.243 for whitetails
 

I have always hunted Massachusetts which is shotgun only. I have purchased some property in New York and would like to buy a rifle. I have never really used rifles except for .22's. I would like a gun that I could use for targets, coyotes and whitetails. I do not reload so cheap ammo would be nice. I have heard both pro and con for a .423. Will it kill humanely or would a larger bore be better. Also what model gun would you recommend, at a value price?

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I mean .243

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I've used a savage 243 in the past and it worked ok but it seemed like if you didn't hit bone it was a very small hole.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

If you make a good shot, then the .243 will work just fine, but that is the same with any of the hunting rifles. A friend of mine had used a .270 for years and had killed a lot of deer with it. He thought a 300 short mag would be better and he has lost more deer with it than the whole time he used the .270. I know he has ringed his eye 6 or more times and I feel sure he is flinching.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

A .243 is just the ticket for year round shooting...Since you enjoy shooting it, you shoot it well and shoot more often...I have converted 5 other deer hunters in the past 5 years to a .243...None have returned to their previous deer rifle...

Most deer hunters flinch in anticipation of the gun's recoils, none admit to this, but it's why deer get hit in the guts and run off...

A deer hit in the lungs with a .243 and the proper buller will run no further than one hit with a .270 and proper deer bullet...

This will be my 27th year using a .243 and I kill at least 5-6 a year with....No problems...

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

A 100 gr 243 bullet has the same sectional density as a 130 gr 270, and factory loads in these weights have the same velocity. On game like deer, it will penetrate just as well as the 270. Deer shoulders, ribs, hearts and lungs are not a problem. And no deer will eever know the difference of .027" bullet diameter between a 243 and 270.

Factory soft point ammos, like CoreLokts or PowerPoints, perform awesome out to 250 yds, and they are cheap. Exit wounds are usually about 1", and most deer run about 25-40 yds with lots of blood. 25% of the time, they fall on the spot.

On deer, inside of 150 yds, I can't tell a difference between my 30-06, 308, 7 mag, or 243.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I have a 243 remington mdl 788 . Its right at 20 years old and has killed more deer then I could count . All you gotto do is place it right behind the shoulder and squize the trigger . Its not gonna leave the biggest blood trail but like ths78 said some will hit the ground . Right behind the shoulder hes dead everytime no problem .

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

Its not the size that matters:D, but how you use it, on deer size game and smaller it is a terrific caliber, as long as you make a good shot, Ive killed deer with my .223 and watched them drop within 40yds. If you are wanting a deer/ preditor caliber the .243 will do the job!.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

Can't say that I have any advice on the topic, but you have settled my mind. Looked at several .243 this weekend and after doing the research on ballistics tables and this forum thread.....sold.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

243s are great coyote/deer guns. I currently have 3 of them! LOL I just picked up my third one this afternoon. They are very accurate, mild to no recoil, and fairly cheap to shoot for the non-handloader. For deer I use the 95gr Combined Technology BTs and have harvested deer and droped them in their tracks past 300 yards. I've actually only had one deer move after I shot it (and I've shot upwards of 50-60 deer with a 243). I used to use a 30-06, then I bought a 7mag that I used for years, then I started using my 243 because it was lighter to carry (western hunting), and ever since then that has been my go-to deer rifle. It kills just as well as the bigger cartridges with half the recoil. For coyotes check out the Sierra 60gr HPs, they are fur friendly (as long as you miss the shoulder blades).

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I bought a Remmington 700 in 243 last year and killed 2 deer with it, each shot was over 100 yards. One dropped in his tracks the other ran about 30 yards.I alsoshot a coyote at 70 yards and he dropped right there, never knew what hit him.
I use Federal Power Shock100 grain bullets that cost $10 a box at Cabelas and Bass Pro. You can't reload them cheaper than that. Nice gun for what you want.

Spudrow from Mo

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

i hunted with a 243 for about 3-4 years great gun never lost a deer i would definitely recommend

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

Now this is just my opinion, and I will not offer it to be combative.
But my experience with Whitetail hunting, and I have more than 30 years of experience and well over 100 kills, is that if you are going to hunt whitetails, you want to have the best possible combination.

No one gun is good for everything. No one bullet is good for everything.

It would be the same as your personal private automobile. You would not take a Corvette deer hunting and you wouldn't want to drive a new Silverado 160 mph with BFG Mud terrain tires either!

Even though some Corvette's have more than 350 Hp - new from the factory, the same as a new fully decked out Silverado.

