.243 Win as a deer rifle...

Prokofievian said:
I've been told the .270 Win is a good flat-shooting round. I'll have to check it out, as it definitely has the power. It definitely has a greater variety of loads than the 7mm-08 that's for sure.

I think I have some shooting to do. :D
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I love the 243 for deer. It does the job just fine, even without premium bullets.

As you have already discovered, unless you reload 7-08 is somewhat limited with regard to factory ammo. 270 will do everything you are asking with lots of factory ammo to choose from.

My favourite cal is 308. I have shot everything from wolves to moose with it. A lot of factory ammo to choose from and not that bad for recoil. I like shooting it more than my 243.
 
Personally I have switched from heavier calibers to the 6.5x55 for deer in no small part due to its low recoil, which I find helps with good shot placement when using a lightweight rifle. Although the 6.5x55 may be a bit more versatile on larger game than a .243 I think the .243 is too often under-rated as a deer cartridge. I have a neighbor who uses only .243 for deer and has consistent one shot kills year after year, it tends surprise some of the guys who think they need a 30-06 or a magnum.

Deer aren't all that tough so buying something you can shoot well and picking a properly designed bullet are the two most important things. So I say get a .243 and you'll be happy, I certainly wouldn't hesitate to use one.
 
Going back to my original post, no I wouldn't recommend anyone getting started go down the Weatherby path right off the hop. The .257 Weatherby will pole-axe them as far away as you can see them but needs reloading to take full advantage due to insane ammo cost, simply to get in enough practice to hit something at 500 yards. It can also make a bit of a mess at close range! :)

If you want a bit more power than the .243 and don't like the selection in 7mm-08, then the .270 Winchester is where it's at. Not much more in terms of recoil but 150gr loads will do fine on moose and elk if need be, while 130gr loads will knock deer over no problem at extended range. You'll find ammo just about anywhere and guns in .270 are plentiful. My brother-in-law hunts with a cheap Savage "package gun" in .270 exclusively and it works just fine.
 
another vote for the 25-06 Rem. I have 2 and love them both. Moderate recoil, fairly common ammo to find, easy to reload, and kills beyond its paper ballistics. I've taken everything from gophers to moose with mine.

bassman
 
I like the .243 and believe that it is a perfectly sufficient deer round. Good bullets in good places, and you're good to go.
If you are serious about chasing elk, I'd be with a 7mm-08. It has higher SD's and better "face" value, saying it will make a bigger hole. But a TSX or TTSX in the .243 will penetrate very well and take big game.
If you want an honest opinion, I'd by a .270 Winchester and hunt everything with it 'til I die.
 
I wonder if tested, how a .243 using 85gr TSX bullets would stack up against a .270 using the standard cup and core 130gr bullets that have killed so many moose and deer.

When I compared some 140gr TSX at 7mm-08 velocities to a 30-06 using 200gr Sierras, I found the smaller bullet to penetrate further and do more damage to the test material than the standard 30-06 bullets...:)
 
Gatehouse said:
I wonder if tested, how a .243 using 85gr TSX bullets would stack up against a .270 using the standard cup and core 130gr bullets that have killed so many moose and deer.

When I compared some 140gr TSX at 7mm-08 velocities to a 30-06 using 200gr Sierras, I found the smaller bullet to penetrate further and do more damage to the test material than the standard 30-06 bullets...:)
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That is very interesting.
 
price shop around you for ammo selection and price. try to choose a common bullet weight and then call the local shops looking for ammo. you will not always have ammo on hand and if you sight in for some brand that is not commonly stocked you are screwed. I drove 1,475 miles and lost my ammo. In my area it was common to find, where I was hunting it wasn't so common, which is why I take 2 rifles when I travel to hunt. :D
 
I have wandered all over the place in 35 years of hunting. I started with a 30-30 and a .243 and eventually worked up to the 358 Norma. No problems with the Norma about being undergunned. However, my wife also comes out with me at times and we have worked at finding a good minimum. A Rem 600 in 6mm came across our paths and we haven't looked back. In the short barrel we get 243 velocities and I have been very impressed with performance.

Folks who shoot a lot of wet paper like the Barnes X bullets but in these small calibers I think you give up too much wound channel width. On game I have found them to be consistently slow killers outside of CNS hits. The Nosler Partition in 85, 95 and 100 grain versions has given an excellent blend of penetration and killing power. The 85 grain version also shoots into 0.5" groups with RL 19. So impressed am I that I just might grab this rifle when going after sheep in the fall. My 6.5 Rem Mag might stay at home.

So far our quarry has been caribou and the 6mm is fully adequate to 300 yards. That folks is a long way in the field. We also picked up some obsolete 115 Barnes Original RN's in 6mm to load for Moose but that's a different story.
 
