soarkrebel

Ask the deer and they would probably say no!

While i like playing with a 223 i won't deer hunt with one. it would work . but i have many other more worthy calibers in my toy box that are at my disposal.

go a little bigger.

akbound

I whole heartedly agree with the majority. Of the two calibers mentioned....if deer are on the menu....get the .243 Winchester. A .223 will kill deer when everything is "right".....but the .243 is much more "responsible". (And many consider the .243 the "bottom rung"......so to speak.)

The .243 doesn't allow for careless bullet placement either....but it provides a significant advantage over the .223 on deer sized game. The .243 in addition to working well for deer....is a great varminter as well. I think you'd be well pleased with it!

Best of luck with your purchase.

Dave

bigcountry

Sure with the right bullet and right shooter, its safe and ethical. Drop them like anything else. But I mean no offense here. If you have to ask "is it safe", you might not have enough experience to be the right shooter. You might, I don't know you. I am just evaluating you by your question. I would definatly look at a .243 or a 25-06. Plenty ammo available made for deer and plenty for varmits.

Tree climber

go with the 243 ; I have used them for years and they work good,the 223 is just a tad to small.

mainehunt

Believe it or not, here in Maine you can legally use .22 rimfire Magnum and bigger. Any centerfire round. I have killed deer with the .223, it worked fine. I also use the 243 with great results.

I would recommend the .243.

Superpig

To choose from the choices you list I would definitely go with the 243 Winchester. Using 100gr. loads it is adequate for deer if you take broadside shots and limit your range to your abilities. There is no substitution for shot placement. Once you buy a firearm practice with it until you can consistenly keep your shots on target.

I would opt for a larger caliber with more killing power. If you are recoil sensitive go with the 260, 7MM-08, or 25-06. Of these I most like the 25-06. The recoil is easy to handle and it's a superb deer caliber. You cannot go wrong with the 25-06 and 115 gr. Partition. This load is available from Federal.

If you do go with the 243 Federal also has a 100 gr. Partition available for this caliber. I would choose this as your deer load if you get decent accuracy out of it. I would stay away from the factory Ballistic Tip offerings in this caliber.

kyhuntsman

To be honest, any gun will kill a deer with the proper shot placement. The real question I are yu a marksman sho can achieve that shot placement every time? No! The next question you should ask is it morally ethical to wound a deer and not offer a clean kill. No. Now I am not saying this to rile you up. I personally know only one person that is a skilled marksman, and I know quite a few military personel and police officers. This guy was born with a rifle in his hands and is the best shooter that I've ever seen in person. He is also an anomolly, there are only a few people out there like him.

If you answer no to both questions, and if you are honest with yourslef you will answer no to both of them, then you should consider a larger caliber than a .223. A .243 is a good all around caliber, but I think that a .25-06 is even better. That is the caliber that I would highly recommend to you to get. It is a great varmint gun and a great deer rifle. It will offer a clean kill on all of the animals you have mentioned.

Good luck!
Matt

take-em

i'm kind of short on money so i can't spend a ton on a gun
i'm pretty sure i'm going to buy a .243 Handi-Rifle
i'm a pretty good shot with a rifle and i will be taking close shots (under 200 yards)
thanks for all the info

oldup207

243 for coyotes and deer the wind will affect your bulllet more on the 223 so 243

bigcountry

Kyhunts, I am not sure you have to be Dave Tubbs to kill with a 223 effectively. I mean if you shoot them in broadsided thru the lungs, you should be able to recover the animal with a 223, with a 243, or a 30-06.