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Hunting >> Hunting in the Americas

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Gundog01
.333 member

Reged: 16/05/15
Posts: 291
Loc: Ohio usa

.243 for deer?
#286759 - 22/08/16 09:42 PM

I'am thinking of picking up a .243 for my girlfriend for deer hunting and I see that Westley Richards USA has a really nice .243. I have no experience with a .243, I have never hunted with anything under in the .30 range. But, I am thinking more recoil and usability for her. What say you guys, what are your experiences with .243?

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NitroX
.700 member

Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39248
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: Gundog01]
#286762 - 22/08/16 10:23 PM

Had a look at the rifle. A very nice Westley Richards bolt action. It is fits or is fitted to a lady, should be very nice.

Haven't hunted with a .243 so can comment. Have used 6.5s though which isn't far off. But I wouldn't have a problem hunting medium game species with a .243 and a good 100 gr bullet with proper bullet placement.

I also have used my .222 to shoot a lot of feral goats, roos, deer etc. The .243 is far superior to the .22 centrefires.

If I wanted a rifle for a lady who didn't like recoil, I would consider a .243, 6.5x54mm, and 7x57 as the sort of cartridges suitable and still very effective.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Ripp
.577 member

Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: Gundog01]
#286764 - 22/08/16 11:08 PM

I have hunted on a ranch north of my home here in Montana for the past 27 years...The first 10 years I hunted there the owner of the ranch used a .243 exclusively, shooting factory 100gr bullets on elk . I personally saw several elk drop to the shot from that .243...It developed some mechanical issues at which time he purchased a .270.

For about a 3 year period, the .243 was all I used for coyotes,pronghorn and some deer.. my handloads consisted of Varget powder and Nosler ballistic tip bullets..running them around 3550 fps...that load never failed me...

I also used the .243 when I lived in N Dakota for deer sized game and smaller. Its a great caliber, IMHO. Think your choice of a .243 is an excellent one.

FYI, my wife has been using a 22.250 with 50gr. ballistic tips for the past 5 years on pronghorn..I have seen her hammer bucks anywhere from 224 yards to just over 500..all one shot kills.

I am not advocating the .243 is a great choice for elk. BUT , if it can drop elk, it certainly will drop deer. As with all, bullet placement is key. When hunting bigger game, the smaller you go in caliber the more critical it becomes.

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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Postman
.375 member

Reged: 25/09/13
Posts: 846
Loc: Canada

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: Ripp]
#286767 - 22/08/16 11:40 PM

The .243 is a wonderful cartridge in my humble estimation. I do feel that it is maybe a bit more of an expert's cartridge though, from the perspective that it is a very light caliber / light bullet and demands the utmost in shot placement and shot angle selection. The recoil will be light and that makes it excellent for the recoil shy or newer shooter. For pronghorn and the really light weight deer like the runty coues deer, it is lovely and has lots of power to do the job.

Am I correct in assuming that the WR rifle is the attraction and the caliber just happens to suit the desire for a low recoiling round?

For many years I would be very fussy over the caliber and would bypass wonderful rifles because they weren't specifically chambered in a cartridge that I thought was the "new revelation". I have long since learned that most calibers within a given caliber range are pretty much similar to each other with minor nits for differences. I think you would not go wrong with any of the short action cartridges in the .308 Winchester based family of cartridges. The 7mm-08 is one of my favourites in this group. Recoil is still light and bullets around 140 grains are well suited to all around use. You can even go heavier if you wish, as experience grows and recoil tolerance grows with it, but you then invite a bit more recoil. The long action cartridges burn more powder and generate more recoil along with it, i.e., 30-06 based cartridges such as the .25-06

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Iowa_303s
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Reged: 22/03/13
Posts: 1014
Loc: Iowa, USA

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: Postman]
#286768 - 23/08/16 12:22 AM

I have never used a .243 on deer.
A friend of mine swears by his. He uses the 100 grain Nosler partition bullet.

--------------------
Matt

formerly known as Iowa_303

"Once your reputation is ruined you can live your life quite freely."

"Enkelkinder über alles"

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Postman
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Reged: 25/09/13
Posts: 846
Loc: Canada

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: Iowa_303s]
#286769 - 23/08/16 12:47 AM

The partition would be the ideal projectile...... It offers the frangibility of the ballistic tip, paired with the deep penetration of the solid for those less than perfect raking shots!!

