I've taken deer with the .243, never a problem. Usually 90gr+ bullets and get them moving as quick as possible. I'm currently working up a load for 95gr Ballistic Tips but with work/life/etc getting in the way likely not ready until next year. They are super accurate but loaded to mag length instead of COAL and way below max velocity so still testing.
Your experiences on medium/big game with .243 cal rifles?
- Thread starter Joel
- Start date
Exactly
Thanks all for the info, personal experiences, etc. Quite a lot of material here. Seems like theres a big pattern emerging between some swearing by it and some swearing at it. Wasn't expecting the result to be so....variable.
Perhaps bullet selection but definitely illustrates how there is little margin for error.
Perhaps bullet selection but definitely illustrates how there is little margin for error.
With regards to a 243 bullet selection is quite paramount as is shot placement. But so is style/ type of hunting. If you hunt a long ways from home and have limited opportunity i wouldn't choose it for a do all. If you live in the middle of the elk woods and dont HAVE to take a shot on every opportunity a 243 can work well. In the right situations a 243 can certainly get the job done! My wife killed our largest cow elk to date @250yds IIRC withbone 95 gr partition to the heart. The cow was in a hay field with the rest of her herd and at the shot she was obviously struggling to keep up with the fleeing herd. She never made it out of the hay field.. probably traveled 50 yds total. On the flip side i have witnessed 7rm and 300wm give about the same performance. I would say on deer the 243 when hit right can and does often give spectacular bang flops. Its certainly NOT the best rifle for all hunting applications and for hunting bigger cervids i would choose larger calibers if given the choice but that does not mean the 243 cant get the job done. I will say this of all the calibers i have witnessed game shot with i have never seen or had a rodeo with the 243, but in every instance the hunter used the correct bullet for the job and was " more careful" to place the shot correctly. Just counting in my head my family and extended family has probably taken 50 or so big game animals with a 243 and we have never not recovered one nore had a major rodeo. Sadly i cant say the same for some of the bigger calibers.
My kids shot deer with one when they were young. Deer always ran quite a bit. Even with well placed shots. They both moved up to 7x57s and never had the running problem. I’ve shot hundreds of coyotes with 243s and find it ideal. Too close and you can destroy hides though. For game I’d move up in energy.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
This is my similar thought - 243 Win often is got for a wife or a kid to "start" - why is that adequate for them and not for you? So, one of my recent purchases was a 16.5" barrel Ruger 243 Win for me - after having set up my wife with a 788 some years ago, and my grandson with a 783 a few years ago - so "good enough" for them is "good enough" for me? Kinda like a .410 shotgun - most kids start with one - but is that a cartridge for a beginner or for an "expert"?
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madtrapper143
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steep Rock Lake NWO
I have shot a lot of big whitetails with the .243 and factory Winchester 100 grain PP bullets. All one shot almost instant kills. I always shoot for the high shoulder shot. I also killed one deer with the 6MM Remington with 100 grain Remington Corelokt bullet. Same results. I would not hesitate to shoot a moose with the .243. Bullet placement and confidence in the gun make the difference.
Darryl
Darryl
Most game lost is poor bullet placement. Getting my hair cut and the barbers telling me about a deer he shot the day before and he hit it correctly with a 308 and it ran off and he never found it. So his fix was he was using a 300 WM instead so he didn't lose anymore game. I am sitting there holding my tongue wondering if he lost a deer with that what he was going to use a RPG. I have a couple 243s finally and I am sure they will be more then enough for a deer.
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Shot my first Moose with one. That rifle has taken 5 moose. Today I have better choices.
prairie lover
CGN Regular
- Location
- southern MB
I've shot a bunch of deer and seen a bunch shot with the 243. Plain old 80 to 100 gr sp. And the discontinued but excellent 90 gr speer deepcurl. Sometimes they run more from a double lung shot than I see with bigger calibers. Most of the time they don't and the results are the same. It's not as forgiving on angled shots as larger cals with the right bullet.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
As far as variable use for the .243 goes, a neat one was it's use by the BC Forest Ministry back in the 70's for knocking clumps of fir & spruce cones off of select trees for replanting logged areas. I was in me favorite LGS one day back then when a couple of provincial forestry guys came in and bought every box of 80 gr ammo that was on hand.
The owner of the store had stocked up well on this ammo knowing they would come calling.
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Shooting up into a tree to knock off cones. Know your target,.and what's.behind it doesn't apply to government.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Guided a few .243s, I liked them. They’re as effective as anything on game under moose and were on my recommended mountain hunt chamberings list. I’d use one on a moose too without misgivings just choosing my shots, it’s certainly more effective than many traditional moose gun choices of decades past.
Little secret I’m a big fan of the 6mm-7mm band of cartridges that make 3000fps.
Little secret I’m a big fan of the 6mm-7mm band of cartridges that make 3000fps.
dgradinaru
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- British Columbia
I took my niece out for spring bear hunt and had her set up with a 243 win, 100gr Remington Corelokts. She dropped a very good sized black bear (squared 7') at 150 yards with a single bullet. Pass through on double lung. Bear didn't take another step. It definitely impressed me and changed my view towards the 243 win. She also got her first deer with it this youth season.
Starter caliber…
