy hitter on the level of
19:58
cartridges like the 7mm Rim Mag or the .300 Win Mag, but it is still in a
20:03
completely different league from the .223 Remington and the .556 NATO, but that
20:08
should not be surprising considering how much bigger it is than those cartridges
20:12
and that it is descended from the .308 Winchester. Alright, let's talk quickly
20:16
about barrel life. Neither cartridge is known for being especially hard on
20:21
barrels. However, the .243 Winchester will probably burn out a given barrel a
20:26
little faster than the .223 Remington because it uses so much more powder
20:30
Exactly how fast that occurs depends on a number of factors like the quality of
20:35
the barrel, the exact ammo used, etc. For serious target shooters, this can be a
20:41
concern. Now the good news for hunters is that typical barrel life for even the
20:46
.243 Winchester is more than enough to last for many years of hunting with no
20:51
issues. Exactly when the barrel becomes unusable depends on the rifle as well as
20:57
the hunter in question and what sort of performance they expect from their rifle
21:01
Those who want extremely tight groups for long-range shooting are probably going to want to change their barrel out sooner than those with a little bit
21:09
lower standards. Now all other things being equal, the .223 Remington will
21:14
probably have a longer barrel life than the .243 Winchester, but the difference is
21:18
probably not big enough for the average hunter to worry about unless they are
21:22
putting a lot of rounds downrange. So where do we stand with each cartridge
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The .243 Winchester fires a larger diameter, heavier, and more aerodynamic bullet at a faster velocity than the .223 Remington. Therefore, the .243
21:39
Winchester will have more recoil, a much flatter trajectory, more resistance to
21:43
wind drift, and carry more kinetic energy downrange than the .223 Remington
21:49
Okay, let's talk about ammunition availability for both cartridges. Now both the .243 and the .223 are extremely popular among hunters and shooters all
21:59
over the world. Indeed, both are also likely in the top 10 most popular
22:03
centerfire rifle cartridges in the USA. However, the .223 Remington is by far the
22:09
most widely used of the two and is typically the most popular centerfire
22:15
rifle cartridge in the US in terms of raw ammo sales. Now while it is often
22:20
very easy to find a variety of ammo for both cartridges during normal times
22:24
ammo is usually easier to find than the .223. In general, .223 Remington ammo is
22:30
typically the least expensive of the two as well. The difference between the two
22:35
cartridges has become even more apparent during the 2020 to 2022 ammo
22:40
shortage and .223 Remington ammo is generally much easier to find and more
22:46
reasonably priced than ammo for the .243 Winchester. Now just about every
22:50
ammunition manufacturer produces several different loads of .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO ammunition. This ammo ranges from match grade and surplus full metal
23:01
ammo best suited for work at the range on one end of the spectrum to hollow
23:05
point, soft point, and ballistic tip ammo designed for hunting and personal
23:09
protection on the other end. Now note that full metal jacket ammo is generally
23:14
not legal for hunting in most states. So while that military surplus 5.56 ammo is
23:19
great for use at the range, I don't recommend taking it afield and search a
23:23
game. Now most .223 and 5.56 ammo is designed for target shooting or
23:28
plinking, but companies like Barnes, Federal Premium, Hornady, Nosler, Remington, and Winchester all produce ammunition in those chamberings suitable
23:37
for hunting. Most of this is varmint hunting ammo like Hornady's Varmit
23:41
Express and Superformance Varmit lines, Nosler's Varmageddon line, and Winchester's Varmit X line. However there are also a handful of .223 Remington
23:51
ammo options specifically designed and marketed for big game hunting as well
23:56
For instance there are both .223 and 5.56 loads in the Barnes Vortex line, Federal
24:01
offers .223 Remington ammo in their Fusion line, Nosler offers .223 ammo in
24:06
their E-Tip line, and Winchester produces .223 Remington ammo in their Deer
24:11
Season XP, Power Max Bonded, and Super X lines. Now on the other hand, .243
24:17
Winchester ammo tends to be more common in ammo lines designed for deer hunting
24:22
The big ammunition manufacturers like Barnes, Browning, Federal, Hornady, Nosler, Remington, Sierra, Swift, and Winchester all produce a large variety of quality
24:32
.243 Winchester factory ammunition suitable for hunting most species. In each case there is normally a good selection of bullet types and weights
24:40
for each cartridge suitable for big game hunting. That said, Predator and Varmint
24:46
rounds like the Hornady V-Max and the Nosler Varmageddon are also available
24:50
for the .243. So while ammo for both cartridges is available for both big
24:55
game and Varmint hunters, the .243 Winchester is more common for big game
25:00
hunters with some availability for Varmint hunters, and then the opposite is
25:04
true for the .223 Remington. Now hand loaders will appreciate the fact that
25:09
