Looking for a gun to hunt coyotes, deer and some other game. Was looking at a 243 because i won't destroy the coyotes but was wondering if the 243 would not be big enough. Should i just buy a smaller gun for the coyotes and small game and then look at something like a 270 for the bigger game? Just mainly wanting to know if the 243 is a big enough gun for my needs? Any opinions?
243 or 270??
- Thread starter chafner
- Start date
243 has killed lots of coyotes, and lots of deer. as long as your loads are tailored to what your shooting, it would be a good choice.
270 is a bit much on coyotes if you plan on recovering anything but awsome for deer.
270 is a bit much on coyotes if you plan on recovering anything but awsome for deer.
My opinion is that a 243 is more than enough gun for coyotes, maybe even too much if you plan on using / selling the pelt. It will certainly smack down a coyote quite far away though.
It will also work fairly well on deer in most circumstances, as long as you keep the distance of your shot reasonable and use proper bullets. I think the 270 is almost ideal for deer and will certainly work on moose / elk sized game as well, but too much for coyotes, unless you just need to kill them.
Where / what kind of big game do you hunt? A 243 might be a good compromise rifle for you, but then again, a guy can never have enough rifles! Maybe a 270 and a 223 or 22/250 might be what you are looking for?
It will also work fairly well on deer in most circumstances, as long as you keep the distance of your shot reasonable and use proper bullets. I think the 270 is almost ideal for deer and will certainly work on moose / elk sized game as well, but too much for coyotes, unless you just need to kill them.
Where / what kind of big game do you hunt? A 243 might be a good compromise rifle for you, but then again, a guy can never have enough rifles! Maybe a 270 and a 223 or 22/250 might be what you are looking for?
The .243 is fine. Do you reload? You can shoot 55gr Ballistic Tips on the coyotes and 100gr _____ for deer. If you are patient and pick your shots carefully there is no reason that a properly loaded .243 won't do the job on all deer, caribou, elk and moose. It may not be ideal for a rut-crazed bull elk, but it will certainly deflate his lungs with the proper shot!
edit: proper shot IMO is 200 yards or less, broadside or very slight 1/4 away, good handloads with Partitions or TSX and accurate shooting.
edit: proper shot IMO is 200 yards or less, broadside or very slight 1/4 away, good handloads with Partitions or TSX and accurate shooting.
I have had a 243 since i was 16, my grandpa thought it the ideal first centerfire for me and i have never questioned that thought. My 243 has killed many deer and even more coyotes.However since my income has been more suited to my hobby, i tend to use bigger for deer and smaller for yotes. If you are loking for one gun to do it all, the 243 will fill the bill, but if you want just a coyote gun, or just a deer gun, there are better choices.
Its pretty tough to find a perfect caliber for a single rifle to accomodate coyotes to Elk. I am assuming Elk or Moose by your ref to "other game". If you just intend on killing the coyote and not selling the pelt, any rifle will do and I would look at a 270. If you wish to sell the pelt, then its way too much.
You need to clarify your post as to what other game includes and if you actually wish to keep the coyote pelts.
If you are going to hunt Elk or moose on a draw say once every 5 years, then get the 243. You can either borrow a rifle when the time comes, or purchase something else. If you are hunting Elk or Moose every year, you should really look at a 270 or something along those lines.
You need to clarify your post as to what other game includes and if you actually wish to keep the coyote pelts.
If you are going to hunt Elk or moose on a draw say once every 5 years, then get the 243. You can either borrow a rifle when the time comes, or purchase something else. If you are hunting Elk or Moose every year, you should really look at a 270 or something along those lines.
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- Location
- Coquitlam, BC
When in doubt, buy both 
When in doubt, buy both
Yeah, or split the difference and get a rifle chambered for the cartridge the 243/270 wish they were................... the 25-06.
- Location
- Coquitlam, BC
Yeah, or split the difference and get a rifle chambered for the cartridge the 243/270 wish they were................... the 25-06.
I agree. That's why I have one.
25-06 is where it's at!
Ive shot many coyotes, I actually like the .243 for a longer range coyote gun but don't plan on keeping pelts unless you're really good with a needle and thread.
