Is the 243 the best whitetail deer cartridge?

[Hard rock]

Shot a groundhog at 300 yds with my dad's old Winchester 94 30/30 lever with a side-mount scope when I was a stripling... Took a couple tries till I got the drop figured out.

A lot of folks don't realize the 243 win vel and ft lbs of energy was advertised out of a 24 in barrel , when the majority of factory rifles where 22 in barrels , mod 88 win mod 100 win mod 99 sav . and most bolt actions.Colorado had a minimum of foot lbs of energy required for their state . It nearly made the 257 Roberts obsolete that was a better cartridge. Their marketing made the 243 win sound better than the 257 Roberts. Like I said earlier I'm not trying to criticize the 243 , facts are facts. I shoot and have them all.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

My 13 y/o grandson, just shot, a HEAVY Body / Heavy Horned, 30+ Inch, 4x5 Idaho Desert, Muley and he "Thought" that, he had to put, a SECOND,..
87 grain, .243 H-VLD Berger, into IT ( it WASN'T going,.. anywhere ! ),.. YIKES,..
He's starting to, "look at",.. MY,.. New, 6.5 Creedmoor,.. already !
His First Deer, a smaller 3 x 4, shot last year at, 12 y/o,.. Hopped Twice and,.. collapsed ! ( Kid got,.. spoiled with, THAT, Kill ! )

 

[billflangjr813]

Regarding speed and accuracy, the .220 Swift is hard to beat in a 26" rifle.

I got a Ruger M77 W-24". It's by far the best shooting gun I have. It will shoot inside a Dime at 100 yards 3 shots. Here in Florida the woods are real thick where I hunt, Neck shots are my go to shot. I have shot them throw the lungs with it and it doe's the job. I have been playing with Howa 22-250 1500 I got the Trigger down to a 1.5 and at the range at 100 Y/S it shoots just under 1" groups with 45 throw 55 gr F-Loads. I have missed 2 really nice bucks so far with it this year , Neck shots . Both deer were standing at 110 yards , Well I'm back to my 2506 now.

 

[elimsprint]

I haven't read all the replies but I will say I used to be a .243 supporter but...... I have forsaken it in favor of the 6.5 Grendel. The Grendel does everything the .243 does and more using less powder. I have stated elsewhere that it hits harder than a .243, bucks wind better than a 22-250 and recoils like a .223, what's not to like?

 

[Hard rock]

I haven't read all the replies but I will say I used to be a .243 supporter but...... I have forsaken it in favor of the 6.5 Grendel. The Grendel does everything the .243 does and more using less powder. I have stated elsewhere that it hits harder than a .243, bucks wind better than a 22-250 and recoils like a .223, what's not to like?

I love my 6.5 Grendel , but I wouldn't say it's a better cartridge than my 243 win .Step it up a notch 6.5x55 ,6.5-284 and my 6.5Prcs yes , but more powder more recoil . The little Grendel is a great cartridge , but know it's limitations.

 

[SkipB]

Maybe, maybe not. I'm 75 and been doing this since I was 12. I do have to admit I didn't start deer hunting until 1970 so only 52 years of deer hunting. Sarcasm will get you nowhere and it is not appreciated.

Not being sarcastic at all I`m a spring chicken at 73 and started hunting at 8 with my father and uncle and started reloading at 14. Shot my first deer at 10 with a 243. I just finished this custom 243 for my granddaughter to hunt with next year. Kinda tough this year she is 5 months pregnant with my great grandson. It`s a McGowan 9 twist 243 on a Mauser action. I just finished floating and bedding it. The 243 has its place as does the 30-30 but on our farm we have some fields that are a half mile long and a half mile wide and a 30-30 in those fields you might as well have a slingshot. If you blow up the pic of the field you will see 2 yearling does on the left at the woods edge, they are at 341 yards. and they are about halfway down the field. That field is about a half mile square. At that distance I don`t want something that will run out of steam before it gets there. My 25-06 or 308 with a stout load of either Varget or 4350 pushing a 100 grain ballistic tip or 150 grain Partition will get the job done. Your turn

 

[RidgeTop]

It works, but for the big Adirondak Deer I would go with a .308 or 30-006.

 

[David_h]

I shot my first deer with a Ruger M77 .243 heavy barrel at about 50 yards; DRT. Probably a 95 grain Nosler Partition bullet but that was 1980 so I don't remember. Not a Whitetail but rather a Southern Mule Deer.

