This past season both of my sons harvested small bucks using core-lokts in a .243. Both shots dropped the animals on the spot, both left a large exit wound. My friends son shot twice with ballistic tips in .243, one deer was lost, the other was found 75 yards away, no blood, no exit wound. Shot placement is everything whether using a .243 or a .300 win mag. The difference though, if you don't make that "perfect" shot with the smaller gun, you better be using a bullet that will leave a trail.