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03-28-2013, 03:30 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Camrose county
Posts: 3,492
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Is the 243 win okay for gophers,or to much power?
I bought a243win last year didn't get time to use it,was wondering if ok for gophers?
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03-28-2013, 03:32 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Alberta
Posts: 4,279
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It's more than what's needed.
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03-28-2013, 03:34 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Dreadful Valley
Posts: 14,620
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Kinda like having a girl friend who's too good looking, or perhaps having too much money!
Are you worried the gophers are going to complain?
Make sure of your backstop, make sure centre fires are cool with the owner, and go shooting!
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There are no absolutes
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03-28-2013, 03:36 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Turner Valley
Posts: 2,922
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fish along
I bought a243win last year didn't get time to use it,was wondering if ok for gophers?
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Your joking right? Just trolling right? Good one, good one.
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03-28-2013, 03:37 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 7,511
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One downside is recoil.... not that it kicks a lot, but with a 223 type cartridge, you can usually see where your bullet hits.
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03-28-2013, 03:44 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Camrose county
Posts: 3,492
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Not joking was wondering if loads were to strong .
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03-28-2013, 03:48 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Lacombe
Posts: 2,464
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I have used the 6mm on gophers,its overkill,exspensive,but great practice,plus some landowners dont like the noise
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03-28-2013, 03:57 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Uh, guess? :)
Posts: 26,739
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fish along
Not joking was wondering if loads were to strong .
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Really?? OK... well I wouldn't say they are too strong. You should be able to handle the recoil pretty easily, so they are a good choice for total vaporization of the critter.
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03-28-2013, 03:58 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Uh, guess? :)
Posts: 26,739
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rottie
great practice,plus some landowners dont like the noise
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Yeah, that's a bonus.  LOL
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03-28-2013, 04:09 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Alberta
Posts: 168
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Okotokian
Really?? OK... well I wouldn't say they are too strong. You should be able to handle the recoil pretty easily, so they are a good choice for total vaporization of the critter.
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LMAO Sooo true.
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03-28-2013, 04:13 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: CNP
Posts: 3,760
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With light bullets recoil is going to be very mild.
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You are what you do, not what you say.
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03-28-2013, 04:17 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 592
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick284
Make sure of your backstop, make sure centre fires are cool with the owner, and go shooting!
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x2
P.S. Overkill as a regular gopher gun
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03-28-2013, 04:21 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Turner Valley
Posts: 2,922
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Fire crackers and 243 for gophers, you planning a big war?
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03-28-2013, 04:33 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 614
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I used a .243 on ground hogs in Ontario. Flipped them about a meter into the air and deposited them neatly back in their hole sans guts. Ontario gophers are about 15X bigger than a prairie gopher. Should be fine.
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03-28-2013, 04:42 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 369
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Too big - they will see it coming and move
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Where am I going? And why am I in this hand basket?
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03-28-2013, 05:52 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 21,399
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You should try a .300 Mag.  No such thing as being over gunned for gophers.
Grizz
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John E. Pfeiffer The Emergence of Man
written in 1969
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03-28-2013, 05:55 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Alberta somewhere
Posts: 2,520
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Dead is dead. If you havent done much shooting with the 243 its a good time to get out and blast some gophers. Gets expensive compared to a simple old .22 but its pretty fun to watch them explode blasting them with a centerfire.
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If your ad in the Buy & Sell is for an item that is sold, do us all a favour and mark the header SOLD - PLS REMOVE.
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03-28-2013, 06:15 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Camrose
Posts: 45,145
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It will certainly destroy them, but the barrel heats up to quickly for me to use one as my go to gun for ground squirrels.
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Only accurate guns are interesting.
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03-28-2013, 06:16 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: St Albert
Posts: 848
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Just got my first gopher of the year with my 243 two days ago. 75gr V-max @ 3642 fps. 411 yards the bullet was still travelling over 2400 fps. Made a mess. If I can figure out how to post vidoes I'll get it on here.
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"It's better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it."
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03-28-2013, 06:25 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,372
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For a regular gopher gun
Maybe no.
