243 Win for Deer

[eagle rider]

Anyone load 243 Win for whitetails? I'm looking for a 100 to 150 yd round using a Sierra Gameking 100 gr and Hodgedon Varget. The manual says I will get out of the barrel at 2838 FPS with 33.7 grs of Varget. I'll be using a 243 Win Barrel on a TC Encore.

[fasteddie]

I havn't but I have heard guys testify to the deer killing ability of this round . I wouldn't recommend a lesser caliber than a 243 .

[eagle rider]

I should be getting about 1750 foot pounds with this load. I know its the bottom on the line up. Shot placement will be critical.

Edited April 2, 2012 by eagle rider

[bubba]

The biggest problem I hear of with using a 243 or other smaller caliber diameter bullets is lack of a blood trail due to small entrance and exit wounds. That being said, I have a couple friends who one pretty much exclusively. They have hhad great success with sierra 100 grain game kings and either varget or imr 4895

[Grouse]

The .243 using the load you are mentioning will do the job, as long as you do your part. GUYS GET IN TROUBLE WITH THE .243 WHEN THEY TRY TO EXCEED IT'S LIMITATIONS. Shot placement is the most important thing. If you are not presented with the shot you need to cleanly kill the deer, wait!

Using a good bullet, that will penetrate to the vitals, do plenty of damage and even exit the other side of the deer, is what you want your bullet to do. Spend the money you need to spend to get a bullet that will do that.

Small bullets at high velocity may fail to penetrate to a deer's vitals at close range. If the bullet explodes on impact, you will only wound the deer. Another reason the choice of bullet in a .243 is very important.

A .243 will kill deer, I've done it many times, but the hunter using a .243 must have the patience and experience to know exactly how and when to shoot. He also must know exactly what his bullet will do when it hits the deer. And he must be able to sort through all of this info in his head when he sees the deer and is deciding if he should take the shot. That's hard to do if you have buck fever. Some will say this info applies to any deer round, but the margin for error is much smaller when using the .243.

One last thing. I've seen many hunters use a .243 when they had the chance to shoot a huge deer. Each one had to overcome his doubt in the .243 when he pulled the trigger. It's easy to think "I need more gun" when a 200 pound 12 point is looking right at you. That can mess with your confidence level.

[eagle rider]

Grouse and Bubba thanks. This helps a lot especially that I am using a single shot TC Encore. The first shot is the ONLY shot!!!!!

[pistolp71]

Some say the 7mm-08 is the perfect whitetail round. How much of a difference do you think there is between the .243 and the 7-08? Not much. Both come from the .308. One necked down to 7mm, the other to 6mm. Use a good bullet and you will be fine. I love my .243.

[bubba]

the difference is bullet selection. You can get a much heavier harder hitting bullet in a 7-08. Bullet selection is limited in 243.

[pistolp71]

Yes, that is correct. And there are bullets available for the .243 that will kill any whitetail in north america.

[BizCT]

Many whitetails have been shot with Weatherby .243 win.

[NYbuck50]

I have a Ruger .243 that i wont use for deer. A buddy of mine shot two with it and had alot of trouble tracking and had to shoot one twice.. (This particular buddy is 60 and i've never heard him shoot more than once on 15-20 deer.) With a .270 or 30-06 even if the hit isn't perfect, they dont go very far.

[ants]

Hate to keep saying it but the 7mm-08 all the way. a 243 will kill any deer out there but the 08 is about the same in recoil but kills them way faster and is way more forgiving. I took a few with the 243 and was not impressed, as far as quick kills. I used Rem. 100 gr. cor-lockt. If you go with the 243, put a good broad side hit on him, then watch where he runs for as long as you can. More likely than not it wont leave alot of blood. Good luck.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I dont think this thread is about opinions on the 243 for using on deer, or other calibers to use. Hes asking about specific loading advice for 243.

[bubba]

Yes, that is correct. And there are bullets available for the .243 that will kill any whitetail in north america.

and there are so many more choices which will do a better more ethical job with the 7-08.

As far as loads, I always used 100gr remington core lokts and varget 38.7 grains cci rifle primers and winchester brass. It was a very accurate load out of my H&R handi rifle. I shot more coyotes and chucks with it than anything.

[Bballhunter11]

Would agree that the 7-08 is a better round in most cases and also has the opportunity to move up in game size where the 243 is pretty much at its peak with deer.

My brother killed a elk in colorado with his 7-08 this winter loaded with 160 gr Nosler Accubonds over IMR 4895

[Lawdwaz]

This thread is a hoot. Some real pearls of wisdom!!

Keep them coming.........................!

[bubba]

who's ass do you want kicked

[Lawdwaz]

who's ass do you want kicked

I'll PM you the short list.

[Lawdwaz]

Sorry Bubba, I forgot the <grin>

Don't take me too serious.........

[northernborn]

ive shot many whitetails and pronghorns with a sako II .243 in the 80s and 90s when it was a favorite of mine to carry. I built the gun for varminting and never had good performance in the 100 gr pills but the sierra 60s (modern number#1500) were deadly. most of our kids start hunting big game with the 243 from age 5 or so up due to its mild recoil, but one boy has never used anything but his 22-250 using #1390 sierras for the last 10 years and sees no reason to change to the 243, ..whatever you ahve confidence in , 400 yard chest and head shots on chucks makes 50 yard shots on deer a gimme, as always shoot more and more often. good hutning.

[Fantail]

eagle rider; While I don't use varget, the 100-gr sierra round is good jazz. last year I took a big doe with that round at 160 yards she just dropped, didn't go 5 yards, plus a buck off my lease that didn't go but 15 yards. 2 years before that a 7pnt off state land same round, he went maybe 35-40 yards, blood trail stevie nicks could follow.

I typicaly use federal brass & imr 4350 nothing extreeme but have some lapua & neck size so I tend not to broadcast loads anymore. tell you what though I was working on a nosler partition 95 gr load with h-414 that started to look real good.

On a side note I would go so far as saying I would not go over 200 yards, heck where I hunt that is hardly an issue. Aside from that I spend time at the range & have absolute confidence in my 700.

[Lawdwaz]

ive shot many whitetails and pronghorns with a sako II .243 in the 80s and 90s when it was a favorite of mine to carry. I built the gun for varminting and never had good performance in the 100 gr pills but the sierra 60s (modern number#1500) were deadly. most of our kids start hunting big game with the 243 from age 5 or so up due to its mild recoil, but one boy has never used anything but his 22-250 using #1390 sierras for the last 10 years and sees no reason to change to the 243, ..whatever you ahve confidence in , 400 yard chest and head shots on chucks makes 50 yard shots on deer a gimme, as always shoot more and more often. good hutning.

A 22-250? Say it ain't so.....................<grin>

I have a 223 Improved that's just itchin' to go out in November rather than JUST the summer months. Once the "powers to be" approve rifle in Ontario County, then it'll get some long over due trigger time. Until then, little grizzly bear 'chucks are the target of choice.

[Lawdwaz]

I used the Barnes 80 grain TTSX out of my 243 (at about 3400fps) last fall in PA on a nice adult doe and she went about 10 feet. 200 yards, head on. Confidence is a wonderful thing.

Edited April 5, 2012 by Lawdwaz

[bubba]

Sorry Bubba, I forgot the <grin>

Don't take me too serious.........

well you seemed to chime in everyone was kicking mine a while ago I just wanted to be sure

[Lawdwaz]

I get confused easy, as I am now, I think?

How's things in Northern NY? You guys as far along with spring as we are done here? Pretty cold tonight up your way tonight? we'll be in the mid 20's here I believe.

If we had punkins, they's be frosty. <grin>