But just because they both have similar motors, transmissions and large tires - doesn't mean that they can perform the same task the same way.


So comparing a .270 Winchester to a .243 Winchester is not comparing apples to apples. More like comparing apples to potatoes.

The further NORTH you go, the bigger a deer gets. So someone from South Carolina - giving advice to a hunter from Maine just won't cut it either. They are hunting the same kind of deer, just that a deer from South Carolina might be 1/4th the size as one from Maine.

Yes, some inexperienced people should stick to smaller calibers, especially if that hunter is small and not very good with a center fire weapon.

But I am 6'3 / 270 lbs and can shoot in just about any position.

I would not want to generalize a hunter into one group or another, but here is my two cents.

A person from the city will not think twice about spending $100 on a good dinner in a fancy restaurant or going out to see a show - as long as the other half has a good time, money is no object. But when the same man tries to talk to the other half about spending $500 - $1000 on a good deer-hunting rifle, all sense of logic goes out the window.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

You didn't specify how much money you are looking to spend, or what type of action you prefer, but here is a recommendation. If a single shot is to your liking, look at the H & R Ultra Hunters. I have the 12 gauge H & R Ultra Slug Hunter, and have killed a whitetail at 150 yards with it. I also have an H & R Ultra Varmint in .223 that is really a tackdriver. These guns are really reasonably priced, and you canpick up other barrels for shooting alternate cartridges for them, for very cheap. I have found that single shots work really well for me, and since their is no bolt, the gun is much shorter for a given barrel length. The .243 is a wonderful round. Many others also. Its bigger brother the 7mm-08 is also a sweet round. This just moves you a little bit more towards big game hunting, and further away from varmint hunting but also does both well. The 120 grainers out of the 7mm-08 are quite a varmint killer, but for deer, the 140's are just the ticket. Good luck.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

Is the caliber capable of ethically killing a deer? Yes, with the right type of bullet. Many deer have died under this caliber over the years.

Are you capable of killing a deer with this caliber? That depends on your dedication to practice and accuracy, ability to choose the right type of bullet setup for your game, and knowing your gun's and bullet's limits with that game and sticking within those limits. (Like required of any gun of any caliber.)

Will a larger bore be better? Yes and no. If a larger caliber with greater recoil and possibly heavier overall weight will cause you to flinch from the recoil or be uncomfortable shooting then no, that caliber wouldn't be better, because you'd be more prone to shooting inaccurately. No matter what caliber you stick on a gun, if the shooter cannot be accurate with it, the deer isn't going to die any quicker than a smaller caliber shot accurately would kill it. Like they say "A dead deer is a dead deer...there is no better case of death possible once it's dead."

-----------

With all that said, I've been hunting whitetails with a .243 Win since day one and still do. I have confidence in my gun and wouldn't trade it for the world. Now on the same hand you don't see me going out bear hunting or elk hunting with this caliber. This is only for deer and predators and I will never use it for anything besides that. I know my limits and I don't cross them. The day I do cross them is the day I become an unethical hunter.

I've never lost a deer yet and most, if not all, of my kills died within 50 yards of where they were shot with a single well placed bullet. I've only had one deer that I didn't heart or lung shot on with the first bullet and that wasn't gun nor caliber error, but user error when younger and with a good followup shot I still had that deer down within 50yards. Several of my deer have even dropped in their tracks and had massive internal damage from the shots. To the point where the butcher did a double take when he saw the damage and found out what caliber gun I shot it with.

As far as bloodtrails go, I've experienced great blood trails on a few and good bloodtrails for the most part from all my other deer. I've only had one fluke instance of minimal bleeding from a perfect heart shot, due to organ blockage of the entrance and exit wounds. With that said, any caliber can experience a fluke instance where an organ or piece of blown up organ will plug the entrance and/or exit wounds up and prevent a good bloodtrail and minimal bleeding, yet be a well placed vital shot that brings the animal down. That's all part of hunting and needing to not only be a good hunter, but tracker too. No matter how good a shot you are there is always a chance of minimal bloodtrails and still having a vital shot on the animal. You should always try your best to track every animal you put the crosshairs on and pull that trigger even if you think you clean missed. Bloodtrail isn't a very good indicator on a dead animal. I've seen many times bad shots that were not lethal on animals bleed quite a bit and fool a hunter into thinking he has a dead animal to find out otherwise or lethal shots that bled minimal and the person thinks he didn't kill the animal, but finds it dead not very far away.

