The .243 Winchester is rated as one of the best little deer killers out there. I've seen a good number of deer, both mulies and whitetails killed with this little gun. And in a heavy barrel varmint gun it is superb varmint cartridge and will extend the range well beyond that of any of the 22 caliber varmint rounds and it superior for coyote sized varmints at long range. It's light on recoil too. Granted it's not a moose gun but it is a very good cartridge and stands lot more alone in its class than the .270, which has a lot of competition in that class. I think the .243 is one of Winchesters all time best round for what it was designed for. It was originally called a "lady's" round but there are a lot more men shooting it than ladies.

Daryl