Is .243 enough for mule deer???

[Ankeny]

I doubt if we would ever find that out as folks won't be screaming to post on poor shooting and or losing game to poor shot.

Yeah, but the argument will come back to.. it doesn't matter if you use a .243 or a .338 Lapua, a poor shot is a poor shot.

I guide for an outfitter in Wyoming. This year our clients put 40+ mule deer on the ground. Several deer were very heavy, and I believe the largest scored 208 points. From personal experience, I can say precious few people will let the trophy of a lifetime walk away just because the critter doesn't present a broadside shot. Ask any guide or outfitter that has seen hundreds of big game animals shot how they feel about "marginal" calibers...

FWIW, my brother passed on a shot at an elk at 405 yards because he had his 7mm-08 in his hands and his 7mm Rem Mag was in the rack in the back of my jeep. The elk is in the freezer thanks to a larger caliber rifle set up for longer range shooting that I had in my hands. I doubt that will ever happen to him again.

 

[Andrew Leigh]

Yeah, but the argument will come back to.. it doesn't matter if you use a .243 or a .338 Lapua, a poor shot is a poor shot.

I guide for an outfitter in Wyoming. This year our clients put 40+ mule deer on the ground. Several deer were very heavy, and I believe the largest scored 208 points. From personal experience, I can say precious few people will let the trophy of a lifetime walk away just because the critter doesn't present a broadside shot. Ask any guide or outfitter that has seen hundreds of big game animals shot how they feel about "marginal" calibers...

FWIW, my brother passed on a shot at an elk at 405 yards because he had his 7mm-08 in his hands and his 7mm Rem Mag was in the rack in the back of my jeep. The elk is in the freezer thanks to a larger caliber rifle set up for longer range shooting that I had in my hands. I doubt that will ever happen to him again.

Agree fully,

perhaps the only thing I would like to add is about poor shots are poor shots indeed but if the poor shot required passage through heavy bone to reach the vitals then that is where the heavier calibre's come into their own.

 

[Sav .250]

Nice going..........

I`d have used the 100 gr. but that`s just me.

 

[Ankeny]

...if the poor shot required passage through heavy bone to reach the vitals then that is where the heavier calibre's come into their own.

Absolutely true. I have seen too many trophy animals shot either quartering towards the shooter, or quartering away, where the light caliber failed to make the trip to the boiler room. On the flip side, a heavier caliber (not even talking a magnum) would have shot the animal full length. One solution offered up by many hunters is to simply pop the critter in the head or in the neck. Problem is, head and/or neck shots are one of the most failed shots made. Too many animals shot in the snout, jaw blown off, hit in the throat, etc.

Yeah, I know the solution is to take only the best and most "ethical" shot. It seems ethics and decision making become clouded when that monster buck or bull appears in the scope.

 

[22-rimfire]

I guide for an outfitter in Wyoming. This year our clients put 40+ mule deer on the ground. Several deer were very heavy, and I believe the largest scored 208 points. From personal experience, I can say precious few people will let the trophy of a lifetime walk away just because the critter doesn't present a broadside shot. Ask any guide or outfitter that has seen hundreds of big game animals shot how they feel about "marginal" calibers...

This is an important point about hunting. One man's trophy is another man's pass by hoping for something larger. But few will pass up the shot if they are going to shoot.

I passed on a handgun shot on a buck at about 60 yds on a buck larger than I have ever taken simply because I couldn't get a clear shot. Most would have blasted away hoping to land a good hit.

You can take a deer with just about any caliber. I suspect you could take one with a good air rifle if you shot it in the eye. I think you need to choose your calibers wisely for deer hunting based on the kind of hunting terrain you are hunting in.

A 243 is the smallest caliber I will recommend for deer hunting at normal ranges (under 200 yds, but preferrably under 100 yds).

 

[smkummer]

It is OK

20 years ago my only choice of a rifle was a .243 that was sighted in, so that was better than one that was not checked. Dropped a large whitetail buck (biggest deer out of 11 that were at the butcher shop that day) that was trotting away broadside at about 75 yards dead as dead with one lung/heart shot. This was in North Dakota where the deer can get big. I would have prefered a bigger gun but it worked fine that day. Factory 100 grain bullet.

 

[WTBguns10kOK]

Where were the entrance and exit (if there was) holes located.

Quartering towards, entered inside of the left shoulder, exited just behind the right.

 

[Andrew Leigh]

Cool, thanks.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

Sure it is! My hunting partner has hunted deer and elk for years with one. He swears by it. I use a 30-06 across the board but don't discount the effectiveness of the .243.

 

[matt 7mm]

I have seen two spectactular kills on whitetails this year with a 243 loaded with 95gr ssts both heart lung shots both deer a 100+lb doe and a 160lb 9point buck went down within 20 yards of were they were shot.the only thing i dont like is that the bullet didnt exit it was just under the hide on the far side of each animal.so it killed quick and clean but if we had to track em very far it would have been tough because there wasnt hardly any blood trail to speak of

 

[cougar1717]

but if we had to track em very far it would have been tough because there wasnt hardly any blood trail to speak of

This is the biggest detriment in my mind about using a .243/6mm. Out west, where there is more open land, if your game runs a little before dropping it's no big deal. Hunting in the east or midwest where there is thicker forest, it can be very difficult to track (and possibly lose) game because the entrance and exit holes are small. 6mm caliber will take your game with a well-placed shot, no doubt. Finding it may be more difficult than using a larger caliber.

