Is the 243 Winchester Too Small For Deer?
243 Winchester
Okay, I know I'll probably get flamed for this, but I think it's something that needs to be discussed. I know it's discussed every hunting season by at least one Outdoor magazine and in every Gun Shop and in every Deer Camp.
The topic of these discussions/heated arguments in deer hunting circles is...
Is the .243 Winchester Too Small For Deer?
The simple answer is Yes...and...No.
First of all, the 243 is a necked down 308 that uses a .24 caliber bullet (6mm). As everyone knows, the 308 is a great round for Deer and other Big Game. That doesn't make all of it's offspring great Deer rounds though!
I've owned a .243 and a 6mm. The 6mm was a Ruger 77V and was without a doubt the most accurate rifle I ever owned. But I only used it for Varmints and never once tried it on Deer sized game.
I did use a 243 with 100 grain bullets one year to take a small buck at about 60 yards. He was feeding along, calm and perfectly broadside. The shot was perfect double lung and he leaped forward at the shot and piled up 50 yards later. Not everyone has had the same experience with this round.
In the past, the 243 suffered from poor bullet construction. Sometimes the bullets blew up on impact, sometimes they didn't expand at all while other times they did exactly what they were supposed to do.
Bullet construction has come a long way over the years, but I still do not consider the 243 an ideal Deer cartridge, especially for beginners. Deer hunters can improve the performance of the 243 by reloading the round with premium bullets.
Sadly, the 243 Winchester is what beginners are handed a lot of the time as their first Deer rifle.
When the 243 Is Not Right For Deer Hunting
One of the problems I see now is beginners headed out to the field with the light 55 to 85 grain loads for the 243. Most of these loads have fragile bullets as they are intended for thin skinned varmints, not a tough old ridge running Whitetailed Buck Deer.
Part of the problem is that so called 'experts' behind the ammo desk and Gun writers are pushing these rounds on unsuspecting Deer hunters because they think lighter and faster is the way to go.
Another problem is that if you're not practicing regularly, you may not be as familiar with the rifle as you should be. Many beginners (okay, most) will get a terrible case of "the shakes" when it comes down to the moment of truth when that buck deer comes into view. Heck, even most of us old timers do! The difference is, those of us who have hunted for years and are experienced, have learned how to control "the shakes" and focus on the shot.
A poor hit on a Deer is made even worse when using a small bullet in a round like the 243. The extra damage caused by a .26 or or 7mm caliber can mean the difference between finding a marginally hit animal or not.
In my opinion, the minimum caliber that should be allowed for Deer hunting is the 243 with a 95 grain bullet. I can't believe the States that allow 22 calibers to be used for Deer. Yeah, I know they'll kill a Deer but so will the 22 Rimfire and even the little 17's. Why not allow them to be legal rounds to hunt Deer with? Having said this, it doesn't mean I think the 243 should be used by beginners. To me, the 243 is to Deer rifles what the 410 shotgun is to wingshooting. Sure, it will get the job done, but it's not for beginners!
How many of you that consider the 243 the ideal rifle for beginners would consider the 410 ideal for beginners to use Goose or Turkey hunting? Even though the 410 is used every year to take both, I don't know anyone who would put 410 in the hands of a new hunter when going after those two birds.
The fact of the truth is that the margin for error is nil when using a small caliber like the 243. Everything has to be just right and everything, including the bullet, has to do it's job. There are other low recoil rifle rounds that give you extra "knock down" than the 243 Winchester round. (FYI: this is no measurement of "knock down" power, just of .ft .lbs of energy)
Speaking of bullets again, if I were going to be hunting Deer with the 243 Winchester, I'd choose either the 95 and 100 grain bullets in a strong design like the Nosler Partition. Forget about using fragile bullets like the Ballistic Tip, even in the heavier bullets, for Deer sized game. A hit on a shoulder blade or other bone could cause the bullet to explode on impact.
When the 243 is Right For Deer Hunters
In the hands of an experienced and seasoned Rifleman, the 243 is more than adequate for Deer sized Game.
I once read an article by an Outdoor writer, I think it may have been Jack O'Connor or Jim Carmichel, that told a story about a man who used the .243 for Elk. He killed Elk every year with his rifle, everyone being a neck shot. He saw no need to buy a "real Elk gun".
Does this make the 243 an ideal Elk Rifle? Me thinks not!
However, in the hands of that Gentleman, it certainly was.
And so it is for Deer Hunting. I know a guy who kills 2 deer a year for his freezer. It doesn't matter what they are as long as they're legal. He has used a 243 Winchester for over 20 years and it's the only "Big Game" Caliber rifle he owns.
Every deer that I've seen him kill has been a neck or head shot. He's hunted out of the same two stands year after year for the last 20 years. His shots range from 30 to 300 yards. In his hands, the 243 is the perfect caliber for Deer.
A seasoned hunter knows how to control his/her excitement when they see their buck. The seasoned hunter has the patience to wait for the "perfect" shot placement opportunity. The seasoned hunter knows which bullets perform best in his/her rifle and they can put those bullets where they need to go at the moment-of-truth.
Many new hunters can not do these things due to a lack of experience. They don't have the experience to wait and to recognize when a Buck is nervous and about to bolt. They haven't learned how to control their breathing when putting the crosshairs on a Buck.
It's for this reason and mainly this reason alone, that I do not consider the .243 Winchester an adequate rifle for Deer hunting in the hands of a Beginning Deer Hunter. As I stated above, there are other great choices of low-recoiling rounds for deer hunting that pack a bigger punch than the .243. Check 'em out before buying your potential new hunter a .243. Nothing's worse for a new hunter than to shoot a deer and not be able to recover it because of a marginal, or a poor, hit. Put the odds in their favor by using a larger round! If you must give a beginner a 243, then by all means make sure you use a premium ammo like Fusion 243 ammo. It's a reliable bullet and one that will work well as long as the shooter does his or her part!
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Again, good points. I’ve watched my grandpa kill deer for years, using his .243 The lighter recoil allows him to continue hunting. However, accuracy is paramount with ANY caliber.
I agree that accuracy is the key with any rifle, but it’s the most critical with smaller calibers. And we all know that we’re not really steady when that old buck comes strolling along!
[...] here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!After writing about how the .243 Winchester was not a good round for the beginning deer hunter, I received a number of emails asking me which [...]
I agree with you on the .243 with factory loads and no bench time pre-season. I’ve shot 19 deer since 1975 and my 3 sons have all bagged their first deer with the old model 700 and we’ve never had one go over 200 yd before dieing. With good ammo and practice it can be very good deer rifle.
Think about this: People who think the .243 is too light on deer don’t shoot deer with it. That’s fine. Those of us who think it is adaquate for whitetails kill a lot of deer with it. Sure you have to use deer bullets, but that goes with any caliber. My 12 year old 100 lb. grandaughter wanted to hunt this year. I got her a T/C Encore with a .22RF barrel and a .243 barrel. We shot a lot this past summer. The recoil from the .243 bothered her so she shot the .22 more. Once it got cold and she wore a coat she got good with the .243 making 1″ 3 shot groups from a rest at 100 yds. Opening morning she shot a nice little 150 lb. doe at about 80 yds. The deer went less than 50′
The 100 gr Federal bullet did OK. Those of us who use the .243 keep on using it because it works, it is accurate, and it is just plain fun to shoot. Those who prefer something bigger are free to use something bigger. But, don’t try to tell me that a .243 is too light for deer. It has killed way too many deer to say such a thing.
You are on the money. Anybody with serious buck fever needs and extra margin of bullet weight and a bipod!
I have killed many deer with a .243. I have a Sako and a Cooper.
I like the .85gr Federal and shoot them in the ear; they do not move horizontally. A standing deer will almost always turn it’s head and hold it for at least 3 – 5 seconds. NEVER shoot at a moving target, it is not worth the misery of tracking a gut shot animal. Which means I have also watched a lot of deer walk or run away.
A short barrel, like my Sako Forester (20″) does NOT like 100 gr. bullets and spreads them out… Has something to do with the twist.
My old instructor at Ft. Benning said “If you don’t know exactly where the bullet will go; do not pull the trigger. If you need more than one shot, you should not have shot in the first place.”
well there is a lot of good deer rifles out there but, The main thing is bullet placement,You can have a cannon and still have a animal get away from you,now for penetration take the 243 witha 100 gr bullet and the 06 with 180 gr shot at a half inch piece of steel and see which one goes through.meatand bone is a lot softer than steel.take it from here.
i beg to differ on many of those points. i’m a begginer (kind of) and i’ve killed all 4 of my deer with a 6mm or .243. igot 2 this year with my .243. one was a button buck at 100 yards with a ballistic tip. you say ballistic tips will blow up on the shoulder, but this went through BOTH shoulders without blowing up.it dropped. the 8 point i got with it dropped. and the pig i got last year dropped (headshot). this is by no means a marginal cartridge with a good bullet and confident shooter. a point i do agree with you on is that it is’nt as good on gut shot deer.
I’m in total agreement. In fact if you haven’t practiced at the range at all you shouldn’t be shooting at any deer with any caliber.
i am now 12 years old i now use a 243. when i started out hunting with a gun i use a 410 slug i shot at a 4 pointer runing and shot over it. a year later i got my 243 on the very last day of hunting i killed my first deer. i thank if you r going to shot a 243 you need to sited it on at 100 at 2″ high. but i thank a 243 is a good rifle.
On the comment of a .243 being in sufficent in killing deer
i would have to say what about the hydrostatic shock? Its a deer hunters best freind there is you variance of a couple of inches.
I have used the 243 for years and now my son is using it.The best bullet i found for hunting and long range shooting is the 105 gr speer,now you talk about a race horse decined bullet is this one.All the big mulie bucks i have shot with it have fallen in thier tracks,And never moved.I shot a huge black bear with a 100 gr seirra the bear measured 7’6 ihit him right behind the shoulders,He only ran 25 yards and i found him stone dead.the 257 roberts has fallen by the wayside when the 243 was introduced to the hunting and shooting crowd,the one i have imust have got lucky because it shoot all different bullets all the same,I have shot elk and moose with this calibre,and i know alot of other people who have done the same thing .A friend of mine tild me of the time he got a cow moose draw and was out looking for her,I had hand loaded him a box of 90 gr seirra,s.He was up on a hill and seen cow moose come out approx.150 yds from him he shot and moose diappeared so fast he thought he missed,then o there it is in the same place he shot again and the same thing he went down ther and he had 2 of them.Its not a practice i would use,But i would never back down from a bull moose with 105 gr speer,you have to confidence in your rifle and your shooting ability,My son in the last five years has havested a bull elk every year with this 243,So as far as the 243 being to small for deer is nuts,All you hunters with this calibre try out the 105 gr speer you will glad you did.Good hunting and be safe
The main thing that must be remembered here is that when the word “deer” is used here, it means whitetail; a comparitively small, lightly built animal. Here in Victoria (Australia), we mainly hunt sambar (deer). The minimum cartridge allowed (by law) is a 270 Win, with 130 gn bullet. Many experienced hunters think the 30-06 with a 180gn bullet should be the minimum. Sambar have been recorded up to 700lb, and have been known to carry 2 or 3 chest hits from 338 Win Mags (or bigger!!) for 200yds or more. For the record, I use a 375 H&H, and so far all 1 shot kills, with nothing going more than 30yds. The use of premium bullets, an accurate rifle and plenty of practice is critical to sucessful hunting any medium to large game. But, I’ll be trying out the 243 this season I hope, but only on fallow deer (about the size of a whitetail) and I’ll be loading with Noslers, Grand Slams or similar.
Happy (& sucessful) hunting.
.243 too light for deer? Hitting the target and knowing the kill zones are far more important than the caliber. The older I get the more I like my 243. My .300
Weatherby Mag will do the job too. Most would say it’s too much gun for deer though. The .243 wouldn’t have survived if it wasn’t good enough. Bigger isn’t
allways better. I can recall few instances (none) of a hard charging buck attacking a hunter. Leave your .600 Nitro Express at home. Deer aren’t that hard to kill.
Practice, practice, practice prior to your hunt.
Advocating using a larger caliber to compensate for marginal hits is irresponsible. A bad hit is a bad hit no matter what the caliber. A .260 Remington or 7mm-08 isn’t going to be any better than a .243 to a person who finds the recoil of the larger calibers unpleasant. A beginner (even with the shakes) is much more likely to make a good hit with a soft recoiling caliber like the .243 because they are concentrating on the shot, not the upcoming recoil and I’d rather see a new shooter make a good heart/lung shot with a .243 than gut shoot a deer with a larger caliber because they weren’t concentrating 100% on shot placement.
As for using ‘too-light’ bullets, unknowing folks are led down that road with many other calibers as well. I’ve seen fellas recommend using 90 gr. varmint bullets in .270′s because they think extra velocity and energy is the holy grail of successful hunting and its just as wrong as using a varmint bullet in a .243.
Nosler lists two different types of Ballistic Tips – Varmint and Hunting. The 90 and 95 gr. Ballistic Tips are of the Hunting variety which are constructed heavier and are recommended for deer by Nosler themselves.
What is too light for deer is not the.243. However the correct ball for the application and familiarity with the rifle are givens. If you can’t place the bullet the cartridge choice is irrelevant. Let me tell you a story. Back about ’74 I was in Dawson City and some people were getting together a search party (which I joined) for a road construction guy who had gone missing at approx. mile 50 on the Dempster Highway.We found him sitting with his back to a tree, The right side of his head was Gone. on His lap was a rifle chambered for the .257 Roberts, their was an empty in the chamber.
Back about 1930 in the Spring a trapper was coming off a deadfall on the Stewart river 30 miles or so downstream from Mayo. He was charged from 30 yards or so by a large Grizzly. His rifle was a 30-30. he fired twice, the first round upon examination of the body did little damage, it was a 170 gr flat nose. The second however was a Solid ( he had been shooting rats) it went through the scull and lodged in the fourth vertabrae.
In 1990 I spent some time working on the Beaufort Sea. One of the people I met there was An Innuit who spent his winters Trapping, he was about 28 years of age and of a good size. We were great friends, one day I asked him what rifle he carried on his trapline. He said .257 Roberts. i said where do you shoot a bear with a .257 Roberts? he said you shoot a Bear In the Neck.
you have some good points but i have a 243 and every deer i killed with it they droped so your not tottaly right sryy man it is the best deer rifle
I think you should have shortened your article to about 2 or 3 sentences and spent the rest of the time stating what makes ANY cartridge successful for deer hunting, and that is bullet construction and shot placement. Bullet weight is not as important as bullet construction. I’ll take a Barnes TSX at 85 grains over any 100 grain bullet you can find. A 95 grain Winchester XP3 isn’t too bad either, but still, it is shot placement that kills better than bullet weight.
