Is the 243 the best whitetail deer cartridge?

[GAHunterJim]

Yes sir that's a stud for sure congratulations

Thanks, my KS season last year lasted a total of 45 minutes, got lucky opening day on family land, first time I hunted there.

 

[Chas1]

It's not that the 243 can't do the job, it can. What if you run into something that intends to eat you? I hope you carry a hand cannon for backup.

Good point, don't want to face a bear etc with a 243 although an excellent deer cartridge.

 

[highfinblue]

I would say for the most part that depends on where you are hunting them. Here in Oklahoma it is a fine little round, especially for younger shooters with shots under 100 yards the 243 is devastating on whitetail. In my experience this little round expends all its energy on the animal, and I can only think of one, and I cannot count how many I have killed with mine, that died out of sight. A 170+ pounds Kansas buck that grossed over 165" didn't make it 20 yards with one shot at over 200 yards with a Sierra 85 grain bthp GameKing, traveling just north of 3100 fps at the muzzle. This combo has literally taken dozens of whitetail for me, never lost a single animal, never tracked one more than fifty yards. I'm always sitting when I hunt, always have a good rest, and take good shots, the biggest deer here can't take it, but now I shoot a 28 Nosler at everything except coyotes, bobcats, squirrels and quail lol.

 

[VinceMule]

Highfinblue, you should try the Speer 85g btsp, it is a deer bullet! I don't know if or when we will ever see the sierra 85g bthp again, if ever.

In a 24" barrel, I am shooting R#26 with CCI 250 with the 100g Hornady btsp at 3170 fps, amazing accuracy with that speed in a barrel with some wear on it. A friend with a 26" barrel is getting 3200+ with the Hornady 100g btsp with R#26, and cci 250 seems to be the primer to use for the smallest groups in this case.

 

[highfinblue]

Highfinblue, you should try the Speer 85g btsp, it is a deer bullet! I don't know if or when we will ever see the sierra 85g bthp again, if ever.

In a 24" barrel, I am shooting R#26 with CCI 250 with the 100g Hornady btsp at 3170 fps, amazing accuracy with that speed in a barrel with some wear on it. A friend with a 26" barrel is getting 3200+ with the Hornady 100g btsp with R#26, and cci 250 seems to be the primer to use for the smallest groups in this case.

I have like 800 plus of the Sierras and I haven't hunted with my 243 since I had shoulder surgery like five years ago; it was the only rifle I could talk the doctor into allowing me to hunt with. I load them with 38 grains of IMR 4064, and Federal 210M primers and they are super accurate. Some of my closest friends use the same load and I even load for a few of them and it shoots great out of their rifles too, and super deadly on the deer. Appreciate the suggestion, if I ever run out of bullets and can't find them, I will try and remember these. My rifle will not stabilize anything bigger than 85, I've tried 90's, 100's, and it will not shoot them. I bought the gun used years ago it's a Remington 700 with a 26" heavy barrel and a synthetic stock. I can't think of the stock maker off the top of my head, but with those Sierra bullets it is a tack driver. I killed several deer at 300 and slightly farther, and a coyote at 440 yards. I just have a Leupold 4-14x40 with a Boone and Crockett reticle, maybe a VX-III, I'm not sure about that, but it's handy. I do love Speer bullets, have shot them in several rifles with no issues whatsoever.

 

[VinceMule]

38g of IMR 4064 with 210's seems to be a universal load for the 243, I shot a lot of coyotes and p. dogs with that load.

R#19 with fed 215 will get another 200+ fps if you feel the need for speed with the 85's, 3300+ fps. I shot a doe from end to end with the 85g TSX with the R#19 load as she faced me stomping a front leg around 50 yards.

The friend that turned me onto the 85g Speer btsp was from OK, and told me his entire family shot them, I found out that the 85g Speer btsp was a tougher bullet to use on coyotes. The bc on the speer is good!

 

[highfinblue]

38g of IMR 4064 with 210's seems to be a universal load for the 243, I shot a lot of coyotes and p. dogs with that load.

R#19 with fed 215 will get another 200+ fps if you feel the need for speed with the 85's, 3300+ fps. I shot a doe from end to end with the 85g TSX with the R#19 load as she faced me stomping a front leg around 50 yards.

