What do you mean not enough gun?

Judging by what's in the ballistics tables, anyway, I'd expect the .243 with a 100gr bullet would be good out to 300 yards+ for deer. It's not a weak rifle, and carries it's momentum very efficiently over distance. At the muzzle, it carries about as much energy as the .30-30, but it has more energy remaining at 300 yards than the .30-30 has at 200 yards. 200 yards is normally considered the effective range of the .30-30 on deer.

From the Remington Online Catalog:

.30-30/170gr Soft Point Core Lokt
@muzzle 1827ft-lb
@200 yards 989 ft-lb

.243/100gr Core Lokt Ultra Bonded
@muzzle 1945ft-lb
@300 yards 1120 ft-lb
 
Carbine caleb you are going off energy tables - these do not make due allowance for the effect of bullet weight and they tend to distort things somwhat.

I agree that the .243 is no pussy, but IMHO it is not such a good killer as a 170 gr .30-30.

I used to own a nice Mannlicher Schoenauer in .243 and the reason I got rid of it was I found it an indifferent killer on wild pig. With 100 gr loads some would go down as if Thor had wacked them and others would appear to get away uninjured even when hit hard. A big factor seemed to be whether the projectile hit bone.

Having said this I have a preference for heavy bullets (I own a .35 whelen and a .350 Rem Mag) am only to aware of the .243 debate and respect those who hold a contrary view.

If you have confidence in a calibre it will often work for you.
 
.243 for pigs

Lawyer Daggit--Re the .243 on the hogs-- +1 here! IMHO it is TOO little to penetrate from many angles--and those big hogs have that heavy scar/cartilage collar--pigs have been called walking bullet traps and I agree. Sure, a .243 will put them down SOMETIMES, but the same could be said for using a .243 on a grizzly bear.

You have to respect what you are hunting, enough to use a gun that will get you a quick, humane kill under any reasonable circumstances (given always that you do YOUR part!) You owe this to your quarry. You owe it to your gun. Most of all you owe it to yourself.

And there is such a thing as overdoing it (.375 H&H on cottontail rabbits comes to mind--doesn't leave enough to eat.)

But the old cliche' is true for all its mossy age: Use Enough Gun!
 
the 243 is a good dear gun and is not under powerd its all about placing your shots i shot a black bear at 60 yards with it and it droped then i went to it and it got back up. The next day my dad shot another black bear at 80 yards and he it it right between the eyes and it didnt make a sound and droped like a rock.
 
There is also a significant difference between a texas deer and a manitoba or northern minnesota deer. We routinely see deer in the 250 pound class in minnesota, and three hundred pounders are not uncommon and I have seen a few that went over four hundred on the hoof, ( a field dressed deer that has had the head removed for taxidermy and still weighs over 340 pounds is more than likely a 400 pound deer on the hoof.)
Click to expand...

+1 ......
 
I don't know how to feel about this. Personally I love my 243. I shoot it with varmint loads (50 and 70gr NBT) and it shoots great. I have taken little ground critters out to 700ish yrds. FUN FUN!:cool:
My problem is that you may top out at 100gr loads that may give you 1100 ft/lbs at 300 yds under ideal circumstances. If you keep it under 200yds I guess it is fine. When I used to live in N Wis(BIG DEER, (:cool: fast corn fed cows)), no problem since I didn't see much area that I could take shots over 100ydrs much less 200. Now out in the great state of Colorado(Which doesn't have the tribal gaming problems Wis has:D ) Shots can be much further out. And the game out here require larger caliber. My minimum big game caliber out here is 30-06.
My 2 cents
 
The debate was started half century ago by the same writers who wanted the 250 Savage and 257 Roberts to go away. These guys felt it was 30-06 or nothing for all big game hunting.

These writers could not conceive the idea of a rifle for long shots at pronghorned antelope and yet another rifle for elk. Still another short carbine for timber and foothill country. It was one rifle for all or nothing.

As a .243 owner for nearly 40 years, I'm certain the long shots I've successfully made actually killed these animals. My bullets did not bounce off or wound these critters.

The advent of Premium bullets a few years ago has truely upped the lethality of this cartridge. No muley can stand up to a well placed 95 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip or a 100 grain Nosler Partition. Yes, even a 300 pound buck will topple over quickly after this high speed and tissue destroying bullet enters his chest.

