Which one ?
 

I'm buying a new rifle for deer season soon it's either going to be a 44 magnum or a .243 my ? Is which one and why please be specific!

With the .243 you will have tons more range capability. The .44mag is a good rifle for out to 75-100 yards (and only 100 yards with the right loads) which may or may not be all you need. I don't know where in Indiana you will be hunting so I don't know your range limitations. Both are deer dropping cartridges within their perspective ranges.

I hunt mostly wooded areas where shots are 80 or closer in Bartholomew county I do have a good spot in Ripley County and I could shoot 200 or 300 yds my ? how is the knock down power of .243 opposed to 44 mag ? What's the realistic range of .243?

dependent on bullet and your abilities and the accuracy you achieve, I've killed deer at beyond 400 yards with an 18" barreled 243
RR

Between myself and my kids there has been well over 100 deer and probably 300-400 hogs killed with a few .243's. loaded with 95 grain SST's or 100 grain Interlocks. My youngest daughter has taken whitetail in PA out to 350 yards with DRT performance. The only time I ever had a problem was with the SST's blowing up on on the shoulder on a very close range shot (around 20 yards) but I had that same problem with my 7mm-08 as well.

With the .243 I try to teach one of 2 shot locations, tucked in just behind the shoulder quartering away or dead broad side high shoulder. Both of those shots tend to drop a whitetail instantly or very close to it.

With the .44mag rifle, I already told you the range limitations but within those range limits, it is a deadly beast with the proper bullets. Those Marlin 1894's make great brush guns as they are quick handling in heavily wooded areas. But since you hunt areas where you will have those ranges longer than the .44mags capabilities then I would have to give the nod to the .243. I myself would say BOTH!! But I always try to promote multiple rifle sales :D

How did you narrow down your choices to those 2?

Specifically, How did you eliminate a 30/30, 270 or 308 when anyone of these cartridges has accounted for more deer than the 44M and 243 combined?

He just needs to buy a 30-06 and he's good to go for any distance!

OK Tg, I fixed my earlier post. :)

Glad you're now on the same page with me! :wave::guiness:

270 is not or should I say will not be a legal cartridge in IN. according to what I have read so far of the potential legal calibers.

The new Law only allows for certain cartridges.....No common sense to the allowed ones in relation to the Not allowed ones......Politicians got involved. But.....they can now use a rifle.

This was surprising to me when I saw that. I have killed deer in KY with .243, .270, 30-30, and 30-06. The only one I don't use any more is .243. THIS IS ONLY MY EXPERIENCE. But For me .243 is the least forgiving of all of those rounds. It is completely capable of killing to around 400 yards, but the difference between 100gr and 150gr is a lot when it comes to quick kills. My go to is .270 now. Of the 11 deer I have killed with it none have gone more then 15 yards and those shots range from 50 to 350 yards.

My longest kill is 200 yards with 30-30, which is stretching it a bit (for me at least).

I have only killed one deer with the 30-06, because I really see no need for the extra recoil when the .270 works so well.


I've killed far more pigs and lost far more pigs, because pigs are invasive and destructive I am much more likely to take a long shot on a pig.

Side note the deer in my avatar was killed with the .243 in the pic. I shot it twice. Both times hit perfect the heart was jelly when I cleaned it and it still went 50 yards spraying blood. I thought I had DRT with first shot, but it got up and started running off till I stopped it with a grunt and hammered it a second time.

My son hunts deer here in FL with his .243 due to the recoil, but I limit his shots to 100 yards and I am always ready for a follow up shot with the .270.

Just because you hit that deer in the heart doesn't mean a DRT animal. I tracked a doe years ago that a guy shot with a 12 gauge slug and we found her 200 yards from where he hit her and her heart was blown in half!

Nails, every deer will react differently. Unless you interrupt nervous center by brain or spinal shot you run the risk of a deer getting up and running. I've blown hearts apart and watched those deer run in upwards of 150 yards before dropping. It doesn't matter what you hit them with. I watched one deer I absolutely NAILED go 130 yards from impact point with the whole top half of the heart and both lungs decimated from a 180 grain SP from a .30-06 at 85 yards. I've also seen deer drop like the hammer of Thor was smashed into their sculls from that same shot from a .243. Sometimes they run, other times they drop. It's mainly why I switched my target to high shoulder when gun hunting. 90% of the time I get spinal interruption and drop the deer in it's tracks. If I miss a bit low, I have still gotten the lungs and if I miss a bit high then it's not a bad injury to the deer and it will heal up quickly for another day. Larger calibers may be a bit more forgiving, but the fact is, proper shot placement should be the main focus no matter what you are shooting. The larger caliber rifles aren't needed for scraggly little old whitetails. Not if you put the bullet where it belongs.

Talking about shots and reactions to shot, especially in the heart, it is worth noting some field work done by a guy name Kevin Robertson. He is a licensed veternarian in Zimbabwe and is also a professional hunter that specializes in Cape Buffalo which are notoriously tough. Like many hunters he had noticed how differently animals can react to what is essentially identical bullet placement. Some run off and others hit the ground flopping. He wanted to find out a reason so he put his veterinary training to use.

He ran some experiments and did a whole bunch of after shot "surgeries" and came up with an interesting theory. He says what he thinks happens is if the bullet happens to hit the heart when it if full of blood in the pumping cycle just as the valve opens the blood goes surging straight up the arteries to the brain and basically causes a massive stroke which results in an immediate lights out scenario. He basis this on dissecting brains on heart shot animals and noticed that some of them had damage to the brain as well and since this is nowhere near where the bullet hit, a surge of blood is the only explanation he could fathom. If the heart isn't full of blood then the animal will kick and run as usual and drop after a measure of distance is covered. Note none of this takes into effect hitting bones etc...

