243 big enough for whitetails?
08-28-2009, 05:06 PM
#43
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: S. NH
Posts: 3,045
Yes to a well placed shot!
Ask your self this...
If the deer could step away as you squeeze the trigger and you hit a shoulder or gut would you still feel comfortable with a .243?
How about if it's 10 degrees, your cold and shivering in low light conditions, in other words not at a shooting range, could you still perform flawlessly?
I have a small story about my hunt to TX. in 2007... The guided who owns and operates the hunt I went on (28 years running), plain and simply put it this way. Almost 1/3 of his clients use .243 to hunt with and 90% of the wounded deer are by the same 1/3 of the .243 users! Coincidence?
90 or 100 grain bullets don't do as much damage as a 130 or 140 grain bullet would do, period, and I'm betting most of us are not trained snipers. Maybe damn good marksman, but don't forget your not shooting at a target anymore. These deer move at the most inopportune time. I'd rather bump up a little, as to plan for a mishap, instead of maiming an animal!
I did say that a "well placed" HIGH percentage shot will yield a dead deer with almost any caliber, yes, even a .22, but I wouldn't use one...
Would you use a .270 for Moose or Bear? I think if I had a choice I would bump up to a .30-06 or something like that...
Ask your self this...
If the deer could step away as you squeeze the trigger and you hit a shoulder or gut would you still feel comfortable with a .243?
How about if it's 10 degrees, your cold and shivering in low light conditions, in other words not at a shooting range, could you still perform flawlessly?
I have a small story about my hunt to TX. in 2007... The guided who owns and operates the hunt I went on (28 years running), plain and simply put it this way. Almost 1/3 of his clients use .243 to hunt with and 90% of the wounded deer are by the same 1/3 of the .243 users! Coincidence?
90 or 100 grain bullets don't do as much damage as a 130 or 140 grain bullet would do, period, and I'm betting most of us are not trained snipers. Maybe damn good marksman, but don't forget your not shooting at a target anymore. These deer move at the most inopportune time. I'd rather bump up a little, as to plan for a mishap, instead of maiming an animal!
I did say that a "well placed" HIGH percentage shot will yield a dead deer with almost any caliber, yes, even a .22, but I wouldn't use one...
Would you use a .270 for Moose or Bear? I think if I had a choice I would bump up to a .30-06 or something like that...
Last edited by Edcyclopedia; 08-28-2009 at 05:22 PM.
08-28-2009, 05:26 PM
#44
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 550
Just about any high power rifle is plenty big enough to drop Whitetails in the right hunters hand. But, you still have the weekend warriors that will never practice or perfect their markmanship. you all know the ones plenty of blood trails , seldom any meat on the table.
Now depending on average shot distance, would tell you whether to step up or not. I have killed more deer using a .222 with Hornady V-Max 50grain shells than I could count. But, I would not use this rig past 200yds.
But, less than 200 my .222 and the Hornady with a placed shot at the base of the neck is meat on the table and antlers on the wall. His head will swing down and hit the ground before his body just folds up.
Now depending on average shot distance, would tell you whether to step up or not. I have killed more deer using a .222 with Hornady V-Max 50grain shells than I could count. But, I would not use this rig past 200yds.
But, less than 200 my .222 and the Hornady with a placed shot at the base of the neck is meat on the table and antlers on the wall. His head will swing down and hit the ground before his body just folds up.
08-28-2009, 06:44 PM
#46
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
Yes to a well placed shot!
Ask your self this...
If the deer could step away as you squeeze the trigger and you hit a shoulder or gut would you still feel comfortable with a .243?
How about if it's 10 degrees, your cold and shivering in low light conditions, in other words not at a shooting range, could you still perform flawlessly?
I have a small story about my hunt to TX. in 2007... The guided who owns and operates the hunt I went on (28 years running), plain and simply put it this way. Almost 1/3 of his clients use .243 to hunt with and 90% of the wounded deer are by the same 1/3 of the .243 users! Coincidence?
90 or 100 grain bullets don't do as much damage as a 130 or 140 grain bullet would do, period, and I'm betting most of us are not trained snipers. Maybe damn good marksman, but don't forget your not shooting at a target anymore. These deer move at the most inopportune time. I'd rather bump up a little, as to plan for a mishap, instead of maiming an animal!
I did say that a "well placed" HIGH percentage shot will yield a dead deer with almost any caliber, yes, even a .22, but I wouldn't use one...
Would you use a .270 for Moose or Bear? I think if I had a choice I would bump up to a .30-06 or something like that...
Ask your self this...
If the deer could step away as you squeeze the trigger and you hit a shoulder or gut would you still feel comfortable with a .243?
How about if it's 10 degrees, your cold and shivering in low light conditions, in other words not at a shooting range, could you still perform flawlessly?
I have a small story about my hunt to TX. in 2007... The guided who owns and operates the hunt I went on (28 years running), plain and simply put it this way. Almost 1/3 of his clients use .243 to hunt with and 90% of the wounded deer are by the same 1/3 of the .243 users! Coincidence?
