Deer and .243

[TopGunner22]

How well does a .243 win work for deer hunting? Do you have any advise on whether or not I should take it deer hunting, also what size grain would you use... that would be great, thanks.


If anyone has a story about deer hunting with a .243 I would love to here how well it worked.

[GrtWhtHntr]

I hunted with mine this past fall for the first time, using 100 grain pointed soft points. I shot a doe at 30 yards, and a buck at about 115 yards. Both deer were standing broadside and ran about 30-40 yards. Exit hole was about the size of a nickel. I was very happy with the results.

[Pinefarm]

A .243 is a top notch whitetail round. Good out to 300 yards, easily. Use 100gr.

[Huntsman27]

have shot many with it and not lost one. Bullets of 95-105gr are made for larger game. Low recoil, plenty of power and also doubles as a great varmint cartridge with varmint bullets of 55-80gr. Much better accuracy and longer range than the 30-30 and the like.

[Nimrod1]

The .243 will do a fine job. Just like any round, bullet placement is paramount. My wife shot her first buck:D with the .243. The deer was quartering hard towards her, so it was more of a raking shot then I would have liked to see. Basicly took out just 1 lung, deer went maybe 80yds, good blood trail, exactly same results I would expect from my Win .300 mag.

[bigrackmack]

My buddy used one this year and last year in Scotland Red Stag hunting and dropped both in thier tracks.....I was really impressed with this caliber....he was shooting 90's.........Mack

[Hunter333]

How well does a .243 win work for deer hunting? Do you have any advise on whether or not I should take it deer hunting, also what size grain would you use... that would be great, thanks.
If anyone has a story about deer hunting with a .243 I would love to here how well it worked.

Why do you ask? Not tying to be a jerk, just wondering why one would ask such a question...... Are you looking to buy the ultimate deer killing rifle and wonder if this will work? Is it the largest caliber that you can afford that you believe will kill a deer? Do you have to choose that caliber versus another for whatever reason? As Nimrod1 said, placement is key. One could kill a deer with a pencil if one was profecient with said weapon. Regardless of what weapon one chooses, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE and you will never ask "How well does the........" AGAIN, not bashing or trying to be a jerrk, I truly wonder why one would ask this question.

[BUCKWIZZARD]

excellent deer rifle, ammo is easy to find and cheap to shoot!!!!!

[NATTY BUMPO]

It'll work OK. Just be sure you use a bullet built for big game and not for varmints. This caliber has some of each on the shelves.

NB

[TopGunner22]

Thank you for the input and advise... I got a new .243 H&R for coyote hunting and was talking with this guy that said it is great for deer hunting also.

[Cpt.Chaos]

The .243 is a great "small" high powered rifle. I know of people that regularly take deer and caribou with them, any other large game animal would call for something more powerful. I am pretty sure that Santa may be bringing one here in a couple of more years for 1st mate Chaos(my son).

[PA BUCK 2]

I have taken a couple of deer with the .243. Like said above use the right bullet and make the right shot and you will have good results. I watched my neice take two deer in the last 2 years with hers- one a running doe that flipped at the shot and the other a doe that was about 60 yards out and it also dropped at the report.

Good luck hope it works well for you.

[English]

I've used a .243 for several years and have been well pleased with the results. My sister has had one for over 15 years and has killed many deer with hers as well. If you put a well constructed bullet where it's supposed to be it will kill a deer quickly and efficiently.

Mike

[Lucky Dog]

I've shot about 30 deer with a .243, all but one dropped in their tracks, the one that didn't went about 40 yards.

I load my own bullets, I use a 100 g round nose. Very seldom have I had a pass through, most of the time the bullet is lodged just under the skin on the opposite side.

[rzdrmh]

Is the 243 a good deer round?