The friend that turned me onto the 85g Speer btsp was from OK, and told me his entire family shot them, I found out that the 85g Speer btsp was a tougher bullet to use on coyotes. The bc on the speer is good!

I have stockpiled a supply of the Sierra bullets and 4064 before things went totally stupid this last time. I started noticing things going south when people were talking about Y2K, so I just bought things as I found them available. My wife thought I was crazy, and that's debatable, but it's nice to go to my cabinet and grab components and reload what I want when I want. I may have been stupid, but at least I was prepared lol. I heard an even better statement from a wife yesterday when my wife and I visited her in the hospital, she said something like, my husband drives me up the wall, but I'm never alone.

 

[Lee Goodwin]

It may not be the best or deadliest, but, it may be the funnest medium size deer cartridge.?

 

[highfinblue]

38g of IMR 4064 with 210's seems to be a universal load for the 243, I shot a lot of coyotes and p. dogs with that load.

R#19 with fed 215 will get another 200+ fps if you feel the need for speed with the 85's, 3300+ fps. I shot a doe from end to end with the 85g TSX with the R#19 load as she faced me stomping a front leg around 50 yards.

The friend that turned me onto the 85g Speer btsp was from OK, and told me his entire family shot them, I found out that the 85g Speer btsp was a tougher bullet to use on coyotes. The bc on the speer is good!

My 243 with the Leupold scope is money out to 450, not really comfortable with deer at that range, but I can shoot my 28 to 450 without adjusting turrets. Kentucky windage and elevation is fairly easy with those 195's at 3050fps. Zero at 250 just aim a little high at 450. Lots of guys in the know zero at 100, but if the wind is nice 1000 is not unreasonable with my rifle, killed everything I've shot at out to a tad over 900.

 

[VLD Pilot]

A little background, my father in law debated me one time, 243 is the best deer cartridge. I said, naw, it's the 30-06. He said no way, the 243 kills them just as dead, sweetest shooting cartridge with no recoil, and very flat and fast.

Shortly after that, I 'd gotten on a lease and bought a 243 as a back up to my trusty 30-06 and for my father in law to use when I took him as my guest. Well guess what? I've come to believe he's right. I've shot deer with calibers up to 375H&H and pistol calibers 45 ACP and 41 magnum and nothing kills deer as quickly as that 243.

Since then I bought a small frame 243 Tikka T3 for my kids to use as their first deer rifle. That gun is a tack driver and kills deer dead right there. It's light, smooth action, relatively inexpensive, sized right for kids and comes with shims to grow with them. My buddy took his youngest of three sons out to hunt his first deer this weekend. Borrowed that 243. One shot, DRT! Loved the gun.

Just more proof in my mind that my father in law was right. The 243 is the best deer cartridge. I don't know what it is, speed? sweet-spot diameter of bullet? Just the right amount of energy? Love to hear others' thoughts and reactions, both pro and con!

It is if it's the only one you got!

 

[DarryH]

Long ago I had a few rifles in .243 and 6mm Remington. Since I was mostly shooting fox for the fur, I generally only used them on the windier Iowa days when the .17 Rem and the .22 centerfires were drifting too much. Coyotes I was not quite as fussy!! Sold them all for various reasons. Anyway, just bought another .243 a year or two ago. I probably wouldn't have, but found a very early made Savage 110. It was actually made the year before the introduction of the .243 into the line, made for the official release date. Have not found time to mount a scope or play with it yet. Been sick and down a lot the last year+. Should be fun.

 

[emp1953]

I'm not agreeing that it's the best.... but it definitely gets the job done.

 

[highfinblue]

OK I'm gonna settle this once and for all; there is no best whitetail cartridge period. Anything made to kill big game or medium game is best in some remote far away circumstance, but nothing works for everything the best unless we're talking about nuclear weapons. They are definitely the best for killing things, all things, everything.

 

[Ol' Red]

OK I'm gonna settle this once and for all; there is no best whitetail cartridge period. Anything made to kill big game or medium game is best in some remote far away circumstance, but nothing works for everything the best unless we're talking about nuclear weapons. They are definitely the best for killing things, all things, everything.

Nuclear weapons are not the best either. I prefer my venison grilled, braised or in BBQ. Nukes overcook everything.