.243 Winchester
Dual-purpose: long-range varmints with light bullets, whitetail and pronghorn with 95–100 gr.
Good for: Varmint, Deer/hog
A typical factory load is a 100 gr soft point bullet at about 2,960 ft/s, with roughly 1,945 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle.
Typical load
100 grsoft pointMuzzle speed
2,960 ft/sMuzzle energy
1,945 ft-lbsTypical BC (G1)
≈ 0.38typical, varies by brandTwist rate
1:101:8 for 105+ grPractical range
300 ydPoint-blank range
283 yd6" vital zoneRecommended platform
Light or standard rifleLight recoil; fine in a 6–7 lb rifleOn the Hunting Rifle Cartridges chart
Made to hunt
Dual-purpose: long-range varmints with light bullets, whitetail and pronghorn with 95–100 gr.
Typical load
100 grsoft point
Typical muzzle fps
2,960ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
1,945ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
≈ 0.38typical, varies by brand
Twist rate for typical load
1:101:8 for 105+ gr
Effective ethical range
300 yd
MPBR
283 yd6" vital zone · Near zero 26 yd · Far zero 242 yd · Min PBR 0 yd · Max PBR 283 yd · Sight-in @100 2.64" high
Recommended platform
Light or standard rifleLight recoil; fine in a 6–7 lb rifle
Open the full Hunting Rifle Cartridges chart →
On the AR Caliber Guide chart
Made for
Light-recoil varmint and deer round in the .308-size AR.
Typical load
100 grsoft point · 22" barrel
Typical muzzle fps
2,960ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
1,945ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
≈ 0.40typical, varies by brand
Twist rate for typical load
1:10 (1:8 heavy)
Practical range
300 yd
What to change
Barrel: Change · Bolt: Keep · Standard · Magazine: Keep · Standard .308
Open the full AR Caliber Guide chart →
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Speed, energy and BC are typical figures for the listed load; real numbers vary by brand, lot and barrel length. Always check the ammo maker's data for your exact load.