hey guys, well i have a .243 rem 788 but i want a bigger gun. i was wondering if its possible to make this gun a .308. There both short actions and with the .308 being the .243's parent wouldnt a barrel change be it?????? thanks for any help
changing .243 to .308
- Thread starter rackchaser71
- Start date
Re: changing .243 to .308
^^ yup, bolt face, mags, all the same, just the hole in the barrel thats different. BTW, a 308 caliber barrel wont make your gun any "bigger", in fact many, including myself feel the 243 is a more capable round than the 308 in many respects.
I think your going backwards, kinda like getting a penis reduction.
Kirk R
^^ yup, bolt face, mags, all the same, just the hole in the barrel thats different. BTW, a 308 caliber barrel wont make your gun any "bigger", in fact many, including myself feel the 243 is a more capable round than the 308 in many respects.
I think your going backwards, kinda like getting a penis reduction.
Kirk R
Re: changing .243 to .308
lol thanks captain kirk. well the reason i want to do this is i feel the .308 is better for the deer hunting i do.Not saying the .243 isnt capable of killing deer. I just want to take advantage of the huge selection of bullets offered in .30.See this rifle is a family gun(my first rifle from my dad) that has pretty much grown to be part of my body come deer season, i feel very comfortable hunting with this rifle and feel that if i were to just change the barrel and caliber i would be improving something that really means alot to me. i was thinking a sps tactical "take off" would be perfect. I plan on having the stock modified to fit the new barrel until i can buy a synthetic one and a new trigger put in and i will have a sweet little gun.
lol thanks captain kirk. well the reason i want to do this is i feel the .308 is better for the deer hunting i do.Not saying the .243 isnt capable of killing deer. I just want to take advantage of the huge selection of bullets offered in .30.See this rifle is a family gun(my first rifle from my dad) that has pretty much grown to be part of my body come deer season, i feel very comfortable hunting with this rifle and feel that if i were to just change the barrel and caliber i would be improving something that really means alot to me. i was thinking a sps tactical "take off" would be perfect. I plan on having the stock modified to fit the new barrel until i can buy a synthetic one and a new trigger put in and i will have a sweet little gun.
Re: changing .243 to .308
I have a 308 that I shoot, and I like it a lot, but now I’m building a .243 for 1000 yds.
Like Captain Kirk said .243 it’s a much better round.
Christian
I have a 308 that I shoot, and I like it a lot, but now I’m building a .243 for 1000 yds.
Like Captain Kirk said .243 it’s a much better round.
Christian
Re: changing .243 to .308
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: negotiator</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have a 308 that I shoot, and I like it a lot, but now I’m building a .243 for 1000 yds.
Like Captain Kirk said .243 it’s a much better round.
Christian
</div></div>
Well, I said "more capable round", better is pretty subjective.
Keep in mind, most of us here use our rifles for comps, tactical or otherwise, and primarily shoot steel were things like "energy" and "knock down power" aren't as critical as ballistic coefficient and velocity, a hunting round carries an entirely different list of parameters.
Kirk R
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: negotiator</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have a 308 that I shoot, and I like it a lot, but now I’m building a .243 for 1000 yds.
Like Captain Kirk said .243 it’s a much better round.
Christian
</div></div>
Well, I said "more capable round", better is pretty subjective.
Keep in mind, most of us here use our rifles for comps, tactical or otherwise, and primarily shoot steel were things like "energy" and "knock down power" aren't as critical as ballistic coefficient and velocity, a hunting round carries an entirely different list of parameters.
Kirk R
Re: changing .243 to .308
As the Outlaw Josey Wales said,"Captain, I advise you to turn back now....."
I've done exactly as you are thinking. Took a sweet little old school BDL, cut down stock, that every Kid I we know borrowed for years, rebarreled to 308, trued the action and put in a nice light stock, Talley rings etc......
And it sits in the back of the safe. Great rifle, but not as good as it was. Truth is for hunting deer, it can make any ethical shot with good boolits ( I LIKE BARNES BTW, YMMV ) with much less recoil, and kids love it. I'll likely rebarrel it back to 243 sometime.
And I just finished chambering a Surgeon 591 in 243 this week, to put in an AICS I bought here, for 1K comps. Nothing against 308's I shoot mostly a TRG22 and a Larue OBR, or one of several 300 WM. But the 243 you have, is at least the match of most of them.
As the Outlaw Josey Wales said,"Captain, I advise you to turn back now....."
I've done exactly as you are thinking. Took a sweet little old school BDL, cut down stock, that every Kid I we know borrowed for years, rebarreled to 308, trued the action and put in a nice light stock, Talley rings etc......
And it sits in the back of the safe. Great rifle, but not as good as it was. Truth is for hunting deer, it can make any ethical shot with good boolits ( I LIKE BARNES BTW, YMMV ) with much less recoil, and kids love it. I'll likely rebarrel it back to 243 sometime.