What does that mean? Will it kill a deer? Maybe we should frame the question – put some general context around it. The immediate response is that “shot placement is key”, and certainly that is true. To deliver one's projectile, reliably, where it is aimed, will by far yield more game than any other factor, caliber included. Shot placement is such a fundamental truth, so self-evident, that it should not be included as an argument for a particular cartridge or caliber. Its so silly for us to keep repeating something so obvious – kind of like stating “the best way to win a football game is to score touchdowns.” Certainly the game can be won without them, but its infinitely more difficult. Same can be said for bullet construction - good design and construction is a given.

Once this truth is accepted, then its hard to find a cartridge that is not capable of reliably killing a deer. As previously mentioned, something so small as a needle will kill a deer if projected sufficiently into the thorax. And yet, countless deer are wounded and not recovered each year. So what gives?

Well, first off, though we know that we must place our shots in the thorax for optimal terminal effectiveness, doing so is easier said than done. Primary obstacles are two fold, in my opinion. The first being recoil, which causes a host of accuracy problems. The remaining obstacle concerns drop/drift of the bullet.

Recoil is easily remedied – choose a lighter bullet, lesser charge, or heavier gun. (Or any combination of the three.) This might require a caliber change, or might not.

Drift and drop? This problem can be remedied in one of two ways – either limit shots to ranges where drift/drop are non-factors, or practice often at the range you’d like to shoot, under the expected hunting climate conditions. Quite obviously, range limitation is by far the easiest way to eliminate drift and drop from the equation.

Either way, our goal is the same – to be able to place all of our shots in a 6-8” circle, at our desired distance (or less), under the worst conditions we expect to hunt in. Every shot, every time.

Now that we’ve accounted for accurate shots to the thorax – what’s the next factor that hinders terminal effectiveness? Resistance. Tissue impedes penetration, necessary to reach the thorax and kill our prey. It’s been well proven that our highest percentage shot comes when our prey is slightly quartering away from us, ensuring that the bullet encounters the least amount of bone and the most amount of soft tissue in its path towards the vitals.

Of course, limiting our shots to quartering away shots greatly expands the number of cartridges that we can use. But what if one isn’t content with that? What if one wants to shoot that big buck of a lifetime, even if the only shot he has is a forward facing, or quartering forward shot offering little but the neck/shoulder junction? Its these shots that begin to distinguish the terminal effectiveness of cartridges.

So, given our progression, its fair to say that we can ethically and humanely use ANY caliber that allows us to accurately hit the thorax, and reliably compromise it. Fair enough? Then again, why do some deer run 100 yards, and some drop in their tracks, when hit with the same killing shot?

Obviously, will to live on the part of the prey is involved, and that’s something we have no control over. So its pointless to try to accommodate for it. Setting that aside for a moment -

At least part of phenomenon can be explained by caliber choice. Bullets kill by disruption and displacement of tissue, eliminating the vital organs of the prey from functioning properly to sustain life. The more permanent disruption and displacement, the more potential for immediate kills.

Of course, the natural question arises – if two different bullets from two different calibers both penetrate the thorax, and subsequently, both kill the deer, then why does it matter if the deer travels 25 yards or 75 yards after the shot? Both deer are dead, right?

Many times, it doesn’t matter. If I’m shooting over a corn stubble field, and have line of sight for several hundred yards, its of little consequence. And ethically, I highly doubt the deer feels any more or less pain by traveling 25 vs. 75 yards, though I’ve no way to prove it. It becomes more important as surroundings vary. Maybe you’re hunting in a swamp, where a running deer will likely end up in water. Or cover so thick that should the deer travel much at all, recovery will be jeopardized, even if death is imminent. Or when hunting on small parcels of land where permission to cross boundaries is in question. And so on.

