James B

According to the Nosler manual. When comparing the 243 to the 270, the 270 at 500 yards shoots about 2 inches flatter with their best deer bullets. 130 grain for the 270 and 100 grain for the 243. Ay all yardages listed the 270 is a bit flatter. Not by enough to make any real difference though. Both start out a bit over 3100 fps but the 270 bullet has a higher BC.

Stump_MN_Hunter

I think that nchawkeye also hit the nail on the head when he said that if you aren't somewhat of an experience shooter and can't put the bullet where you "need" to....smaller calibers probably aren't the best of choice. You need the larger calibers to do more damage when you aren't making the best shots. Bullet choice is always important no matter what caliber your using though too. You need something that is going to fragment upon impact and not a bullet that just is going to fly right through. Just my thoughts. Good luck.

oldgrunt

I was kind of wondering about the 25/06. Since it is basicly a necked down 30/06, I was thinking the recoil would be very similar. Is there a noticable difference?

rather_be_huntin

Interesting theory. I've always liked bullets that mushroom\expand but retain their weight. I agree that bullets that just pass through are not good but bullets that fragment have not been a good thing in my experience. Bullets that fragment tend to do "ugly" things when they hit bone. Usually make hamburger and don't penetrate much and can lead to a long tracking job.

If you got the 06 I'd stay with that as it's the best out of the 3 in my opinion. If you must switch go with the 270 over the 243. If you have problems with flinching there is a lot of equipment and techniques out there that can get rid of it. Just like anything else it just takes knowledge and work to fix.

BuckMaster7

Get the new 243 WSSM, 25 WSSM, or the 270 WSM. They beat all those cartridges.

SquirrleBurger46

I would recomend The 270wsm, it is faster, more powerful, and more acurate. A box of wsm (winchester short magnum) is only about $3 moe than 270win. But i gotta admit, they look kinda weird. lol good luck

DoctorDeath

I am certianly no authority on guns but I live in alabama and shoot a 7mm08 ... I have taken several good bucks wuth this cal. and 3 Canada WT that weighed around 300lbs ... the last one I had to shoot in the right rear hip and with a 140 grain Balistic tip and at 165 yards ...the bullet busted the deer up inside and it ran about 150 yards before going down but it had massive damage inside... the 7mm08 is my choice for WT deer ...

nchawkeye

I'm going to give you guys something else to "chew on"...About 4 years ago I had a guy at a gun shop suggest that I try the Federal Premium 85gr Sierra BTHP....He said his customers had good luck with those bullets....as their "bean field load"....I told him "thats a groundhog load"...well...he said just try them....Well that evening I did...sitting over one of our soybean fields...had 3 does come out at 100 yards....I popped one in the shoulder...and she dissappered...just dropped right there....the 2 other does just stood there and looked at her "bedding down" right there...that was a mistake...I popped a second doe...took her tight behind her shoulder....with a Remington Premium 100gr BTSP....she ran out of the field...went about 100yards and fell over....Now that Remington load had mighty "hard" bullets it drilled all the way through and only left a hole about the size of a nickle...I killed 5-6 deer with the Remington bullet...they would drop when hit in the shoulder....but run 75-125 yards when hit in the lungs...When you make shoulder shots with the Federal Premium 85gr...the bullet will go through both shoulder blades...hit them in the lungs...full penetration and an inch and a half hole out the other side...they don't go but about 25-50 yards....The HP will fragment...but it evidently retains enough weight to give adequate penetration.....And at 3320 fps...it beats the 130 gr .270 in how "flat" it shoots...Since that first doe...my buddies and I have killed about 30 deer with that load....

I used plain old Corelokts for about 15 years...killed about 75 deer with ...
other loads that I like within 200 yards...the Hornady 100 grain loading...and the Federal Premium 100 gr in both the Sierra 100gr SPBT
and the Nosler Partition ....Within 200 yards any of these bullets work well...but in longer ranges...the 85gr beats them all....it has more velocity at 300 yards than the 100gr bullets at 200.....

I don't like the .243 WSSM....Heck only 2 deer loads...and one of them in PowerPoint....I didn't like the penetration of the Winchester Supreme loading in .243 100gr PowerPoint....the 85gr load penetrates much better than the PowerPoint loading...if you push it faster (with .243 WSSM) it will expand faster....and should penetrate less....Instead of a WSSM...go with the 95gr Hornady light mag at 3100fps or the Federal Premium 85gr at 3320fps....Hornady and Federal don't offer any loads for the .243 WSSM...
Wonder why??? Hornady offers 4 deer loads for a .243...Federal offers at least 5....and Winchester and Remington even more...

Tree climber

the only deer rifle I have ever owned is 243.I have taken 200 to 250 deer and way more hogs than that with my Rem. mohawk 243 carbine.
I have always use Winchester PSP 80 grain.only lost one deer ; don't know what happened to that one.[&:].

I have only took lung or neck shots (neck at close range).took one deer in the chest one time.he went about 40 yards. the fartherest I have ever had one run is 75 yards.I would never shoot a deer in the rear with any gun,just me.

the wife has shot the 243 you about 20 years with the same luck as I have.she has taken more hogs than I have.we take hogs up to 350lbs. I did take one that pegged the 350lb. scales; so he was 400 lbs. or better.

243 for me and the wife only.nothing else will do for us.in the right hands thats all it takes.some people will disagree with me on this ; but they are wrong[][8D]

Todd1700

If your reason for switching from the 30-06 is recoil induced flinching then by all means go with the 243. I have shot 270's and 30-06's. I don't think there is enough difference in recoil between a 270 and a 30-06 to drastically improve your problem.

A 243 despite being the smallest caliber I would use for deer will give you good service and has a very tame recoil. I have killed many deer with one and still have a S&W bolt action 243 with a 6 power Leupold that I take with me on occasion. Me personally, I like to stick with at least a 100 grain bullet in a 243. I've seen bad things happen with the smaller, faster more easily frangible 243 bullets.

Another round to consider as Doctordeath stated is the 7mm-08. Same hull as a 243 but necked to a 7mm bullet. Very mild recoil yet gives you the ability to shoot a 140 grain bullet. I have one in a Browning A-bolt and it is one of my favorites for Alabama whitetails.