Age old debate 243 for whites'

[Mr VJP]

Not if you show up with a .22 LR, or a .22 Hornet, .223, 6mm or.243 for deer in grizzly country or even Alberta Canada, where the bucks go over 200 pounds with regularity.  I'll wager they don't feel good about a hunter who uses a .243 because he's recoil shy either.  A professional guide can tell a lot about a client by the type of rifle he brings on a hunt.  there's an time honored guide saying, "Bring enough gun."

 

[philoshop]

I own a .243 and shoot it regularly 11 months of the year. Not much hunting in April. Deer, fox, coyotes, woodchucks. Not the best for any of those, but I shoot it a lot and it's what I like, and I can hit with it. I have lots of others in various calibers, but that's my easy-carry, sure-thing, go-to gun around here. It wouldn't be my recommendation to anyone if they asked, just what I use.

FWIW, I have a friend in Montana who has been guiding people on elk and mulie hunts for about 40 years. He carries a .243 almost exclusively. He also shoots prairie dogs and coyotes with it as a local pest-control guy. Again it's not the best caliber for any of them, but he shoots something like 10k rnds a year with it. I sure wouldn't want him shooting at me with it.

[Uncle Nicky]

As long as I live, I'll never be able to understand why someone would want to push the envelope, and go into the woods undergunned; most times, it will not end well. .243 is the minimum round I'd suggest using on an animal like a whitetail, a .270, .308, or 30-06 is probably the best tool for the job. Too many things can & do go wrong at the moment of truth, even for experienced hunters & riflemen.

[Lawdwaz]

You guys are a riot!

 

 

 

A 270, 280, 300WM etc in the guts is gonna kill WAY better than a 6mm bullet...........

 

 

 

 

[Woodjr55]

I own a .243 and shoot it regularly 11 months of the year. Not much hunting in April. Deer, fox, coyotes, woodchucks. Not the best for any of those, but I shoot it a lot and it's what I like, and I can hit with it. I have lots of others in various calibers, but that's my easy-carry, sure-thing, go-to gun around here. It wouldn't be my recommendation to anyone if they asked, just what I use.

FWIW, I have a friend in Montana who has been guiding people on elk and mulie hunts for about 40 years. He carries a .243 almost exclusively. He also shoots prairie dogs and coyotes with it as a local pest-control guy. Again it's not the best caliber for any of them, but he shoots something like 10k rnds a year with it. I sure wouldn't want him shooting at me with it.

not the best for deer fox coyote and woodchucks? What the heck do you use it for then?

I hunt with a .243 and would never second guess taking a shot on a deer as long as it was a safe shot. worked fine on this guy. Didn't drop in his track but didn't make it out of sight either

[philoshop]

My point was that the best caliber to use is the one that you shoot the most and are the most familiar with.

I use the .243 for just about everything around here except squirrels and birds. I've been using it since I was a kid and it works for me. I see it works for you as well. No argument.

 

Nice buck, by the way!

[Pygmy]

The .243 is pretty potent if you compare it to chamberings that were commonly used  100 years ago, like the 38-40  or 44-40.

 

30-30s and .35 Rem were considered heavy hitters in those days.

 

Must be deer have become harder to kill over the years.

 

I suspect that global warming has something to do with it.

[BizCT]

The 243 is plenty for whitetails, antelope and everything smaller out to 400 yards

[eagle rider]

Safe shots is all we should be taking despite the round we are chambering.  

[BBDEric]

243 is a great deer rifle. Can you go bigger sure... But you have to shoot what you comfertable and gives you the most confidence !!!

[philoshop]

If you're confident that you can hit and kill with it, whatever you're carrying is the best caliber ever made.

 

I've lobbed a few 44-40 rounds over the years myself, Pygmy. Nice to hear somebody mention that deer were actually taken on a pretty regular basis before the word 'magnum' was even coined.

