don' t laugh---i use a 243.being a small sized lady i use a 243 because it is more proportioned to my size.it is a very accurate gun.i have been very fortunate to bring in several deer with it.matter of fact the very ones who laughed at me have strated using one.
Welcome to the forum Bratcat, Whos' laughing? There has been many a deer killed with a .243.I personally think it' s on the light side for whitetails.I prefer a larger caliber and a heavier bullet .With proper shot placement the 243 is suitable.I would say my favorite Whitetail medicine would have to be my .270 Win.When given the proper dosage it' s very effective.
Good luck this season.
Ruger Redhawk
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The .243 Winchester is a great cross over cartridge. It will kill cleanly any whitetail that has ever lived. Because the .243 is a crossover (varmint/deer) cartridge bullet selection is critical. Bullets that are very light and/or frangible are designed and intended for varmint hunting. The heavier/tougher bullets (those like conventional 100 grains and premiums like Nosler' s Partitions) are the bullets to use for whitetails. I would contend that if someone has had trouble with the .243 on deer they have either selected the wrong bullet for the intented use.....or (gasp) they misplaced the bullet!
I would never laugh at anyone for using the .243 Winchester on deer. I am much more inclined to laugh at those believing nothing short of something with an attached lanyard will work on whitetails! Bullet placement is everything! Use the correct bullet.....put it through the vital organs.....and you may start dressing your deer! (Frequently the ones laughing loudest are the ones that have the most difficulty accurately shooting their " magnums" .)
Wishing you many more successes with your .243!
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Bratcat, I' m not laughing either. The .243 win is a fine deer cartridge. True it is a little lite for very big deer. I tend to think of the .243 as a cartridge for a more seasoned hunter, someone who can " call" their own shots. Welcome to the boards, NBH. LOL this season.[
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Not a laughing matter, if that is what you feel comfortable with and can make the shot by all means, use it. People look at me funny with some of the guns I go into the woods with. I love the befuddled look when someone says " What you got there?," and you tell them its a 100 year old Swedish mauser or a Krag and they look at you like your from outer space. He, he, he.
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I think it' s far better to nail ' em dead center in the boiler room with a .243 than to gut-shot them with a .300 Ultra Mag because it' s too much gun for you to shoot accurately. Accuracy and good marksmanship are far more important than firepower anyway. I .22LR in the hands of a skilled marksman will kill a deer just as surely as the biggest magnum(b) round. In fact, many MANY deer have died because of the .22LR. Don' t get me wrong, I' m NOT recommending the use of ANY .22cal rifle for deer, I' m meerly making the point that too many shooters get magnumitis and convince themselves that one needs the biggest, fastest cartridge around for them to kill deer. I just can' t figure out why people choose to beat the snot out of themselves when it' s absolutely not necessary for the game they' re hunting.
I' m a big guy who' s very recoil tolerant, but my first choices for a deer rifle (if centerfire rifles were legal for deer in Iowa) would either be a .243Win or a 7mm-08. Either one will kill deer while allowing you to shoot without fear of recoil and the resulting sub-conscious flinch. I hunt with a muzzleloader and I don' t go above 100grains of powder. The areas I hunt it' s rare to get a shot past 75yards, with 150 yards being LONG range. At the usual 50 yard shot a 100 grain charge under a 300gr bullet will kill a deer just as dead, just as fast as the masochist shooting 150 grains at the same ranges.
Less recoil usually means more accurate shooting. Stick with the .243 and smile to yourself every time you hear somebody whine about recoil.
Welcome to the board Bratcat! I' m laughing with you also!
I consider the .243/6MM to be the minimum for deer sized game. However, when I say " minimum" I mean that to be a very good minimum!
With good hunting bullets of 100 grains, the .243/6MM is a very good choice for a deer caliber!
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don' t laugh
don' t laugh---i use a 243.being a small sized lady i use a 243 because it is more proportioned to my size.it is a very accurate gun.i have been very fortunate to bring in several deer with it.matter of fact the very ones who laughed at me have strated using one.
