Is the 243 the best whitetail deer cartridge?

[ThorThor]

Hate to admit it but ya the little 6.5 Needmoor is hard to beat in a Quick pointing light Short action gun for whitetails. With 140s it's not to fast of for bad meat loss on close shots either.

 

[coop2564]

Its as good as any and better than many! 243 is lighting in a cartridge.

 

[25WSM]

My favorite for sure is the 257 roy. Lightswitch type kills. Light recoil. The 243 is a great little cartridge. Try some Rl26 in it with 108 bergers. Might make a 240roy cry when it sees how fast it goes. I shoot a 6 slr which is what Winchester should have made. 30 degree shoulder and longer neck. Both creeds are great too.
Shep

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

While I do believe it to be a great deer cartridge (it was my first ever deer rifle) I lean more toward the mild 6.5 variants (6.5x47, 6.5creed, 260 rem, etc) and I believe those are about the best all around deer rifle cartridges out there. Alittle more mass and energy than the 243 or 6mm variants. I use my 7mm rem mag most of the time though. If I could only own one deer rifle though I'd probably choose 6.5 creed. That way my kids and my wife could shoot it as well.

 

[Quintus]

My favorite for sure is the 257 roy. Lightswitch type kills. Light recoil. The 243 is a great little cartridge. Try some Rl26 in it with 108 bergers. Might make a 240roy cry when it sees how fast it goes. I shoot a 6 slr which is what Winchester should have made. 30 degree shoulder and longer neck. Both creeds are great too.
Shep

True, until you load Roys 6mm with RL26.

 

[bdlesh]

And then,.. Squeezed it back down and ADDED, the 30* shoulder, to create,.. the PERFECT, Deer / Antelope, Cartridge,.. the 6.5 Creedmoor !
Yup,.. I succumbed to, One of, these Baby's ! And,.. My Man bun, is growing,.. longer !

I am surprised it took someone this long to bring up the holy grail of all calibers...... all hail lord 6.5 creedmore

 

[Hard rock]

And then,.. Squeezed it back down and ADDED, the 30* shoulder, to create,.. the PERFECT, Deer / Antelope, Cartridge,.. the 6.5 Creedmoor !
Yup,.. I succumbed to, One of, these Baby's ! And,.. My Man bun, is growing,.. longer !

If the 260 Rem would have had followed the 6.5 Swedes twist rate already proven over a 100 yrs ago the 6.5 Creed would not be in existence the only fault of the 260 was the standard 1-9 twist same as the 264 win mag the 6.5 Creed was just a reinvention of the whell

 

[mercerbear]

A little background, my father in law debated me one time, 243 is the best deer cartridge. I said, naw, it's the 30-06. He said no way, the 243 kills them just as dead, sweetest shooting cartridge with no recoil, and very flat and fast.

Shortly after that, I 'd gotten on a lease and bought a 243 as a back up to my trusty 30-06 and for my father in law to use when I took him as my guest. Well guess what? I've come to believe he's right. I've shot deer with calibers up to 375H&H and pistol calibers 45 ACP and 41 magnum and nothing kills deer as quickly as that 243.

Since then I bought a small frame 243 Tikka T3 for my kids to use as their first deer rifle. That gun is a tack driver and kills deer dead right there. It's light, smooth action, relatively inexpensive, sized right for kids and comes with shims to grow with them. My buddy took his youngest of three sons out to hunt his first deer this weekend. Borrowed that 243. One shot, DRT! Loved the gun.

Just more proof in my mind that my father in law was right. The 243 is the best deer cartridge. I don't know what it is, speed? sweet-spot diameter of bullet? Just the right amount of energy? Love to hear others' thoughts and reactions, both pro and con!

I think .243 is a great option for young shooters and smaller framed people, when hunting whitetail.

Is it the best for quick kills on deer?.....not even in the conversation.

Any centerfire caliber will do the job with a well placed shot and good bullet. When you get away from well placed and start to look at the forgiveness a certain chambering will provide on less ideal shot placement, I'll take something with a larger shoulder and better energy transfer.

That's me and my opinion. I love for anyone to be in the woods and hunting and am happy for you.

 

[coop2564]

I think .243 is a great option for young shooters and smaller framed people, when hunting whitetail.

Is it the best for quick kills on deer?.....not even in the conversation.

Any centerfire caliber will do the job with a well placed shot and good bullet. When you get away from well placed and start to look at the forgiveness a certain chambering will provide on less ideal shot placement, I'll take something with a larger shoulder and better energy transfer.

That's me and my opinion. I love for anyone to be in the woods and hunting and am happy for you.

Have you even killed a deer with a 243? They are DRT 95% of time...doesn't get much quicker than a SST in 95grs.

 

[Hard rock]

I think .243 is a great option for young shooters and smaller framed people, when hunting whitetail.

Is it the best for quick kills on deer?.....not even in the conversation.

Any centerfire caliber will do the job with a well placed shot and good bullet. When you get away from well placed and start to look at the forgiveness a certain chambering will provide on less ideal shot placement, I'll take something with a larger shoulder and better energy transfer.

That's me and my opinion. I love for anyone to be in the woods and hunting and am happy for you.

Yes everyone should have at least one 243 win and one 257 Robert's in there rifle line up but they have there limitations I have both but I know what bullets and what ranges there suited for too get the best terminal effects

 

[mercerbear]

Have you even killed a deer with a 243? They are DRT 95% of time...doesn't get much quicker than a SST in 95grs.

I have.

Have you ever killed one with a 338 Federal?

Edit to add...I have a Sako in .243. I am comparing terminal effects to 338 federal just to keep it in the .308 wildcat family.

 

[JMW67]

Load up the 69 gr. Absolute Hammer at 3700 plus feet per second the 243 that used to be great really becomes amazing

 

[ndking1126]

Dead is dead. Shot placement trumps caliber. How quickly they die is largely based on how quickly the brain runs out of oxygen and caliber has little to do with that. Internal bleeding into the lung cavity can deprive the animal of blood to the brain just like a good blood trail can. Sure some fall where they stand with a double lung hit, but it's more chance than anything.

243 is a fantastic cartridge, as are most of the other 17,497 cartridges that are on the market. The best caliber is the one you like or even the one in hand when you see a deer. Deer are easy to kill.. even the 223 is capable (but not always legal) if the deer isn't too far away. Definitely something to choosing a low recoilong cartridge when it's more than capable. You don't need a magnum to kill deer unless you are reaching way out there.

 

[mercerbear]

Dead is dead. Shot placement trumps caliber. How quickly they die is largely based on how quickly the brain runs out of oxygen and caliber has little to do with that. Internal bleeding into the lung cavity can deprive the animal of blood to the brain just like a good blood trail can.

243 is a fantastic cartridge, as are the 17,497 cartridges that are on the market. The best caliber is the one you like or even the one in hand when you see a deer. Deer are easy to kill.. even the 223 is capable (but not always legal) if the deer isn't too far away. Definitely something to choosing a low recoilong cartridge when it's more than capable. You don't need a magnum to kill deer unless you are reaching way out there.

I agree. There is not a best round. It's all preference.