shootniron
New member
High shoulder shot, cause...I like them DRT!
Your shots won't produce that as many times as mine will.
Doctor recommended this shot for DRT because of proximity to CNS...he was right.
Last edited:
.243 for whitetail
- Thread starter SJCbklyn
- Start date
High shoulder shot, cause...I like them DRT!
Your shots won't produce that as many times as mine will.
Doctor recommended this shot for DRT because of proximity to CNS...he was right.
reynolds357
New member
Does not take a doctor to know that shooting the spine in half will instantly drop game. The doctor I hunt with shoots deer through the lungs.
That info and $1 will buy me a cup of coffee at the truck stop. You can find a doctor who does anything you want them to do. I think there is a time for lung shots, neck shots, and smashing both shoulders. When shooting freezer meat, I lung shoot it. When it is a trophy going on the wall, I neck shoot it or smash both shoulders, depending on shooting conditions. Smashing the shoulders makes a mess of meat, but it guarantees me a trophy on the wall. I have tracked lung shot deer over 300 yards.
That info and $1 will buy me a cup of coffee at the truck stop. You can find a doctor who does anything you want them to do. I think there is a time for lung shots, neck shots, and smashing both shoulders. When shooting freezer meat, I lung shoot it. When it is a trophy going on the wall, I neck shoot it or smash both shoulders, depending on shooting conditions. Smashing the shoulders makes a mess of meat, but it guarantees me a trophy on the wall. I have tracked lung shot deer over 300 yards.Using the 6MMs on deer is fine. Every deer hunting story I know of that involved bad reports from the 6mm shells was from one of 2 reasons.
#1, Bad marksmanship.
This is no different then hitting them poorly with a 7MM Mag. Can't blame the cartridge for this, although a lot of people try to.
#2 Shooting varmint bullets at deer.
There are a LOT of varmint and target bullets made in the .243" diameter, and if you shoot a bullet that is designed to blow up you should not be surprised when it blows up (and don't penetrate well)
But the 243 (and all the 6MM rifles of that type) kill deer very well if you shoot a good bullet that holds together, and hit them where you are supposed to.
#1, Bad marksmanship.
This is no different then hitting them poorly with a 7MM Mag. Can't blame the cartridge for this, although a lot of people try to.
#2 Shooting varmint bullets at deer.
There are a LOT of varmint and target bullets made in the .243" diameter, and if you shoot a bullet that is designed to blow up you should not be surprised when it blows up (and don't penetrate well)
But the 243 (and all the 6MM rifles of that type) kill deer very well if you shoot a good bullet that holds together, and hit them where you are supposed to.
reynolds357
New member
One time I was shooting a trophy whitetail in the shoulder a 340 yds. Just as I was squeezing the trigger, he flicked his head down and back. I hit him in the top of the head, shot the top of his head off(destroying the rack) and then hit him in the lower lung. He was d.r.t. I was not happy.
dahermit- Did I SAY anything about this being a scientific test? Did I SAY anything about being serious researcher? Um...don't think so.
Like I said, I was at the range and I shot an empty can with no effect. Not being able to even rock an empty can does not impress me with the power of the cartridge. That's all.
Like I said, I was at the range and I shot an empty can with no effect. Not being able to even rock an empty can does not impress me with the power of the cartridge. That's all.
ClaymoreAKM
New member
The .243 is fine for whitetails, especially here in the Southeast.
shootbrownelk
New member
I loaded some warm .243 loads with Barnes TTSX bullets for a friend's daughter. She's racked up a number of one shot kills on cow elk, that's 3 times the size of a deer. Although, that young lady can shoot, and that's a big plus too.
reynolds357
New member
Saxon, you just do not get it. Less, kinetic energy causes the reaction you are identifying with more kinetic energy. Shoot an empty can with a .30-378 Weatherby and then shoot it with a .25acp. the .25 ACP will move the can much further. I guess the big Weatherby is too weak for whitetails?
I find it kind of funny how popular the 223 is becoming for some as a deer rifle yet we still see so much skepticism directed towards the 243. I guess if the 24's had never been invented rounds like the 257 Roberts and 25-06 would be under the gun as maybe not up to the task as a deer cartridge.
reynolds357
New member
I have a .243 for sale. I shot a piece of paper with it and it did not have enough energy to move the paper. It just punched a hole in it. Actually, I shot the paper 12 times without seeing any observable movement of the paper. Wait, my bad; I did the same thing with a .50 Bmg a while back and had the same results. .243 is no longer for sale.
Wait, my bad; I did the same thing with a .50 Bmg a while back and had the same results. .243 is no longer for sale.I for one am ready to apologize. After all, you provided a brand-new way of determining if a cartridge has enough energy to effectively kill deer...just watch how much the beer (I suspect it was not a "soup" can) can jumps when one shoots it. I wish I had known that sooner I would not have had to agonize over the relative power of cartridges all these years. Thank you for your insightfulness in the field of ballistics.
