[Newt]

So I've just bought a new rifle. I love it. It is a .243 Tikka T3 Lite, Stainless synthetic. I know this is a flame war waiting to happen, but I have a question for you guys. I have a friend who uses a 40 gr. 22-250 bullet to deer hunt with and he absolutely loves it. I have personally witnessed him take deer at 400+ yds. What do you guys think about using a 55 gr. .243 bullet to deer hunt with?

Newt

[Art Eatman]

Back some 30 years ago, I loaded the 70-grain Hornady for varmints, and the 85-grain Sierra HPBT for small cenTex deer. I've killed around 20 deer with that Sierra bullet. I found it is quite effective on coyotes, so I haven't bothered with the 70-grain loads any more.

The big problem with ultra-light bullets is that they're not meant for deep penetration on larger animals. They can blow up on a rib or a shoulder blade. They certainly won't penetrate on a quartering shot. The result can easily be a lost deer that dies way away from the scene.

Always think of the hunting ethic of a clean, near-instantaneous kill. Use the proper tool for the proper job. A screwdriver ain't a chisel, regardless of what my kid thought. :)

And just 'cause your buddy does wrong with his .22-250, you needn't emulate such foolishness.

A perfect hit means almost any old bullet or cartridge will do. Trouble is, you cannot ever guarantee without fail that you'll get a perfect hit.

Ethics is all.

Art

[Kcustom45]

A wise man once said "You can kill a deer with a .22, but that doesn't make a .22 a deer rifle." Or something like that.