Is a .243 enough?

[Hammer]

Who hunts with a .243 during deer season? I usually go .308, but have often thought about going .243.

Any thoughts?

 

[Big Gun]

Put it in the vitals and it'll do the job. My son has killed 3 so far with his and the farthest one ran was about 50 yards.

 

[Deer Whisperer]

Nothing wrong with either caliber. Shot placement is the key.

My only advice with the .243 is to use at least 90 gr. or more for deer. I've heard bad reports from using 55 gr. No enough penetration.

 

[Rowdy]

Heck yeah!...put'er in the boiler room, they ain't goin far.

I have a friend in Utah that kills elk with one.

 

[Hammer]

How about out to 200 yds or so?

 

[Crow Terminator]

My dad showed me a recorded show on his DVR. It was of John Burns...the guy that originally started the Best of the West series of long range shooting.

Anyway John has kinda been out of the spotlight for a few years and he was on this show with his new rifle line for long range shooting. He only makes the guns in 3 or 4 calibers and one of them is .243. Yep .243.

They were shooting and dropping antelope and mule deer out west at 500-600 yards with those .243s. Not only that but in his precision long range shooting video, they take a stock Remington 700 VLS in .243 and turn it into a shooting machine with just a few basic mods. On the target range it was easily shooting MOA out to 800 yards if I remember right.

 

[Rowdy]

How about out to 200 yds or so?

I'll just say this, you take it from there....Last year, a buddy and I watched his 12yr old take a doe @ 190yds, from his back porch. The deer didn't go 20yds.

 

[Hogbear]

Majority of the deer I shoot with my .243 just drop in their tracks. I use 75-85 grain Barnes bullets mostly, but had good results with 100 grain Hornady spire points too.

 

[stik]

my thoughts are that 308 is a much better choice.

 

[UPSman]

I'd not wanna be a thang on the receiving end of a 243 stoked with an 85 grain X bullet.

 

[rdl65]

Everyone knows you need a .300win mag. to kill a TN deer.

 

[easy45]

I started out hunting with one, great flat shooting gun, put in the vitals and they put them down

 

[hunt_4646]

I have taken 8 deer in tennessee with 243. All were 1 shot kills. None of the deer ever ran more than 50 yards. All shots were in the heart/lung area at distances from 135yds to 195 yds. I use Hornady 100 gr bullets and I reload the ammo myself.
Just got back from elk hunt in Wyoming and one of the local hunters there uses 243 but limits his shots to 200 yds. Trajectory is good out to 400 yds but energy drops significantly after 200 yds.
243 is good on deer if you put that bullet in the kill zone.

 

[Gravey]

I love my Remington 700 .243 and a 95-grain Fusion bullet. It's lethal. My 30-06 just sits in the safe these days.

 

[JohnnyBond]

My first rifle given to me by my dad was .243 I still hunt with it today same gun same Redfield 3x9 wide view scope too

 

[Hammer]

I bought a CZ 550 .243 it should be here first of the week. Now to go ammo shopping.

 

[7-08 fan]

A .243 with a good shooter at the trigger is twice as deadly as the biggest magnum with a shooter dreading the recoil.

But being serious .243 is a fine round but like all others, shot placement is key.

 

[ShaneHallum]

I bought a CZ 550 .243 it should be here first of the week. Now to go ammo shopping.

Congrats.. That will be a nice gun. Get some good glass for it and have fun.

 

[ratsnakeboogy]

Redfield wide-view. I love those scopes.

 

[mike243]

some of the loads for the 243 hold 1000ft pds out to 400 yards or so,most of the critics use to say #1000lbs was min for deer,beats me but the rem accutip in 95g works well.got a box of fed 100g btsp to try this year.putting the bullets where they need to be is more important than the calibur.my 300wm tops that 308 anyday any way ,