Survey Of Actual 243 Win Hunters

[Coyote Hunter]

Never had a .243 Win and may never, although I've shot a couple.  Makes a pretty good deer cartridge but I live in elk country and usually hunt both at the same time.

Over the years I have seen more game wounded, mostly elk, with a .243 Win than most and probably all other cartridges combined.  Hence my opinion that when it comes to elk .243's are for experts and idiots.  I am particularly disenchanted with the round when well-meaning parents give it to kids for elk hunts, as happens far too often.

[243dave]

I wish this 243 topic would quit coming up, I shouldn't read it but I'm a 243 fan. Its a fine round for deer given the right bullet. Is it a fine elk round, I wouldn't use it, much better rounds available. Now if I was in the deep forest NC and elk season was in I'd be eat'n the biggest backstraps of my life.    Dave

[federali]

I've taken a bunch of deer with a .243 using handloaded 100 grain Sierra boattail spitzers. My rifle was a Sako Forester with 23 inch barrel and a Ruger Mannlicher with 18.5" barrel. While filling a doe tag, I had one occasion where the bullet passed through the neck/shoulder area of one doe and struck a second doe in the neck, killing both: one on the spot and the other after running 25 yards or so.

[Dennyboy17]

One member of our hunting group uses a .243.  We hunt Michigan farm country.  The deer vary in size from 160 to 250 pounds before field dressing.  The person who uses the .243, at last check, has five kills with five pulls of the trigger.  Some bucks, some does.  The day I was hunting near her she dropped a six point buck on the run at 175 yards.  None of the deer have run very far.  I believe she uses Remington factory loads. 

Based on her experience, I purchased an H&R Ultra varmit in .243 and hope to get a swing at a deer with it soon. 

[yooper77]

Wow, shooting a running deer at 175 yards and she hit it where she was aiming?

I always pass on running deer, too much chance for error.

I usually whistle and the deer stops for a few seconds, enough time to shoot.

yooper77

[rickt300]

I like my 6MM, accurate, flat shooting and for me anyway it really puts deer down.  I don't use mine in the thick or on public property and have never made a poor shot with it.  I feel that softer bullets like th Ballistic Tips, Hornady Interloks and Sierra gamekings do a better job on the deer I shoot than the partitions I've tried and they exit most of the time.  It is however just one of many rifles I hunt with.