If you use a .243 as your primary whitetail deer rifle, let's hear what load you use and what are the typical conditions in which you hunt.

Thanks, RS

Plain ole cheap ass Factory Remington Core-Lokt 100 gr ammo. It’s cheap, accurate, and kills them DRT.
I’ve killed a bunch of TX whitetails and truck loads of feral hogs with it here at the Ranch out to 400 yards.

Sure there’s better ammo. But my old Remington Classic 700 in .243 shoots little tiny groups with it. Did I also mention it’s cheap 🤠

even cheaper walmart federal blue box 100 grain. timber shots 150 yards or less and open field and food plots up to 275 yard. Shoots great in our brownings and tikkas.

no losses and piles of dead critters

Varget And a 95Gr B.T. Have Always Served Me Well...

243 isn't my main rifle but i do use one occasionally. Model 70 in 243 3x9 Burris. Load is 95 gr Nosler ballistic tips and a slightly over max load of IMR 4350. works great at up to 300 yds

Remington 700 BDL 243 Serria 85 gr HPBT enought IMR 4350 to achive decent speed works great for me. Shoot across Michigan UP cranberry bogs, down the down the beach of Big Bay DeNoc, in and in the hard woods.

Mid Michigan corn fields, wheat fields (new planted) and old logging camp clearings.

Use the same load on coyotes and don't have to do much sewing on the hides either.

Al

I've never had anything but good luck with the 243. I use it or something similar (243 AI, 6CM) for most of my deer hunting. 0 to 400 yards, mixed timber or pasture/edges.

I've had good luck with any of the 100 grain cup and core bullets but the hornady is my pick. Also lots of 105 hpbt hornadys and 95 ballistic tips. The last 2 seasons I've used the 90 grain Sierra gamechanger and like it a lot

I load for my son's and the grandkids 243's. He shoots the 85 grain Sierra HP with W760, and for the grandkids rifle it varies, as I experiment with it. This year they killed 2 bucks, one with the 95 grain SST, and the other with the 85 grain Sierra HP.

I have owned 1 243, shot one deer with it. Used the 100 gr Hornady. Dead deer.

I still have a 6mm Rem, shot lots of deer and a few antelope with it. Nosler 95 Ballistic Tip makes it shine. Shot 2 antelope does with it a couple years ago, first at 356, the other about 20 yards closer. Both dropped where they stood.

Brother uses one at times. I loaded up 100 grain partitions for him. Always worked fine. At one time he used 90 or 95 grain SST. Hit a big doe in the shoulder. Never fount the deer. That is when we switched to partitions

Then he didn't hit it in the shoulder.

My friend and his son have used my handloads with the 95 grain SST a number of times and from several angles from quartering away to broadside to quartering toward. Their results have been quite good.

95NPT at 3100 with R17. It flat works.

I too, love the 95gr SST, but having said that, standard cup & core will get the job done too.

We've dumped a ton of deer with 100gr Blue box federal & 95gr federal fusion outta our butt ugly savage M11 .243 !

That same son of my friend has been taking them out with the 95 grain Fusions since Uncle Mathman's handloads ran out. It is very good factory ammo.

When I start with a new rifle or new to me, I usually pick Federal Fusions. Plenty of times they’re so good I don’t need to try anything else.

I used to shoot deer with .243s a lot.

Two bullets grew to be my favorites. Mostest favorite was the Nosler 95 grain Ballistic tip, and the next was the 80 grain TTSX.

I ended up selling one of my .243s and the other one (a mid-70s Rem 700) ended up as a donor for a very accurate .308 build.

El cheapo Winchester 100gr power points.

I used to shoot them around 3,000fps and they were always satisfactory. Never caught one in a deer. Very hard to go wrong with the 95/100gr Partition, as you still get good tissue damage but get more reliable exits than with regular cup/core bullets. A little blood on the ground is better than no blood on the ground.

My 243 isn't a primary but I've taken several deer with it and my son did too. Our load is a 100gr Corelokt over 41gr of H4350. Most shots were under 100 yards. We never had a deer run over 30'.

We shoot 85gr TSX over 44.5gr of IMR4831. 0-200 yards, woods and fields. My daughters rifle and she has killed a couple truckloads of deer with it and that load. I borrowed it once and shot my biggest buck through both shoulders at 200 yards. Made me a believer.

I have a nearly shot out 1-8” twist Rock 243win that I’ve used as my primary hunting rifle since 2012. I load 105 bthp hornadys with 41 grains of RL17. Despite the bullets “match” billing it has proven to be a excellent bullet in terms of terminal performance but also in flight.

We hunt as a gang and put on large scale deers drives. In that capacity, shots are typically inside 100 yards. Pretty much focusing on matching antlers with their bodies when 30-40 deer run by. High shoulder shot for me unless a doe is posing pretty and then I knock the brains out of her.

When the gang disbands for the day I’ll watch a field. When they come out to feed we shoot them like ground hogs. Glass them to identify the mature does, range em, dial and squeeze. Longest kill so far is just shy of 600. Again, high shoulder shot, like they’re turned off.

Though I’ve heard that 243s are for women and small children...

Woodson, do you mainly get pass-throughs with the 105hpbt? I've shot a handful of hogs and deer with it and it worked well, but they were all broadside. The bullet certainly shoots well in my factory 700 over RL26.

My wife and I both have 243 for deer, Tikka T3 and a T3 Superlite for her. 95gr Nosler BTH over 4831. Do your part and deer won't go far, or anywhere. Typically hunting the woods with them with shots up to 150 yards and usually 100 or less. Easy to carry, easy to shoot and great results...what's not to like.

I got a little moist thinking about what velocities I could achieve with RL26. To your question I would say that even on squarely shot shoulders most come out the far side. If it doesn’t then the projectile(s) are resting inside the far side shoulder. The longer range kills have all been pass throughs.

Full disclosure though I did kill a nice 10 point this year that I had to shoot running and landed a behind the shoulder shot. Upon inspection it looks to have grenaded on a rib and literally turned the entire thorasic cavity into a soup kitchen. Dead all the same with in a few strides.

I like the bullet so much that I load them in batches of 500. Shoot the hell out of em as if it was a 223.

Is Hammonds still doing gun work ?

Clarence has done all my work I’ve had done but I hadn’t started any new projects in a while. Clarence is getting pretty old. Honestly don’t know how he is doing or if he is still smithing. He was threatening to hang it up in 2012.

https://www.facebook.com/people/Clarence-Hammonds/100008867049634

Current?

That’s him.

I have only used a 22/250, 243 or 6mm here since 2007. Nothing bigger that I can recall.

Treestand hunting in hardwoods most of the time anymore and hunt a few small fields bordered by timber. 50 yard shots would be a long shot for me over the last 15 years or so.

Have used 80 grain Sierra btsp with great results. Lung shot deer are either DRT or travel 25'.

85 grain Sierra Varminter, not the BTHP. Shoots through most deer. Ranges 15 yards or so to 300. A lot of DRT with a few making it 20-30 yards.

