Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting deer with a .243 vs. 30-06

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My first centerfire rifle was a M660 in .243win.that I still have and still use. I managed to kill a few elk with it and a bunch of deer before moving on to better big game rounds.

I've used the 100gr core lokt a bunch and it's marginal at best on big game.I've had that bullet fall apart in a deer more then once and fail to exit and the remains of the bullet were nothing more then a few pieces of jacket.Other times I've seen the same remchesters pencil through and leave bullet diameter entrances and exits.All shots well under 200 yards.

The best thing to happen to the .243 is the Barnes x type bullets and partitions.It's easier to buy a real big game cartridge based off of the .308 case then it is to band aid the .243win.

I've killed at least a dozen bull elk with the 30/06 and at least 50 deer with the 30/06.Any halfassed cheap 180gr factory load has exited on deer and most of them exited on elk.It's never failed to put a nickel sized entrance hole and 50 cent piece size exit hole and plenty of blood loss

Sure the .243 works,I've used archery equipment and it works also.I'd much rather have a .308 or 7-08 though.
John Wooters wrote an article on this subject years ago where he stated "hunters have long had a fixation with shooting large animals with small caliber weapons,yet will use ocean tackle on brook trout".

give me a 6mm-08 or a 6.5mm-08 anyday as well. with partitions of course

Bauer...the older I get the more and more I think we use way too big of tackle on everything. Rifles are usually bigger than needed and fishing tackle is too....or at least bigger than what makes it fun...

I think this is especially true with the advent of so-called
"super- premium" bullets. Nowadays I wouldnt think twice about siccing the .243 loaded with TSXs on an elk....back in the day I wouldnt have dreamt of using an 85 grain anything on elk...

Deer found next morning but critters already got to it. It ran only 40-50 yards. I was within just a few feet of the deer, but dark and thick grown-up cutover prevented me from seeing it. the .243 did the job. Exit hole was huge!! I will hunt with the .243 again. This is in Georgia, 100 Lb. doe. I was using 85 grain Sierra Gameking BTHP with 44 grains of IMR 4831. Ruger 77. Thanks to all for your notes.

next time bring a flashlight

We hunted one down right after Thanksgiving. Guy shot the doe right through the boiler room with a 30/06 and 180gr Hornady bullets. She ran about 175 yards, but with good lights we got right on the blood trail and found her in about 10-15 minutes.


That said, I think a 62gr TSX from the 223AI would have greatly shortened the run, if she ran at all. Velocity is your friend with deer.

I agree with SH on that one. give me smaller and faster over bigger and slower for deer anyday.
for elk, slightly bigger but still fast. this year its a .260 with 140 partitions.

Are you and Steelhead telling me that my 7x57 with a 175gr at 2600 fps or a 154gr at 2700 fps would not have dropped that doe where she stood or shortened up her run?

Noticed the same thing when using my .223Rem on Roedeer as compared to my .308win...

The main down side to the .223Rem was the meat damage, but that may be more to do with the bullet contruction as opposed to the actual caliber..

I'm telling you that little slugs going fast impress them more. Assuming said slug is constructed well.


Pete, throw a TSX into one and see what happens.

Damn trick shooters.......laffin!

You should see me trick [bleep], well maybe you shouldn't.........grin

Scott,

Have been using the TSX in the 9.3x62 with good results, so I do want to try it in other calibers..

My other negative comment about the .223Rem and other small but high velocity rounds is their performance can be a bit erratic, but that it is with cup&core traditional lead bullets though..

The centefire .22's are illegal over here for anything bigger than Roe, but in years past the .222Rem was a favorite with many of the professional stalkers when doing the Red hind cull during the winter months..

Personally, I prefer the .260Rem, but when it comes to the centerfire .22's, in the hands of a competent shooter, its hard to argue with real world results..

Regards,

Peter

STEELHEAD (Scott) GaaaaaaadDammmmmm, and here I was thinking you are a hard ass and you up and changed your Avitar! Very Nice I might add too!

I will. With what I've experienced the 100gr loads I use will drop them faster on the average. My son has the same experiences with his .243. Want something more impressive than a .243/6mm Rem? Use a 25-06 with a 100gr or heavier bullet. It's a deer killing machine!

He usually uses it around the holidays. I like it too. He's really not a hard ass, he just likes to be flippant and glib sometimes

The 243 will kill a deer but it sure isn't much of a deer rifle. I suggest going with a real deer caliber like I use...

The 223 does a great job...

You think - that means you are guessing.

I means I didn't shoot that deer with the 223AI, but I've had deer go a much shorter distance with it and it's ilk than say a 30/06.