As far as equipment for a .243 Win there are a lot of good choices out there. I'd recommend going to a gunshop holding several different brands and models of guns in your caliber and finding one that is comfortable to hold in your price range. As far as bullets do your research find out the distances you'd like to try shooting out to and pick a bullet that can give good killing power out to that distance. Then try it in your gun and see how your gun likes the round. Not all guns like the same rounds of bullets and perform as well with them as the next, even guns of the same make and model. So, you may try a couple different brands and styles until you find one that will be accurate enough for you through your particular gun.

My gun is a Remington Model Seven SS. My gun is fitted perfectly to my size and I'm extremely comfortable shooting it. I shoot 100-Grain Federal Classic HI-SHOK soft points in .243 Win. Practice and good shooting is a must with any caliber rifle. Know your limits on not only your bullet's killing power out to certain ranges, but your own accuracy with the gun out to certain ranges, and don't cross it. But, that should be common sense for any caliber gun used for hunting any animal.

Good luck and hope you find yourself a gun that makes you happy and gets the job done!:D

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

It's usually best to shoot the biggest rifle you can shoot accurately without flinching, but you first have to find out what your limit is, and that's tricky, especially if you haven't fired a large variety of rifles and shotguns in the past.

So, I would recommend the 7mm-08, or the .308.

The 7mm-08, as previously mentioned, is pretty much the .243's bigger brother, and therecoil isn't much moreat all from what I hear, but the performance is definately better, since the 7mm-08, like the .308, at close range (up to 250 yards), is considered eithical, and sufficient for elk, whereas the .243 isn't.

The problem is that 7mm-08's aren't so common.....yet, the average round I belive is a 140-grain, which is more than the .243's 100-grain, but the recoil is just a little bitmore.

If recoil does end up bothering you, go to your local gun store, and get a Limbsaver, my Grandpa put one on his 30-06, and it now kicks less than my .308which hasthe factoryrecoil pad.

I'm sure if you applied one of those toa .308, is would kick for sure like the .243, ifnot less.

Like Rifleman said,there is noonerifle or cartridge foreverything, and manysmart people on here could tell you that the best rifle is the onethat fits you, and the oneyou're comfortable with.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

The 243win. will be good for what you mentioned . I have a Remington 700 BDL in 243win. So far I have harvested five mule deer and one antelope. Dad has harvested alot of mule deer with this gun too.I use Remington factory 100gr. core-lokts and it hasn't let me down.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I have a good friend that uses a .243 for deer. It hasnever failed him yet. He has never had one drop on its tracks, but he never lost one either. Place the bullet behind the shoulder, and you wont have any problems.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

My son and I both use .243's for deer hunting in the Texas Hill Country. Deerin the Hill Countryare small by comparison to Midwestern corn-fed monsters. Bucks weigh in the 140-180 range. I used to use a .30-06, but switched to .243 after shooting my son's Model 7. I've found that bucks don't go any further when hit through the vitals with a .243 than they did when hit through the vitals with the .30-06. I've had just as many drop in their tracks with the .243 as with the .30-06. So, I've had the same performance, with less than half the recoil...

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

Glad to see so many happy .243 shooters. I mysef have been using one for about 25+ years. No problems killingdeer. It is one of the best calibers around and will make the top 10 if not the top 5 calibers for deer hunting. Its stood the test of time and has put other calibers to rest.
Most all .25's died to this caliber, the .25-06 is the only surving .25. As others have said a whitetail wouldnt know the difference between it and a 30-06. Put it behind the shoulder and you'll have a dead deer every single time. I dont care how big the whtetail is, it will not run far after being shot with the .243. The .243 for some reason makes mush of internal organs, every deer I have shot and gutted, the internals looked like soup.
The.243 is built off the .308 case which inherintely makes it accurate. The .308 case has spawned some awsome calibers and everyone of them seems to be super accurate. In my circle of friends I have conevrted about 5 people into using the .243 as there main whitetail gun. It has all the killing power of much larger guns with half the recoil. Most all states put the .243 as the minimum rifle for elk hunting. It has no problems on deer.
Wide selection of fairly cheap ammo. It shoots 70 gr to 100 gr very accuratley. So coyotes to deer using the same gun is awsome. They do make 55 gr ammo for it but I hear accuaracy falls off because of the wrong rate of twist for this small bullet.
I highly recommend the .243.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

Funny how deer hunters that have used the .243 report good results....

