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RE: 243 winchester
I missed having my 243 this year. I lent it to friend who was having his 12 year old son hunt for the first time this season. He couldn't afford to get him a gun so I told him he could have mine for the year.
Prior to giving it up i had comitted to making it my primary deer gun this year. Don't get me wrong the 30-30 and 7 mag did great but i really like shooting that 243 and enjoy putting in a lot of range time with it |
RE: 243 winchester
A .243 is a good starter gun IMO. I used one for many years(my younger years). The deer always seemed to run a little further than I cared for(hunting in heavy thick timber). I bought a .270 and the difference is huge. Most hits will drop the deer in their tracks, which the .243 seldom did and if a situation arises where you have to make a followup shot, the blood trails are huge. Yeah, a .243 will kill a deer but there are calibers that definately will out shine a .243 in almost all circumstances. If your gonna buy a gun specifically for deer I'd go with a higher caliber IMO.
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RE: 243 winchester
IMO I do not consider the .243 a "starter gun!" While some may go even lighter, IDO, consider the .243 as a "minimum caliber" for deer. However, I consider it a "GREAT" minimum caliber! As in it gets the job done WELL! At most normal hunting ranges, a hit with the .243 (in the same spot)will produce the same results! Either a dead deer or a good blood trail leading to a dead deer! As i said, the .243 is a GREAT minimum for deer! Anyone that can't handle a .243,should not be shooting at deer any way!
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RE: 243 winchester
I have been shooting the same 243 since I was 13. All the deer I killed with it were just as dead as the ones killed with other larger calibers. I have never had a deer move more than 10 steps from where they stood when I pulled the trigger. Anybody that says a 243 is not enought gun for whitetail or is marginal just doesn't get it. You don't have to have a elephant gun to kill a deer.. Because it is not an elephant.. If your looking for a good bullet for the 243 try the 85 grain BTHP from Federal.
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RE: 243 winchester
.243 is a GREAT cal. Its all about shot placement and bullet performance with ANY caliber.....I don't care what anyone says. I know guysthat shoot .300 mags, and wound more deer than my 10yr old son does with his .243. I use a .280 for the last 20yrs and love it but wouldn't hesitate to buy a .243 for my everyday rifle. Ammo is readily available, there is basically no recoil, and they are usually nice light guns to hunt with. Plus, if you do any varmint hunting....a .243 is a great choice for that too.
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RE: 243 winchester
Nice to see so many who have used the cartridge and singing its praises, and so few suggesting it's just a "starter gun" or it's a "not for beginners gun cuz there's no margin for error" or it's just a good "varmint gun", or yada yada yada... Put a .243 slug through the lungs and that deer will be just as dead as any deer shot through the lungs with some new Super Short Ultra Whiz Bang Magnum, and it'll be deader than a deer shot by someone with a new Super Short Ultra Whiz Bang Magnum who gutshot it because he shoots with his eyes closed because he can't handle the recoil...
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RE: 243 winchester
Ipscshooter, AMEN Bro!
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RE: 243 winchester
Your missing the point .Within range limits 200-250 yards and proper bullet selection [Eastern WT 's] the .243 or my .250 Sav Rem.700 Classic will kill deer just fine.I had occasion to finish a WT buck at 300 yards and poked him broadside in the lungs with a 100gr handload from the .250 and you could hear the bullet hit and he just sucked it up and strolled in a semi-circle 20 yards and laid down.With a .270 he'd have been flattened.Although there was a foot of bullet penetration the deer was unimpressed.Foot pounds is bullet energy hence knockdown power.It's like comparing a .22 Hornet to a.338 sure the end result is a dead deer but how far did it travel after the shot.The big bodied mule buckbelow took two chest hits running through the poplars and pogoed on 50 yards unfazed. Then he stopped and looked back at me over his shoulder offering no target except his neck.One offhand shot an inch below his ear relaxed him right now.This was a rutted deer over 300lbs live weight 100gr .250 Sav @ 3000fps I love my .250 and am very picky [surgical]about my shots.New hunters and the buckfever crowd arn't experienced enough to pass shots that are questionable and will wound and lose animals.People tend to remember only the sucessful outcomes.I'm not condemning the caliber just the possible outcome for users that are unwilling to pass on questionable shots. Harold
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RE: 243 winchester
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RE: 243 winchester
ORIGINAL: ipscshooter Nice to see so many who have used the cartridge and singing its praises, and so few suggesting it's just a "starter gun" or it's a "not for beginners gun cuz there's no margin for error" or it's just a good "varmint gun", or yada yada yada... Put a .243 slug through the lungs and that deer will be just as dead as any deer shot through the lungs with some new Super Short Ultra Whiz Bang Magnum, and it'll be deader than a deer shot by someone with a new Super Short Ultra Whiz Bang Magnum who gutshot it because he shoots with his eyes closed because he can't handle the recoil... |
RE: 243 winchester
I'm sorry, but, I seriously doubt that, given the exact same impact point under the exact same circumstances, your .270 would have "flattened" a deer, while your .243 "failed to impress" him and he just moseyed off 20 yards to die. Deer shot with my .243 have actually averaged LESS travel after the shot than deer shot with my .30-06 (which is more potent than your .270...). I've had them drop in their tracks with both. I've had them run after the shot with both. Every deer that I've shot at with my .243 has been impressed to death by its effectiveness. With regard to your .250 on the muley (nice one, by the way), I'm curious about the bullet you used, since you say you shot twice in the chest with one foot of penetration (I take from this that there was no exit?). I've yet to take a chest shot on a whitetail that didn't fully penetrate with my .243.