Back to our “will to live” factor. Surely we’ve all got accounts of deer dropping in their tracks when shot with smaller calibers, and running for miles after being shot with larger calibers. It is important here to look at trends, not individual occurrences. To hold individual accounts as definitive proof of terminal effectiveness is short-sighted. Though admittedly, it may be of little consequence when hunting deer and other like prey. Clearly, though, caliber size does have an impact on “fast kills” – one need to look no further than the minimum caliber restrictions to hunt dangerous game in other parts of the world. Hell, even in North America, most guides would shudder a little to see a guy with a 270 hunting brown bear or grizzlies. And a 270 is more than capable of shooting through the broadside chest of a big bear. Equally important on errant shots - though a poorly placed shot is bad news all around, a larger bullet will still do more tissue damage, and potentially increase odds of recovery.

So, in my humble opinion, instead of picking a caliber and trying to make it work for us, we should examine ourselves first, and answer the following questions:

1) How much recoil can I handle without impacting my accuracy? 7 ft/lbs (average 243 load)? 10 ft/lbs (average 30-30 load)? 20 ft/lbs (average 30-06 load)?
2) How far do I want to shoot
3) What is my acceptable limit for the distance the game travels after the shot?

With that criteria in mind, I’d advise someone to hunt with the largest caliber possible that generates recoil below their tolerable threshold, and allows for desired shot ranges that require little consideration for drift and drop. This allows for maximum shot opportunities, with minimum chance of travel after the shot. shooting a smaller caliber, when one can handle the recoil of a larger caliber while shooting the same distance, makes no sense. If one has never considered these factors, then its impossible to say whether caliber "XXX" is a good one (for them).

For me, inside of 150 yards, it’s a .45” diameter bullet. Inside of 300 yards, it’s a .308” diameter bullet, though for a little more recoil, it could be argued that a .338” diameter is better.

if a .243" diameter bullet meets these criteria for you, then its a good round. I personally like it better for a varmint round, as it was advertised when first introduced.

[part timer]

How well does a .243 win work for deer hunting? Do you have any advise on whether or not I should take it deer hunting, also what size grain would you use... that would be great, thanks.


Simple questions - here are my simple answers.
- A .243 can perform very well on deer within a couple hundred yards.
- Advice: Practice and know your limits.
- Use a 95-105 grain bullet built for deer sized animals.

[fulldraw]

My cousins hunts with one and has been very succesfull, gets at least two deer per year. He very accurate with it and very rarely misses.

[Backwoods-Savage]

Our family, including my wife have killed plenty of deer with a .243. Almost all have dropped in their tracks but the longest shot we've had was under 100 yards.

You indeed have a very capable rifle for both coyotes and deer.

[FISH]

i have the same rifle as you. i use it for deer and coyote huntin, use a good solid bullet. i shot 2 deer with the 95 grain fusion ammo and they didn't take more than a couple steps.

[Huntsman27]

dual purpose calibers created. Thats what Winchester proclaimed in 1955. Most of what RZ talks of I agree with, but I like the lighter calibers and they work just as efficient in the hands of skilled marksmen. The other point I think missed is the one rifle fellow. The 243 will work perfectly for someone that only wants or needs ONE rifle to do both jobs with little recoil.

[rzdrmh]

yes, as a nation, i do believe we have a tendency to "over-gun" ourselves - that is - purchase a rifle for every little situation we could encounter. while its fun to buy guns and shoot all calibers - the most proficient marksman, imo, are those that become intimately aware of an individual firearm. its simply not cost effective to shoot a safe full of guns enough to know them all very well (and who has the time, anyway?).

the idea of a dual purpose, or multi-purpose gun is appealing for many reasons.

imo, one would have a very difficult time arguing the need for more than 3 guns to kill anything on this earth -

1) 12 gauge shotgun
2) 22 LR
3) 30-06

for a little more insurance, and a fourth gun, i'd add a 375 H&H on the heavy end of the spectrum. one could make all kinds of arguments for and against these calibers, but the fact remains - it only takes a few guns to hunt.

if our list looked like this -

1) 12 gauge shotgun
2) 22 LR
3) 243

then i think we'd be forced into a little bigger caliber to hunt truly large game, though the 243 remains a versatile cartridge for small predator and deer sized game. those that never plan on hunting the big stuff really don't need additional rifles, as long as they understand the limitations of the calibers they are shooting.

i reload, and can load a 7/8 oz #7 shot load for my 12 gauge (which is a standard 20 gauge field load) or beef it up to 2 oz. my 30-06 can be loaded all the way down to 55 grains using a saboted accelerator, up to 220 grains. and of course, the 22 is a great small game/practice rifle.

my only point is this:

lets get over caliber obsession. all calibers kill all animals within their given limitations.

examine your abilities and your needs, and be honest with yourself. and then make a choice on the caliber, instead of picking a caliber and trying to fit yourself to it.

