243 as a Legitimate and Humane Deer Gun?

As for the 243 being adequate, no question about it,as long as you hold it straight.Heck, an old Indian I know finally stepped up to a 'magnum'( that would be a 22 magnum) and he killed a lot of deer ,BUT he only shot within its limitations ( 40 yards) and used a rest.One bullet behind the eye and the deer collapsed like one of those kids toys where you press the bottom of the feet.

But the potential problem is field conditions aren't bench rest conditions , and that is where the 65x55 swede shines, it can easily take ANYTHING you will run in to in North America ,deer,elk, bear or moose and do it quite handily. The high SD 6.5 bullet ensures deep penetration( google it) and a bear hit broadside through both shoulders ( the only shot I will take now) is going right down(lung shot bears will die alright but will run and have this interesting ability of finding deep thickets ,and trust me tracking isn't fun in those conditions)

So,to answer the question again,why would anyone deliberately choose a 243 that is adequite enough,under ideal conditions when 6.5 x55 swedes are readily available and likely for less money?( check Tradeex ,they are good guys to deal with and have a good selection of Huskies,generally for under $300)

My swede isn't fussy about ammunition,I've been using regular 139 bullets for everything
 
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I shot 3 does in Michigan (crop damage tags, no limit) at 375 yards with 55gr 243 ballistic silvertips. None of them took a step, or even knew where the shots were coming from. All DRT. These were rated over 4000fps on the box. After years of punching holes with 30 06 and watching them run off, I found the 243 to impart much more energy to the deer with neck or boiler room shots.
 
Like said, I like a Past recoil pad ( like a shoulder holster type) to take the bite out of hard recoil rifles. Hearing & eye protection will also aid in flinch reduction. Range practice with 22 is also transferable. I have a pair of 243 but only use them on coyotes, my boys, when young, move to a 7x57 with no problem and in our case, had better results.
 
ratherbefishin said:
As for the 243 being adequate, no question about it,as long as you hold it straight.Heck, an old Indian I know finally stepped up to a 'magnum'( that would be a 22 magnum) and he killed a lot of deer ,BUT he only shot within its limitations ( 40 yards) and used a rest.One bullet behind the eye and the deer collapsed like one of those kids toys where you press the bottom of the feet.

But the potential problem is field conditions aren't bench rest conditions , and that is where the 65x55 swede shines, it can easily take ANYTHING you will run in to in North America ,deer,elk, bear or moose and do it quite handily. The high SD 6.5 bullet ensures deep penetration( google it) and a bear hit broadside through both shoulders ( the only shot I will take now) is going right down(lung shot bears will die alright but will run and have this interesting ability of finding deep thickets ,and trust me tracking isn't fun in those conditions)

So,to answer the question again,why would anyone deliberately choose a 243 that is adequite enough,under ideal conditions when 6.5 x55 swedes are readily available and likely for less money?( check Tradeex ,they are good guys to deal with and have a good selection of Huskies,generally for under $300)

My swede isn't fussy about ammunition,I've been using regular 139 bullets for everything
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Someone who has developed a flinch from 3006, that's who.
 
I have shot a lot of deer with a .243 over the years (20+)and IMO it is a great deer load. I shoot Berger 87gr Hunting VLD's and have never had one take more than a couple of steps. The last was a 4x4 mulie at 427yds, lasered, that was DRT. Great caliber with decent shot placement and a good bullet. I use 87gr V-Max for coyotes after deer season is done. My Savage loves both.
 
elimsprint said:
I have shot a lot of deer with a .243 over the years (20+)and IMO it is a great deer load. I shoot Berger 87gr Hunting VLD's and have never had one take more than a couple of steps. The last was a 4x4 mulie at 427yds, lasered, that was DRT. Great caliber with decent shot placement and a good bullet. I use 87gr V-Max for coyotes after deer season is done. My Savage loves both.
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Whats the twist on your gun? I'm still trying to decide on what bullet to load up for my 243... I'll probably start with something cheap like Hornady interlocks or Speer boattail bullets (~$40/100) but I'll want a premium bullet of some sort for when it comes time to actually hunt, and not just shoot paper.
 
