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.