First kill with a 243

[txpitdog]

Shot a big bodied 6pt this morning with my No. 1-B 243. Range was about 90yds, and it was a fairly authoritative bang-flop. I used 100gr Hornady Interloks loaded with 41.5gr IMR4350. I recovered the bullet just under the hide on the far shoulder.

I am now a believer in the 243. I had taken it with the intent of settling a score I have with the local wild turkeys, but decided to try for the buck when I saw how big he was. This is the smallest caliber I have ever used to hunt deer with, and everyone else in camp was advising me to stick with my Hawkeye 30-06. I've read enough about the 243 to know it's effective, but having been a 30 and 458cal guy I was mentally prepared to spend my morning tracking before I squeezed the trigger on 243.

I killed a nubbin buck last night with my '06 and a spike and hog earlier this year as well. The 243 definitely requires pickier shot selection compared to the '06, but when that little pill is put in the right spot, it works pretty dang good!

 

[rugnelli]

Awesome, congrats on the deer!

rugnelli

 

[Cracker-American]

We are having backstrap tonight from a large, for Florida, doe my wife killed with her .243. Hard quartering. Not a bang flop but down in sight. 100 grain core lokt.

In have been a fan for forty or so years.

 

[mattsbox99]

Congrats!


.243 is pretty much all most people use up here, .22-250 is also quite popular. I have a friend that has only ever used a .223 on deer and elk. There are no caliber restrictions here. I see no need to beat myself up with recoil.

 

[Don Lovel]

100gr Hornady Interlock and Nosler Partitions have both given me several one shot drops on big bodied whitetails over the years. I love the .243, I have gotten such great accuracy out of the round. With the 55gr Nosler ballistic tip over Varget my Ruger #1A made 3965fps.

 

[txpitdog]

Has anyone dropped a deer with a 243 on a quartering shot by punching through the near side shoulder? Or, is the 243 limited to broadside and neck shots only?

 

[Watergoat]

The people I have known who use 243, 6.5x55, 7x57, and such are usually deer shooters, as opposed to deer hunters. The deer hunters seem to start with 7 mag and go up in power quite rapidly. It is a mystery why it takes that much energy to whack a 100 lb doe.

 

[Cholo]

Has anyone dropped a deer with a 243 on a quartering shot by punching through the near side shoulder? Or, is the 243 limited to broadside and neck shots only?

I've killed about 20 WT deer with a .243; 100 gr handloaded Nosler Partitions. I've never shot at a deer's shoulder and wonder why so many do. I like to dump about 2000 #'s of energy into a deer and don't care to waste the energy with a bigger caliber making a large exit hole out of a deer so you can track it when it takes off.

In simple terms: There's a lot of a deer's anatomy to shoot at in any given scenerio that doesn't involve it's shoulder. It's called "marksmanship", and it's why I like the .243. Think a single shot Ruger #1/3 and why there's the appeal.

Tomorrow's class will be about the size of a deer... YMMV :wink:

BTW: Congrats on the deer!!!

 

[Cracker-American]

I had the good fortune to hunt South Africa in 1994. I spent one day on a 40,000 acre farm/ranch. That's not a typo.

The landowner kept a Mauser actioned .243 in his truck with him at all times. He reloaded and used Nosler Partition bullets.

In talking to the PH later he said that the landowner had single handedly converted an awful lot of people to the .243.

 

[smoke-eater]

The first C/F rifle I owned was a Rem. varmint special in .243. It was also the most accurate rifle I've owned. The State Trooper I bought it from had a large black bear mount on his wall, he said that at the time he killed it (with that .243), it was the 6th biggest bear taken in Pennsylvania.
Wish I'd kept it.

Jeff

 

[Major T]

I have used the .243 on a good bit of deer and smaller sized game. After having a cup and core 100 grain boat tail bullet fragment (it did kill the buck) on a frontal shot several years ago, I blamed the bullet and not the caliber. I have used Partition 100 grain bullets ever since when using that caliber, and with complete satisfaction, I might add. The Partition is designed to shed the front part of the bullet as it expands. Some friends swear by the 85 grain Barnes TSX, which looses little if any weight upon impact. best wishes, jack