My wife has taken 41 mule deer with her model 600 Remington–all shot from 75 to 150 yards–I load up a 105 Speer—H4831 powder—Federal 210 match primers—none of he deer has went over 10 yards—in her hands this is the ideal rifle and caliber— but she does use our rifle range quite a bit—
I have killed all but my first deer with my 243. It is my belief that the only shot that should be taken on a deer is a neck shot close to the head, regardless of range. the neck near the head give you 2 targets, the veins and arteries and the spinal cord. A shot here will either put the dear down and he’ll stay down or if you get veins he’ll bleed like crazy and you’ll find him. If you graze him, he’ll live till next year. Body shots of any kind are risky regardless of caliber. Makes the animal easy to hit but easy to wound. If he jumps when you shoot he’s gutshot. with a high neck shot, if he jumps, you miss clean.(most likely). I don’t even like headshots because there’s too much stuff around that you can hit that will kill the deer in a week but not right now. I shot a doe in the head when I was a youngster, hit in the lower jaw, (bloody corn all over the place), we trailed her for 3/4 of a mile. I guarantee that she died of starvation weeks later. Thats when I stopped shooting deer anywhere but the high neck. If your gun is powerful enough to break an animals neck, then its good enouch for the animal. A 243 is plenty of gun. You have to learn how to shoot. You might suffer if you don’t hit where you want to, but the animal won’t.
DPS
I don’t have a problem with light rounds, I guess MN just lowered calibers for deer. I got the chance to hunt deer in ND last year and was so happy to be able to see what I could do on the open range. I shoot a 300 Win Mag, its the rifle I have ever owned and i bought it for the simple fact that it was cheaper then others and I wanted something larger for Black Bear. I was hunting with a group that laughed at how large of a bullet i had when two of the 3 were shooting 22-250′s and the other was a 6mm or 7mm. I had two one shot kills that droped the deer within 100yds of being hit. and that was a clean heart shot. The small rifles had to hit deer 3 times just to make a clean kill. My feelings are larger calibers are needed for long hunting situations like an open field, but not from my deer stand in the north woods where my longest shot is 70yds. However I have long shots when we set up drive and pushes around swamps so I love my large gun over any small round. I guess my point isn’t that you can’t kill a deer with a 243, you can kill on with a 17mm, but when you pull the trigger on a deer and 150yds its diffrent then a gopher at 150. Hunters need to make ethical choices using light ammo. In North Dakota our party had to finish off a deer that had been shot 3 times and wouldn’t run even though we were 10yd away from it, that was pure horror and there was no one in sight following the poor thing. I know if I miss, it won’t be a long time till i can finish the job, it won’t take off running for miles with a Win Mag through the guts. Shoot what you want, take the caliber for your skill and distance, Please.
I started hunting at age 12…the earliest I could, and as a beginner I used a 410 slug to hunt deer. Crazy, I would never think to waste my time on that. I upped it to a 3030 after two years and loved it and now am using my Winchester 243, and I think it works fine. I sighted it in on 100 yards and was less than cm off but that could be me shaking. I love the 243 perfect for me!!!
i have used a .243 since i was 8 on deer and varmints. and i have never had any trouble with the knock down power and effectiveness of this round and is not too small for deer yeah its at the lower end of what u want to use but little kinds cant take the harsh recoil of a 7mm or 300. the recoil my not be to bad for adults but it will rock the little kids world. so you dont want them scared of guns and a .243 doesnt kick very much and can shoot just as fast as larger calibers and will kill a deer just as fast. my grandpa told me if u cant kill a deer with a .243 get out of the woods because you dont know what your doin because its a fast flat shootin round that hits pretty herd for its size and its got alot to do with shot placement there wont be no difference if you shoot a deer through both lungs with a .243 or a 300 H&H mag. the deer will die in both cases and i have shot deer with both and the 243 killed the deer faster thenm the big 300 did and i was farther when i shot the deer with my .243 so you dont know what your talkin about!!
The .243 winchester is a very capable big game cartridge. Not interested in “One time I…..”, or “I heard……” Just do the math: A 100 grain bullet moving at ~2900 fps through the 6-8inch vital area visible on a broadside presentation = a dead deer every single time! I’m not worried about the shoulder either.
Great article!
As someone who has guided big game hunters in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado since 1981, I have to say your article is spot on!
I get the chance to perform dozens of “field autopsies” each year on big game. Certainly more so than the average joe. Your conclusion that the .243 Winchester is not adequate as a rifle for beginners or the less experienced hunters is enlightening. I’ve been saying this ever since I began guiding.
I can’t tell you how many beginners and inexperienced hunters I see show up at camp and proceed to put 5 rounds in a tight group at 100 yards. Then when the moment of truth comes to drop the hammer on a game animal, they couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. I’ve had to track more than a few poor hits on Deer that ran much further than they would have if shot with a larger caliber.
I’ve also seen my share of bullet failure on the 24 calibers. In fact, I believe one person in the comments above stated he shot a buck through both shoulders at 100 yards with a .243 Winchester with Ballistic Tips. If that is the case, I’d think that would be a great example of bullet failure. The Ballistic tip isn’t designed as a bone crusher.
I’ve seen premium bullets from the 24 calibers blow up on impact and I’ve seen them act like FMJ bullets with little, if any, expansion.
Sure, the .243 and others like it will take Deer, but then again, so will a .22 LR. I also believe that the .243 should be the very minimum allowed for Deer, with beginners and inexperienced hunters starting out with something like the .25/06, .270 or even something like the .260 if they are sensitive to recoil.
Keep up the good work, I look forward to seeing more articles.
Dwayne
the 243 win. is very capable of killing a deer. this year i got my first buck using a 243 with 80grain shells from 174yds in one shot . My uncle shot a deer at over 200yds with a 243 and got it. even though the 243 bullet is smaller than 30caliber rounds such as the 30 06 it has higher muzzel valocity than the standerd 30 06 round.So you older guys shooten 2 and 3 shots at deer are just bad aims .
The 243 is a fine round for deer!!! YES- Bigger is better!, but I have let me girls shoot deer, and hogs with a 223 with great success! The main factor is to let kids practice BEFORE hunting. To make a good shot on the animal is more important then the caliber! As long as you have 1000 foot pounds of energy in a bullet at the range you will be shooting him then the gun will work! Good luck…
I agree with the fella who mentioned that the 243 Winchester would not have survived if inadequate for deer. I know for a fact it kills like lightning! And, head and neck shots aren’t necessary. I have had more deer drop in their tracks with my 243 than I have had with my 444 and 30-06…no kidding. Just plant 100 grains of simple, basic Winchester Power Point ammo in the vitals. If they don’t drop, they won’t go far, usually 50 yards or so.
The only problem I have with this writer is his statement about how tough a deer’s hide is. I once shot a doe with a Bear bow set at 63 lbs.The deer was 40 yards away and the alluminum arrow went completly through, breaking a 2″x2″ slab of rib on exit.So much for tough old deer hides.
Alright… I own a .243, and its the only gun i shoot. Last year i shot two deer. I shot a 170lbs spiker, and a 140lbs doe. They both dropped on impact. I am shooting 100gr. bullets. When you guys are all arguing about bullets, and bigger is better. Girls always say… “Its not the size of the ship that matters… Its the motion of the ocean”. Think about it, bigger bullet = better? Umm… No Its all about the shot placement. All u guys that need these big rifles are only able to shoot 5-10 rounds through target practicing without whineing about ur shoulder hurting… Us using the .243 can shoot all day and not whine once! BIGGER ISN’T BETTER!
I shot my first rifle deer last year. My rifle is a Rossi 243 Win. I am using some “old” bullets I got from my wife’s uncle. They are American Arms Ammo in a 100gr. Anyone ever heard of them? Anyway I only had a 25yd. shot and the 117lb. doe ran maybe 20yd. after I hit her. What I noticed was the entrance and exit holes looked exactly the same….that robably isn’t good right? I guess that means I had no expansion at all. These bullets I am shooting have got to be 20 years old. I hunt medium woods, not to thick and not to thin. What bullet should I invest in?
I own a Browning A-Bolt .243. I have been using this gun for the past 16 years for deer. I use 100 grain remington core lokt bullets and i have dropped quite a few deer in there tracks at different yardages. All of them went in and out destroying the heart and lungs. This gun is as good on deer as any. And as for any caliber for deer, it is shot placement that counts.
@ Chuck,
Congrats on your Deer.
It does sound like the bullet failed to expand. Something that is one problem of the older .243 rounds as I stated in the article.
I would invest in a box of Premium 243 ammo. I’d first take a look at Federal Fusion in the 95 grain bullet. I’ve heard of many 243 shooters having good results with it. You can find them online by clicking here.
You can also take a look at Hornady’s Light Magnums in 100 grain or their Custom Ammo line with a 100 grain bullet.
You should also look into Federal Vital Shock ammo with 100 grain Nosler Partitions. Their other 100 grain Vital-Shock ammo with 100 grain boattail should also do great for you.
Good Luck,
Don
My niece is shooting 95 gr. hornadays in hers.She killed the buck but it went 125yds with double hit.the problem we had is it we had no blood for about 65 yds , and that was just a speck.We need better blood. They don’t go down all the time.Been told the nosler partitions, anything else to try?
Those who say the 243 isn’t big enough for deer are people who never take the time to place a good kill shot. I’ve seen deer walk away from an 8mm mag shot. Only because the shot was poorly placed. If the 223 is good enough to kill humans at considerable yardages, the 243 is certainly big enough for deer with the 100 grain bullet. The 243 is being looked at as a new round for the military, because of its ballistics.
@Joe
Blood trails can also be a problem with small rounds like the 243 Winchester.
The Noslers would be a good choice as would any of the ones I recommended to Chuck in the comment above yours. One I’ve heard people having good results on are the Federal Fusion with the 95 grain bullet.
@ Van
Again, I never said the 243 Winchester wasn’t adequate for deer hunting. I said it wasn’t a good choice for inexperienced deer hunters.
As for the 223 being “adequate” for humans, you’ll find many, many Servicemen who would disagree.
In fact, there was flap about a year or so ago about the 223′s because the bad guys were taking body shots and not going down quick enough. Sure, at long range with a well placed shot, any round would be adequate.
There’s a story out on the Internet about the Marines doing an internal investigation because they had a high instance of head shots. Some do-gooders thought that the bad guys were being executed. As it turns out, the Marines were taking these guys out from several hundred yards.
But again, if you could get a 22 long rifle bullet in someones ear at 300 yards, it would do the trick.
The performance of the 223 on humans may be the reason the 243 is being looked at again as a Military round (it was looked at in the early 60′s as well, but the Military chose the 223)
Sure the 100 grain is “good enough” for deer, but only with well placed shots. A little off the mark (liver, high lung, etc) and you can end up with a lost deer.
I think that the .243 Win is a very capable cartridge for deer in the right hands. The light recoil is conductive for more precise shooting. I would probably put a 7mm-08 or .308 in the hands of a first time hunter to have a little more security in the event of a poorly placed shot.
With that said, I have taken many deer with a .243 from ranges of 15-400 yards and have never had to shoot twice, and have never had to track more than 50 yards. I use Hornady Light Mag ammo in 100 grain interlock bullets and that keeps my groups tight and adds a little punch for long range applications. I am able to consistently shoot 1 inch groups at 200 yards. While I may be on the lucky side for a stock model 700, I have never seen a .243 shoot poorly.
I will continue using my .243 for deer. When it comes down to it, I know where it will shoot and can ensure good shot placement.
I nailed a nice medium sized 6-point Texas buck last year with a center chest shot at about 130-yards with a Ruger Model 77 with a Winchester using a 100-grain Winchester Power Point bullet. What impressed me most was the lack of meat damage, but I’m telling you everything in front of the diaphragm was destroyed. The lungs poured out in small chunks like a can of stewed tomatoes and the heart was completely severed from the aorta. With the exception of the meat damage the damage to the internal organs (heart and lungs) was a about the same as a similar hit I had made on a similar sized deer the year before with a .30-06 (Federal loading – my sporterized Model 1903-A3 loves them – I get dime sized groups at 100-yards with it) using a 165-grain Sierra Game King bullet. Both deer went about 40-feet before fading to black. Sorry, I don’t buy the “kill ‘em with cannon” approach. Anybody who needs the super powers of a magnum caliber probably needs Viagra, too. The calibers I use the most are the .30-06 (the biggest common sense caliber any deer hunter should ever need), .30-30, 6.5x55mm, and the .25-06. Last year I used my oldest sons .243 (the first time I had ever used a .243 to hunt deer) and I was very pleased with the results. The second deer I shot with it (.243) was a medium sized doe at about 70-yards. She dropped in her tracks. The .243 Winchester is entirely adequate for deer – period. It’s not what you shoot with that matters – it’s where you put the bullet that matters.
just because one man has a disslike for a certain caliber does not mean his word is gospel!!!!
I would never attempt to shoot another deer with a .243. I’ve shots lots of deer and had great luck with .270 and even 30/30, some running so shot locations weren’t always great. I’ve shot many deer with .243 and 250/3000, both are worthless IMO. If you like traling deer all over creation and then finding them the next morning all swelled up, use a .243.
i agree with some of this but just last week my friend and i were hunting deer he was using a 25-06 and i was using a 243. 85 gr. i was just before dark and we both hit deer at 450 yds. so yea 100 gr would do the trick but 85 gr is not too small.
I began using a .243 when I was eleven. I shot a doe at over 200 yards for my first deer. The shot wasnt that great on my part, however, the bullet did the trick and went through both shoulders and out the other side. It literally broke both legs and left one shoulder hanging by skin. The next year, I had a shot on my first buck and he had spotted me. I shot him head on and he took one jump and collapsed. We found the bullet stuck between the ham and hide on his backside. The bullet went almost completely through the deer and about an inch from coming out. Since then, I have taken a lot of deer with the .243 and dropped one or two here and there with lung/heart shots. I usually go for head shots these days, but only if the deer are within fifty yards are so. My shots are better now, and I have the experience to take broadside shots and not risky head on shots. I have since then moved on to a Browning BAR in .30-06 just because I found one at a deal and liked it. I love the new gun and havent had a deer move yet after being shot with it. However, on a lighter note, Dad took over the .243 when I began leaving it behind and he has retired his .30-06. The .30-06 will quite literally knock a deer backwards, however; the .243 is the more accurate gun in our house. It shoots less than one inch groups at 100 yards (remington model seven youth) and the BAR does good to stay within a 3 inch group. We do have 400 yard fields surrounding my house, and when it comes down to long range hunting, the new Savage model 10 (yes, we purchased another .243) is the weapon of choice. It shoots even tighter groups than the Remington and I have recently placed an old Redfield 3×9 scope on it (thanks to the retired .30-06). And as far as hunting deer with a rimfire such as discussed earlier (it is illegal and I havent done it) I would much rather tote the .17HMR than the .22 LR. That little bullet hits hard. Still a little weaker than ideal for deer though.
Just another note, even though i ranted on the greatness of the .243, i must say that it let me down yesterday. I shot a doe between 150 and 200 yards and aimed about 3 inches high. The doe jumped and bolted hard after the shot and I figured that it was a decent hit. However, on inspection by myself and Dad, there was no sign of a hit. No fur, no blood. We searched the woods she had left in and found nothing to confirm a hit. It could have been a clean miss, however, from the distance, they normally stand alert when there is a miss. Maybe it was a miss, maybe i didnt have a pass-through shot. Needless to say, the .243 will probably stay in the house for the rest of the year and the BAR will get to have fun with me. Any thoughts?
