My first rifle I bought was a 243. It was retired many years ago.I killed a bunch of deer with it. Just got tired of them running so far after being well hit with a lousy blood trail. My wife and daughter have hunted with it since. I won't. Unless I use it for varmints. It is a good shooter that is comfortable to shoot. There are just better choices to hunt big game with.
I dunno, maybe, maybe not, how dead is dead? I can't recall a deer making 100 steps from my 243s. Thats from stupidly using 80 grain soft points, all the way to what I ran for years, 105 speers. And from up close spitting distance almost, out to over 500 yards. They normally didn't even make it out of sight or much past 40 steps I"d guess.
I can't say that I saw any difference from the 308. Maybe a bit shorter runs on average with a 257 wtby, no difference with a 300 mag, no difference with a 338 mag, no difference with a 30-30, and so far less distance traveled with a 10mm.
I often think the 300 and 338 for some reason may be that much louder, and thats why they ran a bit further with the mag.
I have done a few only with a 7x300 and with a 338-378 but not enough to have comments tehre.
OTOH I do believe with any round if you choose to run the way of an explosive bullet driven really fast, that most of the time the deer wont' go quite as far. I hate wasting meat, so its not for me. I also believe that now and then you'll loose a deer to a superficial hit. Though bergers seem to be, so far, totally reliable compromise. Although I've seen deer run over 100 yards after hit with them. And less than 20.
Bottom line for me has always been pick a bullet thats going to provide an exit hole. Put the bullet in both lungs. DOn't worry about breaking bones. And let the deer run a bit and bleed out, no problem finding them. and if for whatever reason, say i was to sit on a neighbors fence line, which I don't do, and needed a drop, I"ll shoot CNS and at least know I"m 100% sure of a drop, vs risking a high shoulder or such.. and hope it works all the time.
