ORIGINAL: srwshooter
it may,i can tell you this. i 've seen more deer lost that were shot with a 243 then any other caliber. lots of deer die every year with a 243 but i know to many guys that wish they'd never seen one.
i watched a friend shoot a bear that was close to 400lbs last sept . he hit him twice with a 243 ,we tracked him for 6 hrs . he never stopped.
you may kill a moose with it ,but to me you need a bigger gun.
Just a guess here, but, I'd say those guys you know couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from ten feet away, and they'd be wounding deer no matter what cartridge they were using. I've taken deer with a .30-06, a 7mm Rem Mag, and a .243, and there has been NO difference whatsoever in terminal performance. The deer I've shot haven't run any farther after being hit by the .243 than the do with the others.
To 243heartshot, a .243 will kill a moose. You have to be very selective of your shot. Broadside, behind shoulder, not through it. Use a premium bullet that's been designed for penetration on a larger-than-deer animal. That being said, if I was on a once in a lifetime moose hunt... I'd be carrying something a bit heavier than a .243.