.243 is a great round for a deer and varmint hunter. Only thing I'd say is don't aim for the shoulder, directly, but behind it, since the bullet is small and might not punch through both shoulders to create an exit wound. I personally like being able to take shoulder shots with my .308, since it tends to decrease the margin of error when shooting offhand without time to use a rangefinder (shoot left=vitals; right=miss; up=spine/instant kill; and down=heart shot); I also believe it keeps deer from running as far. But that's up to you---shoulder shots are really just a convenience and not a necessity. Undoubtedly some on here would claim its unforgivable wickedness and a waste of meat, but to each their own.