Harry, don’t shoot them in the guts then!
I’m 53 yrs old and have been deer hunting since I was 16. I guess most of you naysayers have never heard of the great outdoor writer and hunter Byron Dalrymple. He used nothing but a .243 to kill mule deer and whitetails out west, claiming it was “perfect” for deer. I’ve switced from heavy calibers to the .243 in the last 15 years and have killed more deer, never losing one. Again, it goes back to marksmanship, and with little recoil, the .243 fits the bill for the serious hunter. If you’re a bad shot, then get yourself a heavy caliber.
I’m certainly glad i stumbled upon this article,and chat session.I recieved a rem. 770/.243 as a X-mas gift from my wife.I’ve been around .243′s,and i’ve always wanted to own one.I’ve also had to help fellow hunters track wounded deer,that’s why i delayed getting one for so long. but I was also impressed with the internal destruction a 100gr rem.core loct will do to a deer.I normally hunt out of stands over bean and corn fields in the tarheel state.I think this little piece will do just fine.It’s all in the bullet placement as we all know.I’d really appreciate any tips on sighting it in (ie.2″ high or 3″ high at a hundred yds.)etc…
I dropped my first deer, a spike buck with a .243 Winchester. It was from about 90 yards away, and it didn’t run anywhere. BAM! It went straight down. I also got a large doe with the same gun from 140 yards, she only ran about 15 yards before dropping.
It’s about shot placement. If you aim about two inches above the rear of the front leg, you’ll have a double lung and heart shot. Anyone suggesting shooting at the neck or head is an idiot. Anyone suggesting using large ammo as an excuse to be a bad shot so they can shoot a deer in the gut is an even bigger idiot. I’d hate to have to field dress a deer shot in the gut, disgusting!
Learn to shoot and use a scope, and you won’t have any problems.
Of course I wouldn’t intentionally gut-shoot a deer, nobody would, but anyone that has hunted alot has made a poor shot at one time or another. I’ve even made good shots with a .243 and had them run for hundreds of yards. At first I thought the bullet wasn’t holding together, so I tried 95 grain silvertips. They were even worse, very ineffective. I have an uncle in Montana who has killed more deer than anyone I know. When I showed up out there with my .243, he told me it wasn’t enough. I disagreed at the time, but have since learned he was right. Like I said, I’ve recovered every deer I’ve shot with my .270, if they don’t drop immediately they don’t go far.
I own several guns, one being a 243. I have only shot two small bucks and a pig with it. First deer was at 40 yards and I hit him in the shoulder with a federal brand loaded with 100 grain sierra game kings at an advertised 2900 fps. It separated the shoulder and blew up. Deer ran 40 yards and died. The second deer was face on at 100 yards. Bullet went in the front of the neck, bounced off the spine and came out the side of the neck. Bullet performance in both cases was POOR. I handloaded Hornady 100 grain round noses at 2600 fps and took a 200 pound hog behind the ear. It put her down on the spot. Bullet did not exit. I shot an 8 point with my 30-30 last weekend. Bullet passed clean through with massive internal damage and a 50 foot blood trail that was splashed all over the ground. Yes, I will use my 243 again. But the shots must be perfect. You blow it with these little bullets (and no exit hole) you will not have a blood trail to follow. I don’t think it is a good “kids” gun.
A properly aimed shot from a .243 will drop a deer, if not in it’s tracks pretty damned close. the only reason it would run any distance would be that it had not been shot in the heart/ lung area.
@ James Johnson,
Since you’re hunting over fields, I’d sight the rifle in to shoot 3″ high at 100 yards. That’s how I sight most of my rifles in. They should be close to being dead on at 300 yards. But do check a ballistic table to make sure.
@ James
Sounds like you hit the deer to me. In my experience, any time a Deer does a high kick after the shot, most times it’s hit in the boiler room, and many of those are in the heart.
@ Pat
Well said!
@ Tracker
I guess I’ve been an idiot for many years. Any Deer that I take strictly for the table gets a neck shot if I can get it. If not, then a double lung to do minimal damage to the meat.
I’d go one step further and say if you’re not comfortable putting a bullet in a Deer’s neck at any given range, then it’s too far for you to be shooting or it could be because your rifle isn’t accurate enough.
For those of you who have said that marksmanship is the only thing that is needed to kill a Deer, I’d point you to the many replies above about poor bullet performance with the .243.
Does it happen to everyone? Certainly not. And I’m sure it happens a lot less today with the quality of ammo that is on the market, but it still happens. I wouldn’t take a chance with a round knowing it has a spotty past where bullet performance is concerned.
I wonder how many of you who believe the .243 to be good ‘beginners’ gun would put a .223 in their hands? Yeah, there are those who also swear the .223′s and other Varmit rounds are ‘perfect’ Deer rounds.
Some of you are taking me all wrong. It’s not that I ‘hate’ the .243, because I don’t. I think it’s a very accurate round. My beef is those of you putting them in ‘beginner’ hands. There are just to many chances for something to go wrong when it’s in a newbies hands.
Kinda like putting a new 16 year old driver in a NASCAR car and telling him to go out Sunday and drive with the rest of the boys at Daytona. Sure, it will work and he may make it through the race, but what’s the chances of something going wrong?
Whether you agree with me or not, I appreciate everyone’s input on this subject. Thanks to everyone for posting their opinions! This is one thing that makes this Country great. The freedom to express our opinions and the freedom to express our opinions about the Guns we shoot. (at least for now??!!)
Don
I know many of you have hunted most of your lives. Some may have only done so for a few years. I have used a wide variety of guns and ammunition and I don’t claim to be an expert on any. My experience with the 243 has left me with a so-so feeling for it.
Bullets and ballistic data are funny things. I have some life experiences maybe someone can shed light on. I use a 300 grain XTP sabot on top of 90 grains of powder in my muzzleloader. Everything I shoot dies on the spot. My buddy uses a 400 grain buffalo bullet with 100 grains of powder and his deer all run away. All of these were hit through both lungs. Another scenario. My 30-30 is loaded with 150 grain Winchester power points. My deer drop within 20 to 30 yards at most. My buddy shoots deer with a 30-06 with 180 grain bullets. His deer run 50 to 100 yards shot through both lungs. Ballistics tables would indicate that my buddy’s guns should do better than mine. Yet they don’t. Why?
Regardless, bullet performance with these guns is better than my 243. As stated before I shot two deer and a 200 pound hog with it so far. I hit the hog behind the ear at 40 yards. I cut the head open yesterday and the bullet (100 grain hornady round nose) had disintegrated on the spine. It damaged it enough to kill it but did not go through the bone. In the last 4 years I have had one deer and a hog present me with a classic broadside shot. All the rest have been quartering away through thick brush. With a 243 you cannot get way with these shots like you can with a bigger caliber. I will definitely use my 243 again next year, but only after I get some meat in the freezer. As for my daughter, she will be hunting her first year with a 30-30.
I have deer hunted with numerous calibers over the years 6 mm Remington up to .450 Marlin and 45/70 and I have discovered that in many cases a deer hit through the lungs can travel considerable distances sometimes several hundred yards. I mostly hunt in wooded areas that do not require long range shots often. There are many thickets and a deer traveling 100 yards can be easily lost without a good blood trail. Most of my shots are taken at 100 yards or less. I have shot many deer with 30/06 and a .270 and most will run 50 yards or further even if hit well. However, I have shot many others with large caliber rifles such as .44 magnum, .450 Marlin, 45/70 and even .338 magnum. Those shot in vital areas with the larger calibers drop in their tracks no death run. As someone said everyone occasionally makes a bad shot. This season I shot a deer in the gut as the 45/70 bullet glanced off of some brush and hit the deer too far back. It still dropped in its tracks. I conclude from my own experiences that deer drop faster at close to moderate ranges from bigger heavier bullets.
I’ve hunted whitetails for 30 years with many different rifle calibers. I am primarily a trophy hunter, and I agree with you completely regarding the need to bring enough gun. Sure you can kill deer with a pellet rifle if you shoot them in the eye, etc. I consider myself a good marksman, however regardless of shot placement and caliber, I have seen spooked deer run pretty far. If they do, you’ve got the chance to lose them. I’ve also dropped then in their tracks. My priorities are to bag my desired buck and do it humanely. In my humble opinion there’s no substitute for the .30-06/.308 unless you have a physical or financial issue.
ive use the 243 winchester for deer, bear, and yes even moose..not the size that matters
Pat,
One thing people don’t consider when all of these ballistic tables and data are developed is the fact that the individual deer is not taken into effect. From my experience, from my fathers words, and from conversation with peers, it seems to me that some deer just have that extra “want” to live. I have shot more than a few deer with calibers ranging from .243-7mm mag, and I must say that the deer hit with the 7mag ran farther than any other. We had a blood trail over 100 yards long and the hit was right in the heart lung area. I have had deer that ran for a decent distance after being shot with the .243, yet I have also seen them drop in their tracks. As far as the most steady performing gun, my BAR 30-06 has never let me down. Every deer I have shot with it has dropped. This again is just a strange trend. The bullet placement matters and the size of the bullet matters; however, I think the theory should be observed that some deer are just tougher than others in a Clint Eastwood kind of way. I would love feedback on this if posible form anyone who may or may not agree with this theory.
Also, in response to the 30-30 for the daughter, I cant say nay about this decision. We have one in the household, yet it has never been shot more than a couple times as far as I know. We bought it at a deal, and it sits in the safe now. My first deer gun was a remington .243, and after seeing the work it did on the deer and the tiny groups on paper, my Dad bought a Savage the same year for a “joint” Christmas present to me and my little brother. I have never brought myself to shoot the 30-30 because I am in love with accuracy and long-range shooting. This is odd, especially in North Carolina, where the only long shots we see are on powerlines and fields. Most of the hunting here is brush country; yet I live for the long shots. My longest shot on a deer with the .243 was 365 yards(not quite midwest, but a heck of a distance around my home). The deer stumbled for a few steps and collapsed after traveling maybe ten yards. This kind of experience has made me very biased towards the .243 and 30-06 (not the best for long range, but then again, check out the snipers in WWI and WWII). Im sure the 30-30 is sufficient for deer, and would guess that the numbers taken over the years from the caliber range into the multimillions.
And as far as the bullets not coming out, I have seen the same thing with “good” (expensive) bullets. We now shoot PMC and Rem Corelocks exclusively (the cheapest we have found) not for the price, but because they seem to group better in our two .243s, not to mention, I have yet to see a single shot from either of the two bullets listed not go through a deer. As far as Hornadys and Federals, they only lasted a season in the deer woods because of a sheer lack of punch. I now practice with the left over bullets because Dad has a warrant out for my butt if I shoot up his PMCs (they have discontinued the 100 grain .243 because they are now loading for the war in the middle east, and had to shut down some of their lines to fit this need).
Pat,
The best theory I can concur for your question is one I has occured to me for many years. It seems that some deer just “want” to live more than others. I know this seems childish, but it sure seems to be true at times. Anyone that has hunted for any significant amount of time has seen deer drop in their tracks after being hit by bad shots. The same person has more than likely seen deer hit by a perfect shot that managed to run a couple hundred yards before expiring. I honestly think that there is no remedy for killing deer as far as shot placement goes. There is no exact spot to shoot that will drop every deer out there. I have never seen a head shot move afterwards, yet I have heard of them running before expiring. Undoubtedly, the heart/lung area is the best shot choice, yet it will have different effects on deer. Some will drop, some will run. I have had a veteran hunter friend to tell me that he believed that some deer run “dead”. He backed up his theory with things like muscle memory and instincts. Im not quite sure about that, but I entitle him to his opinion and wont dismiss it entirely. It seems to me that some deer are just tougher than others. Any football coach will preach on the aspect of playing with your heart. If a person wants something more than another, passion can beat talent. I think the same can be applied to deer. Some deer have more heart than others and a will to live. They make a harder try at getting away. I know this sounds childish, but I have thought upon your question many times in my own life, and this is the simplest answer I have ever developed.
Id like to know what anyone thinks about this opinion if possible.
Just thought I would add something. I know that the heart/lung area is the best shot choice in deer hunting. What I mean to say is that shot placement is not the only factor affecting the kill to run ratio. undoubtedly, a good heart/lung shot will kill any deer and cut down on the distance travelled when tracking deer. however, not all deer respond to the same shot in the same way. It really hard for me to convey what I want to say is this sense. I dont want to write a formal english paper, but it would help in clearness on this topic. I will save those for this semester.
i killed a 10 point 200lb, buck at 150yds with a 100grain winch. power point it entered right shoulder and stopped on opposite hip it weighed 60 grains when recovered. a friend in colorado has shot elk sheep deer lion with 243 i shot an elk with 338 and it ran a mile good shot nosler part. who knows? barnes touts their triplex as an elk round
Greater velocity and foot pounds than a 30-30 at 100 yards-how can you trust such a round. Flatter trajectory and better accuracy at 100 yards than a 30-30. Lets put 30-30s in the too small for deer category as well.
I have been Police Firearms Instructor for over 20 years. One thing I’ve learned is that way too much emphasis is placed on “what you shoot” I’ve learned it’s “how well you shoot” A 300 Win Mag that misses a Deer may as well be a 16″ round from the USS New Jersey. A caliber like a 243 Win is easy enough to shoot so that the shooter can PRACTICE with it and get good with it. The 1st Deer I ever shot was with a S&W Model 15 38 Spl with a Rem 125gr JHP. I killed a 208lb Boar with a S&W Model 65 with a Federal 357 Mag 125gr JHP. What you use is not as important as how you use it. “Firepower” is no excuse for ACCURACY and METAL PREPARDNESS when you squeeze the trigger!!!!
243 win is a deer cartridge. It was designed with that purpose in mind. That said 234 is one of the smallest calibers allowed in many states for deer.
The point about experience I don’t agree with. A bad shot is a bad shot. I have seen my father in law shoot a deer with a 300 win mag hit a little far back we found that deer the next day still alive but unable to get back to its feet. The deer had traveled around 700 yards we estimate. If that deer had been shot with 243 I think we would have had the same result. Today we have seen many deer, elk and black bear taken with 243. Bottom line is if you can’t put your shot on a pie plate you will be unhappy with your shots on deer. If you are unable to make your shot because you have not practiced, improving the diameter of your bullet will not make things better. That logic has led to many lost deer IMHO.
I Have never had a problem killing numerous deer with the .223 Remington chambered Mini 14 let alone my Ruger model 77 243 Win.Just last year I jumped a 4 point Muley bedded down and sent an uphill shot at him running from about 40 yards.The 80 grain Federal Power Shok factory load had no problem desroying his heart,both lungs and shattering a rib bone upon exiting his soon to be corpse.A completely practical weapon.The firearm is light and easy to pack around.The bullet shoots flat,fast has very little recoil and in these times of expensive and limited availability of ammo in other calibers theres every reason to utilize the .243 Win and not many reasons not to.If your shot placement is so poor that you cant harvest game with a 243 than you probably have no buisiness even handling a firearm.Take care.Brad in Montana
I’ve hunted for years with my 308 and so far no deer has gone more than 25 ft. That wasn’t because of alot of tissue damage it was because of precise tissue damage. I bought a 243 for my son to use, my original plan was to give him the gun when he gets his first deer. Plans have changed-now this 243 will have to be wrestled from my hands. My son is using the lighter rounds for practice, the 100 gr’s point of impact is just slightly lower at 100yrds. I haven’t shot a deer yet with my 243 and have no doubt with the accuracy it is giving my son and I that we will be saying, “Meats back on the menu boys.” We finished our 3rd box and will probably shoot a couple more just because it is fun to shoot.