 

[MCgunner]

This is the biggest detriment in my mind about using a .243/6mm. Out west, where there is more open land, if your game runs a little before dropping it's no big deal. Hunting in the east or midwest where there is thicker forest, it can be very difficult to track (and possibly lose) game because the entrance and exit holes are small. 6mm caliber will take your game with a well-placed shot, no doubt. Finding it may be more difficult than using a larger caliber.

Would those be desert or Rocky Mountain mulies you're hunting back east?

I don't think a whitetail is a problem with a .243, especially at woods ranges. Even .22-250 is a popular choice here, .243 being acknowledged as the low end of serious deer calibers. A Barnes or a Partition WILL exit. I don't think one needs a magic bullet on whitetail, though. Near 400 lb Rocky Mountain mulies, yeah, I'd want a Barnes. The problem with the gun on mulies is distance. Don't wanna shoot over 300 out there because the little booger is runnin' a little low on juice past that for big mulies. If you use a decent controlled expansion premium bullet, you won't need to sweat the penetration, though inside 300 yards.

I'll admit I don't have a .243. I inherited my grandpa's .257 Roberts when I was in high school in the 60s and it's killed the most deer for me over the years. I've shot 'em with .50 cal minie, 7mm Rem Mag, .308, among others and the little Roberts (not much more gun than .243 with factory loads) had killed 'em just as dead, some biggish ones, too. I hand load it pretty hot, now, but just use a 100 grain Sierra Game King bullet. It's a good penetrator. Only thing that'll keep it from exiting a whitetail is LOTS of bone. I had ONE shot enter the on side shoulder through the scapula, bounced up and shattered a vertebra, bounced down and went through an off side rib before stopping under the skin, only one that didn't penetrate completely. That vertebra made a loud, audible "CRACK" when it shattered, was wondering what did that until I started butchering. It also explained why he seemed to almost flop before I banged. I have used 117grain bullets that didn't open up well at 3050 fps, Hornady interlock. It went straight through a 160 lb buck like a pencil. That one went 75 yards before piling up at a fence it didn't have juice enough to get over. I was lucky to find it. Only deer in a few dozen that gun has killed in MY hands that didn't die DRT.

I like the 100 grain game king in that gun, 1/2 MOA accurate. It's like surgical precision. I know it will expand, too. I quit using the interlock. With small calibers, a good bullet is important. The newer premiums from such as Barnes are more guaranteed to penetrate AND expand EVERY time.

All that said, the only Rocky Mountain mulie I've ever taken was with a 7mm Rem Mag across a canyon about 360 yards.

 

[josiewales]

Saw a movie of a girl taking a elk at 658 yards with a .243, so yes, absolutely!

 

[RevGeo]

The original question was about the cartridge, not the shooters. A .243 with a good bullet is entirely adequate for mule deer. Is the shooter adequate? That's a different question.
If one is shooting a muzzle loader, a bow or a single-shot cartridge gun (regardless of the chambering) one must take the limitations of the weapon used into account, no?
Once again, to answer the OPs question - Yes, the .243 is enough gun. But you must be enough shooter.

 

[Mauser lover]

For mulies, it wouldn't be my first choice, and it wouldn't be my second, but it isn't too far down the list. Excellent all around cartridge though.

 

[Kachok]

No doubt about it, shot placement rules all, but having some hands on experience with the 243 I have to say not my first choice for the larger CXP2 game. It is hella good on Texas sized whitetail though

 

[Elkins45]

I wouldn't choose a 243 as my hunting rifle if I had a choice...but if a 243 was the only rifle I had access to I wouldn't stay home.

I would try very hard to find or make ammo loaded with a premium bullet of some sort. Smaller calibers don't give you much margin of error in terms of bullet performance. Cup/core separation in a .24 projectile has a greater chance of resulting in a slow kill than the same failure in a larger, heavier bullet.

 

[Davek1977]

Saw a movie of a girl taking a elk at 658 yards with a .243, so yes, absolutely!

*shaking head* Just because you saw a YouTube video of it being done doesn't make it a smart, prudent, or even ethical thing to do. I can also find YouTube videos instructing me how to shoot heroin, but that doesn't mean its a good idea! I have absolutely no issues with the .243 as a deer rifle. I don't even mind it being used for elk in limited circumstances.....but I doubt you'll find anyone knowledgeable about ballistics and bullet performance that will recommend taking 600 yard shots on elk with the .243. Its a good enough deer round, but even as a medium game round, its best performance is within 300 yards......

 

[bad_aim_billy]

I would've gone for the neck shot on that one.

 

[Pat4x4]

You can lose a dear with any size cartridge.. 243 is a wonderful round, Make sure shot placement is where it should be with any round IMO Nice Rudolf!!

 

[Pat4x4]

Does not look like he asked any questions really.. He answered it when he shot it..

 

[DurangoKid]

JonM Wyoming law pre dates the advent of the .243 WCF by many years. The rule for a .230 caliber or larger bullet was established to ban the .22 caliber rifles of the day. Savage chambered the Mdl. 99 in .22 Hy Power [.228] bullet. Savage did this to get around the .224 bullet ban. The .257 Roberts was the Sub 30 cal for years. The 6MM rifles did not become popular until the late 1950s.

 

[788Ham]

The .257 Roberts is still a sub .30 cal, even that many years later.

 

[Sav .250]

If your a naturally lousy shot it`s not............

Other than that it`s will get the job done!

 

[gk2410]

Yes - as long as you are responsible and match the bullet to the game, the terrain, and your ability. When my son was stationed in West Texas he used my 30/06 or .270 due to larger game and longer, more open shots. Now he's stationed in SC where the deer are smaller and the distances shorter, and the .243 is ideal. You can kill anything with anything under the right circumstances, but it's up to us to be responsible.