Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Anyone ever found the 243 lacking?

And where was he hit?

I would really like to know also. If he was hit in the vitals and not anchored then that's a good reason to shoot a larger caliber. If not, then it really doesn't matter.

The thing is, I know of deer (shot by my father) that had their chest cavity contents pureed, with the results pouring out of the holes, that were still able to run a good distance. Think 130 grain Ballistic Tips in full throttle handloads out of a 26" barrel 270 Win., and 139 grain Hornadys out of a 7mm Wby. magnum.

Vital hits, no matter how hard, don't necessarily anchor them.

It's interesting that the folks who defend the 243 for deer are by and large experienced hunters who are patient and willing to pick their shots. If the OP had been "Can the 243 kill deer" the answer from almost everyone would be a resounding "Yes!"
However that was not the question. The question before the group is "Is the 243 a good pick for a novice hunter?" Those are quite different questions. When a novice hunter is excited and impatient, they need all of the margin for error possible as regards to shot placement and presentation.
With today's selection of premium bullets there is no doubt that calibers previously inadequate for certain game are now suitable and that shot placement trumps energy every time so the real question boils down to "What is the cartridge with the most terminal energy that the particular novice hunter can shoot accurately?" If that is a 223 then they had better learn patience and shot placement quickly. A 243 gives a little more wiggle room as does a 257, 6.5, 7mm, 308 or more.
Sorry for the hijack.

I have not killed deer with a 243. But growing up a lot of folks had the 243 as their one deer rifle battery in farm country. So it must have worked or they were willing to track deer for a few yards.

Wanted to mention I bought a 308 for my son and have not gotten him to shoot it yet. He is going on 11 years old and after thinking it over I wish I had gotten him a 243. Here is why. I went to the range a couple weeks ago with my 270 and 243. The 243 is a LH CDL rifle and it has been a long time since I had one. At the range I realize the 270 is a lot more recoil than the 243 and the 243 was a pleasure to shoot. I was shooting 95 NBT and I realized I should have gotten my son one of these so he can practice shooting a lot more and become proficient with it. I am not sure how the download 308 will shoot but will have to try that out.

As we all know the 243 will kill deer no question as it has been used for a long time in this aspect. We guys who have multiple rifles may not favor this when we have a larger caliber to take care of the iffy shots. But for your purposes your wife and kids can become better shooters with a pleasant rifle. And remember if a 243 is not much recoil to YOU it may be on the top end for a lighter person like your wife and kids. So this would ideally be good practice for them to get ample trigger time.

Well, dang. I would have sworn the question was:

"Anyone ever found the 243 lacking? I mean where you know for sure a larger caliber would have made a difference."

What was the title of the thread again?

And I stand by my answer. Yes.

I think at least some of the criticsim of the 243 comes from bullet choice. I have a friend in Bozeman that uses the 243, as does his daughter. We tried counting how many deer and antlope they have taken over the years with the 243, and ran out of patience at 100 or so animals, with never a problem. Every one of those animals were taken with the 100 grain hornady bullet.
I have used the 85 grain Speer bullet to take one very large mule deer buck, and was not impressed at all with the results- As someone has said here, "bullets matter more than headstamps".

Blacktailer. +1..

I just picked up a .243 and plan on carrying it this fall. My brother has hunted with a 6mm (previously known as the .244) and has never lost a single deer with it. Not one. I do think it's safe to say that when you go to a smaller round, shot placement becomes more critical. Hopefully, I'll have a success story to talk about later this year.

And I wasn't questioning your answer.

Yes, that was the question and I do appreciate anyone's input but I really wanted to hear from anyone who knew for sure that a larger caliber would have killed quicker. A deer that had to be shot again because a 243 bullet failed to penetrate a shoulder joint would be a prime example. Deer that went farther than we think they should with vitals destroyed , or deer shot and never recovered or never examined to know what happened really don't tell us anything.

Like I said I have owned several, probably a dozen over the years (chronic trader) and all shot from very good to excellent. I have also found them easy to load for, not finicky at all.


Oh and Mr Clark that is a beautiful sako.

Thank you sir. It's the nicest rifle I have ever owned. I got it from a friend who inherited it from a guy who bought it new in Germany. The serial number dates 1969 as near as I can tell. My friend told me as far as he knew it had never been fired. I have shot it and hunted it but I baby it too much. It's just too pretty to sit in the rain and drag through heavy brush and briars. The last time I had Kimber Montana money, it popped up and I couldn't resist. That's why I'm back for the Montana now. I need one I can treat rougher. Well, not really, I guess I want a lot more than I need.
Here's one more of the Sako

If a 243 bullet failed to penetrate the shoulder joint, it would be the fault of the bullet, not the cartridge.

Choosing the right bullet is more critical with the 243 than with, say, a 30/06, but there are plenty of good 243 deer bullets.

IMO, most of the "problems" blamed on the 243 are really the result of using the wrong bullet for the job at hand..

For what you are after the 243 sounds perfect.

I shoot a 243 for work every day. Several hundred coyotes, a couple dozen wolves,several black bears, many deer including 2 bucks over 170, one over 400yds. three elk. I don't list these to blow my own horn, only to point out the guns extreme effectiveness. I'm shooting 85 grain sierra hpbt game kings. Rarely have needed follow up shots. It works every time its tried. If you get one you will not regret it.

I agree.

It would sure be nice to know where you hunt and some pics and hoe you've come to take so many wolves.

With today's premium bullets like a 60 gr NP or Interlock a 22-250 is not lacking.