90 or 100 grain bullets don't do as much damage as a 130 or 140 grain bullet would do, period, and I'm betting most of us are not trained snipers. Maybe damn good marksman, but don't forget your not shooting at a target anymore. These deer move at the most inopportune time. I'd rather bump up a little, as to plan for a mishap, instead of maiming an animal!
I did say that a "well placed" HIGH percentage shot will yield a dead deer with almost any caliber, yes, even a .22, but I wouldn't use one...
Would you use a .270 for Moose or Bear? I think if I had a choice I would bump up to a .30-06 or something like that...
You can word it anyway you want...Since 1980 it's the only centerfire I have owned and I've killed dang near 200 deer with it...We kill 40-50 deer a year on our farms and have done so for about 25 years...I've seen plenty of deer killed and skinned plenty more...This guide didn't know his butt from first base...
There are just as many deer lost with .270s as .243s, no difference in how fast a deer dies with the same shot and similiarly constructed bullets...
While we are at it, I have evenings where I'm skinning deer shot with .308, 7mm-08, .270s, .280s, .30-06, .260...When you throw them in the pile you can't tell what killed them, nothing but blood and guts...
.270 for bear??? I've killed 6 with my .243, they get in my peanuts and I'll kill them...Does as well as anything (if you put it in the right place)...
08-29-2009, 03:18 AM
#47
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: S. NH
Posts: 3,045
I'll call BS on that...
You can word it anyway you want...Since 1980 it's the only centerfire I have owned and I've killed dang near 200 deer with it...We kill 40-50 deer a year on our farms and have done so for about 25 years...I've seen plenty of deer killed and skinned plenty more...This guide didn't know his butt from first base...
There are just as many deer lost with .270s as .243s, no difference in how fast a deer dies with the same shot and similiarly constructed bullets...
While we are at it, I have evenings where I'm skinning deer shot with .308, 7mm-08, .270s, .280s, .30-06, .260...When you throw them in the pile you can't tell what killed them, nothing but blood and guts...
.270 for bear??? I've killed 6 with my .243, they get in my peanuts and I'll kill them...Does as well as anything (if you put it in the right place)...
You can word it anyway you want...Since 1980 it's the only centerfire I have owned and I've killed dang near 200 deer with it...We kill 40-50 deer a year on our farms and have done so for about 25 years...I've seen plenty of deer killed and skinned plenty more...This guide didn't know his butt from first base...
There are just as many deer lost with .270s as .243s, no difference in how fast a deer dies with the same shot and similiarly constructed bullets...
While we are at it, I have evenings where I'm skinning deer shot with .308, 7mm-08, .270s, .280s, .30-06, .260...When you throw them in the pile you can't tell what killed them, nothing but blood and guts...
.270 for bear??? I've killed 6 with my .243, they get in my peanuts and I'll kill them...Does as well as anything (if you put it in the right place)...
nchawkeye - I don't doubt your claims and nor should you doubt mine. I'm simply stating what I believe to be a good example of experience from a well known outfitter in the pan handle. A dead deer is a dead deer and .243 have killed and will kill a lot more deer, that wasn't my point. My point is a well placed shot!
There's a reason I take my .30-06 with 220 grain bullets when I stalk deer, as they don't sit still long enough to shot them like hunting a field or "controlled" shot. Yes, I shoot them running if it's the right condition and relize I want them immobile ASAP, so bigger IS better in this scenario...
My last comment, which was made by the shooter and the only deer that got away that year in TX, was from the individual himself. He said "I'll be switching back to my.280 next year. Now in saying this, I never asked what type of bullet he was shooting other than the weight, which If I recall correctly was an 85 grain bullet (too light in my eyes??)... By the way. this deer I mention was running when he shot it, which if not practiced, is not a shot I would recommend for people to take!
Last edited by Edcyclopedia; 08-29-2009 at 03:22 AM.
08-29-2009, 05:15 AM
#48
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ponce de Leon Florida USA
Posts: 10,079
I wouldn't hesitate to hunt with a .243 while deer hunting. A good friend told me that they use to hunt elk with them and as long as you placed your shot that it was a dead elk. My grandson likes the 100 grain Hornady BTSP.
08-29-2009, 08:51 AM
#50
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 15
This isn't an argument it was a person asking for folks opinion.A person can hunt with what ever they want with provided it's legal.Speak to an outfitter in area's where the biggest deer reside and ask them for their recommendation versus an Outfitter where the deer are smaller.
On a Canadian mature buck you are giving up a lot of possible kill shot's using a .243.If the deer are smaller where this gentleman hunts than perhaps a .243 will work for him.Personally I would prefer more versatility in a rifle.I hunt big bodied deer every year with a .270 and I do it a deep driving bullet.I have never had an issue.With the bullet variations available in a 30/06 a hunter can cover a pretty big spectrum from light loads or managed recoil loads up to 220 grain bullets.
To each his own!
On a Canadian mature buck you are giving up a lot of possible kill shot's using a .243.If the deer are smaller where this gentleman hunts than perhaps a .243 will work for him.Personally I would prefer more versatility in a rifle.I hunt big bodied deer every year with a .270 and I do it a deep driving bullet.I have never had an issue.With the bullet variations available in a 30/06 a hunter can cover a pretty big spectrum from light loads or managed recoil loads up to 220 grain bullets.
To each his own!