Those that haven't....:eek: Just don't know.....[8D]

Now if you had asked me how to fly a helicopter, I would have had to tell
you "I don't know".... Three of the most honest words in the English
language, funny how they get used so little....:D

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

The two bucks I killed with a .243, 100 grain, didn't know what hit them. I shot one running and one standing still. The one running had winded me. I put the cross hairs where he was running and when the scope filled with hair I squeezed and he dropped. The other deer ran 30 yards and piled up!

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

OH yes, the runner was 100 yards the one standing was 70 yards..

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

243 is my favorite. Go 243!!

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

i purchased my wife a rem 7400 in 243 she killed a few deer with it she shot one at 60 yards broke both shoulders and through heart it went 50 yard and got hung on a vine it was dead but still going tuff bastards. i shot one at 30 yards it went 40 yards it was dead on its feet but still 40 yds.i then shot one waking at 150 yard it went in behind the ft shoulder took heart out the bullet never exitedout. it ran a big loop for 200 yard right to me about the time i was going to shot again he started slowing down until he fell out. what i'm getting at is i shoot the deer with my 270 at that range the dirt flys up on the other side of him. 243 maybe good at close range but it doesn't have enough down range.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I've used a 243 and probably 15 or 16 othercartridgesfor deer hunting over the years.
I simply will not use a 243 on deer again. IMOthere are better choices out there, so why limit yourself with a marginal round like the 243. The fact that this debate surfaces again and again, not only on internet boards but in hunting camps everywhere speaks volumes.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I say shoot whatever you want, 243, 270, 30-30, 30-06, 308, 7mil, etc. They all do what they are designed for. It is just a choice of the many available to us hunters and sportsmen and women.I have several calibers and have taken white tails, mule deer, and antelope with them. At this pooint of my life I am looking for light weight and less recoil. That is why I purchased my Remmington 700 ADL in 243. Good choice for me.


Spudrow from Mo

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I use a 6mm for deer which is basically a .243 loaded a little hotter. Good results, watched my dad drop a big buck in its tracksat over 500 yards with it with a 2-7 power scope.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

A 243 will kill as humanely as any other caliber IF you do your part, but since you are basically starting from scratch looking for a "deer" rifle, I would go with a larger bore.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I would prefer the Swiss Army Knife.;)

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I'm not sure what size the Whitetails are in the Northeast, but I am assuming that they are larger as here in Minnesota. So to answer your question, for economically priced and easily available ammo for larger Whitetails, I would go for the .270, .308, or .30-06. All of these calibers are availale in low-recoil, standard loads, and high energy/lightmags if needed. I shoot the .30-06 Federal Powershoks at $11.00 a box. I get 1/2" groups at 100 yards with a Remington 700.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I prefer..........................................











































something else...:D

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

Ditto to The Rifleman, Popeye, and Hunting The North. I have never hunted whitetail, living in California and owning a cattle ranch with fantastic California Blacktail Muley cross bucks. However, we will not allow a 6 MM of any sort be used on the ranch, and we discourage the 25-06 as well. It isn't that they won't kill deer, it is that they can easily hit deer well beyond their sure kill range.I have been around something like 1,000 deer kills, and have helped look for literaly dozens of cripples. Through all of the years (approaching 50 now), and all of the deer (about 1,000 kills) 95% of the deer lost were hit by very small calibre bullets where it didn't go through bone, or missed bone completely and the exit wound didn't bleed.

My advice - purchase over your perceived needs. We all shoot .270, .308, 30-06, 7 Rem Mag, and one 300 win Mag. All approximately equalto one another andall vastly superior to the .243 at longer range.

On the other hand, I shoot a .243 a lot for varmits; and if I have it with me during deer season, I take a 30-30 mentality with me - 150 yards max.

