Is A .243 Too Small To Take Down Large Game.

DBASTOCK

DBASTOCK

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HI EVERYONE, I'M LOOKING AT A NEW DEER GUN IN SAVAGE 116SS IN EITHER .243 OR .270. I HAVE A 30-06 FOR LARGE GAME BUT MIGHT LIKE THE NEW GUN SO MUCH I WANT TO USE IT FOR BIG GAME AS WELL. WOULD I BE GOING INTO UNCHARTED TERRITORY SHOOTING BIG GAME WITH A .243. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW HOW DIFFERENT THE KICK IS BETWEEN A 270 AND 243. ANY BODY?
ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.:confused:
 
There are many who hunt deer with 243 and consider it quite effective. Shot placement and bullet design are always important, and more critical with smaller calibers. A 270 kicks a hell of a lot more than a 243. If you take your time and are selective in your shots, as you always should be, 243 is just fine.
 
The .243 makes a good deer cartridge and is also a good choice for coyote and what not, making it a very versatile choice. I personally prefer the .270 but if you already own a 30-06 the .243 might be a good addition to your collection.
 
DBASTOCK said:
HI EVERYONE, I'M LOOKING AT A NEW DEER GUN IN SAVAGE 116SS IN EITHER .243 OR .270. I HAVE A 30-06 FOR LARGE GAME BUT MIGHT LIKE THE NEW GUN SO MUCH I WANT TO USE IT FOR BIG GAME AS WELL. WOULD I BE GOING INTO UNCHARTED TERRITORY SHOOTING BIG GAME WITH A .243. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW HOW DIFFERENT THE KICK IS BETWEEN A 270 AND 243. ANY BODY?
ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.:confused:
Click to expand...

Uncharted territory...nope and I'm certin there are many tales of big critters falling to the venerable .243 but if you are likely to run into elk or moose or even bears, the .270 is a better choice.

Lots of recoil calculators on the net and if you run the numbers with identical guns, the 270 does have more recoil but as there are so many factors that go into actual and felt recoil, saying how much is impossible without comparing two actual guns.
 
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My Hunting buddy who used to guide for Moose used his Win 88 so chambered for many years and nothing else. Personally I carried two 243's for four years and a 6mm for a couple more and was never awestruck by the performance. I have never been happier since bumping the bullet diameter by 1mm. Grampa shot numerous bears with the same 243 but preferred his 308.
Your mileage will vary.
Oh and by the way:
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Some years ago, there was an article in Ontario out of Doors about a lady that took a moose with a 243. I think it took seven shots.
Of course it's possible, may not be legal in all areas, but I wouldn't.
It's not fair to the game, and it makes for a lot of work for the hunter.
Deer sized game is where the 243 hit's it's max IMO.
 
243 will do it, 270 is better. Wouldn't hesitate with either. My dad used a 243 for everything, moose, deer, bear. Killed like any other cartridge.
 
Not sure why but it just struck me, what about a 257 Roberts? Same basic case but you can go from 55gr to 120 with no problems. It has been a highly regarded Deer caliber.

As to the recoil part. I'd say the 243 might have 15% less recoil in the identical rifle shooting the same weight bullet.
 
I've shot a lot of varmints with my LH 243 Savage 116ss. It's a super accurate rifle and knocks deer down pretty good too, but it would stop there for me.
There are better choices for bigger than deer sized game. Maybe consider a 280 Rem, or a 6.5(260) as previously mentioned.
 
I bought a Rem 788 in .243 for my kids to hunt with. They have killed a few deer with it and I have killed deer and non-trophy antelope with it.
However I have not been happy with the lack of blood trail. We have had two buck get away shot with little or no blood. One we found a few days later the other not at all. Of course I do not know the shot placement of the one we lost. But I think the .243 is a "marginal or adequet" deer round. If I had one in hand I would hunt deer with it. I would not go out and buy one to hunt deer with.

Robin in Rocky
 
243 for larger big game.

The kick is quite different between a 243 and 270.
You and the neighbors will enjoy the lower report\recoil of a 6mm, not to mention the amazing knock down of the 243 on coyotes and smaller sized big game.

That cal pretty much stops on deer sized game ( around 200 pound animals), specially if you want them drop dead, NOW, quick.

Goats and sheep come to mind and I'd go bigger diameter bullet .

Try a 7mm, it's a good cal, in between the 243 and 30 cal.

You really have the answer in the 30-06 for all you're big game needs though.

Hope I helped some.:)
 
.243....load it with 85gr TSX and blast away it will out penetrate any of the heavier bulelts in the same calibre...some provinces have 100gr min in which case i'd load up 100gr partitions..i think it's fine for deer sized game with premium bullets and i would shoot moose and bear with it keeping ranges close...
 
.243....load it with 85gr TSX and blast away it will out penetrate any of the heavier bulelts in the same calibre...some provinces have 100gr min in which case i'd load up 100gr partitions..i think it's fine for deer sized game with premium bullets and i would shoot moose and bear with it keeping ranges close...
 
I hunt Island deer with a 6mm. The two I shot with mine both went down no problem. When hunting on the mainland, I use a bigger rifle. Having seen what the 6mm can do, I don't doubt its capability but my comfort zone for that rifle ends with Island blacktail.

I hunt the Island with the 6 because it is a very nice rifle to shoot and happens to be very nice to pack all day.

I think If I were planning to hunt the mainland as well as the Island, I would pick the .270 from the above choices. It does kick harder, but knowing how to hold your rifle and being comfortable with it should make that a non issue.
 
When I am strictly hunting deer I always use my fathers 6mm. I would also take a calf moose of black bear with it if the opportunity arose. Dozens of deer have been dropped with that 6mm, many bang flops.

I have been reloading for the past few weeks for my nephews 243 Stevens 200 I bought him. It is very pleasant to shoot, especially compared to the 3006 I was also working on at the same time.

When moose hunting my go to gun is a 308.
 
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