reloading components for both cartridges are widely available and there is an
25:13
excellent variety of bullet choices for each cartridge, so you should not have
25:17
any trouble working up a good custom load for either one if you like the
25:21
hand load. Alright, let's talk about rifle availability. Once again, the .223
25:26
Remington is more common than the .243 Winchester, but there's a really good
25:30
selection of rifles in both cartridges. Now remember, a rifle with a 5.56 NATO
25:35
chamber can usually safely and accurately fire .223 Remington ammunition, but the reverse is not always true. So many, but not all, gun
25:44
manufacturers chamber their rifles in 5.56 NATO so their customers have more
25:49
flexibility with ammo. Now the .223 tends to be more common in bolt-action rifles
25:55
like the Browning X-Bolt, Ruger American, Remington 700, and Winchester XPR. The
26:01
5.56 NATO is an extremely popular chambering for AR-15 style rifles like
26:06
those made by Bushmaster, Noveske, Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, and Wilson Combat
26:11
It's also available in other semi-auto sporting rifles like the Ruger Mini-14
26:16
That is not a hard and fast rule though and it is not unusual to find bolt-action
26:21
5.56 rifles. For instance, the lightweight CZ 527 and the Ruger American Ranch bolt-action rifles are both available in 5.56 NATO. On the other
26:32
hand, the .243 Winchester is extremely common in bolt-action rifles. In fact
26:36
just about every really popular bolt-action hunting rifle in current production is available in .243. So for instance, it's available in several
26:45
different versions of the Remington Model 700 and the Winchester Model 70
26:49
The same goes for the Browning X-Bolt, Kimber Hunter, Mossberg Patriot, Nosler
26:54
M48, Remington Model 7, Ruger American, Ruger Hawkeye, Savage Axis, Savage 110
27:01
the Tikka T3, Weatherby Vanguard, and the Winchester XPR. Now while the .243
27:07
Winchester is most common in bolt-action rifles, it's also available in a few
27:11
different semi-auto rifles like the Browning Automatic Rifle or the BAR. Some
27:16
companies like Wilson Combat and Remington with the R25 have also manufactured the AR-10 in .243 Winchester over the years as well. That said, that
27:27
chambering was nowhere near as popular as the .308 Winchester in the AR-10. Now
27:32
both cartridges are also available in lever-action rifles. For instance, the Winchester Model 88 lever-action was one of the original rifles available for
27:41
the .243, the Winchester Model 70 being the other. Additionally, the Henry Long
27:46
Ranger and the Browning lever-action rifle or the BLR are currently manufactured in both .223 and .243. So you can probably find a good rifle
27:56
available in either cartridge regardless of the action type you prefer. Okay, so
28:02
which one is right for you? The .243 or the .223? Do you primarily hunt medium-sized
28:08
game like whitetail deer, feral hogs, or black bear at ranges inside 200 yards
28:13
Both will work on deer-sized game if you do your part. However, the .243 Winchester
28:19
is significantly more powerful and I do strongly recommend using it for hunting
28:24
deer instead of the .223. Heck, a .243 shooting 100 grain bullets is a very
28:30
effective deer load with a long history of success afield. Now the .223 Remington
28:35
will work on deer with good bullet selection like the Winchester Deer Season XP, Winchester Power Max Bonded, or a Barnes Load and with good shot
28:44
placement. It's definitely on the light side though and it has a much shorter
28:47
effective range on deer than the .243. You will also have much less of a margin
28:53
for error with your shot placement and you should be prepared for a potentially
28:56
longer and more difficult to follow tracking job with the .223 as well. So
29:01
yeah, it will work but keep those caveats in mind. Now are you looking for a
29:06
cartridge to hunt predators, varmints, and small game animals like prairie dogs
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with? The .243 Winchester will work really well in this role and lots of people use
29:16
it for predator hunting due to the extremely flat trajectory and hard
29:20
hitting characteristics of the cartridge. However, I think the .223 Remington is
29:24
the better choice here because it does still have a relatively flat trajectory
29:28
ammo is cheaper, and there are many types of .223 ammo that are specifically
29:33
designed for predator and varmint hunting. Additionally, the .223 Remington is extremely common in AR-15 pattern rifles which are great for those who want the
29:41
ability to take an extremely rapid follow-up shot, say in case you miss or
29:46
in case you have multiple animals coming in at once like several coyotes. Now the
29:51
.223 Remington is a very effective coyote cartridge but there is a little
29:56
bit greater chance of wounded and lost animals when using it compared to the
30:00
.243. This is not as big of an issue with the .223 as it is with smaller
30:06
cartridges but it is something to keep in mind. So hunters who want to minimize
30:10
this issue as much as possible, like participants in a coyote hunting contest
30:15
should use the .243 Winchester. The downside of the .243 Winchester is that
30:20
fur damage will likely be a bigger problem. So this is an area where you
30:24
