The .243 is very popular here with deer stalkers for all six species, partly because most licencing officers recommend that newbies apply for one. Even though it is in the top 3 most used rifle calibres seen in the field, it still polarises people and some syndicates/guides prefer a larger calibre to be used.

This season, after 4 years of using 308/270 rifles, I ended up getting through the fallow stalking season with a cheap Parker Hale .243. It has worked admirably on about 20 deer now, ranging from 15kg fawns to the largest buck I've ever taken. Occasionally, with a H/L shot the beast runs up to 50m before collapsing and I do wonder if this distance was shorter when I used a 308, but memory is a funny thing and the 'bang/flops' are more memorable than the torchlight searches.

How is the 243 viewed on the continent?

I know it can only be used on roe deer (stalked, not driven) in Belgium, but would be interested to know where it makes an appearance elsewhere in Europe.

This is one I shot on Sunday and made it all of 25m before keeling over. 150m shot, 90 grain prvi partizan softpoint ammo. Exit wound visible.

I use my .308w on fallow with 165gr accubond and se the same short run after a lunghit. I like to use a stout bullet because i also use it on moose and boar.

Boggie,

Waidmannsheil, nice Fallow Buck (no, not Kiri, the Buck laying expired in the photo).

I consider it one of the absolute best Roe Deer cartridges of all times. Right balance of accuracy & terminal performance with the correct choice of bullets (heads) so as not to destroy this delicate deer. Also like yourself I've certainly had more Bang-Flops with this cartridge on Roe Deer than any other, perhaps when Roe are on the Menu I tend to this cartridge and therefore the results pre-ordained - Dunno, but like it.

You fellows live with Firearms Licensing Officers; sadly. I could understood their part in the procees as administering an application; not consulting applicants on their cartridge choices/desires/needs. I guess I'm just not in the know ......

I've also shot quite a few Muntjac (also good cartridge), Chinkies (also good), Fallow & Red Deer with it; simply because that's what I had in my hands when the oportunity presented itself. Even with the best 100 grain 6mm bullets made today I personally prefer a tad larger hole for the larger Deer. For Sika I prefer a .30/06 Sprg. which from my experience is considered by many of your countrymen as some sort of tactical nuclear weapon.

Has the .243 Winchester worked? Yes, but I've switched to the 25-06 Remington w/120 gr. bullets for my UK outings because I feel it a better mousetrap when a broader Menu presents itself.

Here in The Fatherland; Roe Deer are considered Small Game so a .243 Winchester is legal for them BUT Large Game (Wild Boar and larger Deer) require a minimum of 6.5mm and 2000 Joules @ 100 meters and the bare minimum for that is considered the 6.5x57(R) but I'm sure there are more currently vogue cartridges that fill this niché, too. Since Wild Boar are fairly commonplace and legally require the use of the forementioned caliber/energy requirement, the .243 Win. doesn't see as much use as prior to the wildfire like spread of Sus Scrofa throughout Germany.

Anyway, my $0.02 contribution and remember; you're getting your money's worth - have fun with your Parker Hale, nice rifle.

Probably flogging a dead horse, but ...

6mm Remington


.243 WSSM


Both are from this season. My experiences reflect your own.

Where did you acquire that fuzzy jacket?

I would really love to own a .243 and think it is a great cartridge for Fallow, Reindeer and smaller, but here in Norway it is only legal for Roe deer and smaller.

And since we have a limit in Norway on how many hunting guns we can own and that I think a 223 is good for Roe deer and better than a 243 for smaller, a .243 will sadly not be a gun I will own as long as I live in Norway.

And I use my 6.5-06 for most of my hunting anyway

For me the 243 is a great stalking cartridge in the UK. I own an old Sako that is extremely accurate in non Persian hands, and I have probably killed more deer with that than any of my other rifles.

However where I feel that the 243 falls down is as a travelling gun. I tend to recommend to novice stalkers that they go for a 6.5 or 7mm as a starting rifle. That way it doubles up for larger stags abroad, african plains game or some wild boar.

The biggest weakness of the 243 is not its calibre or ballistics. In my mind it is limited predominantly by the lack of suitable bullets as the range is mostly skewed to lighter frangible varmint bullets, which have always resulted in a bunch of meat damage.

Rgds,
K

There's nothing inherently wrong with .243 if it's used with precision and good field craft to head or neck shoot larger game. However, in my experience (every bugger has one round here) it is less successful in the hands of someone with less experience, precision or field craft - a small bullet placed in the lungs rather than heart from an inappropriate distance will result in more lost deer than a similar shot from a larger calibre.

I'm with Kiri on the bullet weight - because UK police forces see it as their mission to limit the number of firearms in circulation, there is a market here for .243s set up primarily for foxing doubling up as stalking rifles. They often have too slow a twist for appropriate stalking weight bullets, so guys use light, fast fox bullets that cause massive meat damage and don't always have the desired knock down effect.

Mind you, Kiri can't talk - he stalks with a slightly effeminate .260...

quote:

Originally posted by Boghossian:
Where did you acquire that fuzzy jacket?

Lol, I get asked that a lot. It's a 2009 Columbia PHG limited edition jacket that I bought from a Columbia store near my home. While definitely funny looking, it's warm, comfortable and quiet in the field.

quote:

Originally posted by Adam.270:
effeminate .260...

Wow

Is that a new caliber ?

Tell us more

Does Kiri load up with Avon powder or Chanel No 5 ?

I heard it shoots extremely well certain days of the month only and some days it won't chamber at all...

Whilst not on the European continent, here in the Australian continent I have put the 243 to work with great results on many wild Boar and Goat's plus some Chamois over in NZ.

quote:

Originally posted by londonhunter:

quote:

Originally posted by Adam.270:
effeminate .260...

Wow

Is that a new caliber ?

Tell us more

Does Kiri load up with Avon powder or Chanel No 5 ?

I heard it shoots extremely well certain days of the month only and some days it won't chamber at all...

That's the one - the .260 Bodyform . Although, to be fair, he has a .375 Testosterone to try and assert his manliness - he's wheeling it out in Estonia next week to wave at some boar.

As Norwegianwoods already said, the .243 Win is legal up to and including roe deer her in The Viking Kingdom.

It was my dedicated roe caliber for many years in a light Rem Seven, and counted for quite a few.

Today my roe rifle is a Kimber Montana in 308 Win loaded with 150 grs Woodleigh PP and I experience much more DRT with this combo than with the 243 Win.

Thing is, roe is often shot when stalking red deer, which sort of rule out the 243 Win as it is a "roe only" caliber (much like what Gerry describe).

That said, the 243 Win is by many considered as THE caliber here in Norway for those dedicated roe deer hunters.

.243 is only permitted for roe and smaller game in Denmark, but it's a very popular calibre for roe. With good reason in my opinion.

I've never had one myself, but it's on my list.

In Poland there is a rule of 2000 J at 100 m for red deer and some ammunition in 243 Win meet this. I would not recomend this caliber for Eastern Europe Red deer as the stags may be well over 250 kgs. For roe its near perfect although some low grade bullets make excesive damge to meat due to high velocity.