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szihn
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Reged: 24/06/07
Posts: 2112
Loc: Wind River Valley, Wyoming

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: Postman]
#286770 - 23/08/16 01:03 AM

The 243 was marketed as a deer/varmint cartridge. It is exactly that. The only down side to it is that some folks have used the varmint bullets for deer and had poor results. That is NOT the fault of the gun or the cartridge. it is a mistake on the part of the hunter.

If you use a big-game bullet in a 243 and avoid bullets made to break up you will never have a problem with a 243 as a deer gun. It does everything is supposed to do and it is a fine little game shell.

If I liked the gun I would buy it.

If you decide to pass on it, and are still looking I might council you to look also at the 6.5 Swede and the 260 Remington as alternatives. I like the 243 and I have no real criticisms, but these 2 26 calibers cover the same ground as well as the 24 calibers and also have the advantage of being able to handle heavier bullets should you ever want to use them.

Edited by szihn (23/08/16 10:42 PM)

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DarylS
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26514
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: szihn]
#286772 - 23/08/16 02:21 AM

I foolishly bought a .22-250 Remington Heavy-26-"Barrel-Monster for deer and wolves. It's too heavy for either for me to pack very far 12 pound with bipod. Fun to shoot, though. If I'm going to pack 12 pounds, it will be my .45 cal. Sharps.

I also bought a nice light .243 Vangard 24" bl. for deer and black bear.

It is quite accurate with the 100gr. BTSP Hornadys & was easy with the stadia wires to bet my zeros to 500meters - too 5 shots.

The .22-250 will stay home - the .243 might go with me deer hunting. My daughter's rifle for deer/moose/elk is a .260 Rem. with a Lawrence Barrel - exceptionally accurate and a great choice for ladies. She shoots it rather well indeed, and with the 160gr. Sierra SRN's.

--------------------
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Ripp
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Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: szihn]
#286773 - 23/08/16 02:42 AM

Quote:

The 243 was marketed as a deer/varmint cartridge. It is exactly that. The only down side to it is that some folks have used the varmint bullets for deer and had poor results. That is NOT the fault of the gun or the cartridge. it is a mistake on the part of the hunter.B

Exactly..if I remember correctly, that is why the .243 became so famous and the Remington 6mm went no where..

Winchester chambered their rifles in a 1-10 twist and 80-100 gr bullets marketing it as a deer/varmint cartridge vs Remington in a 1-12 barrel with 70-90 gr loads..Remington thinking of it more of a varmint caliber..with possible deer qualities..

Agree--great little cartridge and if there is an issue on deer its likely not the caliber but perhaps the bullet chosen to do the job..

Another idea is the .257 Roberts...but agree the 26's have a better BC..

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

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ducmarc
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Reged: 14/07/14
Posts: 1207
Loc: fla

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: Ripp]
#286799 - 23/08/16 11:25 AM

Had an old hunting friend that was deadly with a bar in 243.deer bear turkey didn't matter.i build a 6mm instead for a medium varmit.gew 98 receiver and a Shaw barrel.only for the exta 100 or 150fps.I do know 243 ammo is everywhere 6mm not so much.has she shot a 308 or an 06? My daughter shoots a Merkel all day in 06.

--------------------
'killed by death' Lemmy.. ' boil the dog ' Elvis Manywounds "my best friend is my magnum forty four" hank willams the third.

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ducmarc
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Reged: 14/07/14
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Loc: fla

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: ducmarc]
#286800 - 23/08/16 11:35 AM

That's built I think 6mms are a crossroads caliber you can go down on game size ground hogs or crows and go up to larger deer. But if she goes for black bears or moose should have something larger.still would be a great entry level gun and once she's used to it then get her something bigger.ive thought about ar 10 in 243.

--------------------
'killed by death' Lemmy.. ' boil the dog ' Elvis Manywounds "my best friend is my magnum forty four" hank willams the third.

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DarylS
.700 member

Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26514
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: ducmarc]
#286805 - 23/08/16 02:42 PM

With correct bullets, the .243 is fine for moose under good conditions.

