.243 Win as a deer rifle...

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Prokofievian

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Hi everyone,

I guess I'll take care of my introduction and a question in one thread. I'm putting my foot-down. This week I am doing my CFSC and CRFSC safety course, and this summer I am purchasing a rifle. Mainly because a.) guns are sweet and b.) I've always wanted to hunt.

Which leads me to my question. I'm pretty well set on the Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic as my first rifle, I'm just really not sure as to the caliber of this rifle. I want something that I can shoot often, is accurate, and powerful enough to kill a deer(and possibly an elk).

I've conducted a few searches both on teh googlz and around the forum and I've found very differing opinions on the .243. Some posters here seem to think that the .243 is definitely powerful enough to kill a deer easily, and there are some other forums that make points about poor bullet design, and lack of stopping power of this caliber, and instead suggest a 7mm-08, .260, .257, 30-30...etc.

So, the question is, .243 Win: a damn good deer rifle, or merely(or barely) adequate, or indeed, just downright stupid to use for deer?

Thanks in advance to any responses.
 
It's plenty fine for deer as long as you can put the right bullet into the vitals. Pretty much any factory 100gr load will do the trick reliably out to fairly reasonable ranges.

That being said, I think you'd be better served with a little more gun, especially if you want to hunt elk in the future as well.

The Vanguard is a gun with a fair bit of heft, it'll soak up a bit more recoil than lighter guns will, so don't be afraid of a 7mm-08 if you can get one. I own a Vanguard in .257 Weatherby, and it's a damn fine gun for the price, very accurate and well-made.
 
mikeyb said:
It's plenty fine for deer as long as you can put the right bullet into the vitals. Pretty much any factory 100gr load will do the trick reliably out to fairly reasonable ranges.

That being said, I think you'd be better served with a little more gun, especially if you want to hunt elk in the future as well.

The Vanguard is a gun with a fair bit of heft, it'll soak up a bit more recoil than lighter guns will, so don't be afraid of a 7mm-08 if you can get one. I own a Vanguard in .257 Weatherby, and it's a damn fine gun for the price, very accurate and well-made.
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The only real tangible resource I have for comparing calibers are ballistic charts, and in this respect the 7mm-08 seems like an awesome caliber. The only thing that isn't so great about it is that I can only find 3 different loads for it(120, 139, and 140). Is the .257 Weatherby affected by this sort of "limitation"? Is ammo hard to find for this caliber?
 
dad swears by his winchester mod 70 in .243, he always told me, if i can get the crosshair on it, it doesn't have a chance.

there is too much emphasis put on calibre/cartridge. a good hit with a small calibre is just as good as anything else, you don't need a 300 win mag for deer. most deer are taken within 100 yards, unless you're hunting in the bald prairie.

if you want to go bigger, then go bigger, but it's probably not nessecary.
 
I never had any trouble killing deer with a 243, and I knocked down quite a few bears with one too.

But I did lose one wounded bear with a 243 and quit using it for that.

Never had a 7mm-08 and there's been times I've even consider rebarreling my 243 to that.

It is definitely more versatile when you're thinking of bigger deer and bears and even elk and moose.

Unless you reload I wouldn't even consider the the 257 Weatherby.

You'd never find a box in the grocery store in Alexis Creek if you suddenly needed one.
 
I've never been a fan of the .243. It always seemed a bit too much for yotes and a bit too small for big game.

However, using the 85gr TSX bullet, I've seen some dramatic one shot kills, even from bad angles.

Not my first choice for elk, but if you are willing to buy the premium bullets for hunting, I think it's a good choice for deer and will work fine on an elk with a broadside shot.
 
.243

The .243 is a great no flinch round for deer and it will serve you well. I really enjoy hunting with a nice light rifle and cartridge for deer. Besides if you like Guns this won't be your last. The next one could be 338 Lupa or a 460 weatherby:) ouch
I would not suggest the .243 for Elk. If your shot is'nt perfect or you are too far away you will have to live with the regret of injuring and losing an animal, that sucks.........:(:mad:


For example i have shot an Elk at 400 yards with a 180 grain barnes x bullet out of a 300 magnum and i would have said it was at the realistic maximum hunting range on Elk for that caliber. The bullet was about 1/4 mushroomed and did not make it through the rib cage on the opposite side.(Heart shot) and That is a lot more cartridge than the .243.
Elk have thick hair and hides and much bigger bones than deer.

That being said i know people that hunt everything with an old 30-30.:eek:
 
Bullet construction is the name of the game. All or most of the detractors witnessed people using bullets designed for varmint hunting used for deer hunting. And even then it is and always will be about bullet placement regardless of caliber.

Use a good bullet and they will die just fine
 
The 243 is an Ok deer calibre. However, if I had the option, and was buying new...I'd opt for something bigger and harder hitting, like the 7-08!
Good luck with your purchase.
 
Thanks for all the quick replies guys. This really helps clear up some of the troubles I had about choosing a smaller caliber like the .243.

I think what it's going to come down to is shooting the 7mm-08, and the .243, and seeing which one I like better. Since I think I'll most likely be hunting deer for a little while, if the .243 is better than the 7mm-08 to shoot, then I'll pick up the .243.
 
.243 as a deer ctg?

Yes

2007-10-27_091302_1aCoffee.gif

NAA.
 
Prokofievian said:
This is one thing that has been confusing me. No one ever disagrees with someone making the recommendation of a 30-30 for a beginner deer rifle, yet the .243 hits harder even within 150 yards. At least according to Remington:

http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/ballistics/comparative_ballistics_results.aspx?data=R243W3*R30302

Is there something that I'm missing in this argument?
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Youy're kidding, right? try a post about recommending a .30-30 as a beginner's deer rifle and see what kind of responses you get! I'd bet way more than half will say that a light-recoiling bolt rifle would be a far better choice! I'm one of them, though I love the .30-30 dearly.
As to the .243, I'd be happy using one on deer. It will kill them out as far as I would ever shoot. I just use a .257 Roberts for the same purpose, and loaded with 100-grain bullets, they are very similar rounds.
 
243-in the right hands-is a fine deer round. For Elk it is not.

There is no reason to hunt in the margins, get yourself a 308 or 3006 and practice.
 
Kilo Charlie said:
Youy're kidding, right? try a post about recommending a .30-30 as a beginner's deer rifle and see what kind of responses you get! I'd bet way more than half will say that a light-recoiling bolt rifle would be a far better choice! I'm one of them, though I love the .30-30 dearly.
As to the .243, I'd be happy using one on deer. It will kill them out as far as I would ever shoot. I just use a .257 Roberts for the same purpose, and loaded with 100-grain bullets, they are very similar rounds.
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Believe it or not, the only reason I say this is because all the articles and other forums I've read regarding this issue, there's a bunch of negative things and "buts" offered about the .243, but nothing at all that wasn't positive about the 30-30. Mind you I only read a few articles and posts on the subject. I was very confused as to why they would say this.
 
Prokofievian said:
Thanks for all the quick replies guys. This really helps clear up some of the troubles I had about choosing a smaller caliber like the .243.

I think what it's going to come down to is shooting the 7mm-08, and the .243, and seeing which one I like better. Since I think I'll most likely be hunting deer for a little while, if the .243 is better than the 7mm-08 to shoot, then I'll pick up the .243.
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They both recoil abotu the same. The 7-08 is a much more versatile cartridge.
 
Grab a 6.5x55 from Trade-ex ..............anything up to moose and mild enough to be unnoticeable recoil wise.Ammo easy to get or reload..................Harold
 
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