RE: best deer gun ?
 

Guys, apparently the part of u who think a 500 yard shot with a .243 winchester lack the knowledge of shooting one...and shooting one for years. i have used a ruger target model chambered in the .243 on many 400 yard shots on groundhogs, even a squirrel once, coyote, and YES....2 deer. I know many of you will argue that those animals arent deer...but i said ive shot 2 at a lilttle over 400 yards. If you have used one for years and have shot hundreds and hundreds of rounds like I....u would know that 100 more yards on to 400 is VERY possible. However i do agree....that u have to have practiced and practiced and must be a very good shot wtih the rifle to take a deer at 500. I hunt farm country where pastures stretch as far as u can see and that is all i have ever used, before i bought mine 8 years ago i borrowed one for two years exactly the saem model an caliber as mine. I agree that u couldnt go out every morning and make a 500 yard shot on a deer wtih a .243...because ur going to miss more times than not...and let's not forget about luck. He could have actually dropped it at 500 yards. I also lacked to mention that i have my cartridges reloaded with more powder so its alot hotter than a regular casing from a leading manufacture, therefore the ballistics move up from factory ballistic charts just a bit as do the velocity and downrange energy. In my opinion the .243 is an excellent deer cartridge out to 300 yards and will efficiently take any deer down at that randge and beyond 300 yds....unless u are very skilled i wouldnt risk wounding the deer. I have taken cleanly, all of them went down, 27 deer with mine and am well pleased.

RE: best deer gun ?
 

I didn't say it wasn't possible. And i agree, theh .243 is a great gun. I just prefer somethign with a little more snuff. I am reading my ballistic charts right now. a .243 with a 100 grain bullet with factory loads has 880 ft lbs of energy at 400 yards. Recommened energy is 900 foot pounds. i think the energy is alot less at 500 yards plus factor in wind and humidity, that bullet doesnt have enough energy. the 100 grain bullet gets moved a bit by wind drift at that range. im not saying it can't be done, but im saying it shouldnt be done. I'm not getting up on my soapbox, and i aint one to be preaching, but i say it shouldnt be done. a .243 just doesnt have the energy at that range. and with the bullet drift, you could hit them somewhere like the guts or leg. i wouldnt use the .243 past 250...too much risk. leave the long range stuff for teh big guns, the .270's, .30-06's, and 7mm mag's

slayer

RE: best deer gun ?
 

you guys should try a browning blr. 308 the best deer gun around...and body u must be a sniper to hit at 500yds i cant see 500 yds.

RE: best deer gun ?
 

400 yard shots on squirrels? Thanks i needed some more humour in my day.

RE: best deer gun ?
 

Out of all my centerfire rifles i like the bar 270 with win 130 gr,power points the most.

RE: best deer gun ?
 

I personally hunt with a 30.06 most of the time. However, i just bought a 7mm-08 and damn if that ain't a nice caliber for deer. I may make that gun my new go to for next season.

RE: best deer gun ?
 

Wow, Buckmastr229 - what a lousy attitude! There are so many things wrong with your post, it's hard to tell where to start:

1) You appear to have settled on the .243 as your favorite gun. Why, then, did you ask for the "best deer gun" if you've already made up your mind?

2) You asked for recommendations, then rejected the suggestion that the .243 wasn't the best gun for taking 500-yard shots.

3) Deerslayer_37 is 100% correct, and you are 100% wrong, on taking deer at 500 yards with a .243. According to Remington's ballistics charts, the most energy any of their cartridges has at 500 yards is 797 foot-pounds, well below the recommended minimum of 900 foot-pounds for taking deer. That cartidge has a drop (assuming that the rifle is zeroed for 200 yards) of 38.3 inches - more than three feet! The trajectory of the bullet at that range more closely resembles a mortar than a hunting rifle.

If you dropped a deer at 500 yards with one shot from a .243, you are the luckiest deer hunter on the face of the earth - and probably the least ethical. I suggest that you adjust your attitude, and check your facts, before you post other messages on the board. I fully expect that you'll call me names too. Go right ahead - I need a little humor in my day, and small-minded people generally are very good at providing it.

RE: best deer gun ?
 

The best deer rifle in my opinion is the 30.06, however I also have a 270 and its a great rifle also. My dad hunts with a 25.06 and its a great rifle, you just have to watch what shells you use. Any of your choices would work just fine.

RE: best deer gun ?
 

Where I hunt, I can't even SEE 500 yards. I guess shooting deer at 1500 feet, you don't have to worry much about camo, scent, movement, or anything else.

RE: best deer gun ?
 

you might be able to shoot a deer at 500 yards but it sure didnt drop right there