Who has actually used .243 Win for deer

[wankerjake]

I've taken 3 or 4 mulies with my .243. It's a tackdriver and puts them down just fine. All my kills have been inside 100 yards so that helps, but it tears a good hole out the other side in every case. I shoot handloaded 100gr hornady softpoints. I have zero desire to use a bigger gun for deer.

 

[DeepSouth]

My .243 has killed more Whitetail deer than every other hunting gun I own, combined. I have also killed an Antelope with one. I can remember hitting one deer with it that I never found (shot in the rain so no blood, found a little long white hair which leads me to believe I hit way low) If their hit right it'll kill'em just as clean as my 7 mag. Most of the deer I have harvested were in the 100-200 yard range but some were 300+

I have found several bullets while cleaning and almost always right inside the hide on the exiting side of the deer. If the deer is pretty close or fairly small it will exit. But, in my experience, if it is a larger deer or very far away it will not exit. That is fine with me but it is the total reason my brother will not use the round, "no blood to trail" he says.

I shoot reloaded 85 gr boat tail hollow point and think the round is entirely sufficient for your whitetail and antelope, I don't know anything about mule deer. In short it is all about shot placement.

 

[BENELLIMONTE]

Soda'

Any chance you live near Soda Springs, Idaho. I have always wanted to hunt in that part of Idaho.

 

[hunter25]

My son and daughter both started with the .243 and we have taken over a dozen Mule deer and antelope with it with excellent results. 100 gr Remington Cor-Lokt with Burris 3x9.
Not 1 animal has gone more than 25 yards.
I took 1 javelina in Arizona with it using a 95gr ballistic tip also.

 

[BENELLIMONTE]

hunter'

What did you think of the 95grain ballistic tip i.e accuracy and performance on game?

 

[AKElroy]

I can't figure out where it gets this "kids/chicks rifle" reputation. Okay so it doesn't leave a bruise. I've got enough chest hair already, I don't have anything to prove. It's a flat shooting rifle with good energy.

I recently bought an H&R .243 for my kid as his first center-fire rifle specifically because it is all that is needed on central Texas whitetail, and because it is very easy on my young shooters shoulder. Nothing wrong with either objective--

 

[Sav .250]

BeneLLImonte ::I use 100 gr Winchester/Remington shells and due to the type of terrain I hunt, I`d say most of my shots are 100 yds or less.

 

[homers]

I've shot 2 whitetails with my 243. Both using 100 gr nosler partitions. One buck dressed out at 225 pounds; The big boy almost did a back flip when I hit him. The other, normal sized buck when about 20 yards and dropped.

 

[bang_bang]

I've known quite a few people in my area that have used or are still using the .243 Win as their main deer rifle.

1) These people like a smaller, compact rifle that isn't as gawdy or heavy as some rifles chambered in larger calibers.
2) Low recoil = more comfort when taking shots.
3) Some of these hunters started out with a .243 Win, liked it, and are still using it many years later.
4) Shot placement is key...these hunters are extremely skilled with their rifle, they tend to use it for anything from groundhog to deer. I have witnessed a turkey loosing it's head to a .243 projectile from a considerable distance.

 

[41magsnub]

A great many times, I started with a .243 and used into my 20's. I've never had a deer I shot with it go more than 10 yards, most just fell right there. I always aimed for a heart lungs vital shot. I have no idea how many deer I killed with it but it was a lot. All of them were MT muleys. For ammo I shot Core-lokt 100gr for everything.

I wish I still had that rifle but I stupidly traded in on a .22-250 I hardly ever use.

 

[dullh]

I've asked six regular hunters here and, here at least, the concensus is universal: they all believe the minimum caliber for deer is .270. Their opinions, which I do respect, are that that's the minimum caliber because with good shot placement the thing is less likely to run off. They don't like to go looking for dead deer. My personal choice for deer of any size is 7mm-08.

 

[oldreloader]

I probably killed 15 whitetails with a .243 back in the 70's. I used both 85 and 100 grain bullets.They will work with good shot placement.I just prefer something a little bigger(30-06).

 

[shaggy430]

I've asked six regular hunters here and, here at least, the concensus is universal: they all believe the minimum caliber for deer is .270.

