I've shot the better par of 40 deer with an a bolt 243 with 80 95 and 100 grain bullets. The damage has been devestating for the most part and any deer I have truly had to track was my issue not the guns. The four biggest deer I have shot all ended in the bang stagger and flop mentality. I will pass it along to my kids once they're old enough to love the gun like I do.
I really need some real life reviews AND PICTURES of 243 on deer and bigger critters!
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I have a picture of my fist through an exit wound on another deer but I can't find it right now.
NIIIIIIIIICE!!!
I'm guessing that was the exit?!She's a lefty, she hates scopes, and she'd rather use a bolt action as a boat paddle...I'm with her on all three of those, but I do got a left hand savage bolt 17hmr for a beaver gun!
Most her shots will be 50 yards and under, 80 yards being max and extremely rare. We be huntin dem swamps round here in the south
Eagleye you are a legend of experience and information on here from what I've seen and read of you, much respect! You and jay convinced me It's all the gun she gonna need! She'll be using the 100 grain partitions, she ain't afraid to load a deer up either! I taught her to pick her holes to shoot through when she see's It, even when the governors are off and It's runnin on It's belly
I'm always up for a good story brother...Do tell
Shot my first buck this year with a .243 Win, a one shot kill. The shot was taken from about 80 yards away on flat terrain, ammunition was Federal blue box 80 gr soft points. I hit him in the back of the lungs and the liver and he only made it about 25 yards before he lay down and died.
That's a dandy buck!
Like I told Eagleye Jay, you guys got me convinced!
No sir Jay and Eagleye convinced me along with the pictures!
Pictures?!
Admirable my good sir, I know she will do the same with our kids!
MOre pictures if anybody got em? This Is to much awesome!
For myself I shot 1`deer last year for the first time with a .243 and it will be the last. It killed the 140+ class buck but after running about 150 yards. Now the running was not the issue the issue was it did not leave a blood trail. Trust me, NO BLOOD at all until it was getting hoisted up in the shop. It was dragged about 25 yards, lifted into the back of a pickup and then hoiseted by winch in the shop. Only as it was being lifted out of the truck bed did the blood begin to run out. Shot was right through the boiler maker. He bled out inside but NO signs on the snow. Why? The small exit hole that was quickly plugged with the fat under the hide.
For myself, I want something that will punch a BIG hole through the rib cage.
We all have our opinions but this is just mine.
I miss my 30-06.
Time to get another.
For myself, I want something that will punch a BIG hole through the rib cage.
We all have our opinions but this is just mine.
I miss my 30-06.
Time to get another.
Cycbb486, What type of bullet were you using when you shot the buck? If it was an fmj that would explain your result, or a bullet that failed to expand properly! I too have had only good experiences with the .243, but I always used a proper hunting bullet.
Well not too many common calipers that I did not have access to when going deer hunting over the years but the one I grab for probally the last 10 years has been the 7600 .243 with 100g partitions.
Have not lost a deer yet with that set up and never needed a blood trail to find one since they never went too far. In fact in getting close to 40 years of hunting deer I only ever lost one doe and it was with a 7600 30-06 and that was with factory winchester ammo remember it like it was yesterday. To each their own I guess
Have not lost a deer yet with that set up and never needed a blood trail to find one since they never went too far. In fact in getting close to 40 years of hunting deer I only ever lost one doe and it was with a 7600 30-06 and that was with factory winchester ammo remember it like it was yesterday. To each their own I guess
Glang1, trust me you did not say I was stupid but I am NOT supid enough to use a FMJ. Those bullets should not even be manufactured for sale. They are NO good for anything. Not even war.
Trust me it was a good bullet, Nosler Partition.
You hit a whitetail in the wrong spot with the .243, yes the exit wound can look devastating. Do a shot right in the boiler maker and maybe unless it hits bone on the way out like I said I did not like what I saw.
Again this is my thoughts. No different than Chevy and Dodge suck A++........
Trust me it was a good bullet, Nosler Partition.
You hit a whitetail in the wrong spot with the .243, yes the exit wound can look devastating. Do a shot right in the boiler maker and maybe unless it hits bone on the way out like I said I did not like what I saw.
Again this is my thoughts. No different than Chevy and Dodge suck A++........
I'm not posting pictures of my girlfreinds bare skin, sorry but no!
Your right Crashman I likely will buy two of the same gun...I grew kind of partial to the easy shooting of the 243 after I shot my brothers also he he heeee
Have at it! All I have shot with a .243 cal. is coyotes but I have watched many deer (mules and whitetails, bucks and does) and 2 young bull elk topple over with .243 Win.'s/6mm Rem.'s launching 95 grain Hornady SSTs. A factory load that seems to do real well is the Winchester Super-X 100 grain Power Point load.
