Is The 243 Really Big Enough For Deer?

Yes, of course. As is nearly any other gun on earth. It's not the gun or cartridge, it's the hunter that makes it happen. You wouldn't take a 100 yard shot with buckshot(I hope) so if you don't do the .243 equivalent it works fine. My first deer was an 8 pointer with a Mod. 88 in .243. 125 yd. neck shot...flop-dead.

Know a fella that shot 5 deer with a 10-22 without taking a step between. 5 shots, no tracking. One big pile of deer. Is the LR enough cartridge/gun for deer? It was for him.

Ah, well, the Mod 88 got stolen, the 6mm that replaced it was given as a gift to a dear friend. I don't hold the caliber is terribly high esteem today but that's opinion as well as fact. I don't think anybody has given bad advice here, but I'd say "Buy what you want, learn it, then enjoy."

Good luck!

Wecome buffalobreath, I hope you find these forums as entertaining and informative as I have. Nate

Tombo wrote:

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I think the 243 is plenty big enough for deer in Lousiana and Arkansas most of Texas. It seems like it be a bit puny for some of those big northern deer....

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Tombo, we have some big deer too. It just depends on where you hunt. If you hunt in the piney woods, a Buck will run 120-185 but, If you hunt in the River Delta Crop land, they are anywhere from 200-300 lbs.

You are right, the 243 will kill a small deer fine although, I've seen em' run along ways after a good hit. For a kid, it's probably a good starter rifle.

It would be great for antelope & varmint hunting.

Reloader

DD hit on the whole secret. "learn how to use it". A well practiced rifleman can make just about anything work, even a .243.

Both my boys and my brother started deer hunting with a 243. All ammo was reloaded with 105 gr. speer's at different velocities depending on the boys size and recoil tolerance. The slowest was clocked at approx. 2,000 fps. All deer were shot within 60 yrds. all deer were found within 50 yrds. Personally, I have only shot one hog with a 243 and 105 gr speer and had no problems.

With my past experiences I would say it's big enough in our hunting environment.

I like Val's advice, frankly. Hit the nail right on the head. I have used the .243 on deer, and I don't, anymore. I have seen others use it, as well, and while they get deer usually, sometimes, they lose them, either due to poor tracking skills, or whatever. The .243 is a coyote rifle that can work on deer, the .25/06 is a deer rifle you can use for coyotes, simple as that.

if you do things right every time yes but instead of following the 7-08 lemming colony look at a 7/57 same performance upto 160gr better above when handloaded and works for elephant just ask WDM BELL.

The .243 is more than enough cartridge for deer. The old saying "it's not what you shoot them with, but where you hit them that counts" hold true with any caliber. Go to the range, practice makes perfect.
I've killed dozens of deer (both mule and whitetail), over a dozen elk, and many antelope with the .243. I have had good luck with Barnes bullets, and have not lost a critter yet.

MG

I had pretty good luck on deer with the 6MM Remington till feral hogs took the place over. I will say that there are shots I will take with my 308 that I won't with any 243/6mm though. I am more willing to take a running shot with the 308 or 7x57 than the smaller calibers.

I use to think like everyone else that a 243 was too small for deer. Well to finally prove it to myself, I got a 243 in a trade and used it early one season in Northern Minnesota.

Imagine my disappointment when I hit a deer and it went down just as quick as if I had shot it with my 30/06. I have had deer go several hundred yards with lung shots from my 30/06.

So the next time I used a 243 and the same thing happened again.

Notice how many guys who are against a 243 are quick to blame it on a failure? Yet a failure with a 30/06 is not blamed on the cartridge.

I move out west, and some of these old people who don't read reload manuals or hunting magazines etc, are shocked when you tell them that a 243 or a 22/250 is not a deer or elk rifle!
They looked at you perplexed, because they have been using one and take deer and elk with them every year and have been doing so for a long time.

I remember a guy who just moved to Montana being with a friend of mine and some of his buddies at breakfast at a restaurant one morning. The guy from California was laughing about hearing some of the locals using 22/250s for antelope.
Well most of the Montana guys were saying " yeah so what:, it works". As the guy form CA is trying to tell them it was only designed as a varmint cartridge, one guy pointed out that his grandmother is an Indian and she lives off the reservation but out in the mountains. Elk walk thru her yard all the time.
She takes several every year and the only gun she owns is a 22/250.

It the hands of a skilled rifleman, and with proper shot placement it works just fine. It may not be YOUR first choice, but doesn't negate the fact that it will work for others.

People who question the wisdom of using a 243 on Anything, never seem to question tho, the guys who Bow hunt Elk, deer, Moose and Bear with a Bow. That we all know is based strictly on shot placement. Footpounds won't do it alone.

Yet why do we question the 243 and its ability?
The logic escapes me!

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

PS: Once again the soap Box is now available for the next guy!

I've never really liked the idea of a .243 as a deer/antelope round. I have no personal exp. as I won't hunt w/ one but many of my friends have & most have moved up to a bigger caliber. For me, there just isn't any margin for error w/ smaller calibers on deer. Yes, they kill, but bigger bullets, bigger holes. My personal min. is a .25 w/ 120gr bullets. Keep searching for a 7-08 if that's what you want, it's a good caliber for deer/antelope.

First, let me say that I don't like .243s, short actions, or short barrels. That said, yea .243s kill deer, especially if you use a Partition bullet. They just don't have the margin for error some bigger calibers have, but your dad probably has enough experience to overide that. As you can already see from all the responses the question raises great passion in some. Use the right bullet and put it in the right place and your dad will have his deer. Still, if I was after a low recoil round to deer hunt with I would go with a 30-30 and, from what I have seen, a bunch of other folks would to.

Of course it works. It's become stylish to cut it down, but I see no problem with it, deer sometimes run a ways when hit with a 7mm Mag or .300 as well as with the .243. I've seen plenty fall in their tracks with the .243 and the .22-250 and .220 Swift also.

"follow the 7-08 lemming crowd" ROFLMAO!!!!! You can't blame anyone for getting on the "what works" band wagon. The .243 is an over-hyped POS. Yes, it will kill deer under optimum circumstances, perhaps even elk, but, face it, it is a marginal POS for killing deer. Hell, face it, a .22LR is a viable deer cartridge in the hands of a practiced hunter. Thousands of deer are killed every year by the poachers in Tenn with .22LR's. That doesn't make them a viable deer cartridge. If you have a .243, kill a lot of coyotes and ground hog with it. If not, get you a good .260 or 7-08 or whatever but don't make the .243 your "deer rifle". Roflmao: come on flames, been there, done that, got the tee shirt. The .243 wisht it was the rifle the .260/.257Bob/.257AIBob/25-06/6.5x etc,etc is!!!!
Now, give me about three or four pages of flame about how you shot a ----- at ----- yards and dropped it like a sack of oats.












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With a good bullet such as the nosler partition or Barnes etc and of adequate weight such as 90-100 grains, the .243 is ok, but not a top choice here in Alberta where we can run into large 250lbs. and up bucks.For my money I move up to the .264 Win, 7/08, 7x57 or .270 or .25/06 or 308 or 30-06. for my main deer rifle. They put the real big bucks down for keeps with decent hits.

If recoil is a concern consider the .260 Rem or the 6.5x55.