How many have you lost that were shot with a 243 ?
What bullet did you use?
Where did you hit them?

I've personally seen 2 public land Colorado bull elk shot by a 243. A 243 will take down any hog but a 308 is definitely better suited. Same shot, more damage equates to easier to find. Usually better blood trail, shorter tracking job, etc.

I'll pose the same question to you .......

How many have you lost that you personally shot with a 243 ?
What bullet did you use?
Where did you hit them?

I like larger calibers. The only time I shoot my 243 is predator hunting. Ive shot pigs with it around Childress while predator hunting but in the 80-120 lb range. The smallest caliber I've shot large pigs with is a 257 weatherby or 708. 110 accubond for 257. 120 nbt for 708. I shoot 80 grain Barnes in my 243.

1.none
2.80 ttsx
3. Behind shoulder.

I said the 243 will get the job done. I think the 308 does a better job.

How dead do they have to be?

You could split the difference, I believe they chamber that rifle in 7mm-08.

On the dead scale probably a 7 plus. I think a larger wound channel gets the job done quicker. I also think a high velocity round gives more shock and puts them down quicker. in my book quicker is better.

Based on that perhaps he should get a 338 Lapua and get it over with?

I'm still waiting on real-world examples of the inadequacies of the 243 when hunting hogs ........

We can throw a 338 lapua in but he only asked between 243 and 308. Honestly, I have both calibers and I prefer to shoot a different caliber. A 243 is not inadequate most of the time. If I was making a 300 yard shot on a 400 pound pig, a 243 would be way down the list of calibers I would choose. Let's say you misjudge the wind and you hit a little forward. I don't think the 243 has enough to go through the hard plate, bone and make a fast kill. Other calibers could. It's not a perfect shot but I think if you were shooting a bigger caliber, you would have a better chance of a quick kill and recovering your game. I know everyone on this forum is an expert marksman and way better shot than me.

Most pigs are shot at rather close range so my favorite 243 pig load is the 85 grain Nosler Partition loaded to an easy 2700 fps. Plenty of penetration for the neck and head shots I usually make. Add light recoil and lessened noise this works out pretty good. In my 308 I am running 150 grain Nosler Partitions at the same speed. With this load it is important to know what is on the far side of your pig as it so far has always gone through. I hunt hogs at night mostly in cow country and this is an important issue. I have good success with my 223 also but I always make head or neck shots, I like to find them laying where shot when it's dark and brushy out there. I'm running the 75 grain Hornady BTHP match bullet in it presently, testing to be started after deer season is over. The lesson really is to shoot for the central nervous system, spine, neck and head.

Pitchfork said it all.

BTW: that goes for big deer as well.

Do yourself a favor, and use enough gun. Someone was talking about overpenetration using the .308 and a Nosler partition bullet. That is alot of bullet, meant to penetrate... 150 gr. Sierra Game Kings, or Ballistic Tips would expend all their energy in the hog.
result: Dead game laying right where you squeezed the trigger on it. (provided you do your part) Every Time.

Either, I like both. .243 has plenty of power and shoots flatter. .308 might have more ammo choices and a betelter knock down insurance policy.

Any personal evidence of the 243 failing?

I've seen many people fail the 243. Everyone on here talks about shooting 22's at big hogs. They obviously can get the job done, but it's all about shot placement. A bigger heavier faster bullet increases the margin of error. It does a better job of going through bone, etc. I'm a bow hunter so I think of broad heads. I could kill a deer with a field point but my spitfire does a better job.

A gut shot is a gut shot and no bullet or caliber will help that.

This is a poor comparison. .243 shoots a 95 grain bullet about 3100 fps and has over 2000 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle. And it maintains over 1000 ft lbs of energy past 300 yards. It's 50% bigger/heavier and has over 50% more energy out the muzzle. Bigger. Heavier. Faster. (I'm sure u can post data of a super fast lightweight .223 compared to a heavy .243 load and show the .223 being faster. But in that case the ..243 would be more than double the weight of the .223 and be only about 100-200 fps slower and still have substantially more energy/knockdown power at normal hunting distances so that woulent be a fair comparison either).
A .223 shoots a 62 grain pill 3000 fps and has about 1300 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle. That's a substantial difference.
Some use a .22 magnum or a.22 Lr in a pig in a trap at 5 yards, which is also not a fair comparison to hunting hogs at 100+ yards.
Bullet selection is importsnt regardless of caliber. With decent expanding/penetrating hunting ammo a center shoulder shot on a big 250+ lb pig at 125 yards ought to leave a solid blood trail and a dead pig 50 yards away. Although these animals are super tough and there are those zombies pig that refuse to die stories that happen from time to time.

BINGO!

You just proved my point.

Failures with the 243 are due to poor shooting. A 308 isn't going to correct that.

I think everyone's on the same page. All calibers can get the job done if the shooter does his part. Inexperienced shooters should use larger calibers if it doesn't hurt their accuracy because it causes more damage. I shot a deer slightly quartering to me at 240 yards last year. I thought he was broadside but it was a weird angle. It was windy and my shot hit a little forward and because of the angle the bullet exited a little high. Deer dropped in its tracks but didn't die immediately. I had to shoot him again when I walked up. I guarantee the same shot with my Lazzeroni would have immediately killed the deer. A larger faster bullet causes more damage. I think it's a simple concept. I didn't do my part, still got the animal, but I wish I could have avoided having to shoot him again. If you're shooting from a blind 55 yards from the feeder pick whatever caliber you want. If you're stalking animals in uncontrolled situations I think a larger caliber is better.

I don't like shooting my Lazzeroni anymore because it causes too much damage. It's all about finding the happy medium.

Now you're back on the "bigger is better" train. So how big do we go? If he had asked about 308 vs 30-06 would you have recommended the 30-06?

If you could choose one, what would you choose?

If I were to have one gun, I would pick a 308 over a 243. It hits harder, handles the wind better, more ammo variety, a 10 year old can shoot it with reduced loads (available in stores). It can do everything a 243 can do and more.

I think a 308 could handle the majority of hunting situations in North America.

I have about 30 calibers and I don't have a 30-06. It's never interested me. I started with a 308 and moved up to a 300 when I was 17. So I started with bigger and I think they're better. Recoil doesnt bother me I never feel recoil except at the gun range. I've started shooting smaller, lower speed calibers to change it up. They're nice and get the job done, but big kills them quicker with shorter blood trails.

I have shot hogs with everything from a .22 to a 7mag. To answer the OP's question I would need to know what type of hunting do you do and what is the typical distance for most shot. I would pick a .243 if I was shooting them at a feeder because I can be more pinpoint with my shot. If I am stalking them I would pick a 308. I would also pick a 308 if only own one of them. There is no right answer but simply a preference.

308.

243

Creedmoor, you got your panties in a wad for nothing.
Never said .243 would not kill a hog.
Heck I've personally seen a hog killed with a .22 long rifle. But I sure wouldn't rely on one to drop him in his tracks. I have tracked both deer and hogs after they were shot with a .243 for quite a long way.
I personally dont own a .243, because PERSONALLY, I consider it marginal for deer, and definitely too small for hogs.

You on the other hand, do not.

The man wanted recommendations, I gave mine.

LOL. Make no mistake, my panties are just fine.

I was just asking for personal experiences where the 243 had failed. No need to get all upset about it.