Is the 243 the best whitetail deer cartridge?

[SSgt G Cody]

I've taken many deer with the 243 over that last 30 years! I've mostly used the 100gn CoreLokt and 43.7gn H414 and Win LRM primers. It groups inside 1 inch at 300 yds! Every deer was a 1-shot-kill, at 40-400 yds! For whitetail, pronghorn, and black bear, the 243 with heavier bullets has proven to be near-perfect for me and many others!

 

[Lenny Foffa]

Yes, Another excellent deer cartridge. Light recoil often results in more precise shot placement. Moderate range shooting at medium sized game in the hands of a real shooter means dead bucks. Good for you buddy !!!

 

[jrkotz]

I've heard that there 25.06 is very loud is that true? Or a might a lighter round like 80 gr. or 90 gr. turn down the noise?

I find 25-06 unusually loud

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

Lefty you're close. The 6.5CM did not mutate from the .243 (.308) case but from the 30 TC.
But IMO any cartridge from
The 308 case, except the 308 itself is an excellent deer cartridge. I personally despise the 308 for everything except shooting paper. I'll take a 243, 260 or 7-08 any day over the 308

 

[Idaho Lefty]

@ Clem,..
I'm aware that, the 6.5 Creed comes from, the Parent case of .30 TC ( I was making a Joke about, how it was Formed off, the .260 Rem. ).
The only thing that, I care about, is that, the 6.5 uses, the SAME, Bolt Face, action size and Shell Holder ( And comes in,.. a Lefty, T-3, TIKKA ! )
I usually, choose my Cartridges by, HOW they,.. PERFORM / "Kill", in the Field, Velocity, Bullet B.C. and Brass Case Mfg. "options" ( availability ).
The 6.5 Creed, "Kisses, the Butt end" of, the FINE, 270 Win with, some loads and Kills, Deer / Antelope,.. very, VERY, WELL ( a YouTube,.. FACT ! ).
YUP,.. IT Kills Better and FURTHER OUT than, the .243 Win. "can" ! IT'S,. the Physic's of, High BC Bullets, SD, plus,.. ADEQUATE, Velocity !
I chose the 6.5 Creed, because it,.. IS, "Better" than, the .243 Win. and very "close" to the .260 Rem. for, the size of Game/ distances that, I want to shoot.
I HAVE, other Rifles for,.. Elk / Moose. I like the 7mm-08 too and that's what, my son shoots for, Elk ( 168 gr. HVLD Berger's going, 2,765 FPS )

 

[Will83]

Ok guys, great responses and stories. Thanks for all the good stuff. I did a quick count, counting multiple votes by the same person as full votes, i.e. if you said 243, 6.5 Creedmoor and 30-06 are all great, I gave all three a vote. I also tried to eliminate the same person voting twice for the same cartridge:

243: 25 votes
6.5 Creedmoor: 13
25-06: 13
260 Rem: 9
270 Win: 7
30-06: 6
7mm-08: 5
30-30: 4
6 mm Rem: 4
257 Roberts: 4
Also there were a number who said essentially no such thing as best, stupid question, or the 243 is like Nickelback: 8 votes. I got a kick out of those, especially the Nickelback and the creedmoor man bun, blue eyes/chaps, etc. Haha all good fun.

Plus there were a few side conversations which always entertain and add variety but did not count in the votes.

Lots of honorable mentions (1-3 votes):
222 Rem, 6.5x284, 6.5 PRC, 250 Savage, 257 Weatherby, 308, 7mm Rem mag, 6mm Weatherby, 6.5-06, 338 Federal, 32 Win Special, 300 Win Mag, 280 Rem AI and 375 H&H.

No offense intended if I missed your vote and left it off the list.

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

@ Clem,..
I'm aware that, the 6.5 Creed comes from, the Parent case of .30 TC ( I was making a Joke about, how it was Formed off, the .260 Rem. ).
The only thing that, I care about, is that, the 6.5 uses, the SAME, Bolt Face, action size and Shell Holder ( And comes in,.. a Lefty, T-3, TIKKA ! )
I usually, choose my Cartridges by, HOW they,.. PERFORM / "Kill", in the Field, Velocity, Bullet B.C. and Brass Case Mfg. "options" ( availability ).
The 6.5 Creed, "Kisses, the Butt end" of, the FINE, 270 Win with, some loads and Kills, Deer / Antelope,.. very, VERY, WELL ( a YouTube,.. FACT ! ).
YUP,.. IT Kills Better and FURTHER OUT than, the .243 Win. "can" ! IT'S,. the Physic's of, High BC Bullets, SD, plus,.. ADEQUATE, Velocity !
I chose the 6.5 Creed, because it,.. IS, "Better" than, the .243 Win. and very "close" to the .260 Rem. for, the size of Game/ distances that, I want to shoot.
I HAVE, other Rifles for,.. Elk / Moose. I like the 7mm-08 too and that's what, my son shoots for, Elk ( 168 gr. HVLD Berger's going, 2,765 FPS )