I was reflecting back on my years of hunting and realized that of the many deer taken 15 of them fell to the .243 and I’ve never lost a single one to that caliber. They’ve all dropped instantly or nearly and I’ve shot them as close as 20 yards to as far as 300. One buck at about 80 yds and a hard quartering angle fell instantly from a 100 gr
nosler partition that shattered the left femur/hip
(I shot a bit right of aim) continued through entrails, liver, lung/heart, and lodged under the hide of the off shoulder. A 180 gr slug from a .30 caliber couldn’t do better! For me anyway, the .243 just plain works.
This has been a great set of opinions to read. I am planning to buy a Rem. 700 in.243 in the next week or so for several reasons. I am a 100% disabled vet with arthritis in several major joints and back and neck. For years I’ve been using a good old fashioned .30-06 and it does really good work. It is a killing machine without question. But, at 53 yrs of age with frequently very sore shoulders, that thing kicks like a mule. Because of my condition, my ability to walk miles and miles has become a thing of the past. I agree that it’s vital to “use enough gun” and in New Mexico long shots are frequent. The .243 fits better into my plans of dusting off the military sniping skills and sticking in place to hunt both varmints and deer. I don’t see any problems with the .243 as I’ll be able to practice more with less damage to my own shoulders. More range time means better shot placement and better familiarity with the weapon. Would I use it on bear or elk? I kinda doubt it. That .30-06 provides plenty of whallop for such critters. Is a .243 able to take bear or elk? No doubt it will. As with any hunting there are several points to remember:
1.)Don’t take major long range shots unless you are absolutely positive, by way of actual experience, that you know where that bullet is going to go. Study your range tables, heck study several, but then go out to a range and prove that they are accurate with your rifle and your hunting bullet. Don’t skimp, don’t save, don’t lie to yourself or others. Make sure that the bullet is doing what is claimed in your own rifle.
Save the B.S. for around the campfire after the day’s hunting is over. Bigger, faster, flatter, better….great fodder for debate.
2.) Don’t skimp on cheap bullets. Get premium well made bullets that are not going to let you down and that will not fade into powder on contact with your game. If in doubt, go for the heavier bullet. Mass times velocity always equates to impact energy and a good Barnes X-bullet or Nosler partition are gonna thump hard and heavy at the terminal end of a shot.
3.) Both of the other items call for a thorough understanding of both your weapon and ammunition. This means that you MUST practice till you’re sick of it and then practice some more. (I recommend reloading your own and building the perfect ammunition for your particular rifle.)
4.) Finally, do us all a favor as hunters. If you aren’t absolutely comfortable with your shot, don’t take it. If you aren’t certain that your bullet is going to kill your target, don’t send it down range. I get sick and tired of anti- hunters complaining about gut shot animals being left to die in the woods because some mean ol’ hunter only wounded it. Save the backroom bravado about shooting at an animal 750 yards away on the off chance you might accidentally hit it. That kind of nonsense leads to wounded animals that die nasty deaths after days of suffering. Spend the money on a decent rangefinder and verify your yardage if you plan on long range shooting.Then make absolutely sure that your rifle/bullet combo is gonna provide enough terminal energy to kill your target.A real Macho man doesn’t have to prove he’s macho with 9 mile shots. He proves it with a clean kill and meat on the table. ( That goes for you ultra feminine Ladies too. Welcome to the woods ladies!)
Thanks for letting me state my case. I plan to enjoy that new .243 when I get it.
Been killing deer for 40 years with a .243. Distances from as close as 10 yards out to 300 yards. Always use a large lead (90-100 Grs). Now I am using a single shot NEF .243. One shot….one kill….. Practice….practice…Practice….. You don’t become a good shot by shooting your gun a few times before the season starts…..
I’m the proud owner of a Ruger no. 1 in .243 win. I used it to take many whitetail deer, including my first. I agree with the writer when he says that bullet chose is very important for fast smaller size calibers. Experienced and new hunters will sometimes encounter less than perfect hits but it isn’t something that should turn you away from a perfectly good caliber. I don’t know if the “shakes” causes many bad shots but I’m willing to bet recoil is responsible for more lost or injured game. If somebody shakes behind a .243 they might shut their eyes behind something heavier.
.243 Is my top chose for new deer hunters.
If one cannot quell a whitetail with a .243 Winchester with a proper 100 grain Speer Grand Slam bullet with a 3000 fps powder charge at the muzzle, one is not aiming properly. At 50 yards to 200 yards, it should be a no-brainer! Going afield without a properly-sighted rifle, would be the main culprit here. A sledgehammer strike from a 2100 ft/lb .243 round will have the mozy to outright kill an living whitetail. cliffy
I become tired of people advocating .300 Winchester Magnums for whitetails. Talk about overkill and meat destruction . . . cliffy
I believe you are way wrong! With well-constructed 90 to 100 grain bullets the .243 will humanely and cleanly dispatch the biggest deer extant. It has been and continues to be the perfect first deer gun for beginning hunters far far more effective than the vaunted 30-30 winchester. the 30-30 has taken more deer than all other calibers combined and you say the .243 is not adequate? Your argument holds no water. It is well-known that a poor hit even with a .458 magnum can result in a wounded deer. The .243 is the perfect deer round, flat shooting and hard hitting. It is accurate and has proven itself in the field. The true experienced hunters will confirm that the .243 is a great deer round. Proof in the field is more telling than mere foolish words by a mis-informed writer.
I’ve seen nilgai shot, and killed with a 243. These antelope average about 300 to 600 pounds, depending on whether its a cow, or a bull. As with any caliber, shot placement is the key. A 243 works just fine on deer, and people who criticize the round obviuosly have never seen what kind of damage it can inflict.
Well the article was sort of a cop out in that you go towards, “If your an inexperienced hunter don’t use this, use a cannon, if you know what your doing then of course you know its a good round.
I’ve been hunting 40 years, never got the “shakes” when pointing at an animal…it should be shaking not me, I have the gun..
I dont feel recommending a 45-70 with a 400gr round for a deer is “cause its bigger” is good advice. No the advice is: Learn to shoot well with a rifle that is confortable to shoot, say a bolt action .22. After you do that, get a weapon that you like and one that fits you well. I primarily use a 7mm rem mag for deer up, but I have a .243 for Cougar, Deer, and yotes. Compare the ballistics of the .243 to just about anything down from a 7mm rm. A .243 has more than enough speed and energy for any deer.
Saying a .243 isnt a good round if you dont shoot accurately is silly. Your not going to hit anything with your 300win mag either if you cant shoot well, and your shoulder will hurt while practicing, thus you’ll never get to be a good shot. Suggesting go out with a bigger gun cause you might only wound it and hopefully it will bleed out….geeesh..what are you thinking.
Educate them about the grain to use, how to practice before they hunt…
I fully disagree with you belief that the .243 is really not a excellent choice for deer. I’ve shot Blacktails and Mule Deer at distances out to 300 yards and never had any buck go more than 50 yards. All but 3 out of 15 or so have dropped in their tracks. I have shot factory loaded 95 grain Noslers and Win. Ballistic Silvertips both with mind blowing results. It all comes down to shot placement with any gun-if you dont hit the vitals, neck or head you will be tracking a buck whether you shot him with a .243 or a 300mag. Guns like the mags should be used on Elk and bigger animals only. Save some meat for the table, after all thats why you should be hunting in the first place. Horns are secondary if your a true sportsman.
A .243 Winchester packs a deadly punch at 300 yards with a 100 grain bullet. Upgrading to 105 Speer Soft-Point Spitzer adds to the severity of the wound. The recoil upgrade is only a minor result, yet still mild considering the SMACK of a 30/06 Springfield. Alliant ReLoder 22 is a smooth, shoulder-friendly powder perfectly adapted to 105 Speer fare. For handloaders, this combination is the ultimate whitetail medicine. Cliffy, the Meek. I only use 45.8 grains of RL-22.
Considering the number of friends I have that regularly dispatch deer with .243s, .223s and even a .204 Ruger, I really don’t see how anyone can claim these calibers are too small. I hunt with a .454 carbine, not because I preferred it, I don’t really considering the luck and clean kills of my buddies, I needed a heavier bullet for mama bear up here in the north country.
Much of the debate over calibers is annoying. Does dear departed Bambi realize when he is shot with a 7mm-08, 6mm Creedmore or .257 Roberts as opposed to the .243? Lots of difference on paper, not much difference to Bambi, all else being equal.
Now, the difference between a .243 and the .338 that has been mentioned once or twice is noticeable, for sure, or probably between the .44 mag and .45/70… What it boils down to is you and me.
I enjoy the discussion of caliber choice for game, but realistically, many calibers are so virtually identical in performance that choosing between them is symantics. Factory cartridge choice in individual rifles is crucial. Powder choice and weight in handloads is a lot of fun and maximizes the potential of the load. But realistically, shooting a deer succesfully should be the goal, not various ego boosting comparisons of little actual consquence.
Thanks for listening…
caliber does not mater nearly as much as being comfortable with your firearm.you must be certain where your bullet is going to hit or it doesent matter if youre shootig a cannon or a b.b gun.
I am 27 years old and have been hunting deer and hogs w/ a Winchester Model 70 featherweight chambered in .243 since I was 15. In the last 12 years I have taken 10 deer and at least 20 feral hogs with my .243 at various distances ranging from 5-250 yds and have never lost an animal. I agree with everyone who has pointed out that it’s all about the shot placement and using the proper bullet type(ie. not one designed for varmints). I personally do not own any other deer rifle and do not plan on wasting my hard earned money on one, the rifle I have works perfectly well for me. With my scope set on 12 power I can shoot a golf ball off the top of a beer bottle at 100 yds with my .243 time and again. With a weapon capable of that kind of accuracy there is no need for more power as long as you understand the anatomic build of the animal you are targeting. As far as blood trails go I have seen some times where there was plenty of blood to follow and other times where there was none, but I also have never had to search an area with greater than a 200 yd radius to locate my fallen game. Really not that far to search if you think about it and if you’ve got a dog with a good nose that’ll go a long way to speeding things up. Anyway, ANYONE who thinks a .243 is not “ADEQUATE” for deer hunting is “ignorant”(meaning that they don’t understand what they are talking about) most probably have never attempted using one for deer hunting and are running on an assumption and you know what assumtions do. Those that have used a .243 and came to the conclusion that it was “INADEQUATE” for deer probably made a bad shot and it doesn’t matter what type of weapon you choose, a bad shot is a bad shot. No creature deserves to have to wander for hours bleeding to death internally. I understand that everyone can make a bad shot, (obviously no one is perfect) but you shouldn’t have to rely on a larger bullet doing more damage to make up for being a bad shot. If you have doubts about wether you can make a clean kill with your weapon then I suggest you get to the range and practice!
Yea the first gun my dad has ever gave me for deer hunting is a 243 and i been using that for about 4-5 years ever deer I shot at went down atleast 50 yards where i shot them…100 Grain
My Dad has a 300 win short mag he had to shoot his deer 3 times before it started to show a sign of a hit and it still took off 100 yards where it has been shot at The first shot hit the liver :/ he uses balistic tip
Well i’ve read all these comments so i guess i’ll give my own opinion, which we all know everybody has one…..i’ve killed deer with about ten different calibers ‘some dropped in thier tracks some ran. bullet placement and construction and maybe a little luck,play a large part. as long as we do our part like not taking a marginal shot it usually turns out ok.
Will a .243 kill a deer? Absolutely, no question. But when a fatally struck deer runs 100-200 yards in the rain with no or a small exit hole and little or no blood trail, recovery becomes key. Under right conditions, fine rifle and cartridge. Thick, wet cover, I want a hole through both sides leaking lots of blood. And all these mentioned head and neck shots, yep, fine when things are just right, poor choice for a shot when moving or moving through cover.
Recoil should not be a factor in the decision to use a certain cartridge. Using a small cartridge for big game because of its light recoil is like putting a small engine in a race car because you can’t handle the speed. Match the cartidge to the game, then learn to accept the recoil. It goes with the territory.
So what, pray tell, are these shoulder friendly superior calibers you reference?
i had shot my first deer with a .243 and it went at least 15 yards and dropped. i had also took it to the range great accuracy all in the bullseye. i used it as a kid so i suggest it to kids 12-18 once u get older u should probly get somthin bigger like a 30-30 or somthing
I just love to read articles about 243 not being an adequate deer cartridge. For the record I mostly use my Ruder m77 chambered in 270win. It is my favorite gun caliber has nothing to do with my choice. First of all a dad shot is a bad shot regardless of caliber. to say that a bad shot can be made up for by using a bigger gun is irresponsible as is to send a kid or new hunter out with out proper practice.
Lets use real numbers shall we. 234 win muzzle Ke with 100 gr bullet Is around 1950 fp depending on the manufacture. 30-30 the most popular deer rifle ever made has around 1900 fp of Ke at the muzzle with a 150 gr bullet, Again depending on the company what loaded it. Would you consider 30-30 to be too little gun?
The best way to debunk your article is to just look at the fact that 243 has been considered to be a great deer cartridge since its inception 54 years ago.
Quite simply If you can put led on your target what caliber you use is insignificant. A two lung or a hart shot is a kill no mater if it is a 243, 300mag, 50bmg, or a sharpened stick.
The more I read this article and the comments left by its writer the more i have problems with it. Just what would you say is the best cartridge to make a bad or to use your word marginal shot with? Or just what would say is a good gun for an inexperienced hunter? Can you tell me that a deer shot in a vital area is going to live Or die depending on what caliber bullet it was shot with.
May hunters blame A bad shot on the gun or bullet and that is furthered by people writing articles like this one. Let me ask you one more question. Have you ever seen a deer shot in the vitals with a 243 and live or a deer shot with a bigger gun in the rear hips die?
The fact is that you hole article is based on, what if you make a bad shot. And the worst part is that your answer is to go to a bigger gun instead of just making the point that the vast majority of lost deer are not lost due to the caliber of gun but to lack of time spent on the range.
sorry for the rant, I have just grown tired of people advocating a bigger gun to make up for lack of ability.
The .243. Well, I have to mostly agree with you on just about everything you said, especially on the beginner point, except you left out the point about training. Beginning hunters shouldn’t be sending rounds down range at any game without spending hard time on the range. With that said, and with the price of ammo these days, one should invest in spending at least 300 accurate rounds at a non-breathing target before “wounding” a deer. A little research would help to. Placement is the point, and training is the only way to place a projectile properly. The type of projectile is the next important thing. You need it to do what it is designed to do. Even having a seasoned shooter present helps. You need someone to observe and criticize your technique.
Just shot my first 137lb buck with a new 243 encore/95 gr balistic tip nosler. One shot no run kill. Have used a 270/130gr for years with a much less dramatic result. Good optics and good bullets, dead deer.
