So whats wrong with the .243 on Deer?

[sbhooper]

I got rid of my .243, but I do have a 6mm and it has been a great shooter. It has killed over 100 white-tailed deer and some antelope with no issues. I load Hornady 100-grain Interlocks right at 3000 fps. It has killed deer from close to out past 300 yards. Doing summer depredation work, I found that I much preferred the head, neck and high shoulder shots over lung shots because blood trailing in tangled swamps during mosquito season is no fun!

Every gun/bullet can lead to a lost animal if things don't go right, but usually, a good hit with a 6mm bullet is a dead animal.

 

[Bigeclipse]

I got rid of my .243, but I do have a 6mm and it has been a great shooter. It has killed over 100 white-tailed deer and some antelope with no issues. I load Hornady 100-grain Interlocks right at 3000 fps. It has killed deer from close to out past 300 yards. Doing summer depredation work, I found that I much preferred the head, neck and high shoulder shots over lung shots because blood trailing in tangled swamps during mosquito season is no fun!

Every gun/bullet can lead to a lost animal if things don't go right, but usually, a good hit with a 6mm bullet is a dead animal.

I agree with this statement. However, to me...overkill is always better unless you are a meat saving hog i.e. dont want to destroy the front shoulders. My fiance uses a 243 and has killed deer no problem. I just think, if you can shoot a heavier caliber without flinching and shoot it well, you might as well go with a bigger caliber. If that buck of a lifetime is right behind a small amount of leafy branches and it is the only shot you have before he dissappears, I would rather have a 165+ grain bullet shooting through it. I know some guys on here will say...in that situation dont take the shot but if the deer is very close to the brush you are shooting through then a HEAVY bullet traveling fast enough will easily make it through and stay on target. It is when you shoot through thick stuff and the deer isnt close enough i.e. a few feet away that the bullets get off target and can wound or miss the deer. Needless to say, my fiance wants a 308, 270, or 3006 as her next rifle.

 

[Greg Duerr]

What about a .260 or 7mm-08

The 130gr out of the 260 looks better than the 105 for the shot you talked about. The 140 or 150 looks even better out of a 7mm-08

If I needed more gun than my .243AI and the 105 Berger I would take a long look at the 6.5-06AI and the Berger 140 The great thing about the lighter recoiling rifles is that you can have it built lighter and don't need a muzzle break.

A 140 berger has a BC of .612 in a .308 you have to go up to a 210gr to get better than that. In the .284 you need to go up to the 168 gr....................

A well placed 140 on a Deer even if there is limbs in the way.....................

G

 

[JackinSD]

I agree with this statement. However, to me...overkill is always better unless you are a meat saving hog i.e. dont want to destroy the front shoulders. My fiance uses a 243 and has killed deer no problem. I just think, if you can shoot a heavier caliber without flinching and shoot it well, you might as well go with a bigger caliber. If that buck of a lifetime is right behind a small amount of leafy branches and it is the only shot you have before he dissappears, I would rather have a 165+ grain bullet shooting through it. I know some guys on here will say...in that situation dont take the shot but if the deer is very close to the brush you are shooting through then a HEAVY bullet traveling fast enough will easily make it through and stay on target. It is when you shoot through thick stuff and the deer isnt close enough i.e. a few feet away that the bullets get off target and can wound or miss the deer. Needless to say, my fiance wants a 308, 270, or 3006 as her next rifle.

You may want to check your information on a HEAVY bullet traveling fast enough it will easily make it through and stay on target. That has been debunked a few times. It is all related to the distance the animal is from the brush.

Nobody is denying that a larger caliber will also kill deer. Just not needed for those that can shoot a 6mm accurately and with a little common sense.

 

[sbhooper]

I posted that I have used my 6mm with great success and they are effective, BUT I still prefer my 7 mag or .308 for most hunting. I think that the 6 mms are great for antelope and deer in open country, but I still prefer the larger calibers. I would not even consider a .243/6mm for elk unless that was the only rifle that I had or could borrow.

There is no such thing as overkill, unless you just cannot handle the recoil of a big rifle.

 

[Bigeclipse]

You may want to check your information on a HEAVY bullet traveling fast enough it will easily make it through and stay on target. That has been debunked a few times. It is all related to the distance the animal is from the brush.

Nobody is denying that a larger caliber will also kill deer. Just not needed for those that can shoot a 6mm accurately and with a little common sense.

thats why I stated the distance of the aniomal from the brush as well...

