I was hunting deer when the .243 was introduced. While I've never owned one, I've seen several of them used by hunters of various abilities. One of those was my 2nd wife who I loaded ammunition for. I did own and hunt exrtensively with the .240 Wheatherby Magnum.
I insist on on larger rounds for deer simply because I feel like I have an edge with larger rounds, say the .308 firing 165 gr. premium bullets. That is just a gut feeling.
I have no real proof of this. What I have seen is that the .243 works alot better than many, including myself, would think.
The one thing I am quite sure of is that if you shoot a .243 significantly better than a heavier, larger round, no matter what the big game, you are better off with a .243. I'll never forget reading an article by a guy named Les Bowman, whoi used to write for Guns and Ammo magazine and test products for Remington. His guided hunters did alot better on elk with either the .243 or the 6mm Remington than his hunters carrying the .338 Winchester Magnums. Over the years, I seen this sort of thing myself. E