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Haven't had my .243 for that long so only one deer with it so far. 85gr nosler partition, broadside, high lungs and clipped a bit of the spine. Dropped like a bag of rocks and was done. Bullet came out the other side.

Did exactly what I hoped for it to do. I normally hunt with a 6.5x55 with 140gr partitions or 120gr ttsx and it does the same thing.

A very large for animal hunting rifle does the same thing except if you blow a shot, it still works anyways, just with more animal destroyed.
 
conmaesta said:
If you're looking for a great caliber for deer etc with less recoil take a look at the 6.5x55 Swede...Excellent round and low recoil.
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To have the same recoil from a 6.5x55 as a 243 has, you need a gun that's heavier. Factory ammo is also cheaper and more readily available (never seen 6.5x55 at walmart or the local CT) for 243.

If the 243 will kill it dead, will the 6.5 kill it deader? Or is it more recoil and more cost for an unrequired increase in power?

Now, I've got nothing against the 6.5x55. It's a wonderful round. But considering the Ops requirements, I think the 243 is the better option.
 
kodiakjack said:
^ This here is just plain poor advice for a new hunter. There is NO cartridge that leaves room for poor shot placement... None.
Kj
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AN experienced hunter would also know this isnt a perfect world, and things hardly go according to plan. In such case, a 30-06 is more likely to still cause more damage than a .243. Thus making the wounded deer easier to track and catch up too.

This aint freaking fishing people! where you brag about the weakest most pathetic line youve caught a big fish with.
 
ComradeVlad said:
AN experienced hunter would also know this isnt a perfect world, and things hardly go according to plan. In such case, a 30-06 is more likely to still cause more damage than a .243. Thus making the wounded deer easier to track and catch up too.

This aint freaking fishing people! where you brag about the weakest most pathetic line youve caught a big fish with.
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No, it's a thread about someone who has a flinch from 3006, who still wants to hunt. In light of that, the lowest recoiling gun that will still reliably do the job is what the OP wants - which is the 243. (or 250 savage.)
 
Suther said:
No, it's a thread about someone who has a flinch from 3006, who still wants to hunt. In light of that, the lowest recoiling gun that will still reliably do the job is what the OP wants - which is the 243. (or 250 savage.)
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If hes flinching from 30-06, he'll still flinch with .243...... its poor shooting technique, he should really learn to overcome it FIRST before he attempts hunting in the bush of BC.
 
ComradeVlad said:
If hes flinching from 30-06, he'll still flinch with .243...... its poor shooting technique, he should really learn to overcome it FIRST before he attempts hunting in the bush of BC.
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The only way i know of to overcome a flinch is to shoot a lower recoiling gun a bunch. If you've got a better idea, im all ears...
 
243 with the 100 gr sp and premium bullets will kill just fine. My second biggest buck was killed with a 243 and a 100 gr sierra gameking. Funny thing is he ran less distance than many I've shot with my 7mm mag.

I dislike both hornady 100 gr sp. They fragment really bad and have less than 50 percent weight retention. Have personal experience with the 100 gr sierra gameking and 100 gr Winchester power point and 90 gr speed deepcurl. Not a whitetail that they wouldn't kill with one shot to the lungs.

The 85 gr sierra bthp is legendary for deer.
 
ComradeVlad said:
AN experienced hunter would also know this isnt a perfect world, and things hardly go according to plan. In such case, a 30-06 is more likely to still cause more damage than a .243. Thus making the wounded deer easier to track and catch up too.

This aint freaking fishing people! where you brag about the weakest most pathetic line youve caught a big fish with.
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Experienced hunters also know when they can make a clean kill, and to not take the shot when things "don't go according to plan."

What you're taking about is using more gun to make up for the hunter's inadequacies. At best, that means damaging more meat--at worst, it's causing the animal undue pain and suffering.
 
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