But.. I did have a safe spot where I sighted in my 7mmrm on gophers.
Took 8 shots.
Gopher goes poof according to my spotter with the binos.
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"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”
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"A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends on the character of the user." T. Roosevelt
"I don't always troll, only on days that end in Y."
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03-28-2013, 06:42 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Ft. McMurray
Posts: 38,585
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott N
One downside is recoil.... not that it kicks a lot, but with a 223 type cartridge, you can usually see where your bullet hits.
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With the 243 you will see the fallout as a red mist! 
Cat
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Anytime I figure I've got this long range thing figured out, I just strap into the sling and irons and remind myself that I don't! 
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03-28-2013, 07:14 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,363
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dick284
Kinda like having a girl friend who's too good looking, or perhaps having too much money!
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Or a girl friend that COSTS too much money.... 
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03-28-2013, 07:25 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Red Deer
Posts: 4,998
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If a 243 is too much, then I guess I was being ridiculous with my 280, 7.62x39, 308, 300 RUM, 12 ga slugs, 338 Win Mag, 375 Ruger, 458 Win Mag.
Damn, I've had a few guns come through here, I don't own any of those anymore.... 
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I'm not saying I'm the man, but it's been said.
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03-28-2013, 07:54 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Turner Valley
Posts: 2,922
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I think the odd shot would be ok but sounds like you might want to use it all the time. Thats gonna be expensive compared to a 22 but thats your choice I guess, but you might want to rethink that.
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03-28-2013, 10:06 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 16,983
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Despite all the smart Alec remarks in this thread.. I think using a .243 on small targets such as gophers, would improve your shooting skills as a hunter. I own a .243, and will be using it in the field on Grass Rats, as well as .22lr, .17hmr and .223. Its your dime for the ammo.... but double check with the land owner that its ok with him/her.. dont just assume it is.
I know a guy that uses a .458win mag for gophers in Saskatchewan for kicks.... although he did not use powerful handloads, lol
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Alberta Bigbore
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03-28-2013, 10:10 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Look behind you :)
Posts: 27,780
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I would use the .243 as a main stay gopher gun....too expensive and barrel life would suffer.
Fun for a couple trips a year though.
LC
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03-28-2013, 10:10 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,363
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It would be great practice to get familiar with the rifle, but I wouldn't want to do volume gopher shooting with it or you'll be changing out the barrel about the time you're done killing a thousand or two thousand gophers
A .223 or a .17 HMR is more ideal for volume gopher duty.
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03-28-2013, 10:11 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Turner Valley
Posts: 2,922
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alberta Bigbore
Despite all the smart Alec remarks in this thread.. I think using a .243 on small targets such as gophers, would improve your shooting skills as a hunter. I own a .243, and will be using it in the field on Grass Rats, as well as .22lr, .17hmr and .223. Its your dime for the ammo.... but double check with the land owner that its ok with him/her.. dont just assume it is.
I know a guy that uses a .458win mag for gophers in Saskatchewan for kicks.... although he did not use powerful handloads, lol
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We are just kidding the op, but I am going to buy a 50 cal. and take them little buggers out at a thousand yards. LOL
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03-28-2013, 10:33 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Whitecourt AB
Posts: 3,867
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Too much. Why kill gophers sooooo dead? 
Target practice is just as great on gophers as it is with paper. A summer of gopher hunting will make you and that .243 very deadly on deer this fall. Just take another gun with you to shoot while your barrel is cooling. Could burn the throat out in 1000 rounds if you let her get too hot.
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"........In person people are nice, because you can punch them in person. Online they're not nice because you cant."
—Jimmy Kimmel
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03-28-2013, 10:36 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Whitecourt AB
Posts: 3,867
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pincherguy
We are just kidding the op, but I am going to buy a 50 cal. and take them little buggers out at a thousand yards. LOL |
That would be awesome.Kill one at 50, 75, 108, 251,400, 721, 1269, and 2389. with one shot. 
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"........In person people are nice, because you can punch them in person. Online they're not nice because you cant."
—Jimmy Kimmel
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