All this info is mega appreciated! I'd like to get a bullet that will leave a exit wound for tracking sake, but ya'll give me confidence I been lookin for! I got no doubt in her shooting ability she's a sharpshooter for damn sure!
Mighty Peace
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My nephew took a 5pt bull elkk last week with his 243 - 2 shots with 95gr bullets. SHOT PLACEMENT is KEY !! I for one would prefer a larger caliber for elk but my nephew proved me wrong. His younger brother took sweet whitetail but this fall with the same rifle.
Now for deer, no problem. Just have her spend time atthe range shooting her rifle. getting comfy with it and she should be set. Caliber size does not control "Buck Fever" but for larger caliber, some people will develope a flinch- they should down size IMO.
Now for deer, no problem. Just have her spend time atthe range shooting her rifle. getting comfy with it and she should be set. Caliber size does not control "Buck Fever" but for larger caliber, some people will develope a flinch- they should down size IMO.
It's true I'm gonna get one heheheee
Sorry for being away forever and a day guys, I thought the thread died cause I didn't get no email notifications. Long story short I sold the gun cause all the sudden she got a shot of herk power in her blood and decided she wanted a .308 so that's what she got. But I am gonna get a 243 just cause they are fun to shoot! And I might possibly take it deer huntin one day. I just have insane superstition that if I don't take my 30-06 7600 I won't shoot nothin cause it's bad luck to change what works...Know what I mean guys?
But I'd love to see more pictures of .243 shot deer and bullet recovery, exits, entrances and such. Truth be told I might have to change to a lighter kickin gun cause 5 years ago I got a concussion so bad I lost my sense of smell and the neurologist and surgeon had no idea how I survived or didn't end up a veggie. Aside from that now when I shoot my big guns like my 30-06 I get headaches really fast from the kick of it, it's no fun and I'd hate to change guns but I might need to eventually
My experience is that it will definitely kill deer with out issue, the tissue damage being impressive. Where the .243 had problems was with tiny bits of brush, in my case it was little maple gads about 1/4" to 3/8" in dia. Shot at a buck out of my stand off a rest at 40yds. lots of wee maple gads between the end of the barrel and the deer. The 95gr. Nosler partition never made it to the deer. That was the very first deer I ever shot at with the .243. It ran off head and tail high, even stopped about 100yds off and looked back to see what all the commotion was about.
Just to make sure I had the hole crew of the hunt camp over looking for blood, hair, and any sign of that deer, nothing, I took a lot of teasing around the table that night. But had confidence in that .243, so back out I go the next day and a doe appears in the same spot. I let her come ahead to spot that was clear of any and gads. Nothing between the end of barrel and the deer except clear air. She ran about 30yds. head and tail down and piled up into a fallen tree. The Nosler P went through both lungs.
From my perspective I had shot many deer with the 30-06 under the very same circumstances as the first shot with the .243 and a couple days after shooting the doe I shot a small buck out of the same stand at about 80yds with heavier gads between the barrel and deer. The 165 gr Nosler partions from the 30-06 don't seem to have a issue getting through the wee maple gads, were the 95 grainers out of the .243 do.
So my rule for me is if I am watching an area with good clear air I will use the .243, but if I am watching an area with gads and brush I carry the 30-06 or 44 mag. Just my experiences and something you may want to consider since you also hunt Ontario which is not known for its wide open shooting opportunities.
Just to make sure I had the hole crew of the hunt camp over looking for blood, hair, and any sign of that deer, nothing, I took a lot of teasing around the table that night. But had confidence in that .243, so back out I go the next day and a doe appears in the same spot. I let her come ahead to spot that was clear of any and gads. Nothing between the end of barrel and the deer except clear air. She ran about 30yds. head and tail down and piled up into a fallen tree. The Nosler P went through both lungs.
From my perspective I had shot many deer with the 30-06 under the very same circumstances as the first shot with the .243 and a couple days after shooting the doe I shot a small buck out of the same stand at about 80yds with heavier gads between the barrel and deer. The 165 gr Nosler partions from the 30-06 don't seem to have a issue getting through the wee maple gads, were the 95 grainers out of the .243 do.
So my rule for me is if I am watching an area with good clear air I will use the .243, but if I am watching an area with gads and brush I carry the 30-06 or 44 mag. Just my experiences and something you may want to consider since you also hunt Ontario which is not known for its wide open shooting opportunities.