85 grain Sierra Gameking BTHP. A little tough for my tastes, no DRT in about a half dozen deer but did leave blood trails. 25-50 yard death runs. All shot under 100 yards.

95 grain Nosler Partitions. Only 2 deer, 1 was 15 yards and DRT and the other about and made a 50 yard death run pouring blood the whole way. This is my main bullet in my 6mm right now.

100 grain Sierra Prohunter or Gameking. 50 yards to 350 or so. Too many deer to list. Most were DRT, runners would go 20 yards or less while plowing the ground with their nose the whole way.

100 grain Hornady BTSP. About the same as Sierra 100 grain bullets.

Powder ranges from IMR-4064, IMR-4350 or IMR-4831.

This year I used my .243ai and killed two does....dropped them right there
My daughter also uses a .243 as does my son.
My wife uses a 6x45
My son and wife uses the same bullet 80 grain ttsx
My daughter uses a 70 nbt
I use the 105 Amax.....gonna be changing though as I’m running out of them.
Not one deer got away from us, they usually die within sight.

Is that a BDL SS or stainless SPS?

Good info. My 243 is primarily my truck gun, as it's just an SS700, cut back to 21.5". The 105hpbt seems like a good all-rounder, as the rifle is just as likely to get pulled out for a crow, or a hog, or for practice on steel. It tracks well with the long range duplex in the Leupold on top.

700 SS SA
#2 rock 1-8” 22”
McMillan Edge Mountain Rifle
PTG BDL bottom metal
Trigger tech primary
Sightron Big Sky 4-16x42

105 HPBT or 80gr TTSX.

I use a 243 quite a bit, and use the 100 grain Sierra Pro Hunter or GameKings. I've been fiddling with 100 grain Nosler Partitions, but so far no luck in my rifle with H 4350.

Most of my shots are in woods, with some open hayfields/pastures thrown in, anywhere from eyeball range to 200-250 yards.

I've not been disappointed in the Sierras, but like the idea of a better guarantee of an exit.

This is where I am too.


Model 7 Predator gets the 80 ttsx and 4350.


24” adl gets the 105 hpbt with h1000.

May have to come close to copying that build!!

Maybe a different scope and chambering, something like another 6mm Remington!!

Took advantage of a Black Friday deal that Rock Creek was putting on. For $285 I have a #2 6.5 1-8” ordered. They claim it’ll ship before Christmas. It’ll live it’s life as a CM next.

Now if I could only secure some damn RL26....

105s work sufficiently on critters as well.

Didn’t have to track him too far...

My Grandsons Savage likes the Factory 95g Federal Fusion..

Factory 100 grain Core-Lokt.

20yrs ago, I and some friends hunted the big West Texas Mule Deer, South of Van Horn. The "best shot" on the ranch, they all said, was the Foreman. I visited with him and his rifle was a Mod 99 .243 Economy model with a 4x Bushnell scope! Back then Winchester was selling the factory loaded 100gr Power Points Moly coated (Power Point Plus) . He had no trouble, he told me, killing those big deer, even at extended visits. It also "worked" , he hinted on "Mexican Mules". Even pointed out a huge canyon he said they and their cargo ended up. Wow.

Maybe, but my RL22 recipe at 3010 works too!


not a WT, but I did whack a mature mule deer at 438 yards with my 243 load 3 weeks ago. the 95 NBT is impressive. also killed a cow elk at 535ish a few years back. I've killed a few WT with this as well, but not sure on the yardage, all under 200 yards and they just dropped there. hope this helps.

Not my every year rifle, but I've taken a few with the 243. 95 NBT and 95 NPt with a stiff dose of H4350 have been favorites.

Amax were my favorite until I ran out. Wanted to use the 105 HPBT but my factory 700 barrel would shoot them under 3” @ 100.

I’ve swapped back to 95 Ballistic Tips.

I’ve shot deer with many different bullets out of my .243s and haven’t had an issue yet. I like 2 holes and the 95s have always done well for me there.

I have as much faith in my .243s as anything. I’ve seen a lot of guys around here upgrade due to losing deer shot with them...funny thing is they’re still losing deer with their magnums as well.

Blue. Box. Federal. 100gr. Can't better it for the price. Cheap, available, accurate, works.

My kids each use Remington ADL .243s to deer hunt. One is stainless, the other blued. Both have 24" barrels with a 1/9.125 twist. Both of them shoot the same accuracy nodes. Here are some loads the shoot under 3/4 MOA in both.

Sierra 85 gr HPBT
Win Brass
CCI 200
37.0 gr IMR 4064 (yields 2950 fps)

Hornady 87 gr VMAX
Win Brass
CCI 200
37.0 gr IMR 4064 (yields 2944 fps)

Nosler 95 gr BT
Win Brass
CCI 200
Over max charge of H4350 (work up to this charge and don't blindly use this) - yields 2936 fps - this load absolutely bugholes

Speer 100 gr BTSP
Win Brass
CCI 200
Over max charge H4350 (work up to this charge and don't blindly use this) - yields 3025 fps - this load absolutely bugholes

Lastly, the Sierra 85 gr HPBT and the the Speer 100 gr BTSP shoot to the same POI at 100 yards. This provides some flexibility based on what I want to hunt. I have more faith in the Sierra 85 gr HPBT than I do in the Nosler 95 gr BT. I've had the BT's come apart on shots under 100 yds and not provide pass-throughs. I'm anxious to see how the Speer 100 gr BTSP will perform.

95g nosler partition!

Some people just can't shoot!

Buck fever gets to a lot of folks and some feel a bigger caliber/cartridge (there is a difference between caliber and cartridge) makes up for piss poor shooting ability/shot placement.

If I have time I still snap a pic or 2 of a buck before I lower the hammer on him. I can still get excited.but not lose my wits.

You are absolutely right. And to add to that point, there are so many people who will take ANY kind of shot, no matter how ridiculous.

.243 Win is my primary deer rifle / meat harvester / pig eliminator

Savage Stevens 200 factory barrel .243 1x9.25 twist

SWFA Super Sniper FIXED 12X scope........Thank You Formidilosus.

SPEER 85 btsp............$15.00 for 100 at Grafs and Sons..........kills chit flat dead.

Winchester brass........loaded...I forgot how many times....

Winchester Primer

39 grains IMR 7383 (pull down powder) Same burn rate as IMR 4350.........about 2730 fps as per my chrono...

Works all the way out to 300 yds......six pig can attest to that.....2 dead deer....one spike and one 8 point.

Where we/I hunt can be rocky and filled with cactus and small hills....to heavy brush under growth with lots of small mesquite..more cactus..and kind of flat land......So it varies a bit........All South of San Antonio Texas...

Everybody in our camp carries a gun for snakes (you have to). Mine is .410 Bond Arms Deringer or my LCR with home brewed .38 shot shells.


