Your experiences on medium/big game with .243 cal rifles?

[Potashminer]

Sounds like the ranges most moose hunting, or at least, most shots are take here.

Did the 308 not perform?

I think the 165 grain 308 Win did what it was supposed to - for years I have booked that one as "operator error" - was on me, not that rifle - I would likely have had much less fuss if that bullet had landed 15 to 18 inches forward of where it did. But, in the end, we did eat that 308 Win elk - so for many of us, that is "good enough". As posted elsewhere, the bigger 338 Win Mag got two more elk, but probably did not need anything near like that, for the shots that were presented.

 

[boxhitch]

we've killed a few deer with the 243 using 85 gr Interbonds, one was pretty dynamic with massive destruction to the spine from a short range shot
I wouldn't hasitate to use it on a moose or elk but it would have to be a clean broad-side poptheballons type shot at reasonable distance
I've ssen a heavier larger bullet travel a strange path once inside a critter due to hitting bone and would not trust a 243 size pill for any difficult kill shot
whereas a heavy -06 or 338 we have sent through some odd angles to get to the killzone with confidence

 

[pathfinder76]

Shot an antelope head on at 100 yds with 55gr ballistic tips out of the 243 at a muzzle velocity of 4000 fps. The results were decisive and the bullet went the length of the animal.

 

[conor_90]

If it doesn't work its because of bullet choice and shot placement, if it does work its because of its speed and ability to trigger people who aren't recoil sensitive.

Wow!

Thanks!


Good blacktail round.

 

[remington jim]

Shot an antelope head on at 100 yds with 55gr ballistic tips out of the 243 at a muzzle velocity of 4000 fps. The results were decisive and the bullet went the length of the animal.

Wow so very little expansion as only a 55 gr - held together to go that distance thru the animal ! pretty TUFF CUP & CORE bullet - Very Impressive . RJ

 

[remington jim]

Just wanted to ask, for those who have used 243 cal rifles of any chambering on medium to big game, what were your experiences? Any favorite bullets, any to avoid, etc?

Thanks!

Hey Bud your mail box is FULL - RJ

 

[Longwalker]

In my experience the .243 is a fully adequate deer cartridge if you use reasonably strong bullets that will penetrate a few inches before breaking up. Or stronger bullets that don't fragment like a TSX. The cartridge is a deer wounder if the shooter doesn't realize the difference between varmint bullets and deer bullets. I've only carried a .243 a couple of times for larger game, but it did not install confidence and I did not take a shot on a moose or bear with one. Not that it couldn't kill, but because I wouldn't take a shot that wasn't "perfect" for a cartridge I consider marginally effective on game larger than deer.

 

[Joel]

Shot an antelope head on at 100 yds with 55gr ballistic tips out of the 243 at a muzzle velocity of 4000 fps. The results were decisive and the bullet went the length of the animal.

Holy cow, I woulda lost money bettin against that one.

If it doesn't work its because of bullet choice and shot placement, if it does work its because of its speed and ability to trigger people who aren't recoil sensitive.

Wow!

Thanks!


Good blacktail round.

Hi Conor Thanks for contributing!

In my experience the .243 is a fully adequate deer cartridge if you use reasonably strong bullets that will penetrate a few inches before breaking up. Or stronger bullets that don't fragment like a TSX. The cartridge is a deer wounder if the shooter doesn't realize the difference between varmint bullets and deer bullets. I've only carried a .243 a couple of times for larger game, but it did not install confidence and I did not take a shot on a moose or bear with one. Not that it couldn't kill, but because I wouldn't take a shot that wasn't "perfect" for a cartridge I consider marginally effective on game larger than deer.

That is the danger with a "dual use" cartrige eh?

Some of the newer projectiles out there seem really interesting. 103 gr ELD-X, 90 gr GMX, 95 gr LRX. That last one really interests me. The LRX seem to have a much easier time opening up, and wider, than the regular TSX and TTSX do.

But always good to hear about what else does work.

Hey Bud your mail box is FULL - RJ

Dangit! Sorry Jim! Fixed.

 

[geologist]

My kids shot alot of deer with 100 grain Partitions out of .243's... they died, but personally I start my medium game hunting at 6.5mm... not that 6mm doesn't work, it just has less margin for error, so unless it is your only option, then why? I certainly wouldn't look down on anyone using a .243 for deer or bear... I wouldn't be thrilled if the quarry were moose. You can blade a wedge on a 200 yard approach on a par five, but they do make clubs for that shot. JM2C

On sunny days this season I'm going to hunt mulies with my 6.5 x 54 M-S 169 gr. I'll just use the irons and keep the shots to 100 yards.

