I agree with Lawer Daggit, I love the balistics on the 6.5x55, which has no problem with Elk and bear if that is an appertunity. I made up a 257 Roberts Ackley Improved for my son 20 years ago, he has killed deer (115grain Nosler partitioned), and elk (120grain Barnes) with it no problems. If you do not want to handload the standard 257 to get a bit more push, now they have the factory +P loads which are a bit zippier, but still not quite up to the Ackley Imp. Remember, after a hit in the lungs or heart they can only run as far as they can hold their breath!!!
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.243??
- Thread starter duckman3279
- Start date
My first centerfire, at the age of 16, after all kinds of research back in 1959, was a .30-06. I never shot a deer with it, but shot many woodchucks, crows, and a couple of foxes. I sold it and bought a .22-250 and within two weeks, shot a deer with it, and two more.
After a few years, I bought a .6mm Rem, Rem 700 Varmint and it was extremely accurate, but too heavy to lug around in the fields/woods. Sold that and got another 700 in .30-06 and shot lots of deer with it. Then got a .270 Win and gave the '06 to my son.
I still have the .270, but fell into the .243 Handi-rifle when a neighbor wanted to dump it. I figured it would be good for the grandkids to deer hunt, but fell in love with the caliber and spent lots of money converting my .22-250 to a .243 Win.
The bottom line is: even someone who's studied ballistics and works on rifles can choose calibers that don't work as well as others when changing your hunting or shooting preferences. The .243 or 6mm Rem would have been a better cartridge for me to have started with, due to it's flexibility for smaller to medium game and informal range shooting.
JP
After a few years, I bought a .6mm Rem, Rem 700 Varmint and it was extremely accurate, but too heavy to lug around in the fields/woods. Sold that and got another 700 in .30-06 and shot lots of deer with it. Then got a .270 Win and gave the '06 to my son.
I still have the .270, but fell into the .243 Handi-rifle when a neighbor wanted to dump it. I figured it would be good for the grandkids to deer hunt, but fell in love with the caliber and spent lots of money converting my .22-250 to a .243 Win.
The bottom line is: even someone who's studied ballistics and works on rifles can choose calibers that don't work as well as others when changing your hunting or shooting preferences. The .243 or 6mm Rem would have been a better cartridge for me to have started with, due to it's flexibility for smaller to medium game and informal range shooting.
JP
bamaranger
New member
.243
We have a Savage 110, and early "J-series" rifle with a nice walnut stock, that my Dad bought apparently on a lark as a spare deer rifle years ago. He started hitting and killing deer like never before. The low recoil made him a better shot by allowing easier practice and addressing a "flinch" he didn't know he had!!!!
Bama boy is now killing deer w/ Grandad's .243 and doing very well. Kills at 260 and 175 yds, lasered, using 100 gr Partitions zeroed 2" high at 100. My kills w/ it before he claimed same were at closer ranges w/ factory 100's and results were similar, though I had a few bullets fail to exit. The Partitions so far have all shot through out 125 lb -150 lb deer. We're seeing no difference in killing power w/ the 100 gr Partitions and bigger, heavier bullet ,larger calibers when deer are hit well in the same place, ie, they either drop over dead, or run a short ways.
We have a Savage 110, and early "J-series" rifle with a nice walnut stock, that my Dad bought apparently on a lark as a spare deer rifle years ago. He started hitting and killing deer like never before. The low recoil made him a better shot by allowing easier practice and addressing a "flinch" he didn't know he had!!!!
Bama boy is now killing deer w/ Grandad's .243 and doing very well. Kills at 260 and 175 yds, lasered, using 100 gr Partitions zeroed 2" high at 100. My kills w/ it before he claimed same were at closer ranges w/ factory 100's and results were similar, though I had a few bullets fail to exit. The Partitions so far have all shot through out 125 lb -150 lb deer. We're seeing no difference in killing power w/ the 100 gr Partitions and bigger, heavier bullet ,larger calibers when deer are hit well in the same place, ie, they either drop over dead, or run a short ways.