Best
Heavy

I have 99’s in 243. I load the 80 TTSX

I swapped a guy out of an 80's vintage Remington 700 years ago. It was a 243. He really wanted to keep it but I had a Savage Fox double that he wanted worse so we swapped. He went on to tell me that the rifle loved the Sierra 85 gn. HPBT so that is the bullet I've always used, currently over Varget. With this combination the rifle easily does 1/2 MOA if I do my part.
Over the past three years, my boys have killed every deer they've shot at with the 243 and the little Gameking from ranges of 15 to 227 yards. This has been a total of five deer with the biggest being a buck that field dressed at 182 lbs.
I have tried 100 gn. Nosler partitions but the rifle didn't seem to like them. That being said I have some 100 gn. Sierra's and some 95 gn. Partitions that I'm going to try because I thought the 85 was a little light with kid's behind the trigger but so far its performed admirably.
As another poster said, the Sierra 85 HPBT is a bullet that kills way above it's weight and I agree.

Federal blue box 100gr in south Alabama pine thickets and peanut fields.Most shots under 200 yards...

100 grain Nosler Partition, 42.4 grains of IMR 4350, Winchester brass, Federal primers, 2.70 COAL.

>243 works real well with 105 Scenar and H-4350 last 2 day's work shown above, if you going to shoot SHOOT if your going to talk, Talk, if your going to Hunt get off the COUCH!! Rio7

Lady hunter shot this buck with a double main beam, she said this is the first freak I have ever killed, she was funny as hell. Rio7

Lot of good eatin hanging there.

I have a 257Roberts and a 6.5x284 Norma so why would I need a 243 ?? I don't know but I still want one and reading this makes me really want one !!!!

I've had great results with the 100 gr sierra game king.... big holes on exits.
But I just tried the 85 gr HPBT game king on two doe...one was 50 yards and one was 100 yards...very tiny holes.
I wouldn't hunt with this bullet in afternoons expecting to get a good blood trail. JMP

Lee Harvey, did that deer go Back....and to the left? Back ....and to the left?

The 95 grain Nosler Ballistic tip was designed for the 243 and whitetail deer. My son can choose just about any cartridge he wants from my gun locker, he always takes the 243.

I've shot a lot of deer with a 243. I use it as my primary hunting rifle and I absolutely love it. I've tried to switch to larger calibers a few times over the years, but I always end up back with my trusty old 243. Part of it is the gun just fits me so well and is one of the most accurate rifles that I own.

I shoot 95 grain Hornady SST's over 40.3 grains of IMR 4831 and the load is both amazingly accurate in my rifle and very deadly on deer. They shoot submoa out of my rifle.

I'm not sure why there is so much hate for these bullets online. I'm not sure if people are trying to push them too fast or what. I will say that they do a lot of damage, and they do ruin most of the meat around the front shoulder. However, more often than not, the deer drops in its tracks when shot. When I haven't gotten a DRT, I've never had a deer go more than 100 yards or so, and it's usually much less with a pretty good blood trail. I also almost always get a pass through with a fairly large exit wound. Even when I've hit bone in the shoulder. The only times I can remember not getting a pass through have been when I've shot a deer quartering away and hit it a bit far back only to have the bullet stop right before exiting the hide in the front.

I absolutely love this setup, and I'll likely continue to use it in the future.

Recent discovery in the 243 with Lapua brass, 100g Hornady btsp was with R#26, cci 250 at 3175 fps, small groups. We usually shoot this bullet with IMR 4350 at 3000 fps in Rem brass.

Keith, I shoot the 100g Hornady BTSP also with IMR 4350 out of a M70 with a 22" barell. What gun/barrel length you shooting...sounds like a 24"?

I've come full circle. Started out with a 243 and 6mm then started climbing in the calibers, now I'm back to a 243.
I alternate between 2 loads. 95gr. Partition, 48.0gr. of RL26, Nosler brass, and Rem. 9 1/2 primer. This load runs at 3150fps. Then at times I use a 100gr. Hornady Interlock FBSP, 47.3gr. of RL26, Nosler brass, and Rem. 9 1/2 primer and it runs at 3035fps.
This is from a 22" 8 Twist Lilja. I'm sure I can up the velocity more, but accuracy is very good at those.

Shot this little fella at 225yds with the 100gr. load. Forgot to turn the scope up from 3X.

Those are some nice loads.

Beautiful rifle K22. Who built it?

As for .243 loads, 80 gr TTSX or the 100 gr Partition if the rifle will shoot accurately have been my go to bullets with IMR 4831. The .260 with a 100 gr TTSX has proven more effective on our largest feral pigs always exiting. So I sold the .243 and use the .260 now for a light and light recoiling rifle.

It is a wonderful round. Anyone that say's anything different, I just label them an idiot and walk away. My personal favorite bullet is 95 NBT's, but I've experimented with about everything. As my user name implies, I like em.

15 years ago, an old friend had 12 head of elk antlers on his den wall - all shot with his Sako L579 rifle and the 85gr BTHP. Oh, and something north of 100 deer from the same round. I wonder what he's up to now.

All the same, my favorite is the 95gr Ballistic Tip and whatever powder you have to get it to 3000 fps. Over the years, it has won some great recommendations from people with far more experience than I have.

I just sold and/or gifted my .243s but my favorite was the flat base Hornady 100 grainer ( no longer made) Also like the 100 gr. Hornady boattail, but had been using the 95Gr. NBT the last few years on the recommendation of Dogzapper and some others here, with excellent results.

85gn TSX over 45gn Ramshot Hunter. ~3200fps in 22" bbl and shoots well from Kimber, Rem, Win, and How/Vanguards for sure.

So anyone using those 105 speer hot cores?

I got 2 boxes and a 6mm. My son just used the 100 grain speer on a doe- worked fine. I removed the ProHunters in favor of the SPeers. Probably over thinking it- like when I decided to try something other than the 85hpbt's that had been working .

100gr Horn spire point.

works well on deer.

also used the 90gr deep curl also a good one for me.

Love Remington Core Lokts factory ammo. Pair them with a Whitetail hunt & it’s like Butterbeans & Cornbread.........both of which are pretty cheap too.

I shot a few 243s, Think I am down to 4 of them now. i am shooting either 80 grain TTSXs or 85 TSXs in three. One rifle shoots of them unreal good with the XLCs Three are with Varget, one is with 4451. All are very accurate. Never recovered a bullet, never lost a deer, never needed a second dose for any of the 243s I have owned over the years.

I would have no problem using my 243 with partitions or hornady interlocks or ttsx on controlled shots for a bull elk.

A lot of deer were lost with the cheap Win 80 gr and some even with their 100 gr cup/core back in the day before good bullets came in vogue.

A little hole going into the chest cavity and not exiting limits blood trail quality and loses lots of deer for inexperienced hunters where there is dense cover.

BTDT with the Partitions and the Hornadys. It works. Select your shot and it works as well as anything Ive used on elk..