 

[blueprairiedog]

I

Im waiting for the impala eating popcorn from you know who!!!!!

He must be Christmas shopping or starting fires with gun powder

 

[VinceMule]

I shot cow elk with 243, 22" Rem 700, 100g Nosler partitions.

We rode mules, shots were not long. A 450 lb animal was normal, we had our pick.

Confidence in your gun is everything. A riding partner Carried a 300 H&H Model 70 Win.

Fast forward to today. R#26 with Berger 105g Hunting VLD, Real world is 3100 and more, this is one heck of a combo. We search for super accuracy, light recoil, and the ability to place a shot exactly where we want it. The Berger 105g VLD hunting is proving to be spectacular, with great penetration and blended internals.

Few speak of the 80g TTSX, and with R#19, 3300-3400 is real world, jumping the bullet .050 from the lands. This bullet is SUPER accurate. With the 85g TSX, I shot one large doe in the butt walking directly away from me, around 80 yards. I found the bullet under the hide about to exit after it had broken a front shoulder, and she of course was laying in her tracks. That was a fast barrel with the 85 doing 3400 fps.

Hard for people to get it through their heads that lung-shot deer run. So, neck shoot them, high shoulder, or shoulders.

 

[Hard rock]

I shot cow elk with 243, 22" Rem 700, 100g Nosler partitions.

We rode mules, shots were not long. A 450 lb animal was normal, we had our pick.

Confidence in your gun is everything. A riding partner Carried a 300 H&H Model 70 Win.

Fast forward to today. R#26 with Berger 105g Hunting VLD, Real world is 3100 and more, this is one heck of a combo. We search for super accuracy, light recoil, and the ability to place a shot exactly where we want it. The Berger 105g VLD hunting is proving to be spectacular, with great penetration and blended internals.

Few speak of the 80g TTSX, and with R#19, 3300-3400 is real world, jumping the bullet .050 from the lands. This bullet is SUPER accurate. With the 85g TSX, I shot one large doe in the butt walking directly away from me, around 80 yards. I found the bullet under the hide about to exit after it had broken a front shoulder, and she of course was laying in her tracks. That was a fast barrel with the 85 doing 3400 fps.

Hard for people to get it through their heads that lung-shot deer run. So, neck shoot them, high shoulder, or shoulders.

You are right on the money , the 85 grTSX is the last bullet I loaded in my 243 , it does a great job . I'm not knocking Barnes but since have started shooting Hammers , they are unbelievable accurate and so far have performed the same everytime they also foul way less than Barnes. Tha next bullet will be the 85 gr Hammer. I had a real bad experience with the 100 gr Nosler Partition in the 257 Roberts . Dead mule deer but could not find the entrance or exit , I guess if you hunt long enough you will see it all inside of deer destroyed . I like an exit no matter where the bullet impacts . Like you said lung shot expect the deer too run. I like the high shoulder shot.

 

[memtb]

Under some circumstance….. bullet selection, bullet placement, size of the deer (yes ….they vary in size), range at which the deer was shot, ect. all play into this equation.

Summary: It could be considered a good deer cartridge…..but, "NEVER" the best deer cartridge! memtb

 

[Jester560]

I have yet had a.deer complain that I killed it too dead with a magnum caliber

 

[Northkill]

Not being sarcastic at all I`m a spring chicken at 73 and started hunting at 8 with my father and uncle and started reloading at 14. Shot my first deer at 10 with a 243. I just finished this custom 243 for my granddaughter to hunt with next year. Kinda tough this year she is 5 months pregnant with my great grandson. It`s a McGowan 9 twist 243 on a Mauser action. I just finished floating and bedding it. The 243 has its place as does the 30-30 but on our farm we have some fields that are a half mile long and a half mile wide and a 30-30 in those fields you might as well have a slingshot. If you blow up the pic of the field you will see 2 yearling does on the left at the woods edge, they are at 341 yards. and they are about halfway down the field. That field is about a half mile square. At that distance I don`t want something that will run out of steam before it gets there. My 25-06 or 308 with a stout load of either Varget or 4350 pushing a 100 grain ballistic tip or 150 grain Partition will get the job done. Your turn

Wait, with a little practice you'll get it with the lever 30/30

What’s your longest kill shot of 2022?

Coyote at 285 this morning. Deer weren't co-oping today. And I missed on at 130. Got in a hurry, knew it was about to turn to grey smoke. Go figure.

www.longrangehunting.com

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