Definently not!!

My grandfather gave me my first centerfire rifle. It was (is) a .243

This is a rifle that can be used for varmits (groundhogs and coyotes) or for our smallish eastern Whitetail deer. The recoil is virtually a non-issue, which is good for recoil sensitive shooters.

I have heard of some hard core prarie dog shooters out west that prefer the 6mm guns for windy conditions over the .20 and .22 calibers.

To me, the .243 is a great jack of many trades, master of none. It works fine for deer, although you must be pickier with your shot selection than with a 7mm-08. You can also buy off the shelf varmit ammo, which is harder to find for anything bigger.

You can push over 3900 fps with a 55 grain bullet with handloads. Or you can shoot 90 grain Nosler Partitions or 110 grain something or others. Its also frequently used out West on the pronghorn antelope, as it shoots decently flat in the open country and gives more punch than the .22s

With all that said, if I could only have one rifle I'd rather have a .308 than a .243, but if I shot more varmints than deer, or if I was concerned about recoil, the .243 would get a serious look.