I've killed over 130 whitetails with mine in the past 25 years...I would guess 8-10 were in the 275 to 300 yard range....I guess it would do in a pinch...
I have 3 buddies that have retired their '06s in the past 5 years...They both thought the .243 was too "marginal" when they started hunting with me 15 or so years ago....after helping skin a couple of dozen deer shot with my .243 they kinda changed their mind....

One thing I have noticed....they shoot more than they used to...kinda enjoy going to the range more....grab the .243 for a little groundhog/crow/coyote hunting in the off season....I wonder if this is why they seem to make better shots when a deer presents itself........

A .243 will kill a deer just as fast as a .270...if you put the bullet in the heart/lung/shoulder area....One of my brothers has 2-.270s...one for him, one for his son...I have helped skin and track dozens of deer killed with both...Both kill quickly if hit properly....If you plan to gut shoot them...go with a larger cartridge.

Whitetail, have you tried the new Managed Recoil loads from Remington or the similar low-recoil loads from Federal? I have a .30-06 and have been using them in my rifle so that my daughter can shoot it. With the Remingtons, the recoil is about the same as a .243 and Remington uses a 125 gr. bullet designed for ranges up to 200 yards. So if you're not shooting long range, you might want to take a look at them. I haven't tried the Federal offering yet. The Federals use a 170 grain bullet instead of Remington's 125gr, so the ballistics are different. At least if you go this route, you can still use your current rifle.

N.C. how old are you ..man your a killing machine !!

dd

NC, who plans to gut shoot them?

DD...I turned 50 in August...I'm pretty lucky...grew up in Eastern NC...Family has 3 farms...about 850 acres...We sell peanuts to Planters..also raise corn/wheat/soybeans...We kill 40-50 deer each year just to keep the population in check...

Rebel Hog...It never ceased to amaze me the lack of shooting skills of some hunters...My niece is 15..and I swear I believe she can outshoot most of the grown men that we have come hunt with us...I don't know if its lack of practice or buck fever...I hate skinning a gut shot deer...I feel like a highway patrolman when it comes to hearing all the excuses for poor shooting, anyway it seems that gut shot deer do happen...

thats a lot of deer!!!!! Do u eat it all or give it away??!

I have a 7mm, but I like big hard kicking guns. My bro in law uses a .243 for deer and has never had one get up and walk off after being shot. He said he killed one at 275 yards with it but he had to shoot it twice.

I don' tknow about anyone else but when I have my sights on a deer and shot, I don't really feel the kick. The only time I can even feel a kick is when I am just targe shooting.

BTW, sometimes I wish I would have bought a 243 or 270. Ever seen teh price of a box of 7mm shells? 30 bucks !!!!!!!!!!!

I've killed a lot of deer with a .243. Isn't anything wrong with it. But after using a lot of different calibers, I've found the .308 as the best deer caliber, IMO. When personallyrating the cartridge in a lot of different areas, the .308 outscored the rest.