I got a Bergara HMR in 6.5CM because it was available LH. Haven't shot anything but paper but man it does that very well. I didn't get my buck during archery season in PA (first time in 7 or 8 years) so I just may take it out an see what it can do.

 

[sierracharlie338]

... except the 308.... I personally despise the 308 for everything except shooting paper.

Why exactly is that?

 

[Calvin45]

Why exactly is that?

Probably too predictably effective. That's boring!

 

[sierracharlie338]

Probably too predictably effective. That's boring!

Im thoroughly confused by his comment. I would really like to know his perspective on this. Ive killed ALOT of deer with a 308 and it worked EVERY time. Maybe I was doing something wrong?....

 

[mrkrinkle]

IMO a 243 is one of the finest cartridges ever created. I can load 87s to 100s in it for deer size game, or I can load 55 or 58's in it to make Varmints live hard. And with the right twist, the bigger 115's can be ran for even larger game. There is a video from Greybull Precision where a cow Elk is dropped in her tracks at something like 680 with a 115 VLD. I'm never without a 243 in my collection!!!!!

 

[Stgraves260]

I have taken deer out to 700 yards with my girlfriends 243 I built for her. I load 105 grain Berger's using H4831SC.

 

[257WTBY]

Of the oldies but goodies: 25-06. Or, for added fun factor: 257 Weatherby.

*My context is recommendations of maximum point-blank range rifles where I'm not planning in dialing or doing long range hunting or target shooting. Just 25 yards to 400/500-ish yard shots with hold overs. 257 Weatherby was my first "long range" rifle. So simple and easy. No dialing, no massive scope. Zero at 300 yards and know your drops at 400 and 500 yards. Hold a few inches high or top of back....

I love my 257 WTBY's kill like a lightening bolt struck them. Dont think I am bashing .243 cause ive used them kids used them. Where I live now I choose the 257 i think its better suited. Im from WVa originally and back there my family swears by 243 I did to till I got to constant longer shots out here and I wanted a little more bullet size. My little tikka 25-06 accounted for 2 elk this fall both kids shot one. Wife missed a whopper of a mulie with it, I might have been rushing her as the buck was leaving following the does. I rebarreled a Model 7 that was originally a 243 with another C/F 20in barrel I figured one day the grand kids could use it.

I wouldnt say "the best" Id say .243 is "one of the best"

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

Why exactly is that?

Probably too predictably effective. That's boring!

No from predictably ineffective.
From 4 different hunting experiences. I've been at it for over 55 years and I gave the .308 the nod several times and on 4 occasions it did not impress me. Three times on deer using 150 gr Hornady Interlock bullets I had them run off. recovered, yes but after a tracking job. Deer hit with the 270, 243 and 7-08 in the same spot were either DRT or within a few feet. Out of the dozens shot with the .243 only one didn't drop where it stood and that was due to a faulty bullet that disintegrated on impact. Second bullet broke both shoulder as it was running off and he did a face plant in the dirt. None shot with the 270 or 7-08 moved after being hit. The 4th instance was with a big black bear that I had jumped and 1st shot hit too far back. He turned and was running straight toward me (I believe he didn't know where the shot came from) at 40 yards and I hit him twice in the center of the chest. At 15 yards he realized where the shots were coming from and as he turned I put one right behind the shoulder and he dove into the laurel.(it rained the night before and I could see where every shot hit him because the water splashed off his coat). I heard shots about 2 mins later in the direction he was headed and I followed the blood trail up to two hunters who had killed him. That bear traveled 250 yards with three 180 gr bullets in his boiler room that should have stopped him in less than 50 yards.
So yeah I have a sour taste in my mouth for the .308 Win on game.
Maybe in today's world with a bullet like a Barnes TSX or Berger VLD things would have been different but this was back 25+ years ago. I never took a .308 hunting again.