[Huntsman27]

However, we arent 1 rifle hunters. Its great to have variety. The wife doesnt understand why I have all those rifles as she is sure ONE will suffice. Much as I tell her 1 pr of shoes would do.
The campfire discussion of calibers will go on long after we have left the earth.

[rzdrmh]

Ha! huntsmen, i know as well - there's more than 3 guns in my safe! do as i say, not as i do!

[uptracker]

I've shot about 30 deer with a .243, all but one dropped in their tracks, the one that didn't went about 40 yards.

I load my own bullets, I use a 100 g round nose. Very seldom have I had a pass through, most of the time the bullet is lodged just under the skin on the opposite side.

Good, that's what you want!!!!!!!!!!! I may have to look into one since the woman is contemplating deer hunting, I need a new varmint rifle, and I was impressed with my buddy's wifes little Ruger! It jolted her a bit, but she was also 4'9" 95# :lol: .

[Gilbey]

I own a Browning A Bolt .243. It's one of my favorite guns. I would not trade this gun for any other caliber. It's very accurate, and has already amounted for more than a few bucks and 3 does.

I have not tried it out to 300 yards as somebody else posted, but it's a very flat shooting round.

I shoot 95 grain Winchester Ballistic tips out of it. Has never let me down.

[kotz21]

.243 is great i killed 10 deer with mine... i shoot 80 gr. bullets from federal there devasting at 200 yds. easily deflectered in brush though... good luck great gun!!!!

[Huntsman27]

time and again. So you take a second shot.

[Cpt.Chaos]

1-gun for everone----NO-WAY!:lol: I have my 12 gauge for ducks and geese, my 20 for rabbits(carrying it 2-4 miles is so much lighter than dragging the 12 around), .17 hmr for varmits and targets, the .22 Mark II for close-in work in barns and out-buildings and then my 7mm for the reach out and touch someone type of hunting. We our blessed with the availability of so many different arms, why really try to use just one gun? No fun in that! The only reason I would be buying my son a .243 is that I want to take him big game hunting when he's 12, and due to the smaller recoil of this round, I thought it may be a better choice than giving him my 7mm to use caribou hunting, with trips tentatively planned in '09 and '12.

[Huntsman27]

with that 243 so he can become proficient with it. It warms up next month, I know Ill be out working them over with the 204,22-250 and 243s.

[One Eye]

My 12 year old daughter shot her first deer this past fall with a .243. It was a nice doe. She hit the deer right in the chest. It piled up in sight about 75 yards away. Blood trail was excellent, but not needed. She was shooting 100 grain Remington ammo. Here you go.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/dlfrein/PB300010.jpg

Dan

[Huntsman27]

The grin says it all. Congrats!

[Munsterlndr]

That's a great picture, Dan, congrats to your daughter. The .243 makes a great youth gun, imho because the very light recoil. Good Job!

[M1Garand]

My 12 year old daughter shot her first deer this past fall with a .243. It was a nice doe. She hit the deer right in the chest. It piled up in sight about 75 yards away. Blood trail was excellent, but not needed. She was shooting 100 grain Remington ammo. Here you go.
Dan

Awesome...

[MERGANZER]

I am looking to get one for my 9 year old daughter for her to practice with so she will be ready when the time comes for her to take to the field

Ganzer

[tjays]

I don't have to write a book to tell you that the .243 is an outstanding deer rifle. Have fun with it.