just need to really sit down and think about what your priorities are and then
30:28
pick the one that works best for you because the predator slash varmint
30:32
hunting realm encompasses a really big spectrum of performance from prairie dogs on one hand to coyotes and bobcats on the other. Some people care about
30:42
saving the fur of the animal, some people don't. So like I said, think about this
30:46
stuff, pick the one that works best for you. Now are you looking for the cartridge
30:51
that is better suited for a longer range hunting for game like mule deer or
30:54
pronghorn antelope in open country where you might need to take a shot at longer
30:59
range? The .243 Winchester is definitely the way to go here between these two
31:03
cartridges. Be very careful trying to shoot game at longer distances with this
31:08
round though. People do it all the time with a lot of success but bullet weight
31:12
and type are both very important here. I personally would not shoot past 300
31:17
yards on a deer or pronghorn with a typical .243 hunting bullet but I could
31:23
potentially see extending that to 350 or maybe 400 yards under the right
31:28
conditions with a load using a really high BC bullet like that Hornady ELDX
31:33
It all depends on the conditions and the skill of the shooter though. If we're
31:38
being honest, most people don't have any business shooting at game past 300 yards
31:42
with a .243 at all regardless of the bullet but once again it is still in a
31:47
completely different level of performance than the .223 Remington for this sort of a hunting situation. Now do you want a hunting cartridge that is
31:55
well suited for bigger game like caribou, moose, elk, elan, kudu or red stag? I
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personally would not recommend hunting game like elk or moose with either
32:04
cartridge. Yes, some people do have success each year but I think that is
32:08
asking for trouble. If you have nothing else then yes, the .243 Winchester will
32:14
definitely work. Use heavy for caliber controlled expansion bullets like a hundred grain Nassau partition for instance. Keep your shooting distances
32:23
short like under a hundred yards. Only shoot broadside or very slightly
32:28
quartering angles and be extremely careful with your shot placement. But if
32:33
it were me, I would suggest going with something bigger if you want to be hunting bigger game. Now do you want a cartridge suitable for self or home
32:41
defense? Both will certainly work in this regard but I'd go with the .223
32:45
Remington here mainly due to rifle selection. In practical terms an AR-15
32:50
and .223 Remington is an easier to find rifle that is likely smaller and easier
32:55
to handle in close quarters than an AR-10 or a bolt-action rifle in .243
33:00
Winchester even if the .243 is more powerful. Now are you sensitive to recoil
33:06
and you need a really low recoil cartridge? Both are very mild recoiling
33:12
cartridges but the .223 Remington has a big edge over the .243 Winchester here. It
33:18
really depends on what you're trying to do though. The .223 Remington would be my
33:22
recommendation for casual shooting at the range or predator hunting. Now the
33:26
.223 Remington is a great choice as a centerfire rifle cartridge for a
33:30
completely brand new shooter to start out with as well. Now even for a newer
33:36
and or a really recoil shy hunter the .243 Winchester is probably a better
33:42
choice overall for deer hunting since it has a longer effective range and gives
33:46
the hunter a little bit more room for error compared to the .223. The .243
33:51
Winchester is also available in Hornady's custom light line of ammo that
33:56
recoils even less than typical .243 Winchester hunting ammo and even the
34:01
regular .243 Winchester hunting ammo is still generally very mild recoiling as
34:06
well. Now as I've stated before the .223 Remington and the .243 Winchester are
34:11
both very solid rifle cartridges. However since the difference between them is
34:16
pretty big in certain respects each cartridge is better suited to specific
34:21
situations than the other. So carefully evaluate your needs as a hunter based
34:26
upon the circumstances you foresee using the cartridge in. Get a good hunting
34:31
rifle chambered in the cartridge you select. Learn to shoot it well. Use
34:35
quality bullets and it should serve you well afield. Now if you enjoyed this
34:40
video please make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel right now. Just click
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that red subscribe button below to make sure you don't miss out on any of my new
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videos on hunting gear reviews, cartridge comparisons and more. Now for more detailed information on popular hunting cartridges and what they are
34:57
best suited for click on the link in the description below or go to
35:01
HuntingGuns101.com to get a free e-book I have written on the best hunting
35:07
calibers. Okay now I'm going to turn it over to you. Which one do you prefer? The .223
35:13
Remington or the .243 Winchester? What game have you successfully taken with
35:18
each one? Let me know by leaving a comment on this video right now. Thank
35:23
you for watching. Have a great day and good hunting
#Hunting & Shooting
#Individual Sports