Deer with .243
 

Anybody use .243for all of their deer hunting? What gun and bullet do you use??

RE: Deer with .243
 

Nope....243 is too small...Marginal at best...Not ethical....;)

Lets just say that I have tried all the bullets except the ballistic tips...Inside 200 yards, the deer will never know the difference between a 100 grain CoreLokt, Hornady, Federal Premium in Nosler Partition, or Sierra GameKing...Past 200 I really like the Federal Premium 85gr Sierra GameKing BTHP...

Just my opinion from using a .243 over 25 years on 150 deer or so...

Forgot to mention...Mine is a Ruger M-77 (older tang safety) I had it rebarreled to 24 inches a few years back, its pillar bedded, freefloated and trigger set at
2 1/2 pounds. I also replaced the old Bushnell Scopechief with a Leupold VX-II 3x9x40..Which I sent back to Leupold and had the Heavy Duplex reticle put in...

I have never lost a deer with this gun.

RE: Deer with .243
 

A friend of mine uses the ballistic tips in his for whitetails with pretty good results. I prefer 25 caliber and up for Mule deer. JMO

RE: Deer with .243
 

I have taken deer with a 243 with no trouble at all. Never used b. tips. Savage Weather Warrior. Accurate as all get out. I hunt mainly with a 270 Remington 700.

RE: Deer with .243
 

I've busted quite a few deer with 243s over the years. I have a buddy that shot a mule deer buck 2 weeks ago at 400 yards with 95gr Combined Technolgy BTsthat I loaded for him. Deer ran about 80 yards after being shot and then his legs got weak....Bullet did everything it was supposed to do, went in behind the shoulder (deer was quartering away hard), and then through both lungs, liver, stomach, and exited in front of the rear hind quarter. My vote for the 243 and deer would be the 95gr Combined Technology BTs.

RE: Deer with .243
 

I have used the sierra 100gr SBT gameking, in reloads and federal premium loadings for 17 straight whitetails. Only one took more than one shot and it was the fault of poor placement on the first shot. I have always got an exit and have broken both shoudlers several times with this bullet. Any decent shot placement will result in a dead deer, period. It also makes a dandy coyote bullet. From 70-280 yards this combination has never failed me and its more accurate than you can imagine in my browning Eurobolt 243 w/boss. This was number 17 shot at about 80 yards. Results don't lie.

RE: Deer with .243
 

With good 100gr. hunting bullets, the .243/6MM is as good a MINIMUM deer caliber/cartridge as it gets!
I have always subscribed to the theory that you can't be over-gunned! But the real truth is if your bullet is not matched to the game being hunted, bigger IS NOT always better!
Use a heavy magnum with the wrong bullets and you might as well be hunting with FMJ's! Dead animal, no blood trail!
I have never had that problem with the .243/6MM!

RE: Deer with .243
 

Holy smokes batman. I'd say that was penetration.
We took a doe a couple years back at about a 150 yds. using the .243 with 100 gr Hornady's
Deer was facing straight at me, head down. My son took the shot and nailed it dead center. bullet went through the spine and all the way throughthe deerand out the exhaust pipe. Yuuuuuuuggh what a mess.

RE: Deer with .243
 

Here in Oklahoma, the deer are smaller than your Mid western deer. The .243 is used here and to good effect. With quality bullets and keeping the weight at 100 grains or more it works dandy here. I believe it would be OK and ethical IF THE SHOOTER DOES HIS JOB! But I like to have a little safety margin. What if your only shot is a quartering away shot? What if you only have a moment to fire? If you only go through one lung, you will be more likely to find you deer if you are using a 30 06.
But a lot of deer are killed with the .243. Just not by me
okcmco

RE: Deer with .243
 

IMHO most deer hunters are over gunned. It is common knowledge that most deer are taken inside of 100 yards. Whywould you need to hunt deer with a 300 win mag? Why are you using 3000 foot pounds of energy on a 175 pound deer when 500 foot pounds will do the job? The 300 win mag will retain 1500 foot pounds of energy at 500 yards, three times what is necessary to kill a deer at that range. I know plenty of people that hunt deer with 223 rem, 220 swift, 22-250 rem and 243 winthey have never had a problem bagging a deer. With this said if i am going to pay big bucks for a trophy deer hunt, i will go over gunned (270 win or 308 win). Shot placementis more critical than caliber regardless of what you shoot. 243's are fine for deer.

