Mr VJP

But the OP is asking about using this cartridge at ranges of 200 to 250 yards. IMO, that is where the .243 begins to become an iffy proposition. Even the best bullets may not perform adequately at that range in a .243, leaving much to be desired in energy and expansion. The velocity at that range is reduced enough to cause me to lack confidence in that round. If it were my choice, I would select a different rifle for the job.

The 180 grain .30 caliber bullets really shine for long range work. They have a higher ballistic coefficient, so they retain speed better at long range, as well as energy. They also drift less in a crosswind. They will serve you well if you are hunting where your shots may be over 200 yards.

I've done day trips within an hour's drive, weekends out of state, camped over night in the forest, week long deer hunting away with friends and 2 weeks on horse back in the wilderness. I also hunt my own land from my back door. I'll do any of this for big game, small game, turkey and waterfowl, depending on what makes the hunt the best.

Funny. Nobody brings any food when they hunt? I guess they eat what they find out there.

fisher2 You would need a lifetime hunting AND a lifetime bowhunting and muzzle loading license, if you want it all now. Or you can just get Lifetime Hunting license and buy the Bow and ML licenses each year at full price. But if you go bow and ML hunting every year, better to get it all at once. The price is a lot more now than it was a few years ago, and DMP's are no longer included free each year, but you're only 21, so it will still pay off in the long run.

Born, back in the old days, it was a little easier to get started because there were far fewer regulations and they were a lot easier to understand. Fish & Wildlife Depts have really complicated a lot of the regs now, in an effort to allow more hunting opportunities. That, plus the fact there are fewer places for a new guy to hunt, probably hurts the sport more than anything else.

I started hunting 45 years ago in NJ. I hunted small game, waterfowl and deer with a firearm for 2 years then got a bow to hunt deer with too. I was an avid fisherman from age 5 and always wanted to hunt, but had nobody to go with. Met a very good friend in 5th grade who's father hunted and we both took our first hunter safety course together. One week later we were hunting pheasant together. Small game and duck season that year hooked me on hunting for life. We hunted deer that December too. Didn't get my first deer for 5 years, but it never made me consider not going. I did a lot of duck hunting in my early years because I had access to a lot of good duck hunting spots. Later on, I got into goose hunting big time as well. I got a bow license as soon as I could, to be able to hunt deer more than just 1 week a year with a shotgun. Soon NJ allowed muzzle loaders too, and I was in on it the first year it opened. Eventually NJ opened a turkey season in the spring, then decades later a bear season and a coyote season. I hunted everything and anything they would allow me to hunt. At 16 I started hunting deer in NY with a rifle and now have a NY Lifetime license. I hunt NY, NJ and PA now, and have also hunted waterfowl in MD when I was in college at Univ of MD. It's funny to think, hunting is the one thing in my life that I have done for that long.

Have we arrived at the point in our nation that a Democratic president and powerful members of his administration can act as lawlessly as they choose without any significant objection or protest from the Democratic Party, the liberal media and Democratic voters? Deny it as they might, liberals seem to have less fealty than conservatives to the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law. Well, as much as it pleases some to invoke moral equivalency excuses when caught in wrongdoing, it simply isn’t true that Republicans and conservatives are anywhere close to being as culpable as Democrats and liberals in thwarting the Constitution and the rule of law to achieve their ends. As a result of this pitiable situation, we have an entire political party and liberal media that grossly under appreciate our unique constitutional system of government and are so blinded by their ideological goals that they have no problem virtually conspiring with this lawless president in trampling our Constitution and the rule of law to serve his and their ends. http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/us/limbaugh-democrats-the-constitution-and-the-rule-of-law

Shooting from a bench does not give you practice for hunting. It assures the scope is sighted in and you can properly squeeze the trigger while controlling your breath. Once the groups you get are good, it doesn't matter how many shots you took. Actually using the rifle from hunting positions gets you better prepared. Take shots standing, sitting, kneeling and from the prone position to see how well you can shoot. Doing so after getting your heart rate up by running or climbing a hill will also give you real field practice. More practice doing these things will improve your hunting success. Even doing all of that, I think 4 or 5 boxes of ammo will be enough.

For those who are clueless....

Born, before you spend money on a new barrel, if yours is Modified or Imp. Cylinder choke, try the Federal Tru-Ball slugs. They are specially designed to be accurate from a smooth bore shotgun, and don't cost as much as sabot slugs for rifled bores. Google them and you'll see why. BTW, do you own a car and drive?

