randy said:
Its mostly the bullet choice. I have a 7mm mag that I used hollow point 165 grain in it last year. I shot 3 deer with it. All of the had exit holes the size of a golf ball and larger. This year I loaded some ballistic tip 120 grain going around 3400 FPS. The 2 I shot this year ran close to 100 yards. before they were done. The exit hole was no bigger than the entrance hole. The ballistic are a little more resistant to expanding, but also at 3400FPS they didnt have time to expand.
Good point.
I had a buddy that reloaded his 7mm with Sierra hollowpoints and killed tons of deer, even though I'd tell him that wasn't a bullet designed for deer. For how many he shot each year, he felt that he didn't lose many, so what could I say?
Back to the .243 though, I've related how my son's .243 Handi wouldn't group with heavier bullets and a guy actually encouraged me to use the Hornady 75g. hollowpoints. Well, it doesn't matter if the gun prints cloverleafs if the buck is gonna just get up and run off after being shot and knocked off his feet! Yes, if someone's gonna shoot a .243, they ought to at least use a heavier and better constructed bullet that is designed for DEER.