As for new hunters and the buck fever crowd... I think they are better off shooting a rifle of which they are not afraid of the recoil. |
RE: 243 winchester
No deer I've ever shot with a .270 failed to give a reaction[they vanish legs skyward with 150gr .308 Norma Mag as far away as you can hit them]The WT buck that walked away and laid down didn't die for a full minute after loosing both lungs.John Wooters and his deer camp collected data on .243 deer kills and found the 7x57 /.300Sav were both user friendly and anchored deer better with[his words ] marginal hits thus involved less tracking.I'm shooting 100gr Sierras on top of 41gr/Win760-Fed mag primers+Win brass in my .250 Sav The two broadside shots on the mulie passed through both sides and the neckshot shattered the spine and only went in 6"[Rutted neck]I,m in Alberta and the deer [body size]here arn't like Eastern WT's by any means.Bullets I have recovered from deer are pic perfect mushroomed so they're working.You'd be surprised at the number of bozos I see at the range that never touch their rifles all year except the week before season opens.If they can hit a 9x11 piece of paper to them at 100 yards "that's good enough' WOW I move down two benches.Funny they seem to at the range throughout the seaon instead of hunting with tales of missed and wounded deer.I've shot over 120 head of assorted big game over 35 year period so I'm not making things up as I go along.[Also guided and witnessedtruck loads of other game shot] Just my observations......................Harold *within range limitations and using correct bullets any cartridge will work if you can shoot
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RE: 243 winchester
Just out of curiosity what bullet where you shooting out of that 243? Many times people that are using a 243 get the highest grain bullet out there for deer, usually the 100 grain PSP or the 95 grain Balistic tip. Neither of which I think are the best bullet for deer..
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RE: 243 winchester
Not sure if your question is directed to me butI own two .250 Sav gun a Sav 99[lighter loads] and a Rem 700 Classic .Don't own a .243 [seen it in action]but the .250 is close enough for comparison purposes 12% larger bore dia. same speed-same bullet weight.Don't get me wrong I continue to shoot deer with my .250's but avoid shoulder blades and bad angles .Novices and the once a year touch my gun crowd should only be shooting at stationary broadside deer at close range deer[closer the better],but we both know with excitement common sense goes out the window.I know of locals that shoot moose regularly here with .243's but it's a hump/headshot proposition at best.They're dull witted enough to give you plenty of time to be surgical about it.Caliber selection is highly personal ,like asking someone to pick you out a woman[blond,brunette or redhead]They all work but what turns your crank?Harold
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RE: 243 winchester
It's better than a 410, by about 1000 times.
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RE: 243 winchester
Ihave also used a .243 win since i was 13 , it was my first rifle and i will always own it. But up here in Saskatchewan the deer are (for the most part) more dense and heavier in mass than almost any where else. We shoot bucks on average well over 2oo lbs. On that size of a white tail, the .243 isnt doing much. It works perfect on smaller bucks and all does, but the big boys seem to just shake it off and run for miles on end. This year makes two enormous Saskatchewan whitetail bucks that i have had to chase over a mile, in fact this year i had to chase him over 4 and a half miles!!!! through the thickest heaviest Northern Saskatchewan timer and scrub you can imagine all the while with him trying to play the same games they all do to get away. My father owns a .300 win mag and the performance of that rifle is astonishing. I shot my buck last year with it at 250 yrds running and it dropped right there, ive also shot moose and he has shot elk and wild boar and the power is amazing. Suprizingly enough there isntt alot of meat waste after hittingdeer with such a large shell. Dont get me wrong i live for my .243 but it has let me down so often on the big deer that i will be switching and my wife and on the way child will use it in the years to come. I will still use it on the does and coyotes but up here , when i want to get serious , the .243 stays home in the Saskatchewan wild.