Lots of folks hunt Deer with the .243 Win. and it's a proven killer , in the right hands , with a proper Bullet for the game . However the .243 is not among my choices for a proper Deer Rifle . I love it for everything smaller than Deer , as far as I'm concerened it's the best Varmint Caliber hands down ! I choose to use something bigger on Deer , ( .358 Win. 7mm-08 Rem. ) because where I hunt Big deer where less than perfect shot opportunities are the order of the day , every day ! Texas Heart shots are sometimes your only shot , and I'd be real uncomfortable using a .243 for that application ! I think we have 3 .243s at the present time and they aren't going anywhere and my Grandsons will start their Deer hunting careers with the .243 Win. !
Assuming a caliber and bullet up to the task.....
Texas heart shots are fine, so long as someone else is doing the field dressing and you don't try to give me any of the venison.:barf:
...... so why is it you are hunting, again? Meat? OK..... you eat it.
Texas Heart shots
Texas heart shots are fine, so long as someone else is doing the field dressing and you don't try to give me any of the venison.:barf:
...... so why is it you are hunting, again? Meat? OK..... you eat it.
Selection of an appropriate bullet is very important with this round and because of this I do not class it as a beginner round.
It is a fine white tail round for beginners..... provided their mentor picks a load that won't go to pieces at short range and will function at the young hunters maximum effective range...... a 100 gr Core-Lokt, Power Point or Hornady Spire Point at 2800-3000 would be fine...... speed freaks throwing light bullets at 3300 get some spectacular DRT kills ..... and sometimes the deer runs off with an eventually fatal hickey from hell ........
Poke a hole through the lungs with an expanding bullet.... they won't go 100 yards. That's all that is necessary. The .243 will do that, with a flat trajectory and mild recoil in a youth sized gun.
243 Handi Rifle
The Handi Rifle is a great little gun, and leaving plenty of cash flow for optics, I think you'll really enjoy it.
The 243 is nearly as versatile as duct tape, as seen by all the opinions given so far. I traded in my 788 in 243 for a pump 30-06, regretted that decision ever since. In 2006 I got a great deal on a 6mm 700 VLS, so I haven't tinkered with the 243 in a few years now. That being said, I don't shoot varmints for pelts, I shoot varmints because they eat some of the animals I'd rather be eating. For that reason, I worked up a load with my 6mm for intermediate range deer hunting, and use the same loads on coyotes. I don't have to re-zero, or worry about which box of ammo to bring. You know, they say as you get older the first thing to go is your... um... well, it'll come back to me in a bit.
One last + for the 243 is the Wal Mart factor. You can find ammo for it almost anywhere in the continental US, should your supply run low.
Standard disclaimer: My two cents worth is only worth two cents to me.
God Bless.
The Handi Rifle is a great little gun, and leaving plenty of cash flow for optics, I think you'll really enjoy it.
The 243 is nearly as versatile as duct tape, as seen by all the opinions given so far. I traded in my 788 in 243 for a pump 30-06, regretted that decision ever since. In 2006 I got a great deal on a 6mm 700 VLS, so I haven't tinkered with the 243 in a few years now. That being said, I don't shoot varmints for pelts, I shoot varmints because they eat some of the animals I'd rather be eating. For that reason, I worked up a load with my 6mm for intermediate range deer hunting, and use the same loads on coyotes. I don't have to re-zero, or worry about which box of ammo to bring. You know, they say as you get older the first thing to go is your... um... well, it'll come back to me in a bit.
One last + for the 243 is the Wal Mart factor. You can find ammo for it almost anywhere in the continental US, should your supply run low.
Standard disclaimer: My two cents worth is only worth two cents to me.
God Bless.
FrankenMauser
New member
Texas heart shots are fine, so long as someone else is doing the field dressing and you don't try to give me any of the venison.
Aye.
If that's the only shot you've got; pass on the shot. If you're willing to destroy 15-20 lbs of meat, just to get a nice rack, you're not really in it for the meat.
Hunters are always bragging about how their license sales and donations do more for conservation and wildlife management than anything else. ....And then they destroy half the animal will poor shots (and too many of them), just to get a good wall decoration.
"Hunters" can have their fortune and glory.
I'll stick with ethical shots that actually put meat on the table.
(Some one else's table, at the very least - but I haven't had to give away meat for several years.)