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Even on deer when hunting thick brush I like a bigger bullet than the 243 has to offer. Shot angles are often hard to decipher when you can only see part of the deer. You can use a good 180 grain 30 caliber bullet to penetrate deep, break bone and often exit without going to mono's. I used a 6.5x55 pushing a 140 grain Hornady to 2400 fps and had great results, gave me everything I needed in a close range situation. I have passed several shots I could have taken easily with a 30-06 that I would not consider carrying a 243. In more open country and considering deer only I would use a 243 with no issues.