I can truly see that whoever wrote this article has no clue about the 243. He talks like a typical whitetail has a chest cavity 3 feet thick…Give me a break. I have shot over 40 deer with a 243 and never had to shoot one twice. I get so sick and tired of people who dont have a clue about firearms, trying to give me their 2 cents about caliber choice. Get you nose out of the poorly written books my friend, and go out and actually kill something……. Wake up !!
Your exactly right about what you said. But im a beginner hunter and i was using my grandpa’s .243 that he handed down to me and i killed a 4 point buck from a fair distance. you are right about what you said about the yung ones getting “the shakes” and i agree. But i’v shot the .243 and i think that its nice for beginners because of the kick. It barley kicks and i love shooting it. meaning that i can stay very steady when i shoot it because of its weight and size. In my prefference the .243 is a great gun for beginners.
The .243 isn’t too light for deer. I suspect you simply haven’t been around enough hunting camps in enough parts of the world.
I’ve seen the .243 used as a meat getter in Africa, and all manner of animals much larger than deer fell to it on a regular basis. I’ve seen many one shot kills not only on wildebeast and lion, but, here in American, on Elk and moose, as well.
I don’t think anyone is fosterinmg light weight bulets on deer hunters. Just about any deer hunter knows enough to select the bullet according to the game being hunted, be it a woodchuck or a deer. Give people some credit for being at least as smart as you are.
Nor does a .243 make poor bullet placement worse. A deer hit in the wrong spot with a .375 H&H is still a deer hit in the wrong spot, and is just as likely to run away and never be found.
The .243 is an excellent deer rifle, and when there’s a problem, it’s from the man holding the rifle, not the rifle itself.
When your shooting Blacktail or whitetail deer it does not take much of a caliber to do the job.Iv’e shot both with everything from .223 to 300win mag at various ranges.and the only difference was the exit hole.Being these deer are not much bigger than a large dog as long as you hit them somewhere other than the rearend there going to die fairly quick.So people can “church up” calibers and perfect shots all day long and it all comes down to What you prefer, they all do the same thing.
I was a sniper in the 502nd of the 101st for 6 years. I do love my .308, .333, and my recently purchased .408. But all of them can and will tear up meat. I have marked 1250 meters with my Winchester model 70 pre-64 with a hand lathe turned barrel. But even before the custom ultra match barrel, I was easily marking 800 and 900 meter shots, with a 1.75 MOA that is easily an acceptable froup for a rear temperal lobe head shot. I have only made 2 head shots on a white tail deer down in the Ms. delta. I love hunting in the area because of all the long range opportunities. But 2 years ago I killed a little over a 300 pound 14 point comming out of the swamps with a heart shot. As said before it is all about shot placement. If you dont know shot placement and are willing to hit an animal in the rear end and still want it to go down in my personal opinion you should not be behind a long range piece of weaponry. I do love my .243 although it does not have the knock down of any of my other weapons, but the trejectory is very flat, and is very accurate in the hands of an experianced rifle man, as well as unexperianced. 75% of the time I shoot with my .243 even if at beer cans, when it comes to long range shooting with buddies. If I really want to show my tail I will break out my M400 .408 although in a year in a half i have only done that maybe 4 times. and i have only put 10 rounds through the weapon. Learn the benifit of shot placement, and for almost any game in north america a .243 is as large as you will have to go, given you put a well placed round at a safe distance. I do not going grizzly hunting and expecting a close encounter with only that, that is just ignorant. But if you are making a 700+ meter shot with the right placement you will have no problem. But still I recommend carrying a backup weapon. For that I have fallen in love with my .500 bear gun.
Exactly Greg, My friend and I tracked a whitetail for over 2 miles that he shot standing right beside me with a 30-06(his pride and joy). We were walking to our stands at the time, he hit it low front shoulder, only because he was faster than me at pulling his gun up. He made a bad shot and it did not drop the deer.
All but two of the deer I’ve killed have been with my .243, which was handed down to me by a friend of my dad’s who had been killing deer with it since before I was born. I’ve never had one run more than 30 yards. As for the other two, one was with buckshot, the other was with my AR-15 .223, same result. A good shot means everything. I have been shooting since I can remember, and do recommend plenty of practice prior to hunting. A .243 is perfect for a beginer. I’ve had two surguries on my shoulder and will not shoot a gun that kicks more.
I shot my first buck this Thanksgiving (14 pointer) with a .243 at dusk, and he dropped within 15 yards. Two days later I shot a doe and she dropped even quicker.
I have been to shooting ranges, but am not nearly as experienced as you suggest one needs to be in order to use this weapon properly. Because I am a small person (5’2″ female) this weapon works perfectly for me.
However, I think that shot placement is imperative, with any weapon. I hit both of mine directly behind the shoulder in the ribs from at least 60 yds with the 243.
So at least this “inexperienced hunter” says the .243, like any weapon can be highly effective if used properly, (and I don’t see a problem with whitetail deer hunting).
Killed my first deer this year with a .243 100 grain
8 point
I bought my son a model 710 Remington 243 2 years ago. I will admit I was a little skeptical about how good of a job it would do on a whitetail. My son got his first deer when he was 8 he is now 13. He got his first 3 deer with a muzzleloader. Well this year he took 2 with his 243 and one with a muzzleloader. Yep he tagged out this year. The first he got with the 243 was a 9 point about 3.5 years old. Not a huge buck but a real nice one for a kid. I was right there when he shot it the buck was about to get away I couldnt get the buck to stop walking so he shot it walking. It was a quatering away maybe a little more steeper angle than that. He shot it a little to far forward for that angle The buck ran about 60 yards and piled up. When I skinned the buck I found the slug just under the skin on the oposite side shoulder it had went through the ribs at the quartering angle and went all the way throug the opposite shoulder. I WAS SURPRISED!! It didnt knock the deer down, but it did really well. Then the 2nd deer he killed with it was a big doe. It was a perfect broadside standing shot about 30 yards. He put a perfect shot on her took the top right off her heart. The bullet had a nice sized exit hole and went all the way through she only went about 30 yards and piled up.
Now ive always used big calibers deer hunting even when I was a kid. When I was 7 years old I used a 303 british. Then I used a 30.06 Up until about age 18 then I got a Model 100 308 winchester. My dad had one and it was a dandy deer round. I beleive the 308 with a winchester Silver tip is the best Deer round there is Bar NOne.
But anyway back to the 243 I got Winchester Supreme Ballistic Silvertips in 95 grain in CXP2 style. After the way Ive seen this little gun with this ammo perform I would not be afraid to recommend this gun to a beginner at all. With any caliber though the shooter needs to be able to put the bullet in the kill zone no matter what. I work with my sons shooting mostly with a 22 I have him shoot at very small targets. We will shoot at about 40 yards at targets about the size of a ping pong ball. We work on Breathing and squeezing the trigger not jerking it.
I think the ammo you use in a gun is really more important than the size of the gun. Ive seen deer shot with a 30-06 that went for miles because the ammo was not good.
I would rather a bullet do massive damage and not make an exit hole rather than just go right through the deer and not do anything. In my opinion Remington power point ammo does just that. It would probably penetrate through a block wall, but When a deer is shot with it it just zips right through. I want a bullet to separate and do major damage.
We used in our 308′s the old Silvertips not the Ballistic Silvertips but the old style thats been around for years. Ive seen many, many deer shot with these and 95% of the time they dropped in their tracks, and about 80% of the time the bullet would not even exit the deer you would see and entry and that was it, but when you open the deer up that is where the damage is. The vitals would literally just run out of the deer if they were hanging up they would just be pulverized. Now that is nock down. You dont get knock down from a bullet penetrating all the way trhough doing no damage.
On the 243 though you would want to make sure and use a bullet that will penetrate because of being a smaller caliber, but you want damage in there also. That is why We use the Winchester Supreme ammo Ballistic Silvertips CXP2′s They are designed for deer and they are good 243 and this ammo will work anytime on deer. And do a darn good job.
I don’t think many of the posters are necessarily advocating a bigger gun (in terms of ft-lbs), just a better combination of velocity, bullet weight, and bullet type. As I said in my previous post, I’ve shot deer in the vitals with a .243 and had them run off for several hundred yards, only to find them later half spoiled after suffering for hours. One of my hunting buddies uses a .243 and is happy with it, but he only shoots standing still deer in the neck or sometimes head and of course they drop right over. One poster here suggested putting the 30/30 in the same category as the .243 – ineffective for deer. I completely disgaree with that. A 30/30 would be my choice for a beginner’s gun, especially where most shots are 100 yards or less (wooded areas). A 30/30 may have less ft-lbs at 100 yards than a .243, but there’s definitely something about the heavier, slower bullet that makes a 30/30 much more lethal on deer.
I’ve been hunting for 45 years and purchased a Remington Model Seven 3 years ago in.243.I’ve shot 8 animals(white tail,prong horn&mulies)with it and I’m a beleiver! Most recent 195lb whitetail and none have gone over 100 yds.Great for us older hunters.
i bought a 243 as my first deer rifle a H&R single shot and it was super accurate but it was too light in brushy areas where i hunt one twig would throw the bullet off path but it had no problem killing deer with 100gr cor lokt rounds soo if your hunting in open areas i think its as good as anything else but if your hunting in think woods like i am in connecticut go with a heavy slow bullet like a 30/30 with 170gr bullets even though there is no business trying a shot in thick brush. but one twig 50 yards away you cant see is not uncommon and will send that little 6mm bullet god knows where. soo ill keep my 243 for hunting in fields for deer and coyote, but for the most part ill use the marlin 336 30/30 or my old sporterized 30/40 krag in the thick woods
If your going to use a .243 use 85 gr at the least. I prefer lapua boat tip 110 gr. works great!
I bough my son his first .243 and we live in the mountains of Arizona and he killed a deer at 320 yards with it NO PROBLEM! 100 gr. 2009 nov
What ammo is better for a 243 winchester silvertips or federals vital shock, any information would be greatly appreciated
I draw for the doe license every year and it is the perfect rifle. Your most likely going to be able to get close to the deer. I dont think it is a good rifle for bigger game. It is a rifle for closer shots. Its perfect for what I use it for.
I have use a .243 winchest out in Nebraska for several years now. I have shot 2 mule deer and 2 whitetails and the farthest they have gone is 40 yards top. It does the job with a remington cor lock 100 grain bullet. Farthest shot was 140yrs perfectly behind the shoulder ran 20yrs piled his ass up!
The 243 cwill kill a deer just fine. I have used it three times on big mule deer and it put them down without any problems. I use a 100 frain hornady SP bullet and it does just fine.
My firearm is a remington 700 bdl with a pentax 3-9×40 scope. I can’t miss with it! I had to shoot one of the deer twice, the other two were one shot kills. One died right where I shot him, nearly a hundred yards away with my lazer reange finder. The second was 144 yards away, one shot also. The third was 172 yards away. He took two rounds, but he piled up when I hit him the second time. Nothing wrong with the .243 at all.
Bullet construction is the main thing with the .243.Go with a Barnes 85 grain TSXBT and the deer will begin falling for you.Not to worry,it will happen.The Nosler 90 and 95 grain ballistic tips will do the same thing.The 100 grain Nosler Partition will also do a fine job.Larger bullets don’t make up for poor bullet placement!
I’m from idaho, and i’ll tell you what… our big mulleys will take a magazine full of 243 if you dont hit the heart. ive shot one 3 times with a 270, the first of which being a double lung. out in texas and elsewear with the petite veriety of deer.. a 243 is plenty. but those are only 90 pounds. ask anyone over 12 and under 70 from here what they hunt with and its time for 270 vs. 3006. you should do an article on why 223 is far to small for use by the military. humans are bigger and 10 times meaner than deer and getting shot by varmint rounds.
The .243 is fine for taking out deer, im only 16 and ive taken out deer at the range of 160 meters tops and it was fine for that, how ever if you have a larger caliber gun then i would recomending using that because i only shot them when i took the .30 06 out aswell to make sure if it wasent a one shot kill then we used that just to make sure it wasent sufering
I have killed two deer with my .243. One was approx. 110 yrds with an 80grn. fed. and the other about 50 with a 100 rem.
The 80grn did amazing damage, shattering the front leg and leaving a baseball size exit wound. The 100grn. did the job as well, however it did little damage. Shot placement was good and the deer didnt go ten yard.
All situations are different. A .22 mag. to the head would have done the job as well. Personally, I would not go smaller than 6mm. but I will never believe that you need a cannon for upclose whitetail.
There are many variables and situations. Open range wooded areas etc….A .243 in the vitals is just as effective as anything. Shot placement over energy.
It ain’t the club, it’s the swing. Every criticism (in the negative) you make of this cartridge is based not on the cartridge but the poor performance of the rifleman. It is not a fair account of the cartridge, which is a highly effective, hard hitting round in the heavier weights and given the lighter weights, very versatile. Without exception, the same poor rifleman behind absolutely any cartridge is as much a problem as behind this cartridge. It is well up to the task and one could argue is better, (and not just for beginners) as better shot placement is possible due to lighter recoil. We all have favorites. Being objective and responsible is key when considering taking any game.
Personally i think that the person that wrote this article is full of it.. seriously if you are going to make comparisons make sure they are apples to apples.. turkey and goose hunting for shot gunners would be like moose and brown bear for rifle hunters.. tough think skinned or feathered and difficult to kill without the proper. Would a 410 do the job under the right circumstances of course it would just like you can kill elk and moose with 243, I know because I have seen it personally. lastly the 243 is an excellent rifle for beginners. It is light kicking with plenty of lethality to kill deer sized game out to 300 yards. Fr begginers it is more important to get them comfotable shooting and hitting the vitals rather than have them worried about getting there arms jacked around from 30/06 type rifles. Seriously this was one ofthe worst articles I have ever read and wonder if the fella whow rote this knows anything at all about hunting
My first deer was with a 7mm Remington mag with a 150gr remington corloc the deer was 150lb spike at 100yards quartering away i put the bullet right in front of the hip the bullet exited the center of the chest. the deer turned walked toured me a few steps turned broad side and I nailed him with a second an inch behind the shoulder. even with this big caliber and two well placed shots the deer went about 30yards. The next year I harvested a button buck with one shot from my 243win with 100gr remington corloc the deer dropped in its tracks didn’t have a chance.this was with a neck shot. so going bigger is not always better.
I would have to say that the caliber used depends on where, how, and what you hunt. When I want meat, I take my 223. But when Im going after a trophy whitetail, I take my .300. What gun do you keep in your house for protection? a small 22? I dont, I have the biggest one I can get. If I see a 180+ inch deer I want to put him down. I might not have time to get a good rest, or it might be windy or another million things that could affect my shot. For a perfect broadside shot at 100-200 yards, with a solid rest, anything will do. But hey, thats just me. I want the best odds agains a trophy whitetail. Ath the end its each hunters desicion. Saludos!
58gr v-max, cause i dont believe in a pass thru, eight deer with’m, none took step, put it where it counts, head, neck, heart via a shoulder, be smart dont listen to editors or TV personalities, find out for yourself!
