Going through some stuff and found this old picture today! Thought it fitting that I add it to this topic.



Got this guy on Dad's property with my $175 .243 Win and 105 grain Federal factory ammunition. We never owned big game rifles growing up and I'm the only one in my family that hunts. I got this guy in 1991, this picture is the only one I've found and the antlers were lost (intentionaly by mom I think) during my first stint of active duty for the Army. She probably got tired of them hanging on her porch.

I never got another decent deer until 2006, but I saved the antlers this time.

Nice buck . That's one of the prettiest mule deer faces I've ever seen. The little deer I've seen in Sitka Alaska have those soft features also. roger

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
Nice buck . That's one of the prettiest mule deer faces I've ever seen. The little deer I've seen in Sitka Alaska have those soft features also. roger

Thanks Roger!

I guess how that picture really relates to the topic of a .243 Win for deer is that was the first centerfire rifle I ever bought. I had just found out that I drew a deer tag, and was going to borrow one of the neighbors rifles since my family didn't own anything leagal to hunt with. I had been looking at other rifles but at that time a $300 hunting rifle was out of my reach by the time I bought a scope for it as well as ammunition.

A local rancher had passed and when I read the sale bill there was two rifles for sale. A Midland Arms .243 and Winchester Lever Action .38-55. All I knew is both rifles were legal for deer because of the hunting regs anything 6mm/.243 or larger was legal. I couldn't touch the Winchester but I was able to get the .243 for $175 with 5 boxes of the Federal 105 grain ammunition.

Killed that buck, a few does and pronghorn as well with that rifle before I moved on to bigger things because I wanted to hunt elk. I would have been perfectly happy to use the .243 on elk until a hunter I really respected told me I needed a bigger rifle. If he hadn't told me that it might have been the only big game rifle I would have ever owned. Still have that old Midland rifle which is actually a commerical Mauser Parker Hale rifle imported by Jana Corp of Denver made in Midland England. Did repalce the Jana 4X scope on it about six years after I shot this deer with it.

I sure wouldn't hesitate to use that rifle again for deer. I don't shoot it much anymore but I have loaned it out a few times to kids to go and get their first pronghorn or deer. Got a nephew and a daughter that it will probably use it as there first hunting rifle as well.

The second deer pictured was taken with a .270 Win.

quote:

Originally posted by Kabluewy:
There are at least five .243 bullets now without any lead, all under 100 grs, which are not varmint type bullets:

http://www.grafs.com/retail/ca...duct/productId/11864

http://www.grafs.com/retail/ca...oduct/productId/9600

http://www.grafs.com/retail/ca...product/productId/61

http://www.grafs.com/retail/ca...roduct/productId/419

http://www.grafs.com/retail/ca...roduct/productId/420

When I was shooting a 243, this type of bullet was not available, or at least I don't remember considering them. If I had a 243 now, I would certainly use them. KB

My go to deer/nilgai rifle is a .338 WM, but I do use a 243 WSSM AR15 during early deer season primarily for ADC, and also to cull WT does. The 100 gr. Nos. solid base @ 3100 fps has served me well on both predators and deer, always resulting in passthrough on deer w/my preferred double lung shot. Deer never run more than 30-50 yards and ample blood trail makes tracking in heavy brush simple.

I was recently given a box of 85 gr. TSX so worked up a load and gave them a try last season. Shot four does with them before going back to the 100 gr. NSB. The TSX performed the task at hand, but no blood trail! This was not a critical issue, as all were found within the expected 40 yard radius.

Granted, the 6mm's aren't known for producing a solid blood trail with any bullet on lung shot deer, but if it's a blood trail you want, I'd stick w/the lead 'n copper bullets.

Regards,
hm

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby B.:
I've killed maybe a dozen deer with the 70 grain NBT at 3950-60 fps. Some were whitetails and some were mulies. Some were close and some were far, the furthest being about 450 yds. That fast little bullet killed deer quicker than the 150 NBT out of my 7RM. All shots were broadside in the chest and none required a second shot.

Bobby B.

reminds me of the berger vld they enter a few inches then kinda blow up making mush out of the boiler room

Many years ago the wife and I both killed a bunch of deer with the 243. Mostly whitetail, but she killed some big mule deer and several antelope with one as well.

We always used handloads with either the Sierra 100gr or the 95 gr Nosler Partition.

Never had a single problem.

I moved her "up" to a 308 when we got onto a deer lease that has wild pigs on it.