 

[KodiakHntr]

I killed my first few dozen muley/whitetail/black bears with a 6mm Remington and Winchester 100 gr PSP’s starting out when I was pretty young. Most all of them folded up at the shot, I can only remember one or two that made it more than a handful of steps.

Relatively soft bullets pushed pretty quick slap animals pretty hard.

Moved up through a lot of different cartridges, not a whole of difference between them really, bullets matter more than headstamps.

Have personally shot or watched terminal affects from the 243/243AI on deer/bears/elk/moose. I would probably be a bit pickier on shot angles with elk/moose than I would be with an ‘06 based cartridge stuffed with TTSX’s, but I’m not someone who gets in a rush to slap the trigger as soon as the crosshairs hit hair either.

 

[EJG]

Tried a few 100gr soft points but was not happy with the accuracy. My favourite bullet for fox and deer was the Sierra soft point BT 80gr Varminter. Just behaved like a good soft point with good penetration. Took several Sika deer with these out to 260m. This was a few years back.
edi

 

[MD]

My Remington Model 700 ADL 243 was and is the only brand new off the shelf rifle I ever bought. The only store in the village I lived in that had any guns for sale was a little general store with a Cooey .22, a Cooey single shot 12 gauge, a Remington BDL in 222 Remington and the 243 so I bought it.

Shot my first bear and numerous others with it, and plenty of blacktail deer and a few Mulies too when I moved to the mainland.

The bears were mostly shot in the neck at close range. This was northern Vancouver Island. One day I had one get away on me with a heart lung shot and moved up to a 30 calibre rifle, a 7.62 Russian Mosin Nagant.

 

[skidderman]

Seen several deer wounded and not recovered. I would and never will own one.

 

[Hunter7]

I have never owned or used a .243 BUT I did own a 6mm Rem. Basically the same thing. I used 100 grain bullets and killed my share of whitetails with it, never tried it on anything bigger. Where you hit them is more important than what you hit them with. But with the 6mm a hit through vitals, double lung or heart was a full bore run for at least 100 yards like clockwork before they piled up. Later I move up to a 7mm Rem. Mag. for deer and found the same hit would drop them far sooner than with the 6mm. I recently bought a 6.5x55 Swede and using 140 grain bullets find that the performance is very close to what I would get with the 7mm. I would not trade back my 7mm or 6.5 for a 6mm on deer. Yes the .243 will and does kill deer but my recommendation for anyone looking to buy a rifle for deer or anything bigger but does not want to tolerate heavier recoil is to step up to a 6.5. Superb accuracy, lower recoil, wide range of bullet weights for deer or larger game. A 6.5 is not a .300 or .338 mag when it comes to large game but still a far better choice than .243 IMO.

 

[obsessed1b]

Wife, boys and myself have used a 243 for wt deer, mule deer, cow elk and moose. 95 gr partitions mostly. Its killed everything we have shot with no issue. Ranges from 0-350 its not my first choice for big elk or moose but if recoil or other reasons exsist not to step up in size, keep expectations reasonable, hit them properly and it will do the job just fine.

 

[Eagleye]

I have shot a lot of deer, black bear and coyotes with the 6mm Remington.

While I do not feel it is a moose chambering, I have shot one moose with
my 6mm.
I was actually hunting Muleys at the time, and this young bull showed
up at about 140 yards, so I sent a 100 Partition through his lungs.

He went no where but down. Partition exited on the broadside shot.
Good bullet, and excellent placement meant a dead moose. Dave.

 

[dan belisle]

I own(or have owned) quite a few 6mm cartridges, from 6x45 to the 6mm Mach IV. For my own use, I consider them all deer cartridges, and smaller game. That Mach IV put a couple mule deer down like lightening with an 85 gr Barnes X bullet moving around 4k fps though. - dan

 

[Jimbobob08]

Ive only had a 243win in the safe since Dec 2022. My wife took a black bear this spring from a ground blind at about 25-30yards, single 100gr partition spun and dropped the bear on the spot. Good wound channel and a decent size exit hole. Right bullet in the right place. Bigger animals do have bigger lungs. I’m of the opinion if it doesn’t go down, put another one or two in there. Think of it as insurance.

 

[colombe]

I have shot 4 bears with my 243 savage
all one shot, bang drop dead. All with 100 grain bullets
old timer 76

 

[duncansuds]

243 is plenty. Placement placement placement.