RE: Deer with .243
 

The shooter has to do his job with any caliber to be ethical. PERIOD
GUTSHOT IS A GUTSHOT IS A GUTSHOT.... if you can't hit the bullseye, DONT SHOOT. That is the case with ANY caliber. You cannot convince me that a lost deer that was shot in the hams or paunch was the result of using too-small a caliber. Anytime you lose a deer because it was poorly shot, dont blame the bullet. No other reason than user error.

I'll say it again....if you can't hit the bullseye, DONT TAKE THE SHOT. It doesnt matter what caliber you use. You get no more margin for error with a whizbang magnum than you do with a .243 or even a .223. I won't take a shot with my .308 that I wouldn't with my .243. Split second? no shot. not unless I'm already prepared for it on a solid rest. I also won't shoot at a quartering deer past +/- 30 degree angle. and even then it depends on the shoulders. Running deer? Absolutely not.

That's called shooter discipline. That is the true challenge to rifle hunting. Knowing yourself, you're weapon, your target, and the limitations of your'e environment.

The .243 is a great round for whitetail. 100 Gr. Remington Corelocts are fine medicine.

Gotta call BS on this one bro. I've had more deer run farther on single lung hits with a .308 (the ballistic brother of the .30-06) than I ever have with a .243. There are far too many uncontrolable variables to say that a larger caliber will make a bit of difference in a specific hit.

Bottom line is that accuracy is THE deciding factor in what caliber to hunt with. My wife will shoot better, everytime, with the .243 than the .308 because of recoil. That said, there is no reason she should use the .308 instead of the .243 for whitetail. I shoot equally well with both, but the .308 hits harder at longer ranges(300+) so that's what I carry.

RE: Deer with .243
 

Dude hit the nail on the head !
I get sick of hearing this margin for error bull crap. NO SUCH THING !
Theres no such thing as a brush gun
KineticEnergy doesnt kill anything.
There no margin for error.

RE: Deer with .243
 

"WOW", I think I am going to go out and throw my 45-70's and my 30 caliber's in the garbage. I think I will run right out and buy me one of those toy guns-WHOOPS I mean 243 today. I wonder if there are any shops open on Thanksgiving day.

Sorry fellows, I just could not resist. Here is the bottom line. "SHOOT WHAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH". Accuracy is paramount.

If minimum caliber's were what hunter's wanted, then why all the new Magnum's from the manufacturers? If hunter's were not buying them, then they would not make them. Are they necessary to kill a deer, probably not.But they sure do sell.

If you want to impress somebody then buy a 30-30 and shoot open sights, off handed at 150 yards. Show me you can do that. Shooting like that makes you a real shooter-and you must be a real shooter before you can be a real hunter. And by the way throw your charts in the garbage where they belong. I do not need a chart to tell me where my rifle hits. I shoot it.

Now I am on my way out the door with my 1886---45-70(WHOOPS I mean over calibered piece of junk), Deer season is in here in WV. Tom.

RE: Deer with .243
 

BINGO

Mags sell because inside every rational, level-headed, male adult is an adolescent boy screaming "MY **** IS BIGGER THAN YOURS!!" Which opens an entirely different can of worms about the numerical scoring of trophies eventually being the death knell of the true understanding of what hunting is about, thus bringing in the commercialization of every aspect of hunting.

no arguement from me. My grandfather killed more deer year after year with a beat up 1930's era Winchester .30-30. Few if any hunters elicitmy respect of their skills as did he.

again... the ONLY substitute for practice... is MORE PRACTICE. Know yourself, know your weapon, and know your quarry.

I never said anything about "over-gunning". It just really bugs me that people seem to think Whitetail Deer wear kevlar. Shoot what you want, but dont call the .243 "un-ethical".

A shooter is better off shooting a lighter caliber if they shoot it better. PERIOD

RE: Deer with .243
 

This is a good case in point here.A 45-70 was developed to kill buffalo at close range with one shot.Isit necessary to use this caliber too harvest a deer? No but it does work. My point is very simple. Do not be afraid to use the smaller calibers to hunt deer. They have more than enough power to harvest a deer.

RE: Deer with .243
 

I took my olddasiy bb gun out and put my zeiss 3x9x50 on it. I sighted in right here in my back yard. I'm going to take it in the morning. From what I'm hearing I guess if I can hit it behind the shoulderit will surely go down in sight.

I know no one here makes a bad shot, but I'm guessing the reason a little bit of over kill is wanted is for those loosers that might make a bad shot or something. I've never seen it but I've heard of others who have.

RE: Deer with .243
 

One of the most annoying statements I hear is "That's overkill", that has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, there is no such thing as overkill, only moronic people who don't know anything about ballistics.

