My wife and I have killed plenty of big deer, both mule and whitetail, with the .243 (and similar cartridges like the .257 Roberts) with excellent results, even when using "antique" bullets like the Nosler Partition. Have also used several cartridges many hunters consider inadequate for elk with no problems, from the .257 Roberts (100-grain TTSX) to the 7x57 and the dreaded .270 Winchester, also with no problems.
I don't have shoulder problems (at least yet), and still shoot rounds from the .300 magnums to .416 Rigby accurately. But have learned over the decades that there's not nearly much correlation between recoil and killing power as many hunters apparently believe.