Thanks for a good range of info on the .243. I am in the market for a .243 for small deer and goats ect, and i have found all the comments and info very helpfull.
Cheers,
There are a lot of “ifs” in applying a sub-30caliber bullet to anything from deer up. IF you are committed to serious practice. IF you use a VERY accurate load that reaches the upper edge of ballistic performance for that cartridge. IF the bullet is properly designed. IF you are disciplined enough not to take a questionable shot and ready to pass up shot after shot that would be “easy” with a .270 for example and finally IF you know the deer’s anatomy better than your own it all adds up.
I have a VERY nice Sako Forester (1969 vintage and MINT) once owned by Kenny Jarrett of Jarrett rifles. The action was carefully glass bedded and it is insanely accurate with the right loads. The 1 in 10″ twist and slightly heavier then normal barrel help.
My cousin in DE has taken an auditorium full of deer with a Remington Model 760 slide action in .243. These include a permit doe nailed at a later measured 180 yards (standing broadside) across a pond. She jumped like she’d been stuck with a hot poker and ran less than 50 yards. She was stone dead with her heart blown to confetti.
-Ray
Shawn,
Remember, the gun you shoot WELL with beats any gun that you CAN’T shoot well with.
Ray
I’m looking at getting my first rifle which will be used mainly for Red Deer in New Zealand. I’m a bit of a beginner, having been hunting about 5 times and bagging 3 deer, my last a nice red 10 pointer at 150 yds. All of my deer hunting has been done with a Browning .223 and I have never had a deer get away on me. I was taught not to take the shot unless you knew it was a kill shot. Anyone have any good suggestions on what rifle I should be looking at for a nice entry range .243?
It’s not the caliber or the rifle it’s the shooter. What it boils down to is 99% pilot error and 1% bad luck. I have shot many deer with three great calibers 243, 308, 300 win mag. It’s just how when and where.
I’m 14, and have only been hunting for 2 years, and I shot 6 deer, 3 bucks over 200 lbs, and killed them basically instantly with my savage edge .243………. With 55 gr. accutip bullets
after aging a couple years and seeing this thread still active, i feel the urge to flame someone in a respectable way. using an 85 grain bullet in a .243, i have dropped a 450 pound boar (granted, a headshot)at 100 yards. using ballistic tips, i’ve gotten pass throughs on two deer, one through both shoulder blades. i disagree with using varmint bullets of any caliber for big game(ruins the meat) and headshots on anything not likely to kill you. however, as some here have said, anyone who disses the .243 probably hasn’t hunted with it much, or, no offense, is a bad shot.
Good article. I do belive that a more powerful cartridge does provide more room for error, but however i belive the .243 is more than powerful enough to stop any whitetail in his (or her) tracks. Shot placement is what counts more than anything. Think about it this way. I am a serious bow hunter and i have killed, and have have friends than have killed serious bucks with nothing more than an arrow. if you hit an animal right with the .243 with the right bullet it is far more deadly than a bow. case and point.
Ha, what a perfect point AJ. If you can’t kill a deer with a .243 you need to stick to the grocery store. Early man didn’t even have guns, to this day folks still kill deer with arrows. A beginer hunter is either ready or not. No matter weather he has a .22 mag in his hand or a 45-70. When the moment comes if he makes a good shot, he is bringing home some meat. Only difference is with the smaller gun he’ll have more left. It’s been fun keeping up with this thread. I like to shoot even more than I like to hunt and my .243 ruger is more fun to shoot than all my bigger rifles. A gun that is fun to shoot is one that you get good at. All of yall asking about getting a .243 for a starter, you will not be dissapointed unless you don’t practice enough before hitting the woods. Keep the comments coming!
i have killed many many deer with my .243 and i use 100 gr all the way to 85 gr bullets. i can drop a deer up to 350 yards if shot placement is perfect… you cant just asume the gun is small and it wont kill because i have taken 220 lbs mule deer with it,,, best gun i ever owned….
I am 67 and started deer hunting at 21.I used a 30/30 for 25 years and got 16 with it.I used a .243 since then and got 35 with it.I lost 2 deer with the 30/30 and none with the .243.I like the bullet to expend its energy inside the deer and not beyond the deer.
I liked everything you said. But i have to disagree on it not bieng good for beginners. Ive been deer huning for many years, started out with th 243 and still use it. And it has perfect accuracy up to about 150 yards. Where i hunt itd be very had to get a shot on a deer more then 70 yards out. In my opinion it is a great calliber for beginners and old timers. And the shakes thing, it doesnt really matter what gun calliber you use, thats just something yo learn to deal with after a while.
my brother got his first deer with a 243 Winchester although it was only 120lbs it blew a huge hole out of the chest i could fit both my hands in it i think a 243 is a perfect rifle for deer hunting i mean people have brought down big deer with 223/5.56mm i mean if a 5.56mm has enough power to kill humans it wont have a problem taking down a deer i think a 243 is pretty much a guaranteed kill i know a person that took a 216lbs 12 point buck down with a 243win. with one shot
and also people who say white tail are as big as a large dog i know large dogs i have a german sheppard and ive seen many other large dogs but i saw a 9 point white tail last season couldnt get a shot off cause the brush but it had to be pushin 230lbs and ive never seen/heard of a dog that big
Hey Don,
This is a great website and Ebay is a good place to go hunting
Hydrostatic shock was mentioned in a post and I would like hearing more about it in one of your open discussions/forums
Cheers, tbone
I’m kinda surprised to hear someone mention the .243 isn’t good enough. Not unlike that gentleman’s grandpa, I too have hunted with a .243 for years. I’d like to say this to clear up any doubts, bullet placement. Bullet placement will always be the factor for any round. My dear don’t go for a walk after being hit and they don’t look around to see what bit them either, they simply fall over dead. And in my book, dead is dead no mater what caliber you use. If you’re asking where my bullets are placed, it’s always the same, either behind the ear or if I need a bigger target, I’ll shoot a little lower into the neck and it’s a done deal.
Tbone, hydrostatic shock is a result of a high speed bullet [over 2000 fps] hitting an animal. Any animal is a “closed system” with all fluids and blood being contained within the body. When a high speed round strikes it creates a “shock wave” that can rupture veins arterys and capillaries far away from the entry wound. Massive internal blood loss is a result. This can result in an instant “one shot stop” The easiest example is a full bucket of water and slowly push your fist in it. Not much gets displaced. Then try it full speed, and the water goes everywhere. Same mass [your fist] but a much higher speed. I hope this helped.
All my daughters are grown women who are small frames physically. They all shoot .243′s. The all are excellent shots. Every whitetail they’ve ever taken has been shot between 50-100 yards using a Barnes 85 grain Triple Shock bullet which they prefer. Previously they shot Winchester Silvertips (not my preference, of course). Yet, with the exception of one, every deer they’ve ever shot has hit the dirt immediately (using both bullets choices). Normally, we hunt in central MS, but I’ve seen the .243 get great results on whitetails in other US states where the deer are bigger than here in South/Central MS.
I have used a mod 70 winchester for 20 years.barrell was cut to 17 inches.Trigger set at 1.5 lbs.3×9 45 mm leopould.All I use is 80 gr psp.No core locks.I have killed about 20 bucks with it and never lost one.Only one ran about 50 yds. It was a 200 yard shoulder shot.Most of mine are less than 100 yd neck shots.
Obviously the author of this site doesn’t like, and probably doesn’t even own a 243.
The 243 is certainly a deer cartridge, and a damn good at that.
If he wants to lug around a 30/338 Weatherby to kill a Deer, fine, but why belittle those of us who prefer something a bit smaller.
I’ve made up many a wildcat cartridge, the last one being the old 8×60 Mauser, but only made it for the fun; the standard 8×57 will do everything the 8×60 or 30-06 will do.
Why berate someone for their choice of the very fine 243 winchester.
Do your thing and leave us to do ours.
My dad gave me a .243 break open harrington and richardson rifle for my first deer rifle. The main reason being because he didn’t want me to learn bad shooting mechanics like trigger jerking and flinching. He would not allow me to shoot at a deer over 100 yards when i first started and that should go for everyone just beginning. I am much older now and that is all i hunt with. All my buddies carry around the big boom sticks. The difference is I walk out of the woods dragging a deer. Shot placement is the issue not caliber. If you shoot a deer in the butt with a .30-06 i can promise you it will die but you wont find it. If everyone would take there time to make a good shot placement then more deer wold be recovered. Just for your info I shot an 8 point buck from 328 yards with an 80 grain pointed soft point in the chest/heart. He dropped two steps later. So it can be done but you need to know your rifle and never take a shot at any animal that you haven’t taken on paper. But realistically where i hunt the longest shots aren’t more than 200 yards.
some people may call me a lier or crazy but ive watched my old man kill a doe from over 500yrs away with his .243… he had to take three shots to hit it but he did it.. aim high and left or right enough to make up of the distance but i’d have to say that you can kill anything you’d like to with a good .243.
My very first hunt, I used a 243, I killed my buck at 450 yards. My second, 200 yards. I highly recommend the 243 as the first time rifle. It is the rifle I trust for my son this year to get his first deer.
Ok, this was my second year of deer hunting. Last year I got a small 2 by 3 with my grandpa’s 243. It has been in my family since he bought it after the war in 52. I am so in love with this gun. On Oct. 24, 2010, I shot open sight like my pops and I got a big 5 by 5, 22 in wide, perfect shot right through the lungs at 150 yds. I have done better than most people in the Northeastern part of New Mexico. It is one of the bigger bucks to come out of my family’s ranch. I think that the 243 is a perfect deer hunting gun, but then again we have thick bushy grounds.
I guess some folks just miss the facts that at 5x times the speed of sound the sonic shock wave produced by the 243 is the size of a bowling ball going through the deer. One should posibly not use the 243 because it may dammage too much of the meat instead of doing too little damage.
I’m 55 years old and have been hunting deer since I was 16, so I believe I have more experience than most on this board. I started with a .30/30 iron sights and killed plenty of deer. As I got older (and wiser) I bought a .243 Winchester Featherweight and put a 1.5 x 5 Redfield scope on it and have killed more whitetails than I can remember–NEVER losing one. Most went no more than 20 yards and dropped. As for the last post, I’m afraid I have to disagree. I’ve used Winchester Super X Power Point for most of the time with VERY LITTLE meat damage. In fact, that’s why the great outdoor writer Byron Dalyrample used and advised using a .243, so you won’t damage meat like the .30/06 and .308 guys. There’s no earthly reasons, unless you’re a bad shot, to be using big caliber guns on eastern whitetails. It’s not a kids gun; it’s a gun for experienced hunters who like the most meat they can get out of a deer
i am writing this because all of u that say the 243 is too small is crazy i have gotten three deer put in the freezer by it in one year everyone dropped like a sack of taters and yes a 100 grain bolistic point might blow up onthe shoulder but it wil still take it down as long as you hit it well its the only weapon i have and for that matter a 22 caliber would do the same with the right placement. so have fun with the 243 and get some practice in b4 you shoot that buck
ive shoot a deer in the heart at 100 yds and ran 50ft gutted it and the heart was laying inside. there is nothing wrong with a 243 ive hunted with a youth model 7 for 10 years lost 1 deer hunted with a 7-mm08 for 2 years and missed 7 deer its like you guys said you have to no your gun. my friends grandson shot his first deer with a 22 hornet in the chest its not what you shoot!
Here in Scotland .243 is the choice of a lot of professional deer hunters (called stalkers or gamekeepers over here). Many of them shoot between 150 – 200 animals in the season and are more than happy with the calibre. several animals will be shot from the herd at times and a low recoil rifle helps as you can see shot reaction and move smoothly onto the next animal. 300 yards is regarded as long range and isn’t exceeded to often. At this range it is more than powerful enough for our red deer, a large male will go to 250lbs clean, females 125lbs.
A Remington 700 BDL in .243 Winchester is my rifle/cartridge combo of choice for whitetails in western Oklahoma. I love the cartridge because I have found it to be very comfortable to shoot and 100% efficacious, not to mention less expensive than some of the larger cartridges that are so popular.
Since I began hunting several years ago, I have killed five whitetails with that little cartridge. (I use Remington cartridges loaded with 100 grain Core-Lokt bullets.) The first was a mature buck who dropped in his tracks at 340 yards. Two of the others also never took a step after being hit. The two that were not anchored where they stood made it less than 75 yards before expiring, and one of those, I confess, was poorly hit. I have never lost a deer with the .243 Winchester.
I beg to differ with those who are biased toward larger calibers as a rule for whitetails. Based on my experience, I believe the .243 Winchester is an excellent whitetail cartridge for beginners and veterans alike, especially for smaller-framed hunters who may be more susceptible to recoil. Within its effective range (which is a separate debate–my personal experience leads me to believe its effective range reaches easily to 400 yards), a .243 bullet placed within the vital zone of any whitetail will produce a clean kill.
a 243 is a good gun i killed a many of deer with one but a 260 is a good gun and it will drop them too but it wont dedtroy the meat like the 243
I agree accuracy is a key point in a hunting rifle. And I have hit the same bullet hole numerous times at 100 yards, so when you talk about accuracy i think the 243. is a very accurate gun. Also when you talked about poor bullet construction i have had my bullets do all three things, but my father has seen me drop more deer and find more deer with my 243 than he has people with a 270. Therefore i believe the 243 caliber is a very accurate and dependable deer hunting rifle
I own two rifles: a CZ 550 in .375 H&H for Cape Buffalo and a Savage 110 in .300 Win Mag for deer to Moose. My wife has a Remington 700 in .243 for deer.
I’m South African but have resided in the USA for 13 yrs and have shot everything on the African sub-continent besides elephant, rhino, hippo and predators, and just about everything in the USA except predators (apart from coyote). So you might say I have some varied experience.
Where my wife has dropped everything from whitetail to nyala with her .243 (originally using 100gr Power Points but now almost exclusively Hornady SST 95gr)within 50yds of impact, I with my .300 on the other hand, have not been as fortunate.
Consider this:
I hit a whitetail doe with my .300 using 180gr Power Points, right in the life box. She wasn’t quite broadside – slightly quartered away from me at 80 yds.
She ran but oddly enough, executing a U-turn only to die ten feet from me. upon examination I discovered that the bullet had hit her life box shredding everything in it’s path, but also happened to exit through the brisket on her right (far side). Apart from a few droplets of blood on her side, there were no signs of significant bleeding. only upon opening up her belly did the dammed-up blood pour out of her.
Upon reflection these are my conclusions:
1) With the thick cover of fall leaves and her bleeding so negligibly, had she not made a U-turn and expired almost at my feet who knows how long it would have taken me to find her.
2)The bullet obviously suffered ballistic distortion causing it to yaw (almost making a U-turn itself).
3)A .30 calibre round at 180gr going through a deer should by no means suffer such an extent of yaw due to distortion.
4)A long proven calibre, manufacturer and bullet weight is not infallible – regardless.
My point: You may be the best shot, placing the perfect POI on your game and employ proven ammo – yet sh*t happens. So how much of the evidence of any calibre/bullet weight/velocity/energy out there is really pertinent to real life application? Ballistic gelatin isn’t real life, merely a simulation. No matter how good you are and no matter how good your ammo, there are always too many variables to take into account.