That has always intrigued me also. I have often wondered if those who say that the .24's are inadequate/poor choices, if the .25's are large enough. Or in other words, does the 14 thousandths larger diameter really make that much difference or does one have to go up to the .26's or the .27's etc? No one can seem to give a definitive answer, just some "opinion", and of course, with a myriad of deer-camp anecdotes of lost deer.
When it comes to deer-camp anecdotes, at one time, years ago I lived near a deputy town constable who was an avid deer hunter. In a conversation with him, I mentioned that Hornady had just changed their game bullets from a from cup-and-draw to the "Interlocs". He proceeded to tell me that the new Interlocs were no good at all in that they, "do not open-up on deer...pass right through..." I asked him how he knew that and he answered that, during the last deer season, he had fired multiple shots at a buck and it just kept on running. I did not ask him how he knew that he had not just missed the deer. Yup! Those damned Interlocs just do not open up!
SJCbklyn,
Going through the posts, I see you haven't had any comments other than your thread starter here, so I'll relate some info you may find useful regarding your question.
I've killed quite a few deer for over 30 years with the 6mm Rem.(close enough for a .243 Winchester comparison). I've used the same hand-load for all those years, using the 87 grn. Hornady S.P. bullet, exclusively (works too good to change for me). I've found it works very well on deer, no matter what size they are (In My own field tested Opinion).
Depending on the shot, meat damage (I've found) will vary for sure. If shot through the ribs, of course there's blood shot meat, but you just butcher around it; no big deal whatsoever (IMO again). Last year, I killed a really nice 4x4 Whitetail with my 6mm, and it was a low, frontal shot, at around 65-70 yds. That deer was dead before it hit the ground. When field dressing, I found the heart and lungs pretty well messed up, but the bullet never touched anything paunch-wise. Lucky? Maybe, but that's what I like about that particular bullet; it generally comes apart, insuring a quick kill. To me, that's the most important thing.
Through the years, I have made some shots "a little too far back" using the 6mm, and yeah, there's a mess, but it cleans up, and since I do the butchering (my wife does the wrapping and grinding) she makes quite sure everything that I bring to her to package is quite clean, and smells good, too. Our system works quite well.
I'd like to relate one more little story here regarding my Ruger 77, 6mm Rem. that took place out on some BLM ground I hunt mulies on. My youngest son and I were out there looking for bucks, and were on our way home after the morning's hunt. We hadn't seen anything other than does, which was/still is, a bucks only area. My son had his new 700 ADL in '06 on this hunt, and hadn't shot it much since he got it. It was untried in the field at that point. I had my Ruger, which he had shot quite a bit, and like it quite well. Well, we crested this rise, and looked down in the draw there, and there was two 4x4 mulie bucks standing there feeding about 150 yds. from us. I told my son to take the first shot, which he did, and missed. The bucks looked at us and just stood there. I said it was my turn, and of course, I chose the one that looked like the bigger of the two. It dropped at the shot (kneeling), right where he stood. I told my son it was his turn and handed him the 6mm. He knelt, took the shot and dropped that buck where it stood. Both bucks lay there dead, not 10 feet apart. We high-fived, and the work began. That was a grand day, indeed. At that time, my 6mm had a M8, 4x Leupold scope on it.
BTW, I killed my first elk with that same rifle. I was using 100 grn. Rem. factory stuff for that one. I wasn't reloading ammo at that time. That was back in the very early '80's. That elk, a spike, was only around 50 yds. away, looking at me, frontal. I put the cross hairs just below his chin, and dropped him where he stood. I use the '06 for elk these days, but at that time, it was the only rifle I had to use for that particular hunt.
Once again, the .243 Win. or the 6mm Rem. is a very good hunting round for deer, and shot placement is all important, as with any legal caliber for deer. And that 87 grn. Hornady bullet? I got that suggestion from a very successful bench rest shooter/hunter who used a .243 to do most all of his hunting, back when he did hunt (got old and quit hunting). Whether it was elk, deer or antelope, he knew exactly where his bullets were going, and told me that the 87 grn. S.P. was a fine killer, as long as you knew your rifle and shot accordingly. I have found through the years, that he was right.
Going through the posts, I see you haven't had any comments other than your thread starter here, so I'll relate some info you may find useful regarding your question.
I've killed quite a few deer for over 30 years with the 6mm Rem.(close enough for a .243 Winchester comparison). I've used the same hand-load for all those years, using the 87 grn. Hornady S.P. bullet, exclusively (works too good to change for me). I've found it works very well on deer, no matter what size they are (In My own field tested Opinion).
Depending on the shot, meat damage (I've found) will vary for sure. If shot through the ribs, of course there's blood shot meat, but you just butcher around it; no big deal whatsoever (IMO again). Last year, I killed a really nice 4x4 Whitetail with my 6mm, and it was a low, frontal shot, at around 65-70 yds. That deer was dead before it hit the ground. When field dressing, I found the heart and lungs pretty well messed up, but the bullet never touched anything paunch-wise. Lucky? Maybe, but that's what I like about that particular bullet; it generally comes apart, insuring a quick kill. To me, that's the most important thing.