I agree a 300 mag out performs a .270 but most people can't deal with the recoil and that velocity /energy is not needed for deer or coyotes.
Cheers!!
there are so many cartridges in between 243 and 270...good ones that will work for deer yet not be total overkill for coyotes with the right bullet if you are pelt hunting...the 25-06 has been mentioned more than once and it's a good one...Ruger still chambers the 257 Roberts, although they put it in a long action,so you may as well get a 25-06, especially if you don't handload. There are the ballistic twins,6.5 x 55 Swede and 260 Remington. Then there's also the 25WSSM......
I'm almost 100% sure none of the people here that think the 243 is un-capable of killing deer well have ever even used one on deer to begin with..
I'm in total agreement with 1899 on this.
my 243 has killed deer nearly every single time faster than my 308 , 7mm ,30-06 (i still own these guns)ever did the bullets travel fast really fast hand loaded with a Ballistic tip any rib/lung heart shot, most deer fall dead in there tracks or 10 yards into the bush and flop over in fact my 243 on deer has always expanded & exited and left more wound than any of my larger rifles . plus a 243 is quite accurate. & I've loaded my 243 with 55 grain bullets up to 4000+FPS with pin point accuracy for beaver killing (would work on yotes) and its doing 3400fps with a 95G Nostler BT right now for deer with clover leaf grouping @ 300yards.
I see no reason if your not going for ELK to not go 243 its one of the most versatile guns going .
even for elk with a more sturdy bullet than a BTip such as mentioned "TSX" elk are easily possible as 1 shot kills. the speed of these bullets cause good expansion and good penetration. with a Good shot a ballistic tip would also do the trick just don't touch a shoulder ect if it touches lung the lungs are gone completely. that said if i only had a elk tag id prob pack something larger with a stronger bullet just because I've had elk take full lung shots and run amazing distances with larger rifles before expiring.
but anyways what ever.. when I'm hunting deer I'm packing my 243 it's a awesome caliber imho loaded correctly.
if your keeping pelts use a less expanding bullet with it the barns Triple X looks like it would work well on yotes and would prob have minimum expansion on them seeing they are very light skinned.
in fact you could prob load the 85 grain Triple X's for both Deer and Yotes up to a good fps if you want a all around purpose bullet for the 243 with least pelt dmg that would be my choice. I've had good accuracy with my Triple X in this rifle. but alas i went to the Nostler BT because of the quick kills I've had with them and I've stayed with it for awhile
.
I'm in total agreement with 1899 on this.
my 243 has killed deer nearly every single time faster than my 308 , 7mm ,30-06 (i still own these guns)ever did the bullets travel fast really fast hand loaded with a Ballistic tip any rib/lung heart shot, most deer fall dead in there tracks or 10 yards into the bush and flop over in fact my 243 on deer has always expanded & exited and left more wound than any of my larger rifles . plus a 243 is quite accurate. & I've loaded my 243 with 55 grain bullets up to 4000+FPS with pin point accuracy for beaver killing (would work on yotes) and its doing 3400fps with a 95G Nostler BT right now for deer with clover leaf grouping @ 300yards.
I see no reason if your not going for ELK to not go 243 its one of the most versatile guns going .
even for elk with a more sturdy bullet than a BTip such as mentioned "TSX" elk are easily possible as 1 shot kills. the speed of these bullets cause good expansion and good penetration. with a Good shot a ballistic tip would also do the trick just don't touch a shoulder ect if it touches lung the lungs are gone completely. that said if i only had a elk tag id prob pack something larger with a stronger bullet just because I've had elk take full lung shots and run amazing distances with larger rifles before expiring.
but anyways what ever.. when I'm hunting deer I'm packing my 243 it's a awesome caliber imho loaded correctly.
if your keeping pelts use a less expanding bullet with it the barns Triple X looks like it would work well on yotes and would prob have minimum expansion on them seeing they are very light skinned.
in fact you could prob load the 85 grain Triple X's for both Deer and Yotes up to a good fps if you want a all around purpose bullet for the 243 with least pelt dmg that would be my choice. I've had good accuracy with my Triple X in this rifle. but alas i went to the Nostler BT because of the quick kills I've had with them and I've stayed with it for awhile
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