Something else I wonder about................................ Ah, I better leave that unsaid before I really stir the pot.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

After guiding deer hunters for several years, I agree 100 percent. 95 percent of the deer We had to look for were shot with the 243 and 223. As you stated these rifles will kill deer as will the 22 rimfire. However they are minimum for deer and without good shot placement, they just often fail to make a quick clean kill. Often the reason is that they are used often by beginning hunters who have not quite mastered the shot placement thing. Also as you state, often folks exceed their effective range and the 30-30 mentality is a good start. The 243 in the hands of a good shot who knows when to shoot and where to hold, they do a good job. But the truest statement I have heard is that there are better choices. Personally I have not seen many problems with the 25-06.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I've owned and shot the 243 alot , as well as the 6mm rem . accuracy was great , I find them both easy to shoot well , but as long as i can take a little more recoil , i'll use a bigger caliber . my wife started out with a 243 , but now shoots a ruger ultra light . she shoots it well and has taken alot of deer with it . the 260 remington , is another easy to shoot (low recoil ) deer caliber , the 120 -140 bullets work great on deer. we shoot the 140 gr remington factory load as well as 140 serria handloadswith great results .if i were using the 243 now , i'd use the federal priemum 100 gr with the nosler partition bullet , or the new federal fusion100 gr load , ive seen both loads work well recently (a friend uses a 243 ). hope this helps

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

Almost all lost deer are due to a bad hit. And a bad hit is a bad hit whether you make it with a 243 or a 300 short mag.
I have never seen any scientific study that found a slightly larger hole in the intestines killed deer markedly faster than a slightly smaller one.
Put your shot in the vitals and a 243 will kill a whitetail graveyard dead every time. And if you can't keep your shots from a 243 in the kill zone
then moving up to a harder recoiling caliber probably won't improve that situation. I never lost a deer I shot with a 243.

quote:
and all of the deer (about 1,000 kills) 95% of the deer lost were hit by very small calibre bullets where it didn't go through bone,

Bullet type has far more to do with penetration than caliber size.
I'd trust a 100 grain nosler partition out of a 243 to give me an exit hole and penetrate bone more often than a
130 grain ballistic tip out of a 270.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

If I can help you guys that have problems killing deer cleanly with a .243 just ask me any questions you would like....

While we are giving our experience levels, I have killed over 300 deer, and at least 150 with a .243...If you are having deer run more than 100 yards after a lung shot you are either not using the right bullet or not hitting the deer properly...We own 3 family farms in eastern NC and for the past 35 years or so have killed 40-50 deer a year....So I have seen a few deer killed in my time as well...And with many different calibers....

In any given year we will have 15-20 hunters that we have hunt with us...
I cringe when I see a guest pull out anything over a .270 as most of them have gone to this caliber because either they are a fairly new hunter and figure "some day I'll go out west", or "its what the guy at the gun shop said I needed"...And some actually say, I use this _MM because I can hit them in the azz and they will go down....

Now guys, I started squirrel hunting with a .22 when I was 6-7, if they weren't hit in the head my dad gave me heck, and this was with open sights...He didn't give me a box of shells either, the limit was 6 and that's what I got...When we take these guys to check their scopes I'm really checking the hunter...if he puts 2 shots down range within 2 inches then he is OK....75% of the time he can not do this....I take his gun and say "let me check it out"....I'll look it over, check the scope screws and ask if I can try...Usually I'll put 2 shots within an inch of each other...Most deer hunters flinch, the bigger the gun the more they flinch...

I'm not saying the .243 is the "best deer rifle" as I don't believe any are "best", we can pick apart every caliber...I have seen too many deer hunters start with one rifle, lose a deer because of shot placement and next thing you know they have entirely too much gun for what they are hunting and their experience level,,,.The part about younger hunters needing a bigger gun is also a myth....I know 3 girls and one boy, all between 15-17 that started with a .243 their dads bought them, all have killed several whitetails with no problems....Frankly give me a 15 year old girl and I can teach her to out shoot a 15 year old boy, because she will listen....

And that part about the .243 being for women and children...I'll be 52 on Sunday, I'm 6' 5"...about 250...Have one daughter married, one at Wake Forest getting her Masters and one 15, sophmore in HS, Varsity Cheerleader,...And they can all 3 shoot...Guess I just never out grew mine...

:D

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

What do you suggest? Giving a beginning hunter a .338 RUM? Maybe the
deer will die laughing from watching that beginner flinch so hard before he
squeezes offa round from his cannon...

Deer lost from being hit by a .243 are not lost because it was a .243.
They are lost because of poor shot placement, and it is patently ridiculous
to suggest that you can make up for poor shot placement simply by
handing a poor shooter a bigger gun.

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

I don't think some of the guys on this BB actually read the question asked. The fellow asking the question is not a woman, or a child, or a novice shooter. He said he hunted with slugs in the past, but now wants an opinionon a rifle. How did you guys come up with the novice shooter or recoil sensitive????

RE: .243 for whitetails
 

We've read the question, and answered it. The discussion then evolved to include observations
of in-the-field performance by the cartridge.