A Barnes TSX or GMX Hornady in 80 to 100gr. will work perfectly on moose. Just hole both lungs and they'll give up damn pronto.

Moose are babies if both lungs have through and through holes.

Don't expect to recover any bullets from broadside shots - dead moose and 10 foot to 50 yard blood trail. Don't run after him - sit down and get your heart rate back to normal. He'll want to lie down in 50-60yards and that's it DRT.

--------------------
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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eagle27
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Reged: 24/01/09
Posts: 1124
Loc: Nelson, New Zealand

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: DarylS]
#286808 - 23/08/16 04:55 PM

Many years ago some hunting friends, 3 brothers, changed to the 243W from the 22-250s they had been using on chamois and red deer and stated the 243W was vastly superior to the 22cal cartridge. They did find however that the 87-95 grain bullet killed better than the 100gr. From memory I think they were using Sako 90 or 95gr bullets and it may just have been the bullet that gave better performance to whatever 100gr they had been using.
Another hunter I knew who spent years meat shooting in our Fiordland area, home of our Wapiti (elk in the USA) and big Wapiti/Red hybrids used a 243W. In later years as he took up guiding for chamois and tahr in our Alps he went over to the 30.06 which he said gave him greater surety of kills at longer ranges when he had to 'help' out the client get animals on the ground.

The 243W has been a very popular cartridge here in NZ but is now well over shadowed by the 7mm-08 and 6.5x55 both of which are among the most common cartridges seen on the range and in the field today.

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Ripp
.577 member

Reged: 19/02/07
Posts: 16072
Loc: Montana, USA

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: ducmarc]
#286824 - 23/08/16 11:36 PM

Quote:

That's built I think 6mms are a crossroads caliber you can go down on game size ground hogs or crows and go up to larger deer. But if she goes for black bears or moose should have something larger.still would be a great entry level gun and once she's used to it then get her something bigger.ive thought about ar 10 in 243.

Crazy story but true..on the ranch I bow/rifle hunt a lot on, was bow hunting and noticed one of the owners cows had died and fallen in the middle of a creek. When I hiked back to the ranch house I told the owner about it and that we should drive down there with a truck and use a long stretch of rope to pull her out of the creek. I threw my .243 in that was loaded with 70 Nosler ballistic tips...as I had seen a coyote floating around there that I am sure was eating on the dead cow..

As we approached the area in the truck sure enough I saw the coyote trotting up the creek bottom, I hopped out with rifle in hand attempting to take a shot at him. Just then the owner yelled bear..I looked over to the dead cow and a chocolate color black bear was leaving the cow and attempting to go up a very steep incline from the creek bottom.. I shot at the front shoulder/spin area as her back was exposed to me..on the 3rd shot she flipped over backwards and rolled down the slope to the creek bottom..I ran down to the bear and found it dead..Last shot had severed the spine just behind the front shoulder..other two had gone in beside it..when skinning the bear out and examining, the other two had penetrated enough to hammer the lungs...which really surprised me that a ballistic tip would penetrate that far on a bear ..the MV of that load is about 3550fps....

I took the hide/head to the local fish and game dept as is required by law in Montana..about 5 months later I got info on the bear..was a 22 year old female...the oldest bear they had examined for that season in the entire state...pretty interesting...

Ripp

--------------------
ALL MEN DIE, BUT FEW MEN TRULY LIVE..

Edited by Ripp (23/08/16 11:42 PM)

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DarylS
.700 member

Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26514
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...

Re: .243 for deer? [Re: Ripp]
#286832 - 24/08/16 02:23 AM

Couple guys here swear that the 55gr. Speer Sp. from a .22-250 is the best for black bear.

One co/worker friend shot a good sized black bear with his .22-250, centre-high chest as it faced him, about 100yards away. The bear was standing up on it's hind legs behind a big dead fall tree. This was late fall - mid October and freezing hard at night, but no snow yet, IIRC. He held on the white patch - just in the last couple minutes of light - bang! - bear just disappeared. It was too dark to look him up, so he went back the next morning at day break with another co/worker friend. The bear had just fallen over backwards - DRT - the bullet had centered the white patch and went right through the spine, remains of the bullet were under the hide. Bullet? - 55gr. Speer SP.

--------------------
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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