Through the years, I have made some shots "a little too far back" using the 6mm, and yeah, there's a mess, but it cleans up, and since I do the butchering (my wife does the wrapping and grinding) she makes quite sure everything that I bring to her to package is quite clean, and smells good, too. Our system works quite well.
I'd like to relate one more little story here regarding my Ruger 77, 6mm Rem. that took place out on some BLM ground I hunt mulies on. My youngest son and I were out there looking for bucks, and were on our way home after the morning's hunt. We hadn't seen anything other than does, which was/still is, a bucks only area. My son had his new 700 ADL in '06 on this hunt, and hadn't shot it much since he got it. It was untried in the field at that point. I had my Ruger, which he had shot quite a bit, and like it quite well. Well, we crested this rise, and looked down in the draw there, and there was two 4x4 mulie bucks standing there feeding about 150 yds. from us. I told my son to take the first shot, which he did, and missed. The bucks looked at us and just stood there. I said it was my turn, and of course, I chose the one that looked like the bigger of the two. It dropped at the shot (kneeling), right where he stood. I told my son it was his turn and handed him the 6mm. He knelt, took the shot and dropped that buck where it stood. Both bucks lay there dead, not 10 feet apart. We high-fived, and the work began. That was a grand day, indeed. At that time, my 6mm had a M8, 4x Leupold scope on it.
BTW, I killed my first elk with that same rifle. I was using 100 grn. Rem. factory stuff for that one. I wasn't reloading ammo at that time. That was back in the very early '80's. That elk, a spike, was only around 50 yds. away, looking at me, frontal. I put the cross hairs just below his chin, and dropped him where he stood. I use the '06 for elk these days, but at that time, it was the only rifle I had to use for that particular hunt.
Once again, the .243 Win. or the 6mm Rem. is a very good hunting round for deer, and shot placement is all important, as with any legal caliber for deer. And that 87 grn. Hornady bullet? I got that suggestion from a very successful bench rest shooter/hunter who used a .243 to do most all of his hunting, back when he did hunt (got old and quit hunting). Whether it was elk, deer or antelope, he knew exactly where his bullets were going, and told me that the 87 grn. S.P. was a fine killer, as long as you knew your rifle and shot accordingly. I have found through the years, that he was right.
With good shot placement, and being selective on your shots, many calibers will work. But I don't know why an adult would bother switching up.
Interestingly, I was reading article in Lymann 47, that compared various things, and came up with forumula that claimed 243 was better then 243.
The old wisdom was heavy bullets. Though know we have fancy bullets that open up with speed.
I am dissapointed in 243 balistics. 100 grains is only 3000 fps. Might as well shoot 150 grain 30-06.
Interestingly, I was reading article in Lymann 47, that compared various things, and came up with forumula that claimed 243 was better then 243.
The old wisdom was heavy bullets. Though know we have fancy bullets that open up with speed.
I am dissapointed in 243 balistics. 100 grains is only 3000 fps. Might as well shoot 150 grain 30-06.
The .243 Win is a proven deer killer. My favorite bullet is an 85 grain solid gilding metal "tipped hollow point" made by Hornady called the GMX. It's performed well on deer when they're shot through the shoulders, but even under 200 yards, may not expand sufficiently through the lungs to leave blood or hair on the ground at the point of impact. I tell the kids to keep shots under 250 yards.
I've coached my grand-kids to shoot through at least one front shoulder and that's worked well on all but last season's buck shot by my son-in-law. He said he aimed at the front shoulder, but the deer jumped as he shot, so the bullet went through the lungs. He found the dead deer about 20 yards away, but without a blood trail. The bullet exited.
If I were to use the .243 with factory ammo, I'd use 100 grain rounds. I'm very impressed with their performance on deer, compared with larger caliber deer rounds.
I've coached my grand-kids to shoot through at least one front shoulder and that's worked well on all but last season's buck shot by my son-in-law. He said he aimed at the front shoulder, but the deer jumped as he shot, so the bullet went through the lungs. He found the dead deer about 20 yards away, but without a blood trail. The bullet exited.
If I were to use the .243 with factory ammo, I'd use 100 grain rounds. I'm very impressed with their performance on deer, compared with larger caliber deer rounds.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Just generalizing, but arguments against a particular cartridge seem to come from people who aren't all that good at shot placement from field positions. 
After all, the .243 has been used in killing deer since 1955. I really doubt that there have been any more crippled and lost deer with it than with any other commonly-used "deer cartridge".
Granted, I'm biased in favor of it. My two dozen kills were all bang/whop/plop. Bambi never went anywhere at all. Kinda hard for me to complain.
After all, the .243 has been used in killing deer since 1955. I really doubt that there have been any more crippled and lost deer with it than with any other commonly-used "deer cartridge".
Granted, I'm biased in favor of it. My two dozen kills were all bang/whop/plop. Bambi never went anywhere at all. Kinda hard for me to complain.