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Yes

Deer are not that hard to kill. I used a 6mm for years with 100gr Hornadys, Nosler Balistic tips, Rem Cor-locks and all worked fine. As stated numerous times, it's shot placement. Most of my shots are heart/lung and very few deer went more than 50-100 yards. Lighter recoiling cartridges can often aide people in accuracy with less flinch or fear, and this will help with placement. My 6mm probably accounted for 20+ deer over the years. I NEVER felt undergunned with it either.
 
If you are concerned at all about the .243 and it's use on deer, I'd suggest the .257 Roberts, .260 Rem., 6.5x55, 7mm/08, or even the .308, these cartridges are milder on noise and recoil then some of the bigger rounds mentioned. If you are certain that ranges are closer(150 yds. or less), I'd recommend any of the lever guns, if you like their style and handiness, the 30/30, 35 Rem., used .307 or .356, even the .44 mag. The wider dia. bullet and much heavier slugs kill better then paper ballistics show.
 
I've killed more Ontario deer out to 200 yards with a .243 than I can remember. 4 in one opening morning. I use ordinary 100 gr bullets. I use lighter bullets on groundhog.
Figure out what you are most likely going to hunt and go from there. Not what you might maybe one day hunt. If it groundhogs to coyotes to deer go with .243.
 
Re: 243

I grew up in eastern Ontario where deer season was shotgun only. Being an avid varminter I ended up with an early Sako Forester sporter in 243, using two different scopes a B&L 1.5-6 X 36 and a Redfield 6400 in 16X both in seperate mounts, I took everything from bumblebees to moose, 100's of crows and groundhogs, 6 caribou in northern Quebec, a couple dozen deer in upstate New York and 1 moose in northern Ontario, a 100gr Nosler Partition put the 1000lb+ bull down after less than 50'. I do not recommend it for moose unless you have some back up with you. Old Elmer Keith used to say "beware of the man with only one gun. cause he knows how to use it" With modern bullets and newer propellants its even better than it used to be. I just sighted in my new Sako Finnlight .243 (20-1/4") with 85 TSX's and a 4X Zeiss, 3 rounds into 1/2" from a cold barrel, look out Cariboo/Chilcotin deer and hopefully Caribou. If that doesn't work than I will have to bring out the .378. Don't sell the 243 short, but just use it within your abilities, in untrained hands it is not a Giant Killer.
 
steyrman said:
I grew up in eastern Ontario where deer season was shotgun only. Being an avid varminter I ended up with an early Sako Forester sporter in 243, using two different scopes a B&L 1.5-6 X 36 and a Redfield 6400 in 16X both in seperate mounts, I took everything from bumblebees to moose, 100's of crows and groundhogs, 6 caribou in northern Quebec, a couple dozen deer in upstate New York and 1 moose in northern Ontario, a 100gr Nosler Partition put the 1000lb+ bull down after less than 50'. I do not recommend it for moose unless you have some back up with you. Old Elmer Keith used to say "beware of the man with only one gun. cause he knows how to use it" With modern bullets and newer propellants its even better than it used to be. I just sighted in my new Sako Finnlight .243 (20-1/4") with 85 TSX's and a 4X Zeiss, 3 rounds into 1/2" from a cold barrel, look out Cariboo/Chilcotin deer and hopefully Caribou. If that doesn't work than I will have to bring out the .378. Don't sell the 243 short, but just use it within your abilities, in untrained hands it is not a Giant Killer.
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I might just feel better with a .25-06 in this case. Like a .243, just flatter, faster, and hits harder. The hard thing is when you talk to people, they say things like "well a .243 is good for deer but....so you might as well go with a .270 or 7mm-08 which are good for such and such but...so you might as well go with a .30-06 which is good for anything up to Grizzly bear but...so you might as well go with" and so on and so forth. So it comes down to, when is it enough? Should I just say "f**k it" and go with a .50 BMG? But, if you're gonna go there, you might as well go with a 14.5mm russian anti-tank rifle, that should be good up to, and including, cthulhu...:D
 
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Well................now that everyone else has had their say, I guess that I might as well put my foot in it. The reality is that if the 243win was useless, it wouldn't be nearly as popular as it is. The truth is that it works just fine for deer, antelope, wolf, coyote, groundhog; you get the idea. It could possibly get pushed into service for elk, and I'm sure that it has more than once, but if you want to hunt elk with a cartridge on that case size, I would suggest that the minimum be the 260rem.
Mike
 
Just buy a good 270win in bolt action! Put decent glass on it and you have an excellent all purpose hunting rig for life. Practice, shoot it alot. you will be fine.

I use a 243 and a 270... deer, black bear, and moose are all on the menu. If I had elk and caribou here and there was a season, they no doubt would be on the menu too.
 
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