While it would be impossible to prove this theory in the field, it does make some sense.

Kinetic energy transfer throughout the arterial system has been a theory for a long time now. Like you said Flags, it's one that's a bit tough to prove. It does make a lot of sense though.

Yep. His theory isn't so much kinetic energy but hydraulic force on vital organs due to massive displacement of blood by bullet impact on a blood filled ventricle. It makes a lot of sense to me.

I'm looking for a gun that can be used for myself my oldest daughter and my wife I've just heard for the most part good things about the 44 mag and they aren't to expensive the 243. Shouldn't have to much recoil I do think want to beat them to death with the 30 cals I would probably get a 270 but they aren't legal here

There are multiple Ruger .44 mag carbines in my family and they have all dropped deer out to about 100 yards, which is a long shot where we hunt. Both are great with hollow points around 220/240 gr.


One thing to consider, not sure on the rules there, but a .44 is considered a handgun cartridge in some states, such as MA (where my Dad lives). He had to get a pistol permit to buy .44 mag cartriges for his rifle (figure that logic out).


I have zero direct experience with .243 but have a friend who loves it.


Another "low kick" to consider is 7mm-08, recently got one for my wife, she loves shooting it. Bit harder to find bullets for if you don't handload, but it's common enough that basspro, cabella's etc, all have them, but Wal-Mart doesn't.

I have shot several .44 magnums handguns, I have never shot the round in a rifle. I have also shot a .243 on several occasions as I bought one for my grandson. I suspect the .243 would have less felt recoil than the .44 mag rifle and that is what the OP said he is looking for.

.243 hands down out of those 2.

shooting 80/85gr TSX bullets should do the job on a deer at 300-400yds.


if .260rem or 6.5 creedmoor or 7mm-08 or 308 are also legal I'd check them out as well.

I don't own either but if I were to pick one it would certainly be the .243 which can be used for many different applications and would be a fun gun to own.

Another .243 vote. I've shot deer with both, either will work fine. But the .243 gives you allot more range, and more use in my opinion. To me the .243 is a deer rifle. And it sounds like you need a dedicated deer rifle. The .44 mag is a backup type rifle, or fun rifle. I grab a .44 if I'm antlerless hunting or if the weather is crappy and I'm driving for others. I have a handful of open sight lever actions that I use for that. But if I'm serious about getting a deer I'd grab the .243 every time.
-Jake

Edit, that's a .44 in my picture there, kills squirrels and deer both just fine. But I wouldn't want it as my primary deer rifle.

Read this/found this...

For you, your wife, and daughter I highlighted what my preferences or options would be to consider.
.243 w/ 85gr TSX
.308 w/ 150gr
.30-06 w/150gr


http://www.in.gov/activecalendar_dnr...cate=syndicate


The new legal cartridges include, but are not limited to, the .243 Winchester, .30-30 Winchester, .300 AAC Blackout, and .30-06 Springfield. Additional requirements are:

• The rifle must have a barrel length of at least 16 inches
• The rifle cartridges must have a cartridge case length of least 1.16 inches
• The rifle cartridge must fire a bullet with a diameter that is
o .243 inches (or 6 mm); or
o .308 inches (or 7.62 mm)
• No cartridges with a bullet diameter between .243 and .308 are legal (such as the .270 Winchester)
• A hunter may not possess more than 10 such cartridges while in the field

Rifles with pistol cartridges that have been allowed in previous years may still be used to hunt deer on both private and public land.

Additional cartridges that are legal under HEA 1231 include, but are not limited to, the following:

• 6mm-06
• 6mm BR Remington
• 6mm PPC
• 6mm Remington
• .240 Weatherby
• .243 Winchester
• .243 Winchester Super Short Magnum
• .30 Carbine
• .30 Herrett
• .30 Remington AR
• .30-06 Springfield
• .30-30 Winchester
• .30-40 Krag
• .300 AAC Blackout (.300 Whisper)
• .300 H&H Magnum
• .300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum
• .300 Savage
• .300 Weatherby Magnum
• .300 Winchester Magnum
• .300 Winchester Short Magnum
• .300 Remington Ultra Magnum
• .308 Marlin
• .308 Winchester
• 7.62x39mm
• 7.62x54mmR

There are other cartridges that meet the law’s specifications, and there are others that do not. A partial list of cartridges that are not allowed under HEA 1231 includes the .270 Winchester, .38-55 Winchester, .444 Marlin, and .45-70 Government.

HEA 1231 is scheduled to expire after the 2020 deer season, at which time the DNR will submit an impact report to the Governor and the General Assembly.

Contact Information:
Name: Phil Bloom
Phone: (317) 232-4003
Email: [email protected]
State calendar entry type:
Press Release State calendar entry category:
Announcements State calendar classification:
Residents
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Agency Name:
Natural Resources, Department of


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If you put a good 100 gr. .243/6MM bullet into the kill zone of ANY Whitetail Deer out to 300 yards, it is a dead deer! It is unexplainable, but I have even seen better blood trails from the .243 than some other calibers at times!
The theory that Flags mentioned makes great sense, as a heart shot deer can run 200 yards or DRT.
There are only two DRT shots, brain or spine, (neither of which, I would recommend!)
A double shoulder shot will put a deer on the ground quick, but ruins a lot of meat!
Of the two calibers you mentioned, unless the majority of your shots are <100 yards, I'd pick the .243 all day long and twice on Sunday!

A 30/30 lever action or a 308W bolt action rifle with:

http://www.remington.com/ammunition/...managed-recoil

Should cover you and your family members needs very well.