AH! Hell ingwe, everyone knows Elk are bullet proof,Just ask all these experts here on the fire. Rio7

Hello, I'm an idiot because I don't like the 243Winchester. And my Dad, my brother and I can only come up with approximately 140years experience of deer hunting! I know, I know, we just can't shoot good or trail a wounded deer at all.We was stupid enough to try 100gr Speer btsp bullets fer a while but we quit them. We were having trouble getting the deer to stand still broadside fer us to shoot them. They was always turned just this way or that and since we was so dumb did not wait on them to move and we just aimed to put the bullets at such a place as it would travel thru the chest cavity. Some deer ran oft some fell down and then got up and run oft. Sometime find blood some time find hair. Sometime find blood and hair and sometime find deer...

All foolishness aside. I DO NOT like the 243 or 6mm on deer. I know, so and so killed thousands of animals with them from mouse to moose. Where we hunt you don't often have the luxury of waiting for the animal to turn to give you that perfect broadside presentation Very often it's thick enough that in just a few steps the deer are gone. Shots made in haste are often misplaced. But even when the conditions were right deer were still lost. I can't explain why but that IS the way it was for us.

My family and I lost confidence in the cartridge and I believe that if you do its time to find something else to hunt with. Towards the end I loaded 100gr Nosler Partitions and our issues went away. There were no deer lost after I began loading the Nosler bullet. But as I said, we had lost confidence in it and it was time to move on.

My Dad and brother then moved on to the 270 and the issue of lost deer went away! Confidence was restored! I know that the cartridge is fully capable because so many use it, but for my family it just didn't work. Funny how I loathe the 243 but love the 250 Savage and the 257 Roberts. Don't make sense but that's the way it is.

I don’t understand this line of thinking. You had an issue, you identified the problem then you implemented a solution that worked,

But the cartridge is now no good because you moved on to a different cartridge? Are you shooting Partitions in the .270?

Also, I can almost guarantee if you were to start shooting .270 varmint bullets the problem with lost deer will come back..,,

243 Winchester cartridge is a very fine accurate cartridge, great for kids who are young and recoil can be a problem ,same with ladies or some men that have recoil shy problems. my 18 year old daughter used a smaller cartridge 257 Roberts about the same as a 243 Win. in recoil ,but one time she was without her rifle and with her husband who had his trust rusty Savage 7 Mag.,2 does came out son in law shot one,my daughter shot the other doe with the 7 Mag. both deer dropped and were killed with 1 shot each. so i asked my daughter when i went to help them how bad did that rifle kick ? and my 5 ft. 6 inch 115 lb. daughter said this dad i didn`t feel any recoil gun was fine. so really ?

Wow! Two "243 v. deer" threads running at the same time. I expect this it August, not January. Were there too many 243 problems this past season?

If you're gay, you're gay.

Thanks jeffbird.
Adam Bentley of Dresden Gun Company installed the Lilja 8T and squared up the action. The stock was done at Accurate Innovations where I work.

I'm glad we got that cleared up then.

At least you admit it.

I have had great luck with the 95gr partition and the 100 gr interlock

My wife and 2 daughters all use 243's, i switched to hornady 100 grain and nosler partition 100 grain 3 years ago, with much better blood trails and much easier time finding their deer.

One of my hunting buddies has only one centerfire rifle ... its a Remington model 7 in 243win , he uses factory 100gr ammo ( he cares not of what brand ) , He has taken , Whitetails , Black Bear & Hawgs .. It works perfectly for him .. because he doesn’t get on the internet ...

OOPS! wrong thread. Thot I was on the 243 - 75 HP thread.


Jerry

6

I do both. I prefer the .250-257 whatevr to the 6mm family. I don't loath the 6's, I own them too. I just prefer the .250 Savage and .257s mainly due to the heavier bullets. Actually, the .270 Winchester rules above all at my house.

I now load up the 95g nosler hunting BT in my Savage 243, flat out drops deer and antelope out here

95 gr nosler partition, 100 gr corelokt or 100 gr hornady all have worked

The 100gr partition and 40grs of h4350 in a Winchester case will shoot through a Tennessee deer longways. An ole timer lifelong 243 fan once told me you can only kill something so dead. He was correct.

I vote for Federal blue box, too! I've only had good luck with it. It's very consistent.

100 gr SGK is pure poison on deer.

I shoot quite a few deer and pigs with a .243 Winchester. My boy uses it quite often as well.

Deer are typically under 250 yards.
Pigs are usually at night and under 250 yards as well.
Go-To load is H4350 and a 105gr Hornady A-Max out of a custom 20” Rem700 and Krieger barrel w/1-8T.
Also use same load out of a 31” barreled rifle.

From my CVA Scout Pistol w/ 1-10” twist 14” barrel, I’ve used the 85gr Sierra HPBT-Game King to good effect.

The .243 has proven to be an excellent low recoil game getter with excellent terminal ballistics. I’ve been very pleased with the the results. One of my favorite cartridges.

Just a PSA I haven't seen mentioned on either thread about this yet... .243 is a perfect caliber (high speed, high fragmentation) to disperse lots of lead fragments through your meat. These can travel a pretty long way from the actual wound channel, too.

You can also completely avoid this by using any copper monolithic bullet, such as the Barnes TTSX that has been mentioned several times in this thread as being extremely effective and accurate.

Never had an issue with lead fragments using a 243 with a 85 grain cup and core bullet. But if you are concerned, it is great to have a copper bullet to use.

Well most of the 243 ranters are all about having to go "find" their deer. In my experience with the 243 it seems that having to go find the deer you shot happens more often with the 243 than with somewhat more powerful/bigger bullets.

Oh, I love these posts !

So enlightening.

Sometimes decisions need to be made for various reasons. I have been told by the landowner of a deer lease not to use anything smaller than a .270 on his land. He was referring to my 25-06.

My nephew has shot a few deer, pigs and a coyote with a 243 and 95 grain SST's. We haven't had to do any real looking. Of course we've recovered everything so we really do know how they were hit.

Here's what I'm gonna do. We put 100 deer in a pen. I am gonna shoot them in the lungs with my .243 and any bullet you pick. I will give you 1000 dollars for every one that lives. You give me 10 dollars for every one that dies.

Let's see who comes out ahead. Anyone willing?


Thought not.

Well he's a fuqking dumbass

Prezactly . . . . . .it ain't the 243's fault people can't shoot.

Funny post! Personally I don't hunt deer in pens but would take bets that I could do that using a 22 magnum. I have used the 243 over the years on many deer and never lost one. On the other hand comparing the 243 to larger cartridges and considering the number of times a deer made it 100 yards after being hit well with a 243 compared to a 7-08, 308 or 7x57 I figure the ratio is 3 to 1. About the same for not leaving a good blood trail. At my deer lease north of Guthrie Texas which is also crawling with feral hogs and a heaping helping of coyotes leaving a deer overnight usually means you end up with a pile of well cleaned bones. The lease has a lot of what is called "shinnery" which is a sort of Oak tree bush that gets pretty tall but mostly less than 4 feet tall, getting through it is a chore for a person. Not so hard for a deer or a feral hog. If a deer gets a hundred yards back into this stuff and it gets dark while you are looking for it that pile of bones will be all you have in the morning. The reason I didn't have any issues when using a 243 is because I only took neck and high shoulder shots. I killed some big hogs with that rifle also. Over the years on that lease we had a bunch of guys lose deer simply because they treated the 243 like it was a good all around deer rifle which it is not. In open country it works well enough but the sometimes thin to non existent blood trails cost these guys a lot of deer. One of the guys that only used his 243 for 2 years before he went to a 308 shot 11 deer and recovered 8. And a couple of the deer we recovered needed some serious tracking skills to find. In the next 6 years he never lost a deer because they didn't generally go very far and if they did the 150 grain Core Lokt's left a nice bloody trail for him to follow. I used to hunt a lot in Wyoming and there the 243 did pretty good on both Antelope and Mule deer as you could usually see which way they went or never got out of sight before going down. May sound odd but I got the distinct impression that Mule deer were not as hard to kill as Whitetails. Another point, mostly a rifle in 243 costs the same as one in 7-08 or 308, neither is known as a hard kicker either so why not hedge your bet and get the bigger round?