 

[JackinSD]

thats why I stated the distance of the aniomal from the brush as well...

I guess I should have added that it has almost nothing to do with caliber.

 

[Bigeclipse]

I guess I should have added that it has almost nothing to do with caliber.

actually they proved it does...simple physics...higher momentum harder to slow it down and change direction. momentu m equals MASS times velocity. the heavier something is and if it is traveling equal speed of something lighter then the more chance it will stay on course. also...when a larger bullet hits a small branch...it will fragment into much larger pieces than a smaller bullet and those pieces will retain a faster straighter trajectory than a lighter bullet so yes...larger bullets are better in the brush but it has to be significantly larger lik 80 grains vs 180 grains

 

[Brewer]

actually they proved it does...simple physics...higher momentum harder to slow it down and change direction. momentu m equals MASS times velocity. the heavier something is and if it is traveling equal speed of something lighter then the more chance it will stay on course. also...when a larger bullet hits a small branch...it will fragment into much larger pieces than a smaller bullet and those pieces will retain a faster straighter trajectory than a lighter bullet so yes...larger bullets are better in the brush but it has to be significantly larger lik 80 grains vs 180 grains

I am going to get myself in trouble here but... lets start another thread/poll to see what everybody thinks about the virtue of big bullets vs. small bullets when shooting through light/ moderate brush. maybe we could get a few physics professor to weigh in!!!

 

[JackinSD]

I am going to get myself in trouble here but... lets start another thread/poll to see what everybody thinks about the virtue of big bullets vs. small bullets when shooting through light/ moderate brush. maybe we could get a few physics professor to weigh in!!!

I agree. Provide links to information, not opinion based. Or what somebody thinks physics proves. It's been hashed on every shooting and hunting forum out there for years, with little proof either way.

 

[MagTen]

Monday morning out at the Range I was doing my final work up for my Deer Hunting load in my .243 AI. I will be shooting the Sierra Pro Hunter 44.2gr of H4350, I will crono them this week. Several guys I was talking to asked me what I was going to be hunting with for Mule Deer this fall in Nevada, when I told them they both said, "Big Mistake the .243 is not a Deer Cartridge we have seen way to many deer lost to the .243". So, thats five guys so far that have said the same thing. Yet I would bet that just as many Deer are lost each year to .270's and 30-06's as to the .243 All the years I have hunted with the .243 I have yet to loose one. Several years I hunted with a guy that used a 22-250 shooting 53 gr Barnes bullets he took his shots carefully and was a great shot and he never lost a Mule Deer...........
Lots of thoughts out there ......Trouble with saying that even though the deer was well hit we never found it ...........is that you cant prove it was well hit.

G

Here is a large NC old whitetail I shot today with Hornady Superformance 80gr. gmx 243 at 182 yards. Shot thru and thru. Walked fast for 50 yards and dead.

 

[sbhooper]

Man, you did that deer a favor! Poor old guy was dying of old age!LOL. Cool buck.

Tests have proven that big bullets, small bullets, whatever bullets, do NOT work well in brush. A small twig will throw any of them off. The "brush gun" theory is pure BS. A brush gun is a short, fast-handling gun that allows you to rapidly get on target. Caliber is not a big deal in the big picture.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Man, you did that deer a favor! Poor old guy was dying of old age!LOL. Cool buck.

Tests have proven that big bullets, small bullets, whatever bullets, do NOT work well in brush. A small twig will throw any of them off. The "brush gun" theory is pure BS. A brush gun is a short, fast-handling gun that allows you to rapidly get on target. Caliber is not a big deal in the big picture.

Ditto that entire post!!!

 

[joseph]

Man, you did that deer a favor! Poor old guy was dying of old age!LOL. Cool buck.

Tests have proven that big bullets, small bullets, whatever bullets, do NOT work well in brush. A small twig will throw any of them off. The "brush gun" theory is pure BS. A brush gun is a short, fast-handling gun that allows you to rapidly get on target. Caliber is not a big deal in the big picture.

I agree with this completely. I have seen it happen quite a few times with a 30-06 using 180 grain bullets where they deflected a lot when hitting small branches. My .243 shooting .85 gr Sierra HPBT Game Kings would explode when hitting small branches. My advise with light or heavy bullets try not to hit ANYTHING before the bullet gets to your deer etc.

joseph