The prob with the 243 is that it was originally conceived of as a 'dual-purpose' cartridge, to be used for both varmints/predators, and for deer. Hence you had the lighter bullets with thin jackets for varmints, and then usually 100 gr thicker jacketed bullets for deer.
Sometimes idiots would use the varmint loads when they went deer hunting. The light bullets would blow up and not penetrate. That resulted in trouble.
To quote Big Stick, it's about bullets, not headstamps.
If you take the 243 deer hunting and are using a deer bullet, then you'll be happy. If you use a thin-jacketed varmint bullet, you're gonna wish you hadn't.
Bullets have evolved, and a light weight bullet made with a heavy jacket, or a monometal, will work.
Were it me, I'd just buy a box of 243's loaded with the 95 gr Nosler partition and go kill a deer. Yes...I say again, YES...there are plenty of other bullets suitable for deer besides the Partition. They are equally fine choices. The main thing is to choose a bullet designed for deer hunting vs, say, ground hog/woodchuck/whistle pig hunting, or prairie dog hunting.
If you're in doubt about a particular bullet, run it by the 'fire here, and the lads will let you know.
Edit: Apologies. I just read back 5 pages or so and just now realized I stepped into the middle of a pissin' contest! Another option, and options are always nice to have and sometimes useful, would be go to with a 7mm-08. It doesn't have much recoil, either, and is extremely effective. But as for the .243, it will certainly kill deer if proper ammunition loaded with a proper bullet is used and the operator has a clue what he/she is doing. If the operator is an idiot, then it doesn't matter what they are shooting...they are prolly gonna screw the pooch.
Last edited by DELGUE; 01/19/20.