Perzactly where I was going !

Some of us have learned to kill deer quickly and easily with a 223 and would be "hedging bets" using a 243. Grins.

Seriously, I killed a 7 point this year and watched a nephew kill another 7 point with a 62 grain Federal Fusion this past fall. My buck collapsed on the spot (spine shot) and his (behind the shoulder) took two steps and fell dead.

I dressed both bucks. The wounds were horrendous - they looked like they were shot with a .270 or 7-08 with a softish bullet.

Besides, it's more fun to watch events unfold in the scope. Save the 7-08 for elk.

TP, I am sure you look at the .223 as an awesome deer rifle in Tx.. But deer are different else where, and not shot over a pile of corn.. I shot a couple in south Tx. meat does, my pal said shot that one it is a big one.. When i got to it I thought I shot a fawn, he said no that is a bit doe.. My golden retrievers and lots bigger than that big doe.. A ,223 would have worked, I have shot coyotes almost as big...

Fascinating story. I often hunt in New Mexico and the north Texas panhandle where the deer are heavy and the ranges can be very long, but I don't find deer hard to kill there either.

Which proves what exactly? The same test can be done with a .22 LR.

I bet you do run into huge deer that far "north".

Right. And the point is if you shot a deer with a 243 and it didn't die its on you, not the 243. Because if you can shoot even a 22 would work.

I have killed a lot of big deer in montana, and idaho with a 222 and 55 grain bullets. That includes a big 180" mule deer buck that we guessed at 3 00 lbs. He was a monster in body size. I shot him in the chest, and he never even took one step. Now a days I have moved up in gun and kill about everything with a 243. They don't make it far with that either.

I consider a 300 lb mulie to be a heavy buck.

Feel free to post a pic of any deer you ever killed....

I didn't say they were hard to kill, I said under some circumstances they can be hard to find after they run a hundred yards or so, especially with a weak blood trail. In the Texas panhandle a lot of that country is wide open, same as for parts of New Mexico. Many of the Bucks I took in the area north of Guthrie in King county were some over 200 pounds, not giants but good sized deer for Texas. That said I would like to see a picture of a 300 pound Texas panhandle buck myself.

The other point is that the vast majority of deer are not shot in pens or under the perfect conditions doing so offers.

I didnt know that Mule deer in Texas or New Mex got anywhere near that big.

Yeah, well add this subject to the list of things you don't know. The fact that you don't know something doesn't mean it isn't true and Texas Photog is 100% correct. We've killed several muley bucks over 300lbs live weight..

Lol. Hey goober did I say it wasn't true? No. I simply said I wasn't aware. Be the last time I help you with advice about Moose hunting too. Its plain to see you're a jackass.

[quote=JGRaider]








—————————————

J,

Hawgs really doesn’t describe my feelings about dem Bucks !!

Maybe, “Muye Grande” or Monsters is closer.


I was with a friend when he killed a

250# WT in SW Miss. We, two of us, had a difficult time loading him on the
rack of My 3 wheeler. I HAD to stand & lean over the handlebars to keep it
from rearing up to get back to the truck.

It was his buck so I don’t have any pix. Wish I did.

Those are definitely BIGGER than 250#.

SALUTE ‘


Jerry

ps: WHO was the good looking guy in the first pic?
What happened to him ? GRIN

I pee a little whenever I see this photo.

If I misread what you previously said then I apologize.

We're good. I apologize as well.

Federal Blue Box is the gold standard for inexpensive ammunition. It has shot well In every rifle I own.

Best regards,
Expat

Same here.

On the Philmont Scout Ranch I've seen some monster Mulies when out on treck with my boys and the Texas Border isn't but about 50 miles from Cimarron.

Cool!

What about the desert of Arizona? I can't get much further north than this but JGs deer would eat mine for breakfast...grin..

[quote=GregW]What about the desert of Arizona? I can't get much further north than this but JGs deer would eat mine for breakfast...grin..



------------------------------------

That one is not to be overlooked or even sneezed at !!!!!!!
He'd be in REAL danger if I was close enuff.

Jerry

Think what you want but a .243 has a lot more killing power than some give it credit for. There's something about that cartridge that just makes it work. The 100 grain Remington core - lokt is the cheapest ammo available and it's the most devastating.

Greg, it's too bad you couldn't get real up close and personal with that buck to see how big he really was...........

I watched him shed velvet 150 yards below me a few minutes earlier....grin...

Not sure what map you're looking at, but FWIW Cimarron to Texline is about 120 miles

I've killed something over 200 whitetails in my life. Several dozen of those with a .223, .22-250 and .243 and could count on the fingers of one hand the number that made it 100 yards or farther after being shot. In fact, I've never had one make it farther than 75 - 80 yards with the .243 or any of the .22 centerfires and the majority were down in less than 50. Pretty much the same as when I use my .30-30. The .30 cals. do generally leave better blood trails but I've found I rarely need a blood trail anyway.

I once hunted Desert Mule Deer near Van Horn, TX. Those were some big honking bucks! I shot a "mid size" last minute buck that was a 200+ lb 3x3! Anyhow, I got to ride/hunt with the old Foreman. He used an old beat up Savage 99E, 4x scope and the then ( late 90s) Winchester 100gr Power Point Plus ( moly coated by factory, remember those?) in .243. He killed deer at some pretty long ranges, and hinted that it worked pretty good on "drug mules", showed me a huge canyon they "ended up in". wow! Rough old Cob, ha. I felt kind of silly with ( one of the first) my 300 RUM and boutique 150 moly coated BT. I about cut my deer in half at 65 yds! ha

While the 243 is not and will never be my primary deer rifle I have shot a few whitetails, one blacktail and one mulie with it. I used factory Remington 100 gr Corelokts and I don't recall ever having to hit one twice. I got rid of my 243 (Ruger M77) when I got a 6.5x55 Swedish. I like the heavier bullet in the 6.5 but I never saw the 243 fail.

Haven't been in here in awhile since I lost our lease and haven't deer hunted for a couple years but now I'm hunting my bil's 40 acres. I had sold my Ruger 77 stainless .300 mag I used for years so went out and bought a used CVA youth model single shot .243. I'm 72 now and need something light and easy to carry. Years ago I built a .243 on a new Mauser Supreme action and Fajen stock. It was a tack hammer and the one deer I shot with it went down like a ton of bricks. Looking forward to deer hunting again.