I guess they've never talked to the hundreds of thousands of deer that have been killed with the .243.

 

[bdg146]

I started out with a .243. I've killed whitetail, antelope, and mule deer with it. I'm trying to remember, the counts... i'm thinking 3 whitetail, 2 antelope, and 2 mulies. I've never shot at an animal with it and not recovered that animal. All were recovered within reasonable distances (a deer can run fairly far even after a vital shot).

It is absolutely enough gun for these animals. I've since switched to a .270. As always, it's all about shot placement. A well-aimed .243 is much better than a misplaced .270.

As for load, I just used Remington Core-Lokt 100 gr. Any hunting load should do, just find one that's accurate and you're good to go.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Magnumitis is incurable it seems. A large caliber cannot make-up for poor marksmanship.

 

[41magsnub]

I probably killed 15 whitetails with a .243 back in the 70's. I used both 85 and 100 grain bullets.They will work with good shot placement.I just prefer something a little bigger(30-06).

But deer are bigger and tougher now... duh

 

[oneounceload]

243 works well on NV antelope. I used to own a Ruger #1 RSI in 243 - great gun, LOVED a Sierra 85BTHP - would give me .75" groups and did a great job with that and a Speer 105

 

[Dallas Jack]

I shot a nice doe last season with a .243 Vanguard shooting Federal Vital Shok 100 grain Nosler Partitions. Very effective round. I plan to use my .243 this season to take another doe but I may use my handloads for this one. I'm loading 95 grain Nosler ballistic tips with H4831sc.

I wouldn't hesitate to use a .243 to take any deer including mule deer.
Dallas Jack

 

[schnarrgj]

Started using a ruger M77 with it in the early 80's. It has taken many deer through the years. Originally I bought it for the the kids when they were young and more recoil sensitive. Then I stated using it also.

I have had more bang flops with it than with any other round from the 308 to the 8mm Mauser. One deer in was a small 4 point facing me at just over 100 yards. It was hit at in the chest and I found the bullet under the skin just to the right of the tail. Needless to say the deer dropped immediately. That bullet, a hornady 100 gr, went though well over 3 feet of deer. As with any hunting, you do your part, the bullet will do its part. I have the utmost confidence in the round.

 

[JonB]

Works great

I grew up in eastern MT hunting mule, whitetail, and antelope with a .243. So did my brother. .243 is a great round for all manner of deer size critters. oh - and the deer in MT are much bigger than the 'dog size' variety found elsewhere in the country.

We used mostly handloads - either a 85gr hollow point, or 100 soft point. Both work fine. But off the shelf loads work just as well.

.243 is a very capable cartridge that many people under estimate. I carried it elk hunting as well (although I never shot an elk with it). As with any cartridge, it's more about the shooter and proper shot placement.

 

[Skillet]

Soda'

Any chance you live near Soda Springs, Idaho. I have always wanted to hunt in that part of Idaho.

no, i live in the Nampa-Boise area. i hunt in unit 40 for deer and i can't remember what unit but it is the Salmon River canyon for elk.(the Main salmon river)

 

[TIMC]

I have taken a few with my Ruger 77 .243 but it is far from my favorite. She shoots well with 100 grain bullets. I dropped this one in its tracks with a neck shot at 100 yards.

 

[KenWP]

I got my first deer with a 22 short so I would guess a 243 would be more then enough gun in most cases. Since I have seen a deer shot with a 375HH and still move any thing could be to small in the wrong hands.

 

[NDGeek]

I've shot at least 25 deer with my Sako 243. Ranging from big Mule Bucks to the lowly whitetail doe. Almost every one of those deer dropped dead or walked 10 feet and fell over hard. Usually neck or heart shots. These are North Dakota badlands deer too. Not little southern bambies.

Anyone who says it's not enough rifle has never shot one or is a bad shot.

100 Grain Power Points usually.

 

[Art Eatman]

A .244 Remington is about the same as the .243. I know that it will drop a 220-pound live-weight man at 420 yards. I heard the impact. The hit was in the right shirt pocket. The bullet deflected downwards. DOA. Austin, Texas, August, 1966.