Any reason to use anything bigger than a 243 for deer?

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Mystro

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This isnt a trick question but rather a reality check ......I tend to get asked these questions alot lately. Guy I know wants to buy his son a new rifle for whitetail hunting and asked me what caliber to get. I use to recommend a larger caliber but to be honest, I cant see why the 243 isnt the better choice for a scoped deer rifle for shots under 300 yards. It might even be a more universal caliber if one wants to predator hunt. The ammo is cheap and accessible. The recoil is low which equates to more accurate shots. So the question goes out....knowing what we know now and with the better bullets, is there any reason to hunt whitetail with anything more than a 243 for the average deer hunter in the North East?????

Its hard for me not to recommend a 30-06,270,308,etc but strictly for whitetail deer, they may be over kill for normal shooting scenarios. Keeping in mind, most hunters dont shoot as much as we do.
 
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Short answer.
No

The 243 is fine, but it demands the use of good bullets on larger deer. Bullets that hold together.

If you use a good bullet the 243 is fine for deer anywhere.
 
Not a huge fan of the caliber

It's supposed to be a rifle equally at home shooting woodchucks at 400 yards or deer at 300.

If the shooter does his part and carefully selects his shots then it will do just fine on deer.
I like the flexibility a larger(.25-.28) caliber offers when things aren't optimal.
 
I love .243, and after 20 years, it's still my primary deer hunting caliber.

But there is one benefit larger calibers have, and that's in producing a heavy blood trail after heart/lung shots. In some of the thick woods we have here in SC, having a good blood trail can mean the difference between locating a dead animal and never finding it at all.
 
depends on your definition of bigger.
1. 9mm is a lot bigger than 243 but it is considered too small for hunting purposes(didn't stop me though)

2. 22-250 has a larger case than 243, not better suited than 243.

3. 54 caliber muzzle loader is a lot bigger and uses more powder but in the end is not suited to hunting past 100 yards and even inside that does relatively little to ruin meat and cause greiveous damage.

then you have the idiots that think that you need something with the word magnum in the name because they can't ever hit the kill zone the first time. I once had some goober tell me that the 300 win mag was the greatest deer cartridge ever invented.
 
Yes there are reasons to use something larger then a 243, and they have nothing to do with the 243 not being able to quickly kill a deer. The 6mm bore just don't have the BC of 6.5 and 7mm if you are shooting long range or in a cross wind, yes I know there are 115gr VLD bullets but they require custom barrels to stabilize. Also when hunting in dense underbrush I prefer a larger caliber because if they run a blood trail is all you have to find them and 30 cals make significantly larger holes in and out. But for normal hunting situations I have no issue using a 6mm bore.
 
2. 22-250 has a larger case than 243, not better suited than 243.
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These cartridges have the same rim diameter, but the data I just examined indicates the .243 is a tiny bit larger in all other dimensions.
 
I grew up hearing that a 30-06 was a middle of the road chambering and used one for most of my life. At least partly because of better bullets today the 30-06 is much more than needed for 99% of North American hunting. The 243 I now consider to be about perfect for deer at reasonable ranges, and useable for anything short of large bear at closer ranges.

I prefer something larger only because bear and hog seasons overlap deer season and a 500+ lb bear is always a possibility. A 243 with good bullets and a perfect shot would work, but something larger is preferred.
 
Some of the best bullets for the 243 are the same today as they have been for many years, oh sure the TTSXs, E-Tips, and GMXs are great but Hot Cores, Partitions, and Pro Hunters have been around since before I was, the 243 always has been enough if you know what you are doing newfangled fancy mono metal bullets have nothing to do with it. My grandparents hunted deer with a 243 using 100gr Winchesters and it always did the trick for them.
 
I have great respect for the posters above, but would submit that .243 may be appropriate in many cases, it's also important to have a quick, humane kill. You probably could kill an elk or deer with a high powered BB gun as one manufacturer has mentioned.

For the 'typical' hunter, I would submit a .243 is sub-optimal and probably results in more wounds than clean kills, or lost animals.

YMMV
 
in the case of your youngster, no. get him a 7mm-08, 260 rem, if he's a little husky try a 25-06.
most people don't care for the 243, but it can shoot big deer. bullet selection and wieght can make a hunters day, or not...
 
I have killed mule deer with .243, .270, 7MM Mag, and 300 WM. The .243 has killed them as fast and with fewer steps after the shot than any other. Anyone who thinks it is marginal for deer under 300 yards has not used one.

I recall Western Guide and author Bob Hagel writing that of all the cartridges used by his hunters he saw more one shot kills with the .243 than any other. His conclusion was that the lack of recoil, accuracy, and bullets designed for deer made the .243 an excellent deer cartridge.

Jerry
 
I recall Western Guide and author Bob Hagel writing that of all the cartridges used by his hunters he saw more one shot kills with the .243 than any other. His conclusion was that the lack of recoil, accuracy, and bullets designed for deer made the .243 an excellent deer cartridge.
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I vaguely recall reading that many years ago. Among others I have a .243, .270, 7mm Rem Mag, and .300 Win Mag - all bolt action rifles. I have not shot the 7mm, but have hunted and taken game (coyote, pronghorn, mule deer, whitetail, elk and black bear) with the other three rifles. In my opinion the .243 is excellent for pronghorn and deer, and, of course, coyotes. My .270 Rem. 700 in a Brown Precision stock is still my favorite rifle - very accurate and very comfortable to hunt with and shoot.
 
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I would not suggest that the 243 was FASTER killing then my various 270s, 7mm Rem Mags, or numerous 30 calibers but it was always enough and that is all I could ask for.
 
tdoyka said:
in the case of your youngster, no. get him a 7mm-08, 260 rem, if he's a little husky try a 25-06.
most people don't care for the 243, but it can shoot big deer. bullet selection and wieght can make a hunters day, or not...
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Most people don't care for the .243? Strange statement to make about a cartridge that is unquestionably one of the most popular in history.
 
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2. 22-250 has a larger case than 243

THAT IS INCORRECT
The 22/250 case has more taper than a 243 and is slightly shorter giving it less powder space.
I've killed about 25-30 deer with a 243 and maybe a dozen with a 22/250. Both will kill deer with perfect shot placement but then again, so will a 22 mag.
The 243 is a compromise cartridge and while it does OK on deer sized game, it's still at the lower end of the delivered energy scale past 250 yards. Each of my kids(not kids anymore) hunted deer with a 243 so I suppose I've seen a minimum of 50-60 deer killed (counting theirs and mine) with various bullets delivered by the 243. Three bullets lead the pack in effectiveness-Nosler(partition or solid base) and Speer Grand Slam.
 
I've killed too many deer with the .243 to not recommend it. Depending on my mood and area, I'll switch between a .243 Rem 788, a .270 Rem 700, and a .308 Rem 788. But the .243 is still a very capable round that I wouldn't knock.
 
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