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RE: 243 winchester
i wouldn't trade my .243 for anything
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RE: 243 winchester
ORIGINAL: winchestermag300 Ihave also used a .243 win since i was 13 , it was my first rifle and i will always own it. But up here in Saskatchewan the deer are (for the most part) more dense and heavier in mass than almost any where else. We shoot bucks on average well over 2oo lbs. On that size of a white tail, the .243 isnt doing much. It works perfect on smaller bucks and all does, but the big boys seem to just shake it off and run for miles on end. This year makes two enormous Saskatchewan whitetail bucks that i have had to chase over a mile, in fact this year i had to chase him over 4 and a half miles!!!! through the thickest heaviest Northern Saskatchewan timer and scrub you can imagine all the while with him trying to play the same games they all do to get away. My father owns a .300 win mag and the performance of that rifle is astonishing. I shot my buck last year with it at 250 yrds running and it dropped right there, ive also shot moose and he has shot elk and wild boar and the power is amazing. Suprizingly enough there isntt alot of meat waste after hittingdeer with such a large shell. Dont get me wrong i live for my .243 but it has let me down so often on the big deer that i will be switching and my wife and on the way child will use it in the years to come. I will still use it on the does and coyotes but up here , when i want to get serious , the .243 stays home in the Saskatchewan wild.  200lbs Ooooo. I am not impressed, nor is my .243 Ihave taken 250 lb axis deer here in Texas and 300 lb hogs with a .243 and they were unable to " shake it off " There is no way an elk, much less a deergoing to take a classic double lung shot from a .243 and go 4 1/2 miles. Put a 22 LR to the lungs of a deer and he still wont go 4 1/2 miles, and just how do you track for 4 1/2 miles ? A gut shot deer wont even go 4 1/2 miles, you need check your scope or shooting abilitites, cause that deer that went 4 1/2 miles wasnt even hit. |
RE: 243 winchester
When you hit one of those monster bucks that shake off the effects of that tiny .243 bullet, does the bullet explode in different colors like a Roman candle or does it just bounce off and fall to the ground???
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RE: 243 winchester
It takes a brave hunter anymore to take to the field with a little .243, mostly for the bashing you'll get here on this forum for doing it. This is the age of the "super-extra-special-testosterone-magnum", after all.
I've used a .243 on whitetails, muleys, and pronghorns for years - and it's never disappointed me. I see some photos of some brave little hunters herewho weren't disappointed, either. |
RE: 243 winchester
duplicate - dang wireless!
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RE: 243 winchester
i love a 243 for deer.
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RE: 243 winchester
free bump thanks to the forum spam
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RE: 243 winchester
ORIGINAL: Carpmaster ORIGINAL: Vulture6 I used to shoot a 30-30 (30 years ago), then I went to a 30-06 with a heavy bullet for about 20 years. Now, for the last 5 years, I've been shooting the 243. It's lightweight, accurate, and dependable. I have extreme confidence in my shots and, so far, have never had a deer go more than about 10 yards after I shoot. Bottom line, while it's a great cartridge, you have to shoot something that you are confident with and you are accurate with. The 243 generally weighs less (the rifle, not the bullet), has less recoil, and therefore inspires more confidence. There are other great cartridges and rifles out there, but the 243 wouldn't be a bad choice. A lot of folks say that it is a youth or ladies cartridge. Okay, fine. I'm 46, 6'3", 220 pounds, spent 20 years in the Marine Corps infantry, and it's my favorite deer rifle. So, line me up with the ladies and kids. I'm not much of an ammo snob. My ranges are all under 150 yards (usually way under). |
RE: 243 winchester
My father-in-law used a .243 for many years to hunt with. He has taken his share of deer with his .243 and now he has passed it on to me to use. I hope to be able to take a few deer myself with his rifle to keep the tradition alive.
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RE: 243 winchester
This year makes two enormous Saskatchewan whitetail bucks that i have had to chase over a mile, in fact this year i had to chase him over 4 and a half miles!!!! through the thickest heaviest Northern Saskatchewan timer and scrub you can imagine all the while with him trying to play the same games they all do to get away. Tell you what. Invite me up to hunt these giant Saskatchewan bucks on your place. I'll bring one of my 243's. For every big buck I shoot that runs more than a mile I'll pay 3000 dollars for the hunt. Any that fall in a more reasonable distance cost me nothing. Deal? |
RE: 243 winchester
ORIGINAL: Todd1700 This year makes two enormous Saskatchewan whitetail bucks that i have had to chase over a mile, in fact this year i had to chase him over 4 and a half miles!!!! through the thickest heaviest Northern Saskatchewan timer and scrub you can imagine all the while with him trying to play the same games they all do to get away. Tell you what. Invite me up to hunt these giant Saskatchewan bucks on your place. I'll bring one of my 243's. For every big buck I shoot that runs more than a mile I'll pay 3000 dollars for the hunt. Any that fall in a more reasonable distance cost me nothing. Deal? |
RE: 243 winchester
Hell I dont even like a 243 but count me in for that deal as well....:DLove me some free hunting!!
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RE: 243 winchester
22 magnum is what most poachers arrested in the usa are carring . remember shot placement.
the size of a bullet does not determine the size of the blood trail. |
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