Is the 243 the best whitetail deer cartridge?

[jessej]

 

[jessej]

 

[mercerbear]

The 243 is in the top 10 list of best deer rifles for "recoil sensitive " hunters.
(Kids, ladies, and medical conditions)

For those who argue that it kills fast as any other cartridge,,, shoot your next deer in the gut, or hind qtr, and see how that turns out. The average hunter suffers from something called buck fever. It makes perfect shots unlikely. For those less than optimal shots, use the absolute most gun you can comfortably shoot.

If I were to spend unmentionable money on a trophy hunt, and the only shot that was presented was the "texas heart shot", guess what, I'm takin it without a second thought and there will be no tracking job.

This is exactly my point.

 

[Chas1]

You should never doubt the wisdom of the older folks!

+1.

 

[coop2564]

With a double lung shot, it doesn't really matter what you hit them with.

If you catch one lung...miss the heart...maybe catch some liver, that's where things start to get sketchy. I've killed a lot of deer with the SST and understand your arguments.

The high velocity smaller diameter bullets that don't exit are great, as long as you can line up a nice broadside shot and hit double lung. Otherwise, you're going to be calling someone with a dog and doing some praying.

I've shot a many of hog with less than perfect shots just trying to eradicate them. Most cant make it 100yds. The terminal wound on 243 SST's is so large and enough fragmentation that there is too much internal damage. Just my experience, any body cavity shot is making puree out of the internals. And those that argue a ham shot, same more muscle damage with a SST or berger style bullet will likely give you a quicker kill, much more likely to sever a artery or major blood vessel with a violent expansion fragment bullet. i will give the win to those that want to take a TX heart shot, penetration is key to that or a very large animal. But deer I'll take fast rapid expansion every time.

 

[asd9055]

There are a couple of solutions for not having to look for a blood trail. Head shots...can be tricky if the annimal moves....and shoulder blade shot...loose a couple of pounds of meat, but the annimal is there. For years that is how I hunted. Din't want to track in the brush...boom..DRT

 

[DR Ray]

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!

The 243 is ok if the shot is very carefully placed. I have seen a 243 bullet hit in the heart area of a Rusa deer. This bullet did not kill the deer and about a week later judging by partially healed wound, I shot the deer in a close proximity to the 243 shot with my 270. I knew there was something wrong with the deer as it was near the mob of deer but didn't feed etc.

 

[Kentuckywindage]

YUP,. the 85 grain, Sierra's and, the 87 HVLD Bergers, ARE,. "Dynamite" on Deer !

The farthest kill shot with the 243's I've owned over the years on whitetail is 425 yards give or take. On these longer shots I used a 100gr bullet, with quick incapacitation. I now load 85gr Gameking @ 3345 and Barnes 80gr ttsx at 3400 fps. My 6.5cm 147gr @ 2775fps
has really impressed me so far. Neither cartridge has per say recoil, but the 6.5 does posses more than the 243. The distance the 6.5cm has energy is great. On my 147gr 2800 fps load especially. The 2775 seems easier on the gun and brass. A little primer flow on the 2800.
Getting ready to test the small rifle primer brass in 6.5cm. 147, 140, 120gr, Federal Gold Medal Match S.R. primers and h4350 or Superformance.

 

[timo308]

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!

Nope, that would be a 25-06 or 25-06 AI

 

[jessej]

The terminal wound on 243 SST's is so large and enough fragmentation that there is too much internal damage.

I wonder how the terminal wound is on a SST out of a 300 rum is?

 

[mercerbear]

I wonder how the terminal wound is on a SST out of a 300 rum is?

Within 100 yards I'd be concerned about pushing them too fast.

 

[skipglo]

Big, Idaho Mulie's,.. "Need a Lil' Moor",. IMHO ! I'LL probably use some, 129 - 130 Grainers in my 6.5 going, in Excess of,.. 2,850 FPS .
( Close to, the .270 Win's Velocity / Power, but not, quite ! ) LOL !
I think, the 6.5 Creed is just about,.. RIGHT for Deer & Antelope and yup,.. NO, Man Bun for, me !
THIS "subject" has got to be good for at least,.. 20 MORE, Pages !

143s are the ticket! At least on Big Alberta deer

 

[sfdoc2000]

>243 has been around since the 50's and still going strong. One person even won a 1000 yard benchrest competition with a .243. Dad gave me a SAKO Forester .243 when I got my Eagle Scout badge in 1965. So three years ago I listened to the hype about how great the 6.5 Creedmore was and got one. Now the real problem is just try finding any Berger 140 gn bullets to load for the rifle. Frustrating. So I am happy tp continue shooting my .243 and can easily get 95 grain Bergers. The 6.5 sits in the gun safe.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

143s are the ticket! At least on Big Alberta deer

My grandson has killed 3 Deer this year, 2 Black tails in AK and a Muley in Idaho with, his 6.5 PRC W/ 143 ELD-X's Fact. loads, using ONE Shot, Each !
Now, to find some for, ME to, Reload, in my 6.5 Creed !
YES,.. a it's Highly Rated Bullet for,.. Deer and Antelope !