100 gr blue-box will do the job.If you lack confidence in the caliber,Barnes ttsx....

I've got a Ruger 77 in 6MM Remington that I used on several Antelope and after examining the internal damage using the 100 grain Sierra bullets I decided it was plenty of gun for the big Mule Deer and Antelope. DRT. That old gun has quite a history with the young kids in my family and never lost an animal.. Only problem I had was that when I loaned it out to some of my buddies for their "wives" to use I had a tough time getting it back. BTY the 6MM Remington works fine in a short action! I don't know why women and kids kill deer easily with a .243 and men need a 300 Win Mag!

Reloads 100 gr hornady interlock and 40 hrs H4350

Could be women are given .243's because they are women.. My wife shot my .300 well, here favorite was a 7mmRM... She tried all the small rounds like 243, 257 Roberts, .25-06 but liked the 7 best of all.. She shot it very well.. Far better than a friend who shot .243's and 6mm's and crippled a couple head of game each fall before he find found one...

Your friend should have been a better shot.... Tough to fix pilot error.

Exactly

Sounds like someone needs lessons in shooting and possibly bullet selection.

Yep. Bullet diameter and/or chambering are not the problem linkage at work here.

But the .243 is suppose to be awesome!!!

It is. At least it's just as awesome as other chamberings when it comes to killing, provided the shooter has a clue about anatomy, bullet construction, and producing the desired POI.

The 300 Win Mag sucks in the hands of someone that's not proficient with it or doesn't know what to feed it.

This is not rocket science.

It is NOT but the .243 is not as outstanding as some try to make it out... I have never lost an animal with it, but it sure has given less than desired performance on more than one occasion.. But its promoters always have some crap to make it look good.. It is ok, but we have made several good shots with good bullets and it did not kill as it should have.. Say what you want, but facts are facts.. two or three kills or even ten does not prove much..

Have you tried the 460 Weatherby yet? Great Whitetail round! Just spoofing you!

at least we agree on that part....

Facts are facts,. two or three kills or even ten does not prove much.

At least we agree on that part.

1200 yrds with a .243

If you can't use a .243, give to your wife or kids they will kill the hell out of critters with it. Rio7

I will explain my point one more time. I have done this before, not on this thread, but here are some of the problems I have had with the 243, 6mm, 257 Roberts, and a couple other calibers in this group.. I will give only a couple, but over the years, this has happened maybe 8 times... I suppose I have used these on 60 to 80 head of big game..
First none of these animals were lost, none were failures due to poor bullet placement.. All were well hit, and the bullet exited..

First and antelope buck shot during a winter hunt.. About 200 yards, behind the shoulder with an 85 gr. Sierra HPBT..the little buck showed no reaction. It was very cold.. At the shot he looked at me, calmly walk up the hill about 200 yards and stood around .. I couldn't believe I missed everything was solid.. It was Jan. so I got in my vehicle and got warm.. I could see the buck standing there. After a few minutes, his head began drooping, and he lay down... I realized I must have hit him.. I cut the track and walked too him and found the bullet had hit just where I aimed.. It just took a long time for him to die..

Years later, this time with a .257 Roberts, I put a 100 grain Speer, behind the shoulder of a big doe antelope.. We had thousands of them at this time.. It was at the edge of a big herd.. At the shot she walked into the herd, and they milled around.. It was about a 300 yard shot dead rest/. My wife saw it hit, and I heard it hit.. I told her look at your watch.. Finally the herd started stringing up the hill away from us.. They didn't run, they just walked in a line.. Finally, there was only one left, she started up the hill, maybe a 100 yards later she lay down.. She had been on her feet seven minutes from the shot til she lay down.. When we got to her, she was dead shot though both lungs..

Another, This was with a 6mm Rem.. 100 gr. Remington factory load.. First day of season.. We left town after work and drove to the hunting area.. We saw antelope every where and finally came on a big doe drinking at a small pond.. I put a 100 gr. bullet behind the shoulder and she took off like a bullet.. I suppose she ran 200-250 yards across the prairie and finally went end over end.. When we got to her she was hit where I aimed and the bullet exited..But she bled very little the first 50 or so yards, and I have never had a well hit animal run this far..

Over the same span of time, I suppose we shot another 80 head of big game with hot .22-250s etc,, Never once did I have that type of experience.. We have also shot about the same amount of game maybe more with .30-30's, .32spl.. .7mm-08, .300 Savage, .270 and . the old .30-06.. Never anything like this with those calibers either.. Last fall we shot one buck antelope with the 6mm and an 85 gr. Sierra HPBT dropped him in his tracks.. Also a yearling whitetail doe.. same gun same load..Dropped her on the spot.. But she was eating and had her head down and the bullet hit the spine before entering the chest..

These problems do not occur with every shot or animal, but they have been irritating to me ... Some guys will say, you got your game, what is the difference.. Some people never learn either.. I like my current 6mm and plan to use it some this fall.. But I am very aware of bullet placement, something that has not be so trouble some with other calibers.. I know folks have been very successful with these calibers, but I have had a number of less than desirable things occur with them..

Hitting a gong is not hitting game..

What did the bullet wounds look like on the ones that didn't die quickly ? The reason I ask is that I once shot a whitetail buck with a 100 gr. core-lokt {.243} and it was obvious from the tiny pencil wound with almost no bruising that the bullet didn't expand. That deer did not go far but I bet if the bullet had not pierced the heart {looked like you stabbed a pencil through it } it could have. That was the only time I've ever seen such little damage from any CF cartridge and I've never used .243 core-lokts again because of it.

You have never hunted and eaten gongs??

WTF??

There is one answer to killing problems with a 243 and that answer is the Nosler Partition. I have seen that many 243 bullets are made a bit too stout to avoid blow up problems at close range. This can lead to inconsistent expansion at medium to long ranges. I have seen this with many bullets including factory bullets.


95 grain Nosler Partitions will solve all of these problems. The copper at the nose is thin and the lead soft. It will expand reliably as they can make the front very soft and rely on the inner belt to control expansion and penetration. We also like the SST but sometimes expansion can be too much at close range. 85-100 grain Nosler Partitions depending on case capacity and don't look back. When the caliber is this small you need excellent bullet action and the Partition will give you that 99% of the time. There is still a problem with the 243 and that is that the flat trajectory can tempt you to make shots after the energy has dipped too low. You can hit them but past 300 yards or a bit more killing power is not that impressive.

I have never used partitions but have had excellent results with SST's.

The SST's do seem to open up well at long ranges. We like em.

Only 2 deer w a 95 grain Partiton but quite a few with the 60 grainer in 22-250.

One deadly SOB in both. I am sure I don't need em for deer but I sure do like how they work.

