Is the 243 the best whitetail deer cartridge?

[wonderman4]

It depends on where you're hunting. A buddy of mine was hunting south Texas and it wasn't good enough. He blasted one five times before it went down. Deer are big in south Texas as they are in NW Texas. IMHO, the 243 Win will suffice most of the time, but not all the time. It's a great cartridge, but with limits.

 

[Teri Anne]

It depends on where you're hunting. A buddy of mine was hunting south Texas and it wasn't good enough. He blasted one five times before it went down. Deer are big in south Texas as they are in NW Texas. IMHO, the 243 Win will suffice most of the time, but not all the time. It's a great cartridge, but with limits.

Deer can get to be huge, but there is one thing in common with all of them. Put the bullet in the right place and they will drop dead. Five shots tells me that none of the shots were where they were supposed to be. That works for any and all from a .223 on up to a 300 or 7MM Mag. It doesn't take a huge bullet to take out the boiler room, just one where it's supposed to be. I have taken several large Wisconsin Whitetails with a .243 one weighing in at 200 pounds dressed. One shot...One Deer.

 

[Calvin45]

Deer can get to be huge, but there is one thing in common with all of them. Put the bullet in the right place and they will drop dead. Five shots tells me that none of the shots were where they were supposed to be. That works for any and all from a .223 on up to a 300 or 7MM Mag. It doesn't take a huge bullet to take out the boiler room, just one where it's supposed to be. I have taken several large Wisconsin Whitetails with a .243 one weighing in at 200 pounds dressed. One shot...One Deer.

Agreed. As big as the deer might be in Texas…they've got nothing in Saskatchewan . I know an older lady around here, very small framed, has had a shoulder operated on, recoil of any kind is out of the question.

She has taken elk and moose with her 243. Now I don't for a second suggest it as a moose or elk cartridge at all but she's a great hunter and outdoorsmen (or woman I suppose), a good shot, and a patient and disciplined person. No shots over 200 yards for her, no trigger pulled on anything other than a broadside double lung. For this very reason I prefer a lot more gun as it gives me more options and wiggle room but goes to show exactly what you're saying: if both lungs are blown nothing is going all that far.

Of course there are cases where a person keeps shooting until the animal drops. I have no doubt a deer could break into a dead run and take multiple hits from a 243 before it's brain "got the memo" that it was dead haha. But if the first shot is right the follow ups don't really make much difference.

I've seen them dead run over 200 yards with my 270 and 300 win as well, sometimes it's just going to happen no matter what unless you hit the spine.

 

[jasent]

Perception is everything

 

[popeye]

In about 2018 I shot a doe at about 170-180 yards with a .260, even with the heart cut in half the deer ran about 45-50 yards before piling up.
The second deer was shot at around 50 yards with a .44 magnum, ran over and collapsed below my tree stand.
Point being, even with the engine blown they can still go a some before they know they are dead. Place a good shot and have an idea how to track if you need to.
The .243 is more than adequate if you do your part. I don't recall ever having one go more than 60-80 yards with a good shot and bullet. But hunt with what you are comfortable with and legal cause I doubt anyone is gonna change anyone else's opinion on forum.

 

[memtb]

If the blood is well oxygenated, they can easily go for 5 or so seconds! A motivated Whitetail can cover a lot of ground in 5 seconds! memtb

 

[Calvin45]

If the blood is well oxygenated, they can easily go for 5 or so seconds! A motivated Whitetail can confer a lot of ground in 5 seconds! memtb

And sometimes no rhyme or reason to the dead right there kills. I've absolutely exploded a deers chest with a 300 win and it still did a staggering drunken dash about 30-40 yards before piling up. I've seen one with no CNS hit just drop like a stone from my dads 30-30.

 

[dogbuster0006]

I would say it's the best for everyone but the 243win is one of my favorites. I've got them in rifle and pistol variety and the encore pistol with 15" barrel has killed enough of them to keep the dogs and I fat and sassy.

 

[DPSTX]

to the original question,.... Of Course! I have 4. 8 in the family.

 

[Todd Gansel]

There are to many cartridges out there for whitetail deer. The 243 is one of many. I am very comfortable with my 243s. The 243 does offer some advantages such as light recoil, and a huge amount of bullets to choose from if your a reloader. But I've taken quite a few deer with the factory federal 85gf Powr-shok, it's also great for shooting coyotes.

 

[Lee Goodwin]

243 might be a tad small on a large deer. But, what are your chances of getting into a mammoth deer.?
270 might be the best deer cartridge for mulies.?

 

[BenelliHunter]

I switched to a 6cm about 4 years ago in the search for the perfect small kids gun and Remington had the short run of Remington CP's. Had 2 barreled to 6CMas there was ammo for the 6cm but not much for the 243. My boys are lethal with those 6 Creedmoors. 243 and 6CM are pretty much the same.

 

[Mike Matteson]

If the blood is well oxygenated, they can easily go for 5 or so seconds! A motivated Whitetail can cover a lot of ground in 5 seconds! memtb

I have had more than one go over a hundred yards with heart shots. the one thing I noted and it was pointed out to me. Is the deer generally runs and doesn't bounce. with their head level with their back. I had one that I hit in the heart and it ran about 40yds. Stop and I hit it again in the liver. Then it's head went to the ground and started backing up laborly. Fell over dead. My friend told be to shot again. I said no it was hit in the liver. He said the deer kick lke mule the first time. I told him I hit the deer in the heart the first time then. He told me I couldn't tell that. No I can tell. Open the deer up and both the heart and liver were hit with separate shots. Most of my deer were taken with a 25/06.

 

[memtb]

I have had more than one go over a hundred yards with heart shots. the one thing I noted and it was pointed out to me. Is the deer generally runs and doesn't bounce. with their head level with their back. I had one that I hit in the heart and it ran about 40yds. Stop and I hit it again in the liver. Then it's head went to the ground and started backing up laborly. Fell over dead. My friend told be to shot again. I said no it was hit in the liver. He said the deer kick lke mule the first time. I told him I hit the deer in the heart the first time then. He told me I couldn't tell that. No I can tell. Open the deer up and both the heart and liver were hit with separate shots. Most of my deer were taken with a 25/06.

Some of the "heart shot" deer that I've witnessed did similar…..some even reared up, running on just their hind legs for a short distance (usually less than 30 yards), then tip over! memtb