The .308 is indeed a great cartridge, one of the most accurate ever developed and will take just about any animal on the continent. I bought a 6mm Remington Model 7 many years ago for my wife and my son has shot it for the last several years. It is a sweet little rifle and I've shot a few head of game with it myself. The .243 is virtually identical to the 6mm and with solidly designed bullets is deadly on deer and hogs. On big deer you may not get many exit wounds, so don't give up on a trail just because you've found little or no blood.