Wyo,

I suspect that the anecdotal observations you've made are more coincidental than correlational. To have seen 60-80 head of game fall to 6mm and .257" caliber bullets with no issues other than a small handful of exceptions tells me that it may have more to do with other factors than the caliber of the bullet. Either inadequate bullet expansion or perhaps different vitality among individual animals. For example, caribou are not especially hard to lay down but I witnessed one bull take 3 rounds of 225gr SP from a .338 Win Mag through the shoulders and lungs from different angles before going down, and he needed a 4th round to finish him upon approach. After the first shot the hunter thought he had missed because the bull gave no reaction to the hit, but I saw it through my bino. I told him to hit the bull again. And again. And finally a finisher was needed. It was an anomaly and definitely doesn't mean that .338" bullets are mediocre performers on caribou. I've also witnessed bull moose, which often take a while to drop after being shot, go down instantly when hit through the shoulder with a 7-08, but I've also seen them stand around after being hit in the shoulder with a .300 Win Mag. I saw a big WT doe get hit by a 105 AM from the .243AI, and at the shot it looked like a can of tomato soup exploded out from the deer's hide onto the snow. When we walked up to place where it was standing at the shot, it looked like someone had poured a 1 gallon pail of red paint onto the snow, and the blood trail was 4-6 inches wide all the way to where the deer lay. The bullet had exploded the heart but she still made it 80 yards.

Animals are individuals and some stay on their feet longer than others. Some give no indication that they've been hit, regardless of caliber, while others freak out. This is assuming proper bullet expansion and penetration, and proper shot placement in all cases.

I've posted this before but will do again. The farthest I've ever had a whitetail go after taking a well placed shot was with a 12 gauge slug. She took one through both lungs broadside from 30 yards and I watched her run 250 yards across an open field before she finally went down.

Here is a bit of blood right at the site of impact. 6mm 95 grain Partition. Shot was too high to bleed this good.

Maybe a 50-60 yard death run. Deer moved as I shot.

Was supposed to be a high shoulder shot for a DRT kill

Interesting stuff guys.. Blackheart, at this point in time, I don't remember the answer to your question, that could have been the case..

Jordan , 61, you make valid points.. I would readily agree that could be the case.. The thing I still consider is why not the same problems with other calibers of the same energy, but big and heavier bullets.. ??? Just something to think about.. I like my current 6mm and will probably try the 95 gr.. Part.. Down the road if I live long enough.. Thanks for the interest and information.. Lots of things happen in the hunting/shooting world that are not easily explained..

10, the thing that I have thought about many times, why does this not happen with the big cased .22's.. One thing I considered is I have never shot an animal except varmints at over 200 yards with those.. But most of my game with the .24's & 25's have been less than 200 also.. Thanks for the interest...

Lemme guess, your "go to" 600 yard gun is a 44 mag pistol. 😂😂

Here is entrance wound.

Shot should have been about 8" farther forward.

What is it you guys Think is happening? You shoot them in exactly the right place but the 6mm bullet somehow doesn't poke a hole or a 6mm hole doesn't kill where a 223 or 6.5mm does? Lol this thread is making my brain hurt.

People keep saying they made a perfect shot but the deer got away. How do you know where the shot went on a deer that was not recovered?

It may be due to higher velocity at impact and thinner jackets that you're just getting better/ more consistent expansion from the .22's. In the case I related above, I'm quite positive that core-lokt .243 bullet expanded very little or not at all. Also being well stabilized and penetrating through low in the chest, that bullet probably didn't have time to destabilize and tumble before exiting the far side. I have found the various 55 and 60 grain .22 caliber sp bullets I've used out of my.223's and .22-250's to be very destructive to the internal organs of deer on a consistent basis.

My 11 yr old buddy learned how to kill deer effectively with a 243 and 95gr ballistic tips. This is a great deer killing combo.

WCH, Valid point for sure.

I have my thoughts about why the big case 22s and light bullets in the 24s work so well.

I have seen the 223, 22-250 and Swift used over 200 yards but those bullets were either the 55 grain Sierra Gameking and a bud used a Swift with a 55 grain V-Max on a doe several years back.

The doe shot with the Swift was pretty much dead where she was shot at about 300 yards. The little V Max bruised the hell out of the opposite side but as to be expected did not exit.

The 55 Gamekings exit deer for the most part. Probably another bullet used in there but the Sierra was used 99% of the time early on.

No huge bodied bucks shot with anything other than the Partition though in the .22 calibers.

If toting a .22 for deer again the Nosler Partition is what I will most likely use. Maybe a TTSX but the Nosler lays out a fine blood trail in the 22 caliber.

You really should have made him hold out for a bigger deer!!

Ruined that poor kid!

m243, no a 7mm mag.. Thanks just the same a.h,!!

10 and Blackheart, I have thought the same thing for a while.. Those 22's are really zipping along.. Just one of those things.. I haven't had this happen for many years, but also have not used the .24's much till I got the 6mm last summer..

JG nice buck.. He might just have been lucky, ha ha..

The 85 TSX/80 TTSX from a .243 are stone cold killers. I suspect the 95 LRX is as well, but haven't used it yet personally.

Thank you, I resemble that remark.

Slam a 243, extoll the virtues of 44 mag on deer. Very rich.

wyoming coyotehunter, I won't argue with your results, but here are some of mine culling whitetails this is 2 days work with a .243 from close to far, not a gong in sight. Rio7

RIO What bullet? thanks

southtexas, mostly 100 gr. SGK 41.5 gr. H-4350 CCI-200. Rio7

We have had excellent luck with the Sierra in 243.

The 85 grain Sierra SP is another good one.

All these guys saying they've killed deer with the .243 must be all liars. I've heard on several sites, including this one from time to time, that deer just smile and walk away when shot with anything less than a 300 Remington Magnum. The .243 just tickles their ribs and they run away happy.....

I've had what I consider good performance with quick kills out of a bunch of different .243 bullets. All except for that one core- lokt.

Must mean they all work pretty well when placed where they should be.

We just use a lot of Sierra because they are about an hour down the road. Go buy a few pounds of seconds every few years.

Couldn't stand it anymore, partly because somebody had to include the .250 Savage and .257 Roberts in the discussion. Went through my hunting notes and found that between me and my wife Eileen, and a couple other companions, we've taken 67 big game animals with those cartridges. Eileen took the majority, beating me out by a little.

The animals have included antelope, whitetails, mule deer, fallow deer, feral pigs and goats, one cow elk and one huge red stag, while hunting in several United States, Ireland and New Zealand. One was my first mule deer buck, taken long ago with a .243 and a 100-grain Winchester Power Point factory load. The 3x3 buck stood quartering away at about 50 yards, and at the shot dropped right there. Eileen also took her biggest-bodied whitetail buck (out of quite a few) with her .243 and a 100-grain Nosler Partition. It was late in the day on a Montana riverbottom, so she decided to use the shoulder/spine shot--and that buck dropped right there, the bullet exiting.

Aside from Power Points, the bullets used were one Barnes Original, plus a number of Barnes TSXs and TTSXs; Berger Hunting VLDs; Federal Blue Box; Nosler AccuBonds (110 .25), Ballistic Tips, Partitions and Solid Bases; Remington Core-Lokts, and Speer Hot-Cors.