I'm certain that the 30-06 or nothing guys will never agree with me and that is their option. I'd rather seek subjects that unit us as hunters instead of dividing us.
Jack
 
Guess I have to add my 270 in there also.
Yes I agree that a 243 at less then 200 yrds for whitetail or smaller animal(this caliber would be great for antelope). But at anything over 150-200 yrds I go bigger.
243 with a 50 gr load for ground critters and varm's can't be beat though!:D
 
"...that he is a hinderpipe..." Who doesn't shoot regularly. High priced premium bullets aren't required. Shot placement with any calibre is essential. Premium bullets do squat if they're not placed correctly.
"...going to get his elk this year with a 22-250..." He's nuts and will lose the elk. Even with the best premium bullet there is. The .22-250 isn't made for the deep penetration required on a 600 to 1,000 pound animal. Mind you, he may find that using a .22 cal on elk is illegal anyway.
"...I went to it and it got back up..." Wait the 30 minutes or just run to the beast? In any case, it's not unusual for a shot animal to get up again after being shot with any calibre. Even with a very well placed shot.
.243? Wouldn't think twice about using mine with regular 105 grain SP's for anything up to black bears. Too light for moose or elk though.
 
I'm certain that many guys look at the rather small-ish 95 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet and say, "That is too small for deer hunting". For some reason, many guys do not realize that the wound channel caused by this high speed bullet is much larger than the bullet diameter would suggest.

The bullet is .243 diameter as it zooms toward its destination. But once it strikes, the diameter of the wound channel is far larger. This is why we continue to kill even big 300 lb mulies with ease. FACT: No deer can remain on its feet very long after this deadly bullet tears through its chest.
Jack
 
Jack I guess I can't fault your logic as I agree that shot placement is the key to every clean kill but as we all know, sometimes :( people take shots that some might call questionable. You have to admit that a heavier caliber at longer ranges would be preferable. Yes?
 
Shot 24:
Actually, we own several hunting rifles. I use our .243 primarily for antelope but my eldest daughter and nephews have toppled many mulies with it as well. Even a really big muley is not armor-plated. His hide and ribs are no match for a good bullet. I feel that the .243 is an excellent deer cartridge that has become even more lethal with the advent of Premium bullets. Black Hills Ammo offers a box of super accurate 95 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip cartridges for about $20.00.

I have no quarrel with a mule deer hunter who chooses a heavier cartridge. My Dad always hunted with his 300 Savage.

My longest shot ever with our .243 rifle was about 340 yards or so. The buck was unaware and calm when my 80 grain Sierra Pro Hunter bullet slammed into his ribs. This antelope toppled over right there on the spot. The bullet broke a rib going in and tore a wide channel across the top of the heart. Both lungs were deflated and damaged. Bullet performance was noteworthy. I'm certain a 257 Weatherby magnum would not perform any better under these conditions. After all, dead-in-its-tracks is about as good as it gets.

Elk and red stag are different animals altogether. Most hunters would agree a heavier bullet is needed. My wife has done well with her custom 6.5mm Swede and 140 grain Nosler Partitions. I prefer .308 and 180's. My brother has had great success with his 30-06; his wife has killed many elk with her 7mm-08. Our Dad (deceased 2004) killed dozens of elk with his 300 Savage lever action rifle. Grandad (deceased 1973) hunted and killed even more elk with his Winchester 95 in 30-40 Krag. In summary, our family has put many Wyoming elk down with a variety of rifles and cartridges. Within our family, elk meat is cherished.

I'm of the opinion that our world has many great hunting cartridges. Within their limitations a person can be quite successfull in the field. It still comes down to placing a good bullet into the chest so that both lungs and (or) major blood carrying arteries are damaged.
Jack
 
Screw the Cartridge!

It is the shooter that makes the shot connect.

Guns and Ballistics can't make magic out of a bad shot.

Better to shot a brick of .22 a week than expect Magic from a Weatherby super Magnum.
 
...assuming it is used properly. It is not a 300yd deer gun.
Click to expand...


How about a very good shooter...

At 100 yards...

5 rounds of .243 in the "boileroom"...

In about a "pie-plate" group...

Last 4 of those rounds at a now running buck...

Buck travels at least 200 yards...

True Story

Woman shooter...

Several witnesses. ;)


Is that "used properly"??

If it ain't a 300 yard deer cartridge... Why use it? :D
 
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