243 Performance in the field

[SuperJ1975]

I've noticed that pretty often people have questions about the 243 and its performance on deer. I have used a Remington 700 BDL in 243 almost every season since 1991. I always use Remington PSP 100 grain. I have noticed the following:

Neck shots: The deer drops in its tracks, sometimes requires one it finish it off. I only take neck shots if the deer is close and the vital area isn't clear. I know a lot of hunters prefer neck shots; the 243 does the job.

Lungs: Doesn't drop them normally, but I always find a good blood trail and a dead deer at the end of it. Never had a deer go more than 40 or 50 yards with a lung shot.

Heart: Drops them more often than the lung shot, but not like a neck shot. If they do muster up enough energy to run, they only make it about 10 or 15 yards.

Liver: Another good blood trail with a dead deer at the end. Last year I shot two deer through the liver. For whatever reason I had just aimed a little to far back. I was on foot, started tracking immediately, found a blood trail and a dead deer within 20 yards both times.

Gut shots: Now you have problems. I can recall 2 deer over the years that were gut shot with my 243. Never found either one. If you are gonna wing a deer, having a 300 Win Mag, or a 444 is the way to go. But I think the 243 is more accurate and shootable.

Hinds: If you are having a really off day and put one here your only hope is that you find the deer sitting somewhere near by waiting for you to put it out of its misery.

Between the eyes: I came across a wounded deer one year during doe season and decided to take it since it would have died anyway. Figured it was the right thing to do at the time. The deer was sitting in some cat tails about 15 feet away from me and my dad. My dad recommended I "put one between the eyes". Long story short, bad idea, unless you practice 15 foot shots and your target is a quarter. Between the eyes shots burn a lot of ammo and are traumatic everyone involved. If one of you guys ever find me wounded in the woods, just take me to a hospital.

The vast majority of the deer I took with my 243 were quick, clean kills. Bottom line is if you hit them where you are supposed to you will find a dead deer. If you hit them anywhere else, with any cartridge, you will find it hard to recover that deer. Hope this helps.

[ridgerunner1965]

i started serious deer hunting 20 sum years ago with a 243 and never ever had a problem with it or how it performed on deer.mine was a model 7 rem and was absolutely the handiest rifle iver ever hunted with. i killed prob 25 deer with it over the years and countless coyotes.i always used 100 grn bullets as ive heard bad things about the smaller ones.a few years ago i switched to a 06 and then to a 6.5x55, both good killers but just dont seem in my opinion to flatten them like my old 243 did.now im hunting in mo and our deer are not the biggest in the country. i would admit if i went after big muleys,corn fed northren bucks or them big pigs they call deer up in canadian corn country, i would think about a bigger gun throwing at least a 140 grn bullet just for insurance.

[warlocke]

i used a savage 243 with Winchester super x loads this year. dropped a doe with a backbone shot at 20-25yards full run. and a buck at around 110 yards with a shoulder/heart shot, the doe dropped right then. the buck ran about 10 yards.

i am really satisfied with this rifle.

[osprey572]

I had hunted for years with a .243 and never had many issues with it. Then recently I started using it again and was beginning to chase deer. I don't think I had lost any skills in the past 20 years of hunting so it leads me to beleive that if your shot placements are not optimal, you have a chance of losing a deer or at least chasing one down or tracking it. I don't get as much excitment out of tracking deer as I used to and I am older now so I like the animal to drop where I shoot it. I shoot a 300 RUM with level 2 ammunition (comparable to a 300wm) and i hunt in Northern Minnesota where the deer are a little larger than say in some of the southern states where a smaller caliber may do fine at times.

[ironhead]

I have well documented you dissatisfaction on the knockdown of a 243. One of the finest deer killing rifles i have ever owned is a Ruger M77 firing 250 Savage. That rifle, when you hit 'em,,,,they drop immediatly there is no mistaking hits and misses. I really wish i still had that one.

[bruceba]

I've shot a 6mm, about as close to a 243 as you'll get, for over 20 years.
I started all my kids shooting this caliber and we've only had to shoot a second finishing shot a couple times. Placement is everything and it's a great way for younger kids to start their shooting with. Now that their bigger they've grown into 270's and 7mm's. Here's a clip of one of my boys at 12 shooting his first.

Link deleted by moderator

[bruceba]

My apologies on the link. I was unaware of this being a no no .

[Bowhunters]

No problem bud!

[SuperJ1975]

Why do they even allow links to be posted if they just delete them every time?

[bruceba]

Why do they even allow links to be posted if they just delete them every time?

I was unaware that the site that I uploaded my video to had changed criteria to include registering in order to watch the video. No problems here and I will attempt to load somewhere else so I can repost.

[KwackWacker]

Why do they even allow links to be posted if they just delete them every time?

Some links are allowed. The difference is that if a link takes you to another site that has advertisements or to another forum. If it is alink to either one of those it gets removed.

[osprey572]

Shot placement is definitely a major factor, unfortunately hunting puts us in positions and circumstances that are less that optimum, therefor I b/l a 6mm and .243 is a less than optimum choice for deer in the North and Midwest. I love my 6mm and loved the .243, i just don't think its a good choice for deer.

[Bowhunters]

Shot placement is definitely a major factor, unfortunately hunting puts us in positions and circumstances that are less that optimum, therefor I b/l a 6mm and .243 is a less than optimum choice for deer in the North and Midwest. I love my 6mm and loved the .243, i just don't think its a good choice for deer.

I've never owned a 243 but I have a friend who has whitetail hunted with his for many years and has no problem putting his share on the ground with it each winter.

The 243 has plenty of killing energy for whitetail at reasonable ranges, what could be an issue is using light weight cheaply made ammo instead of buying quality ammo and shooting at too long a range because the 243 does drop down in killing energy at extended ranges, especially in the lightest weight bullets for that caliber.

I don't know if you've tried them but I would suggest trying a Nosler Partition or Trophy Bonded ammo with the 243 on deer and see how things go, they are designed to hold together in one piece and drive through the animals body even when hitting bone and when you do get a good hit and the bullet goes through the chest it can totaly shred the the heart / lungs.

Matching good Bullet design for the animal you hunt can be nearly just as important as the size caliber itself.

[SuperJ1975]

The Remington 100 grain core lok is the best 243 bullet out there, and the most accurate factory load.

[Bowhunters]

The Remington 100 grain core lok is the best 243 bullet out there, and the most accurate factory load.

Yeah those are great also, (Core lokt, Trophy Bonded, Nosler Partition) are all hi quality hunting bullets designed to stay in one piece even when driving through bone and transfer the maximum killing energy, those three are probably the best known types.

[bruceba]

Ok here's another try at a link to show knock down capabilities of the lighter calibers with shot placement. I have taken the time to have my kids shooting competently at the range long before their first hunts. I also have been blessed to be able to hunt in area's where you have plenty of time to take a shot. The nice thing about kids and lighter calibers is that they will hang in for the shot without flinching which builds confidence in their shooting.
http://good-times.webshots.com/video/30 ... 2653KVXRhS

[warlocke]

The Remington 100 grain core lok is the best 243 bullet out there, and the most accurate factory load.

i beg to differ, first year i used those i hit nothing, fired 6 shots and didnt graze one at all.

bought a box of winchester super x, and took both to the range, set up at 100yds, loaded up 5 remington core lokts and only one was on the paper, and it was on the far right.

loaded 5 winchesters and all 5 were within an inch of the bullseye.

then last november i used the super x, i dropped 2 deer where they stood pretty much.