What's the largest game animal you would take with a .243 or similar? I knocked over a 150+ or- lb pig with mine.

Growing up my brother and I used a 243 sako quite a lot. Largest game we hunted was kudu bulls along with numerous gemsbok and eland cows.

It is quite potent if used properly.

Our whitetails, up to 200 Lbs. or so.

Plenty of big Red Stags are shot every year in the UK with the 243. Most are well over 100 kg live weight, many getting towards 200 kg if not bigger.

I am sure plenty of elk are taken every year as well. It would not be my first choice of course...

My son killed his first kudu and zebra with a .243 shooting 100gr TSX bullets.

Personally I have killed Fallow and Sika deer, nanny Tahr and many feral Goats where billys will weigh more than 50 kg in places. Not very big animals really but I never had the chance to try any larger animals.
Some years ago I spent time hunting with a guide who for many years made a living from meat shooting Red Deer on our South Islands west coast. He told me of the large body size of numerous stags he shot. His every day rifle was a 243W. I would guess he was shooting 100 gn bullets.

bullet in the heart, liver, or lungs is going to produce a dead animal. Takes a well placed shot same as with something bigger.

A few years ago we went on a road trip to northern British Columbia. While up there we visited a town called Telegraph Creek which is in the territory of the Talltan people. One of the village elders gave us a tour of the town in his truck. He mentioned that he had his moose rifle in the back seat in case we stumbled across one.It was hunting season so we thought nothing of it. Out of curiosity I asked what calibre he used for moose. His reply was .243. They are subsistence hunters up there so they rely on getting their meat by hunting and I don’t think they would waste their time shooting animals with inadequate rifles.

I've killed a young bull elk and a few mule deer bucks. Nothing over 200yds other than coyote.

Pop's first rifle, that I still have, is a 243 p64 M70. He took 3 whitetail with it over a few years, probably under 150 lb.

But remember a 6mm creed can do better :-)

richj---did the 3 deer your dad took with the .243 come back to life? Just wondering how a 6mm creed would do better.

So far the count on elk is 52 with my pre 64 model 70 fw 243. Not all have dit but all have been recovered under 100 yds. My father took 31 elk with same rifle. It's all in the shot placements getting close . Never had to shoot over 350 yds. The new bullets have made a good bit of success.

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
Personally I have killed Fallow and Sika deer, nanny Tahr and many feral Goats where billys will weigh more than 50 kg in places. Not very big animals really but I never had the chance to try any larger animals.
Some years ago I spent time hunting with a guide who for many years made a living from meat shooting Red Deer on our South Islands west coast. He told me of the large body size of numerous stags he shot. His every day rifle was a 243W. I would guess he was shooting 100 gn bullets.

As always shot placement plays a big part of the success or otherwise of putting animals down. I lived on the South Islands West Coast (South Westland) for nearly 40 years of my life and a friend of mine there culled red deer for several years further south in Fiordland using a 243W. On becoming a hunting guide on deer, chamois and tahr back up in Westland he changed to a 30-06. As he said, shooting on his own and picking his shots the 243W worked well but a different story when a client wounds an animal and he having to finish the job. The 243W just didn't have the real grunt when taking shots under less than ideal conditions on animals with large doses of adrenaline coursing through their veins.

Hunting in Sth. Westland bush, which is like jungle in many places, or out on open alpine country on tahr and chamois often on the move at long range just doesn't always give you the opportunity for good bullet placement. My 7x61S&H in those days thumped animals at all ranges, anchoring them or slowing them with almost any body shot.

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
Personally I have killed Fallow and Sika deer, nanny Tahr and many feral Goats where billys will weigh more than 50 kg in places. Not very big animals really but I never had the chance to try any larger animals.
Some years ago I spent time hunting with a guide who for many years made a living from meat shooting Red Deer on our South Islands west coast. He told me of the large body size of numerous stags he shot. His every day rifle was a 243W. I would guess he was shooting 100 gn bullets.

As always shot placement plays a big part of the success or otherwise of putting animals down. I lived on the South Islands West Coast (South Westland) for nearly 40 years of my life and a friend of mine there culled red deer for several years further south in Fiordland using a 243W. On becoming a hunting guide on deer, chamois and tahr back up in Westland he changed to a 30-06. As he said, shooting on his own and picking his shots the 243W worked well but a different story when a client wounds an animal and he having to finish the job. The 243W just didn't have the real grunt when taking shots under less than ideal conditions on animals with large doses of adrenaline coursing through their veins.

Hunting in Sth. Westland bush, which is like jungle in many places, or out on open alpine country on tahr and chamois often on the move at long range just doesn't always give you the opportunity for good bullet placement. My 7x61S&H in those days thumped animals at all ranges, anchoring them or slowing them with almost any body shot

Curious about your 7x61S&H, eagle 27. Was (is) it a Schultz & Larsen? I have a S&L M68DL in 7x61S&H, and love it.

I believe I would choose something larger than 243 if the game was larger than deer. I would not be afraid to use a 243 on elk, but I have plenty of larger rifles that I would prefer for such chores.

What bullets do you guys favor for larger game with the .243 Win.?

Federal Powershock 100 gr.