Had a little trouble with two animals, both because the bullet didn't open much, if at all, both mule deer bucks shot with the .257 Roberts. One bullet was an early 100-grain TSX from a batch that was apparently too hard, because I also had one fail to open on a pronghorn buck shot at around 250 yards with a .257 Weatherby. Eileen shot an eating-size mule deer buck at about 50 yards in tall sagebrush, through both lungs right under the shoulder-blades. It staggered a little ways and fell--then got up and staggered away again. Eventually we found it dead around 75 yards away. (The next year the Tipped TSX appeared. We switched to it, and have never had one fail to open.)

The other was a big buck I shot broadside, right behind the shoulders with a .257 Roberts and a 120-grain Nosler Solid Base. He turned and disappeared down a steep but not very high rimrock right behind him. Found one match-head size drop of bright blood where he'd stood, but none in the tall grass below the rimrock. Eventually found him dead in the grass, 200 yards from the rim--with a tiny hole through both lungs.

Other than that, all the other animals acted about like similar big game shot with various other rounds. Sometimes they dropped right there even if just lung-shot, and sometimes because the bullet hit bone of some sort. Eileen killed the cow elk at 123 yards as it quartered away, using the .257 and 100 TTSX. I expected it to go 30-50 yards before falling, but instead it dropped right there, flopped its head a couple times and lay still. The bullet had quartered through both lungs, ending up in the far shoulder--but along the way ticked the bottom of the spine.

The big red stag was killed by one 115-grain Berger Hunting VLD in the chest, going down within 15 yards.

One thing Eileen and I both learned long ago was not to blame cartridges for bullet failures, but many hunters do--and apparently repeat the same mistake, both in bullet selection and blaming the round.

Worth repeating.

And worth repeating again and again.

Years ago I had a sickening rodeo with a 270 and the old ballistic tips, ergo the .270 sucks for deer.

Deer certainly have variable reactions to being shot. My father put an early 130 gr Bal Tip through the chest of one. It was relatively close, about 125 yards if memory serves, and the launcher was a 26" barreled 270 with a case full of H4831. If you saw the carcass before the blood trail you probably would have bet $10000 that it dropped at the shot. You would have lost, it traveled a fair distance.

I thought everybody knew that.

So bad I just swapped for another BDL 270, I am double phuqcked, a Remington and a gay cartridge.

One again the word of a man with common sense.

Once upon a time, in a far away place, I used a 243 on Midwest whitetails.
Never lost one but when I killed the largest bodied buck I had ever seen with a neck shot, using old round nose Texan 100 gr bullets, and discovered the old cup and core, non-bonded bullet had been stopped and destroyed by the neck bones, I deduced that the 243 was maybe marginal for large deer and moved up to the 270.
Now, half a century later and having killed a lot more deer ( and a few other larger animals) with numerous other bullets and calibers I have concluded the 243, with today's excellent Bullets, makes a dandy caliber for whitetail, Blacktail and any other deer.
In fact I have a new, old Husqvarna .243 I plan on keeping in hunting camp for use on our subsistence deer and caribou hunts. With Partitions and TSX bullets.

So did we. Should've been the perfect cartridge and bullet for the scenario but it just didnt get the job done that time.

I have a .270 story also but won't tell it on this thread. Rio7

This is a great post. Years ago I loaded nosler partitions in for my .243 and they were awesome. Now you can buy them.

https://choiceammunition.com/product/243-winchester-100-grain-nosler-partition/

https://www.ammunitiondepot.com/federal-premium-vital-shok-243-win-100-gr-nosler-partition.html

Sierra's are my go to bullet for deer. I also like Nosler and Combined Technologies Ballistic Tips. They all work good but the Sierra Game Kings are every bit as good but cheaper.

I had someone tell me that SGKs were ok and shorter ranges inside 100 yards but out past that they didn't perform consistent. I think that's BULL CACA. I killed two White Tail Does at damn near 400 yards with them and one hog at 320. All three were or damn near were DRT. They hog ran about 15 yards on adrenaline. before crashing and burning. Maybe they were talking about really long range like out past 400. But I consider shots like that as folly.

It could happen at any time. Buddy built a 6.5-06 years ago and proceeded to put the smack down on a good size doe about 50 yards away with a SGK, believe it was a 140 grains. Doe ran off and we found her piled up about 50 yards away, when we skinned her, there was a hole in her ribs about 4" in diameter. If I didn't look for that deer with him, I would have said that died on the spot...it just sometimes happens

If I knew deer would be all I would ever be hunting, a .243 Win. or .257 Rob. would be my only rifle. If limited to factory ammo, it would be the .243 but, since I handload, it would be the Roberts. Why? Just because. Either one will easily handle the biggest whitetail (or muley) that ever munched an alfalfa sprout.

I killed a few deer with a 243. I liked it even better when I had it opened up to a 6-284. No caliber was helped more than a 243 with modern improved Bullets like the barnes. Hasbeen

i built a couple of 6mm-284 rifles they are very accurate and dang fast too,i have one of them with a 28 inch barrel it shoots a 70 B.T. 4000 fps and shoots a inch off the bench at 300 yards.

Be handy for an area we coyote hunt.

Long or short action?

I know of a goodly number of deer killed with 100 grain Sierra Gamekings from a vanilla 243 that were shot at 300+ yards and 2 that were at a quarter mile fence that would beg to differ.

Of the 2 at over 400 yards the buck never took a step and the doe traveled maybe 20 yards.

In high school a bud had a Model 77 heavy barrel that was death on about anything he pointed it at.

It's rare to have a deer go far, I would guess 98% of them go down where they stand, most of my shots are inside of 200 yrds, over the years I have killed some out there a ways with the .243, it works. Rio7

Starting my 10 year old girl on a 243.

My wife uses a 243 in a Winchester Model 70 Ultra light. No deer can escape her she is deadly and much more blood thirsty than I am. Well until I made her start dressing them now she is more selective. The 243 is popular for deer but I don't think most hunters that don't use it know how deadly it is on deer. With a good expanding bullet they are DRT. I use a 240 Weatherby from time to time but I am not sure it is anymore effective on deer size game.

Started my 26 year old daughter-in-law on one. Shot her first buck in 2019 and I believe you’d be hard pressed to pry that rifle out of her hands.

A .243 Win + 95/100 grain Nosler Partitions + an accurate charge of Varget. Have yet to catch a bullet or lose a deer with this combination.

ETA: TSX/TTSX/LRX would probably work just as well. However, I am set for 6mm Partitions, so, no desire to change...

I don't know who this Why Coyote Hunter is, but I do know who Warren Page and Byron Dalyrymble were. The former, a long time writer for Field & Stream who regularly used the .243 for Deer and Elk and praised the round. The latter, long time writer for Outdoor Life, who used a .243 almost exclusively and killed over 100 Texas Whitetails without losing a one. I have made dozens of very clean, quick kills with the caliber. I see no reason to subject my old, skinny shoulder to more recoil than necessary.