If a round has taken a considerable amount of any animal, we must resign ourselves from the overwhelming details and simply accept the fact that any given ammunition in the appropriate hands for the task at hand is by all rights – appropriate.
Everyone, I would like to venture in.
I think the original idea is; too small for beginner? Well, as many have said, yes and no. Personally, I’ve never lost a single deer to the .243. I have helped track and finish just recently as last year, a very well torn up 11 point shot 2 times from a 300WM. It would definitely have expired in a few days, but was not in immediate danger of doing so.
As many of us have done, we have taken those deer with the 6mm or .243 and been successful. I would like to assume that these same people are spending time on the range, paper, steel or what target used at the time and practiced.
It seems to me that the real issue is; no matter whether beginning or well versed, they must be able to hit what they are aiming at, where they are aiming at.
I have seen first hand a person shooting ping pong balls (with 22-250) and heard of another shooting golf balls (with 220 Swift) at 200 yards. Obviously, LOTS of practice for either person, but the one that is shooting the ping pong balls has stated with certainty that he would never use the .22 caliber round for deer size game even though he hits as good as he does with it. This is where, IMO, we need to practice good ethics as the sportsman or woman and good stewards for the game we chase, to make confident and accurate shot placement, and be competent with the rifle of our choice.
Since I feel the way as I do about the smaller caliber rounds, I will not allow a person to hunt with me with anything under a .25 caliber. Solely for the fact that, if that person has a poor hit, it should, in the idea of the bigger round creating better wound cavity/channel, allow for pursuit of that game.
As a personal sidebar, I have taken deer with calibers from .243 up to .338WM. I have myself had one perfectly placed heart shot deer hit with 140gr partition from a 7mm RM run almost 40 yards. The animal was expired where he stood, but still ran.
So please be aware that this is not my rant against the smaller bore calibers, a well placed hit from the user with quality ammo will, and has, as others have made the point, take bigger game than deer. It is important to make sure that the beginning shooter/hunter can make well placed shots with what they are being taught to use.
I have used a .243 on whitetail for years. I have never lost a deer and I have had shots from 100 to 600 yards (checked distance with rangefinder before shot).
I do not take neck shots because I believe that the target area is to small. The neck bone is right at the top of the neck and I have seen too many people hit in the middle or lower neck area and the bullet goes straight through and does not expand nor does it hit hard enough to break the neck.
I use 85 grain BTHP bullets with 42 grains of 4350 DuPont IMR and a CCI magumn primer. This seems to be the best load for my model 700 Remington as well as others I have loaded for.
im 23 years old and been using my ruger m77 .243win since i was in 6th grade i usually get 15-20 deer a year i shoot them in the neck and head hard to belive but i never miss i usually shoot them 200- 300 yards away i never have them run one time i use winchester 100 grain soft point and a zeiss 3-9×50 hell ive used 22 mags to get them and they drop like no problem just got to know how to shoot there who started this blog .
Check out the ballistics,The 243 is a much better choice than a 30-30 hands down when using 100 gr bullets.It has more energy better trajectory and is much more accurate and can also be used for predator or varmint hunting.I have killed my last 3 bucks with a 243 non of them made it more than 50yds…..But yes I know most people will tell you that anything less than a super mega twin belted magnum is no good for deer sized game,And these same people can’t shoot to save their lives.
hell no its not to small. i smoke checked a 12 pointer that scored 164 and 3/4. its all about how good of a shot u are.
At first, I was very sceptical and could only believe that the 243 Winchester could be used on deer using 100 grain bullets. I was wrong. Every year on our family farm, the 243 harvests the majority of our deer and we do so with Nosler Ballistic Tip 70 grain bullets. That’s right…70 grains. The damage that this round does with 40 grains of IMR4895 will totally shock you. For Deer, the 243 works just fine.
i have used a 243 for 30 years 100 grain store bought loads i can count on one hand make that half a hand the number of deer that i have had to trail this rifle is very light easy to carry quick to the shoulder my shots are on target and kill almost instantly i have killed one or two deer almost every year during the 30 years of use can’t argue with that add to that very little meat lost if you want to blow deer up use big guns if you want to use the meat this is a great rifle
I hunted whitetail deer for over 30 years with a 30.06 and swore by that cartridge as the only one to use. Then, sadly, my gun was stolen from my home. I used my brothers remington model 715 in .234 three years ago, and have never given it back. I have shot 15 deer with this gun and none have run more than 20 yards. Most went straight down. All were chest cavity shots with 100 grain factory loads at ranges from 60 to 300 yards. The first one I took with this rifle was a 14 point buck that dressed out at 225 pounds and was shot from 215 yards. After I shot the deer my brother looked at me and said, “I’m not getting my gun back am I?” This cartridge is perfect for whitetail deer as long as you practice with it just as you would with ANY gun before you take it in the field. In my opinion, if you can’t make a one shot kill with this cartridge, you need to stay home.
243 necked down 308 243 born 1955 308? i was born in 55 all the deer on my wall fell to the very sweet shooting round. The 85gr hollow pt. boattail works great out of my 7600 and never fails to come out the otherside. So should i get a 308 with full metal jacket, not interested in truck killing. Place the shot!!! nobody runs away from a heart lung shot, 40 feet max. shoot well or stay home!!!!!
Nov. 2010, central Missouri. My son shot a doe from about 30 yards broadside with a .308 (180 grain Winchester soft point) that chronographed 2,700+ fps. Doe disappeared and we never found it.
His 11 year-old cousin with a .223 AR gut shot a doe that fell, jumped up and ran 20 feet and collapsed. The first doe is out there dead somewhere. The second doe is in a meat locker. Do the math.
I have for several years used many different caliber rifles all bringing me success when deer hunting. I recently purchased a Tekka T-3 .243 ultra-lite and immediately fell in love with it. On November 22, 2010 during the Vermont rifle season, I took a 8-point, 172lbs. Buck at approximately 200 yards. If any one out there questions the ability of a .243 to take a deer, they are sadly mistaken. That deer dropped in it’s tracks after a clean double lung shot. I do agree however that a less experienced hunter should spend additional time at the range with this caliber, but I believe that holds with any caliber. I’ve been hunting for over 30 years and still find it necessary to spend countless hours at the range. The .243 is absolutely a capable deer weapon, not to mention it’s a blast to shoot. Happy hunting everyone, and may the deer gods be with you all.
Deer hunting in northern Minnesota with it,s heavy forest and few open fields lends its self to heavy calibers. Deer commonly weighing in at 250 plus pounds need some serious knock down medicine. I have been deer hunting for 38 years and have shot many many deer using my 30:06 with great success. About five years ago I decided I wanted a rifle with less recoil, one that was fun to shoot and accurate. I researched the 243 Winchester and found that it was a caliber with good ballistics for 300 yards or less for whitetail deer. It has been my experience with the 243 at 150 yards or less with quality 100 grain bullets, time at the range, good shot placement and knowing the capabilities of my rifle the 243 has proven itself to me. Every deer I have shot has fallen in its tracks except for one; five steps forward it was down and dead. This past deer season I shot one of my best bucks with my 243. He as at 60 yards facing me with his eyes intent on a doe. I remembered seeing his huge (rack 11 point) his body (213 Pounds). I immediately found my spot on the center of his chest and fired. That deer fell in his tracks stone dead. Whatever age you are and experience level you are at always know the capabilities of your chosen caliber. Ballistics are important with any caliber, but shot placement kills deer.
243 too light on deer? Are you serious? I have used my 243 over the last 15 years to take everything from prairie dogs to a 12 point 200 lb. white tail. I even dropped an antelope at well over 500 yards – conditions were excellent that day, making a shot like that hard to replicate in the windy great plains.
It is important to know the limitations of your equipment, but even more important to know the limitations of yourself as a shooter. If you haven’t had much practice shooting at a target how you would shoot on a hunt, you won’t have much success. Sorry guys, but bench time is over-rated. You have to practice how you will actually shoot, and it rarely ever gets to be at a bench with sandbags (perhaps a lead-sled) and no distractions. If you are properly practiced & sighted, have figured out your conditions (windage, angle, distance, temperature, etc.), and know you can make the shot, you should be able to take a deer with something as small as a 22. How’s that for a challenge?
And who shoots at a running deer with a rifle pushing a bullet over 3000fps? It’s people using unsafe hunting practices like that who give the rest of us a bad name. If you don’t have the shot, don’t take it. Even military-trained snipers will pass on a shot if the conditions aren’t right. One shot, one kill – no exceptions.
Some like fords, some like chevys. I’m a deer hunter from maine and seen alot of deer shot. I,m fitting my beginner daughter with a .243 after putting alot of thought into it.
Hi i thank that you are right about the .24 cal as being the lightest cal. But think that you are forgetting the main thing about beginners the less fear they have in the rifle the more comfortable and accurate they will be with that weapon which would make the 243 a excellent calibur for them. I have taken buck with just about ever caliburs 243 and up Its like you said its the placement of the shot I have seen excellent hunters make bad shots because of the scare of the recoil of the weapon. That is why I thank that the 243 is a good pick for a beginning hunter or a small person because of the light recoil which will make them more accurate with the placement of the shot.
must add to all this ive had 7mm mags, 300 win mags, and even had an 8 mm mag, now i have a model 7 in a 243 and shoot a 95 gr acutip by winchester and i would not give up my 243 for any cal.this is by far my favorite gun i have ever owned and shot…
I like a lot of people began hunting with a .243. After the Vietnam war I stopped hunting altogether, but some 16 years later I had 2 boys that wanted to go hunting with their dad just like their friends. I brought out the .243 and they both enjoyed it so much they bought their own rifles in this caliber they are a Rem. Youth Model 7 & a Rem. Youth Model 700 BDL, both in .243 caliber. They both continue to enjoy shooting these rifles deer season after deer season. I happened to have my son’s Rem. BDL with me one evening and dropped a 32″ 4-point Mule Deer at about 75 Yds (Fusion 95 Grs)with 1 shot and another shot at 20 Yds as the buck was trying to get back up. A .243 will take a 200 Lb + 4-point AZ, Mule Deer but I would feel better with my .270 in my hands.
I’m an experienced hunter who shoots a Ruger M77 MkII .30-06 almost exclusively. A few years ago I got my wife into hunting. I bought her a Winchester Model 670 .30-06 and she shot two deer with it and had bruises on her shoulder every time she fired it. Two years ago I bought her a sweet little Savage .243, and she can shoot all day with no negative effects from recoil. She shot a nice little fork horn last year at about 40 yards that dropped right in it’s tracks. This year my younger brother borrowed her .243 and shot a button buck at the same distance that only went 20 yards before it fell (both broadside shots in the vitals). We use Remington Cor-Lokt 100 grain bullets. Shot placement is key with any caliber…but the .243 has much better ballistics than some very famous deer cartridges including the .30-30 Win. For example the .243 with a 100 gr Cor-Lokt has 1615 Ft lbs of energy at 100yds, while the .30-30 with a 170 gr cor-lokt bullet has 1355 ft lbs of energy at the same distance. No one here is arguing about the .30-30 being to small for deer. Quality bullets, good shot placement, and a little luck…makes just about any gun with over 1,000 ft lbs of energy at 100 yds, and a 100 grain bullet a good deer caliber.
Hello, First off let me say that I agree to some extint to this article. The.243 round is capable of killing deer at about any range if the shot placement is right. As a young Hunter (Many Moons ago) I was taught that shot placement was the key to success. If I did not have a clear shot do not take it!! There are to many hunters that take bad shots on deer and either end up missing them or wounding them never to be recovered! I have killed MANY deer with the .243 round with 85 gr bullets. Most die within 20-40 yards from where they were standing if not in their tracks. But the shot placement was on target. ANY Caliber bullet that does not enter the vital area of a deer will cause the animal to run farther, less blood trail, and harder to find or recover. As far as being a good gun for a beginner it all depends on who taught them to shot and how much practice at the range they get before placing them out in the woods to hunt! I taught all 6 of my kids to shoot with a .243 along with my wife. They practiced and became good on the range before I would allow them to Hunt. Which is not done enough anymore. People let the kids shot 3 or 4 times at a target and then send them to the woods. NOT GOOD!! With any Caliber rifle!! Another good thing about the .243 as a beginner rifle is the recoil being light. You take a 300 winchester mag. and let a 7 year old shoot it!! See if they do not start pulling all their shots after the first one! In all Fairness though if you do miss your shot placement the .243 will not cause as much damage as would a 30-06. You might find the deer you shot with the 30.06 more than you would with the .243. But you might not find either!! Shot Placement to me is more vital than the caliber of rifle you use. Practice and good hunting technecs is more needed than simply a Bigger Gun!!
Like my father before me, I have probably killed about 75 deer during my lifetime using a .243. My son has been hunting two years, and with a .243 round he has dropped two large does in their tracks at 135 and 150 yards. The deer I have taken over the years have ranged from about 140 lbs, upwards of 200+ lbs. In a large majority of cases, the deer drop dead in their tracks with a shot to the base of the neck. I shot one deer running at over 200 yards, and the deer piled up immediately. The farthest that I have ever taken a whitetail with a .243 round is just under 350 yards, when a 195 lb bruizer was feeding in a soy bean field. Anybody who claims that the .243 round is not a great whitetail round, either doesn’t know what they are talking about – or is simply a horrible shot. I wouldn’t trade in my .243 for any other rifle round.
PS – I use .243 Federal 100 grain ammunition with a bolt action Browning Medallion. My son uses a 95 grain Winchester ballistic tip .243, with a Browning Bar semi-auto. Those of you destroying your venison with the 300 ultra mags and the like, need to take a good look at the .243 class. You won’t be disappointed!
I have had great success with the .243 on whitetail deer. I have used Federal ammo loaded with the 100 grain partition exclusively. Over the past 20 years my sons and I have killed in excess of 100 deer with this combination. Most have been shot within 100 yards, but we have had success out to 250-300 yards due to the accuracy of the gun/cartridge combination and knowing when to shoot. We have numerous other guns, in larger calibers, available but seldom use them for any other reason than to justify keeping them.
I am 14 and have used a .243 for the last three seasons and i have taken to great 8 points with it and they both droped withen 30 yards of where they were standing. and i have shot plenty of does with it and they all didn’t run far they farthest i have ever tracked a deer when i shot it with my .243 is bout 80 yards so i would have to say for >ANYBODY< a .243 is bout the best gun i have ever deer hunted with and i have hunted with .223, .308, 7.62×36, and .270. they have all done a wonderful job but for accuracy and reliability i would choose the .243 and it's also really good for any type of varmit hunting and the most accurate and deadly round for deer is the 100 grain remington core-lok out of all my egsperences
I agree with you 100% that bullet placement is the key.
I’ve killed many deer with the .243 WINCHESTER; use a Model 7 Remington because it is light and easy handling and we mostly drive. My experience: if the deer is close and you have a rest shoot it in the neck and it will go down in it’s tracks. If it if is a longer shot and you have a rest shoot it behind the shoulder and most of the time you’ll have to look around a little but you’ll still get your deer. The “secret” to being a good shot is to ONLY take good shots. I am quite amused by all this talk about bullet construction, velocity…….. ONLY TAKE GOOD SHOTS THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF MAKING!!!!