RE: Deer with .243
 

The 243 is the minumum legal firearm in many states as it should be. In our state the 222 is the minimum legal cartridge. I see the 223 and 243 about equal for deer. I have used the 222 and the 243 both will do the job and both are minimum IMO.

RE: Deer with .243
 

I agree.

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RE: Deer with .243
 

I suppose you huntdeer with a 50 bmgor 700 nitro expresss?
Why don't you explain balistics to us morons? JA

RE: Deer with .243
 

There is also no sch thing as under kill. After all, dead is dead.

RE: Deer with .243
 

LOL! Well stated.I think almost any sane person would classify a 700 nitro express as overkill for deer unless you are hunting them in an area where you might also have to stop a Rhino in mid charge. That being the case I think it well establishes the case that "Overkill" does in fact exist.

RE: Deer with .243
 

AH, the triple deuce. Now there is a deer killer. Low report, one little pop and Bambi's brains are in the dirt. Farmer neighbors next door don't even worry.

RE: Deer with .243
 

I am glad someone out there has some common sense. Over gunned got turned into overkill by some people that wanted to rant. I come from a state where the only requriements for a deer rifleis that it must be manually operated and shoot a centerfire cartridge. I have seen many deer harvested with223 and smaller cartridges.

RE: Deer with .243
 

A guy I know uses a 243 and stops them in their tracks with his. He got a nice six point the other day that dropped in his tracks. Been using it for years and knows howit shoots. I don't think its unethical if you know how it shoots and are a good shooter. There's a positive and negative to almost every method of harvesting a deer.

RE: Deer with .243
 

Total BS!

RE: Deer with .243
 

Hey spencer, DEAD is DEAD, and calling me a JA only makes you less credible, I can see you don't hunt with any guns over .40 Cal. There is no such thing as overkill, to call a cartridge like the 45-70 overkill simply because it has a "big ole' bullet" is ridiculous, the 45-70 is not a very powerful cartridge when compared to most magnums, the .338 Win Mag makes the 45-70 look like deer crap, yet you don't hear anyone calling the .338 Win Mag, "overkill" or "elephant gun", why?, because it doesn't have that "big ole' bullet" that the weaker 45-70 does. I love the 45-70, great cartridge, will take any game in NA, but it is not ridiculous to use it on deer sized game with the proper bullet. Overkill is a statement that somebody uses when the gun is .40+ caliber, and yeah I would use a 50 BMG or 700 Nitro on deer if i HAD THE CHANCE, WHY?, becauseI could. Overkill is a term used when a lack of knowledge is present.

RE: Deer with .243
 

Once again over gunned got turned into overkill. you can hunt deer with what ever you want. the bottom line is that a 243 is more than acceptable to harvest deer.
I am still waiting for you to school us morons on ballistics. JA

PS JAhappen to bemy initials you jacka$$.
PSS when was the last time you hunted every animal in NA with your precious 45-70?

either way i am done with this post.

RE: Deer with .243
 

3 years ago, when I used it to take a bear, elk, deer, moose, and caribou. Spencer, I get the impression, that you are maybe 16 years old. If you want to talk ballistics drop me a PM. PS, are you naive enough to believe that the 45-70 when handloaded with 350+ Gr. bullets won't take any game in NA? If you believe that, then there is no use in me even posting again, you proved you lack knowledge. Also, what calibers are you hunting with lately?

RE: Deer with .243
 

Total BS?? From a guy who hunts deer and hogs with a 22 Hornet??? Now thats really funny.

RE: Deer with .243
 

People hunt with a stick and string, why dont you make fun of them ?
Some people actually know ho to hunt and shoot.
why would do I need anything more than a Hornet when my shots are under 40 yds. I put it where it counts, and they drop like flies.
Neck and head, and dead is dead.

RE: Deer with .243
 

Actually, James knows what he's doing in the field, andI think he's talking to you in a decent manner.:D

RE: Deer with .243
 

As upposed to what ? I dont ?

RE: Deer with .243
 

Yeah, he has more experience than you, obviously. You have made some ridiculous statements, that an ethical hunter just wouldn't make.

RE: Deer with .243
 

Yaaawwwwwwwwwwwwn.......

RE: Deer with .243
 

zrex, you are about the most immature person on this forum, it's bad enough you lie about what game you've harvested, but to act like a child only makes it worse.

RE: Deer with .243
 

111, You should show more respect to your elders.:D

RE: Deer with .243
 

Cascadedad, you are fortunate that I haven't blown a gasket, with the outright disrespect you have show me on this forum.

RE: Deer with .243
 

He meant minimum for responsible sportsman. Your answer speaks for itself.