[Big John]

Interesting, my wife uses a Marlin Bolt in .243 85gr Spitzer she can knock a flee of a cats butt @200yds so I don't see an issue with her shooting deer put the crosshairs on the head done deal. Flinching on the .308 for youngsters, my 15 yr. old Daughter shoots my .308 and she is 5'8" 120lbs, having said that my rifle is NOT your out of the box 5lb hole driller it weighs 17lbs so the recoil is much less. Flinching can be over come by practice and proper gun handling, practice is the key. .300 Win. Mag. IMO over kill.

[airedale]

 I am an old Goat that has taken my share of Deer over the years and this thread got me to thinking of my past experiences with a wide variety of firearms.

 

I am a big believer in shooting proficiency, practicing with your guns getting to the point of being able to hit  the spot you are aiming at consistently. The heart lung shot is the one I prefer because it is a large area that is the easiest to hit and certain death will occur if a hunter does his part putting bullet through there. If I am presented with that shot and am using a firearm that I am proficient and confident in I will use any caliber with good ammunition as long as it is legal and within reasonable range.

 

As for the the calibers I have used these are the ones I can remember.

 

222 Rem, 220 Swift, 243 Win, 280 Rem, 338 Win, 357 mag & 44 mag both out of handguns, 44 mag bullets fired from a muzzleloader, 45/70, 20 ga foster slugs, 12 ga foster slugs.

 

Distances varied but the majority were taken within 100 yds with a few longer shots out to maybe 250 yds. Most of those Deer fell where they stood, the rest ran a short distance of up to maybe 50 yds and keeled over.

 

The only two that went far was one Doe hit through the heart with a 44 mag bullet shot from a muzzleloader sprinted a little over 100 yds and ran smack into a page wire fence where she was stopped.

 

Believe it or not a small Buck shot behind the front shoulder at a range of 35 yds with a 350 grain hollow point from a 45/70 went the farthest. There was a good blood trail so me and my hunting buddy had no problem following. We found him piled up almost 200 yds from where he was shot. Upon field dressing it was shown that the bullet had caused tremendous damage, how that Deer went that far I can not explain but it was certainly amazing.

 

I had one instance where I lost a Deer, I jumped a Buck out from under a scrub apple tree in a fairly open field and cut loose with a 12 ga shotgun with slugs. I was pretty sure I hit him good, I found blood and looked and scoured that area for hours but I never did find him.The reality for me was that I more than likely did not hit him as well as I thought and shooting at a sprinting Deer is probably not a good idea.

 

As for the original poster's question about using a 243 Win, in the right hands I think it is a great Deer caliber.

 

Take it for what it is worth.  

 

Al

 

[Buckmaster7600]

I have always enjoyed these debates and I always have the same response "yes but why?" I have never heard anyone ask if a .308 is enough or a 7-08, minimal recoil bigger holes and heavier bullets.

[philoshop]

Why the debate? Or why the .243?

In the case of the debate, it's because everyone tends to think their choice is the best. In the case of the actual caliber my only argument is that it's what I have, I can hit with it, I have a lifetime's worth of ammo loaded for it, and I can't afford to buy another gun right now.

[NeverSeenNorHeard]

[jjb4900]

 

Interesting, my wife uses a Marlin Bolt in .243 85gr Spitzer she can knock a flee of a cats butt @200yds so I don't see an issue with her shooting deer put the crosshairs on the head done deal. Flinching on the .308 for youngsters, my 15 yr. old Daughter shoots my .308 and she is 5'8" 120lbs, having said that my rifle is NOT your out of the box 5lb hole driller it weighs 17lbs so the recoil is much less. Flinching can be over come by practice and proper gun handling, practice is the key. .300 Win. Mag. IMO over kill.

 

uh oh, you may have opened the head shot debate with that one........

[Mr VJP]

Why in heck would any responsible Elk guide, ask a first time Elk hunter to take a shot at a cow at 688 yards, no matter what the cartridge?  I wonder how many videos were filmed by this guide that we will never see because the results were awful.

 

[Buckmaster7600]

Why the .243, if you are asking for people's opinions you must have doubts yourself. If you are not confident in your equipment you should get something different. If you are confident and accurate then use what you have and don't look back! I have killed 6 deer with my .243's without any issues.