As long as they allow "some" concealed or open carry, they will be able to get around the constitutional problem. For example, it is nearly impossible to get a concealed carry permit in NJ. Only the wealthy, retired cops or politically connected can get one. Therefore the state can say it allows carry permits. It's BS if you are an average Joe. This is what I expect you will see in D.C. now.

Born, where are you originally from? What hunting have you done so far? Some members, like myself, only hunt with other NRA members, for many reasons. Are you a member?

Hunting sites like this one are good for starters. Ask to hunt with others. Many will offer to go with you. The NAHC (North American Hunting Club) is another good site with a NY State Forum and members that will help you out. You're in Long Island?

Look into the rifle country of the Catskills. Lots of public land up there as well as some private land where owners will give permission if you ask prior to November.

That's the hunting rig I'm planning on next. I'll go with that lift set too!

Here's a good video for you. It compares 44 pistols to the 44 rifle. Also some good info about trajectory on the 44 mag. Note the MPBR is at 159 yards when the bullet is moving at rifle velocity. The Maximum Point Blank Range (MPBR), which is shown in the last column of the table below, is the distance at which the bullet falls 3 inches below the line of sight. Thus between the muzzle and the distance given as the MPBR, the bullet never strays more than 3 inches above or below the line of sight. Energy at that range would be about 800 ft lbs, more than enough to drop a deer with a 240 grain slug. http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifle_trajectory_table.htm

After 45 years of hunting, I find I have everything I need. But not everything I want. When I really look into wanting something, I often conclude I don't need it. I got new boots last year, so this year I don't think I need anything. I could write a long list of things I want though.

I used a Marlin lever gun in .44 Mag on whitetail for years. It is a fine choice for a fast handling carbine with plenty of power to take whitetail out to 150 yards. A .44 Mag handgun can easily take deer to 100 yards. The carbine barrel gives you extra velocity with a flatter trajectory, while providing even more energy out to 150 yards before bullet drop starts to become an issue. However, putting a scope on one limits it's quick handling a little. Not putting a scope on one limits it's range to what your eyes can do with the open sights. Peep sights are a good choice for an upgrade to the open sights. I always used plain 240 grain jacketed soft point bullets in my .44 mag carbine. They worked well and I think will save you some money over your hard cast ammo, which isn't needed for whitetail at all. Actually, the hard cast ammo may not expand too well on thin skinned deer. Why do I not hunt with a .44 Mag carbine today? I actually found the deer I shot with it were all under 75 yards where I hunt, so I now use a Rossi .357 Mag lever gun that does a fine job under those conditions. It also allows more versatility for other hunting when I load it with standard .38 Special ammo. Plus I have a .357 revolver that I can match it with. You should never feel under gunned with a .44 lever gun when you are only shooting to 150 yards or less.

You have obviously never seen Ted debate. When he debates he is all business and serious. The crazy persona is for the stage and the press. When he is one on one with an anti, he is serious and professional. And he knows the facts! Neither Obama, nor Hillary would ever even consider trying to best him in a debate.

Not only does it happen all the time, the anti-gun folks are trying to tell the general public that it rarely ever happens. They're jumping on the "good guy with a gun" saying by claiming stats don't back it up. Of course they will once again be exposed as liars, as there are stats that back it up, and the number would be even higher if they had to report cases where a gun was only shown, but not fired, in order for someone to have stopped a crime.

If you get into a debate about hunters not being conservationists, you can use this to prove it. http://guide.sportsmansguide.com/news/80th-anniversary-first-day-sale-duck-stamp-approaching/

Sure! You can eat Bobcat too if you want to.

LOL, I used to think like that when I was young. These days I can't be impractical. Even if I got the rifle to shoot M.O.A., if it cost me weeks of hard effort and double the value of the rifle in the end, I would not get any satisfaction from the hunt. Any accuracy issue can be resolved if you throw enough money at it, but if you end up with a rifle that cost you much more than it's worth, that was one expensive hunt IMO.

Considering the time and money you need to invest in this rifle to be happy with it, as well as the cost of all that ammo, and the prospect it may never happen, if it were my rifle, it would be sold. If I wanted a semi auto for hunting, I'd buy something else with the money I got for it.