I got my first two deer last fall with a Mossberg .243 youth rifle. My first was a decent buck who traveled about 80 yards and the second was a nice doe who went about 60 yards. I was shooting 100 grain deer loads. My doe was about 80 yards and was straight on chest shot, the buck was about 160 yards and was broad side right behind the front shoulder. I love my .243. I have also gotten racoon, beaver and muskrat with it. It is more accurate than I am.
heck no my son dropped one at 225 yards when he was 10 with a rifle that shoots 3 in at 100 yards and hes not a good shot
I have been reading the comments on this site and must say I have enjoyed all of them. Im not a good speller so I will do my best.
Im not an expert by any means but have alot of years of deer hunting under my belt so Im going to put my 2 cents worth in.
My Dad got me a Marlin 30-30 as my first deer rifle and I think it was a good choice, I killed several deer with it and when Hornady came out with the Leverevalution it made that gun awsome.I got it out of the safe and I killed a buck at 263 yrd. dropped in his tracks dead.
I have also got several deer with a 270 and 30-06.
These are white tail Im talking about because Ive never had the chance to hunt any other.
But I have also shot deer with my Remington 700 SPS varmint in 243 win. I got it for predators but I shoot it so much I started using it for deer. I put a HS precision stock on it and a really good scope. It shoots Federal 80 grain in the blue box like a laser for coyotes, I use Hornady superformance 95 grain SST for deer. It puts deer down in their tracks. I havnt recovered a bullet yet because they pass through and I mainly make loung-shoulder shots.
I can say that the 243 is an awsome deer gun with the right ammo and will be the gun I use from now on. Im older now and have back and shoulder problems so I love the low recoil.
The main thing is practice, know your gun. It doesnt matter if its a 243 or a 300 win. mag. a bad shot is a bad shot.
Just keep hunting guys and gals.
Beginners shoot better with a gun they like to practice with, not one that leaves their shoulder sore. A 100 gr 243 hits harder than a 30-30, it hits harder at 300yrds than a 30-30 at 200yrds. I have a 308 Kimber and a 243 Savage, the last 3 seasons my Kimber hasn’t made it out of the house. The deer I’ve hit with a 95gr Federal Fusion did the stiff-legged hokey pokey before they dropped. Saying a 243 is marginal for deer??? Wonder what they say about a less impactful 30-30. The rest of us will smile with our laser flat shooting 243′s Oh yeah its great on coyotes.
The 243 will cause my damage to a deer’s vitals than an arrow; so if a 243 is marginal what would bowhunting be? The consensus sounds to be that you are unaware of what you are writing.
im sorry m8 but either u need to learn to aim or stop using a bb gun. i have dropped many trophy game with my win 243 and i have had no problems at all with punching over good animals with good shot placemant with the right ballistics. the reason daddy gave me a .22 to start with was shit at the time because he had me killin rabbits and possums but now i am so thankful because im not a pusssy complaining about how i cannot shoot to save myself….
apoligies to anyone that i have offended but i hate this arguement!!!
Personally, I prefer something a little more potent (.270) BUT others on our farm use the .243 religiously for deer without any issues. The damage done to a deer with a .243 would astound you. We use a reload with a Nosler 70 gr. ballistic tip bullet. Not only does the round do the job consistantly, the damage is unprecedented. Try it for yourself.
I have taken 4 deer with my savage 243 using 95grain hollowpoints. I have hit a roughly 170 6 pt in the rear of the shoulder from 70 yrds and it went completely through both shoulders and the deer dropped were it stood. with even decent shot placemant the 243 is more than adequate for deer an even slightly larger game.
Any weapon, large or small, flat or lobbed, it all depends upon the shooter. I feel confident shooting Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Elk, and Arizona Black Bear with my model 700 243 with a 100 grain Winchester Super X ammo. I grew up shooting a 30-06 using the whole range of ammo. But, I knew I could get a flatter trajectory with the 243, and got a super sweet deal for on a new one. Practice Practice Practice – is everything! There is no substitute for knowing your weapon.
try shooting them in the head. i dont shoot for trophys only meat and a have shot probebly close to 100 red deer with my 22-250 55 grain slug some well past 100m and not one of them has moved off the spot. therefor it is all about the shooter not the gun. a 243 is more than enough gun for deer.
Shot placement is very important, But I hunt the desert in Arizona. The only deer you might see could be 3 hundred yards away and running. The .243 is very quick and accurate which is needed in the desert. I guess we dont have the luxury of tree stands and 50 yard shots.
I have shot more than a few deer up to + or – 300 yards or so and the only one that went more than down, went about 20 yards… and all were shoulder shots. 100 grain Federal psp factory loads. Normally, they went down like lightning had hit them… the one that ran was hit a little too far foward but died on the 3rd leap.
I think most of these articles are all opinionated. It all depends on the marksmen behind the rifle, I’ve killed 6 deer in the past 2 years ranging from 75 yards-200 yards, and my furthest deer I had to track ran 20 yards from the spot of impact. I love my .243 it’s a perfect sized caliber that I let my girlfriend and little cousins shoot for comfort, and I still use it myself as a grown man. Never had any complaints, I do agree that some bullets are to light, but I have always used 100 grain federal powerpoints and dropped 4 of the 6 deer. With the right set up and a gun that zeroed in correctly you will not have a problem.
While a 243 will obviously kill a deer, bullet weight, distance and placement must be ideal. I have killed two with a browning 243 a bold. the first took 4 shots and an hour of locatinjg the deer.
I have killed 80 or so deer with a browning auto in 3006, all of which fell immediately with 180 grain bullets.
And about 4 with my 300 mag in a browning a bolt, and most rraveled about a 100 yards.
So, I would say there is no reason to use any caliber for deer other thaqt the 06 and most likely toe 30 30.
you cannot aqrgue with what works.
Well sounds like author got what he asked for. Lots of comments. He took a staunch stand on a hot topic knowing he would fire people up and get lots of comments. He even said i know i will proply get burned for saying this.
Most who have had problems with small calibers have had poor bullet choice. Or shot placement. A bigger caliber would not help either one. Spend the extra for premium bullets and go to the range.
I guess i better go tell my three kids ages 8-12 that we cant hunt with the .223 and .243 any more because some writer on the internet said so. Also that the 11 turkeys that they killed with the single shot .410 dont count either.
My two sons and I have taken well over 100 whitetail deer over the past 25 or so years, 90% with the .243. We use factory loads with the Nosler Partition 100 grain bullet. We have over a dozen centerfire rifles to choose from, but seldom stray from the .243 because it does the job, and does it quite well. I have also used it on mule deer, and have experienced no failures (I do prefer a .270 for mule deer simply because of the distance occasionally involved). Do your part and the .243 will not disappoint.
I’ve used a 243 for almost 40 years. Deer aren’t that tough. Most of the deer I’ve shot with it have dropped in their tracks, or have gone less than 50 yards and dropped dead. I use a 100 grain nosler solid base bullet. I have only shot mule deer, there are no whitetails where I live. I always laugh when some gun writer says you need a bigger gun to make up for poor marksmanship.
Hey guys.
1. Do you know a place where I can rent rifle scopes?
I looked at Leupold VX-3 4.5-14x50mm Long Range Rifle Scope Model at eBay and it is priced at 600+ dollars … expensive. So i do not want to pay but a rental would be nice.
2. Also, would you ever rent a rifle scope? Assuming the good ones cost from anywhere 300 dollars + I think it is cheaper to rent them for a week or two. It is like with camera lenses … photographers rent expensive lenses instead of buying them. So if you’re a hunter, would you ever rent a rifle scope?
Thanks. Later ya’ll.
I’m a Marine Corps Scout Sniper. I use fusion Boattails in a 243 Savaage Winchester.It has a flat trajectory and will drop a white tail.
Recently this calibur was
used in Afganistan and compared to head shots as if you use a ballistic tip and do not hit critical mat ,it will exit clean aned go on like the Energiser rabbit.
I cant believe i just scrolled through 3 years of debate over the .243win. Any REAL rifleman probably owns one. Just like he or she probably has a 30-30, a .30-06, a .270 maybe, or a .300 win? Fact is there isnt any definitive beginner worthy gun. If it goes “BANG” and its legal where you are, use it. Im back to using my .243 for the fun of it. Next year might be the old .30-30 or a .300win mag. Or maybe my bow or my muzzle loader. Fact is marksmanship is key, and if your really a shooter you can get the job done with about anything. Frankly i would start a kid with a bow and teach him how to get close first, then caliber isnt an issue. Just my opinon
Any shooter, beginner or competent gunner can take Whitetail with a 243. The bloggers who question the capabilities of the 243 have not shot the calibre enough to know the destructive power of the load. It is accurate and kills effectively. Shame on the nay-sayers who criticize the 243, their words will prevent many novice hunters from enjoying a gun with lesser kick and only encourage the beginner to over gun their quarry.
Not sure if I agree with it..Took My 12 Year old Daughter with Me to Alberta on a Bear Hunt..She Shouldered Her Model 7 .243 topped with a Trijicon and shot Her 325lb bear at 25 yards with Core Lokts,,, Bear made it a whole 40 yards before letting out the sound that’s music to a Bear hunters Ears,,,The famous Death Moan
I hunt with a .243. My brother is letting me borrow it. But it has dropped 2 deer so far this year just dead in there tracks. Not even taken a step. My brother dropped his big 5 point bull elk with it. He dropped 2 cow elk with it 2. But shot placement is whats important with any rifle. You make a good shot on any animal with a .243 its going down.
Well I have hunted w/ 4 main guns. 30-30, 30’06, 12 ga slug, and my 243. I have taken deer with all of them. Deer ran farther when shot w/ the 30’06 than either the 30-30 or the 243. Biggest taken? 240 15 pt w/ the 243 about 50 yard ran about 10 yards and dropped. I am a firm beleiver if the round exits the animal, energy is wasted. 30-30 and 243 I usually always found the bullet under the hide on the back side. Never recovers an ’06 round.
A frien hunts w/ .223 Rem in 68 gr pwr pnt. He has dropped deer for 20 years w/ his .223, some head shots some chest. Only one ever ran off and required chasing it was a 75 lb. doe… he took a 200+ buck that dropped in its tracks.
It is all about placement, and knowing when not to shoot.
Hi,
Long post, not sure anyone will read down to this one. Just one thing to add. The heavier bullets such as 100gn can be better if your gun’s twist rate will support it. With a 1 in 10 twist or slower such as with the Rossi at 1 in 12 a 100 gn bullet will probably not shoot well at 100 yards. Try the 80gn Barnes TTSX as it expands well but retains it’s weight and excellant penetration is guarenteed. I accidently shot a deer in the hindquarter with one and it penetrated the length of the deer lodging in under the hide in it’s chest! The deer didn’t take a step.
My dad got me a model 700 .243 Remington a couple years back and it has been the best gun i have ever had i shoot 100 gr. with it and i have dropped dear right in there tracks out to 300 yards. I am a young hunter and I have a .270 now and just yesterday I dropped a doe that was 800 yards away so I know what I’m talking about. So a .243 is an amazing to give a beginner hunter, its very accurate and doesn’t have a lot of kick to it. it will kill a dear easy every deer I have shot with it dropped straight in there tracks.
Everything in the article is rite on about the .243. I have killed many 50+ with my 243 youth model when i was a kid. most were small doe. But when I was 16 I shot a 200lb buck 13pt with my 243 and hit to far forward and squared the front shoulder with a 100 gr. power point. my neighbor shot the buck the following season. He gave me back my 243 bullet, perfect mushroom never penetrated that front shoulder. the buck was at 150 yards when I shot him. Had it been a .308 or larger grain bullet that buck would have been on my wall instead.
I’ve use a 243 for 28 years now… every deer has dropped in its tracks. I used 270 and 7mm and made the same exact shots and have had to track them. The 243 is the perfect deer rifle as far as I am concerned.
There are a lot of good points made here,I got my first h@r 243 when I was 12. I’ve takin 5 mule deer bucks and numerous coyotes and prarie dogs. The biggest mule deer I’ve killed was a 10 point with a 26 inch spread. Wheigh 190 gutted and skinned, but of course we use an old set of cotton scales so how accurate they are no one knows. I’ve never had a problem with having to follow blood trails for miles all of them have dropped one shot. I wouldn’t think swice of letting a “begginer” take mine out and kill his first buck.
I get a kick out of all the “experts” who claim that the .243 is a marginal deer round. Most of them have never owned one let alone hunted with the round.
I not claiming that the .243 is the ideal cartridge for deer hunting, but I can tell you that I have killed a pile of deer with it and only had one run 50 yards. Most drop immediately or only go a few feet.
My rem. 700 is very accurate and I kill deer with it because I shoot it very well. I also have several friends who have had similar experiences as I.
Only one guy I know, did not like the round and that was because He couldn’t seem to hit the vitals and usually ended up with a poor hit and a long track.
Stick with a good 100 grain bullet. Rem Core-Locks shoot great in mine and work well.
I have been hunting deer for about 20 years now and have used mostly a 30-06 and a 30-30. I have a son that will be of age to shoot his firt deer next year. I also decided that I would like to have a gun with alittle less kick for myself. So last summer I bought a model 700 in a .243. I had one of these when I was young and it was the caliber I shot my first deer with. I don’t see why people would ever say the .243 is to small for deer, infact in my state it is the smallest caliber legal to shoot elk. This year I decided to use the new .243 to fill my tags. I reload my own bullets, and used the 95 grain hornaday. The doe I shot was at 247 yard and went less then 20feet after the shot. My buck was a 160 class whitetail. My second biggest ever. He was at 268 yards and ran about 75 yards after the shot. My son has never killed a deer before but and I have no problem sending him out with the .243. I feel that it is the perfect deer rifle for any age hunter. Everyone says its all about shot placement, but dosent that go without saying for any sized caliber. You can pop a hole in the leg of a deer with the .243, or you can blow the leg clean off with a big 300wsm either way its still gone be able to run on three, only diffrence is your pry going to ruin that whole quater of meat with the 300wsm.
I used a 95 grain silvertip ballistic tip to take a whitetail at over 300 yards with superior penetration on a rear shoulder shot. The large doe didn’t even make it 20 yards before dropping. Both lungs and heart were destroyed. Even had an exit wound.
IMHO the real question is if the .243 is too small for African Elephants.
Not the most proficient or avid hunter,(generally don’t trust myself with a shot over 150 yds.) and there have been plenty of years here in Oregon where I never fired a shot from my M77, fixed 4X scope.
But when I have, the deer season (both black tail and mule) is OVER with one shot—I’ve never fired more than one shot in any hunting season. And I’ve used both 80 & 100 grain. Both have done so much damage—that if it hits a rib —bone fragments exit the other side of the ribcage, as one example. The shock is immediate, and entire body cavity is filled with blood. Never had an animal move more than about 30 feet after being hit.
the 243 is a very awsome an dead on rifle my hole family hunts we all us 243 an theres been lot of deer killed with it only time it not good is if ur one of those that just shot instead of waiting on a hole to shoot threw but 243 great gun ive killed muledeer with it no prob