And I just finished chambering a Surgeon 591 in 243 this week, to put in an AICS I bought here, for 1K comps. Nothing against 308's I shoot mostly a TRG22 and a Larue OBR, or one of several 300 WM. But the 243 you have, is at least the match of most of them.
Re: changing .243 to .308
well thanks for the help. I am really shocked that the .243 is whooping the .308 in this thread lol. I thought the .308 was GOD of all gods on this site lol. I love the .243 its fast, cheap, and has little recoil, i just feel that a .308 may be a "safer" round. After some of the shots i have been presented with over the years i think a bigger gun will make up for those "not so perfect" hits that we all will eventually make on a deer. To be honest im not the best shot in camp, "buck fever has alot to do with it" and feel something a tad bigger will not hurt as i get better and better in years to come. The most important part of your gear in deer hunting in my opinion is the confidence you have in yourself and your gun and i think making this switch would help big time. Ill be sure to post any changes i do make to my rifle
well thanks for the help. I am really shocked that the .243 is whooping the .308 in this thread lol. I thought the .308 was GOD of all gods on this site lol. I love the .243 its fast, cheap, and has little recoil, i just feel that a .308 may be a "safer" round. After some of the shots i have been presented with over the years i think a bigger gun will make up for those "not so perfect" hits that we all will eventually make on a deer. To be honest im not the best shot in camp, "buck fever has alot to do with it" and feel something a tad bigger will not hurt as i get better and better in years to come. The most important part of your gear in deer hunting in my opinion is the confidence you have in yourself and your gun and i think making this switch would help big time. Ill be sure to post any changes i do make to my rifle
Re: changing .243 to .308
Don't switch to a 308. If you want a heavier bullet, you can build a 260 or a 7-08. With any luck my 2nd 243 will be here in 2 weeks.
Got rid of my 308 and never looked back
Don't switch to a 308. If you want a heavier bullet, you can build a 260 or a 7-08. With any luck my 2nd 243 will be here in 2 weeks.
Got rid of my 308 and never looked back
Re: changing .243 to .308
Okay here is my honest opinion on it. There is absolutely no way I'd ever convert that gun to a .308. It's not that I wouldn't want a 308, but you said it's a family gun and once you convert it, you will never get it back to its original unaltered form. I know you said the gun means a lot to you, so I wouldn't change it. If you really feel the need for a .308, you can pick up several good budget ones in the $3-400 range. I'd keep that 788 original. If you don't I think later in life you will probably regret it and wish you had it original again.
Now if it was some gun that I'd bought, and that didn't mean much to me sentimentally, sure I might consider converting it. However, yours sounds like a family heirloom, which is something imo that you should never modify or sell. That's just my opinion though.
All that being said the .243 is not at all a bad deer round. I used to not like it and think it was inferior, in fact I wouldn't even use one, but after having one even though I've not shot any deer, I love it. I have several friends that use .243's for deer and they have made some amazing shots. One hit a running deer in the butt, and the bullet made it's way to the front and dropped the deer in it's tracks. I've seen lots of less than ideal shots, and even bad shots from my hunting buddies with .243's and most of the time, the deers still fall, just like they do with the bigger calibers. This is what convinced me that the .243 was a lot better than I thought.
Okay here is my honest opinion on it. There is absolutely no way I'd ever convert that gun to a .308. It's not that I wouldn't want a 308, but you said it's a family gun and once you convert it, you will never get it back to its original unaltered form. I know you said the gun means a lot to you, so I wouldn't change it. If you really feel the need for a .308, you can pick up several good budget ones in the $3-400 range. I'd keep that 788 original. If you don't I think later in life you will probably regret it and wish you had it original again.
Now if it was some gun that I'd bought, and that didn't mean much to me sentimentally, sure I might consider converting it. However, yours sounds like a family heirloom, which is something imo that you should never modify or sell. That's just my opinion though.
All that being said the .243 is not at all a bad deer round. I used to not like it and think it was inferior, in fact I wouldn't even use one, but after having one even though I've not shot any deer, I love it. I have several friends that use .243's for deer and they have made some amazing shots. One hit a running deer in the butt, and the bullet made it's way to the front and dropped the deer in it's tracks. I've seen lots of less than ideal shots, and even bad shots from my hunting buddies with .243's and most of the time, the deers still fall, just like they do with the bigger calibers. This is what convinced me that the .243 was a lot better than I thought.
Re: changing .243 to .308
I would leave it buy the time you put the money in the swap barrels you could find you another 788 in 308. I love 788's.
I would leave it buy the time you put the money in the swap barrels you could find you another 788 in 308. I love 788's.
Re: changing .243 to .308
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mikee Booshay</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As the Outlaw Josey Wales said,"Captain, I advise you to turn back now....." </div></div>
Josey Wales did not say this. Fletcher said this as they were on the ferry, before Josey Wales gave them a "Missouri boat ride."
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mikee Booshay</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As the Outlaw Josey Wales said,"Captain, I advise you to turn back now....." </div></div>
Josey Wales did not say this. Fletcher said this as they were on the ferry, before Josey Wales gave them a "Missouri boat ride."
