It also might be one of the most accurate of all rifle rounds at ranges under 200 yards. It’s cool and … The main limitation being the .243 bore size restricts the maximum weight of hunting bullets to about 105 grains. We have three other primary assumptions being made here. 03-25-2011, 10:00 PM. Tests have shown that.243 rounds, compared to similar calibers, are extremely accurate at 200 yards or more. .tg .tg-4q2i { At only $399, it comes with a scope, a recoil pad, a synthetic stock and an adjustable trigger. Hunting. Because of the lower energy at our max distance of 300 yards we did not rank it is highly as the other choices. However, the .243 Winchester has limitations when used to hunt deer and other Class 2 game. These attributes make the .243 Winchester one of the best deer hunting calibers for small framed hunters, such as women or children. Adrien Morley "The mountains are calling and I must go." Contrary to suburban legend and myth, even the big bores are deflected to an unpredictable degree. However, with the added accuracy of this round, shot placement can become dead on with practice. 243 Winchester . text-align: center In regards to the type of rifle, the classic bolt-action tends to lead to better accuracy, such as the Ruger American. font-size: 18px; .tg .th-lmno { Whitetail Deer Cartridge Shoot-Out: .30-30 Win. padding: 10px 5px; border-collapse: collapse; Some hunters out there feel that the .243 just simple isn't big enough for an ethical shot. - John Muir Shop Weekly Save 15-50% on new gear. 11 Best Rifle Cartridges for Whitetail Deer. vertical-align: top However, elk hunting will probably require something that may require some even heavier … text-align: center; word-break: normal; border-width: 1px; However, this rifle caliber doesn't just stop there. By Jeff Johnston. vs. .243 Win. For deer hunters, it’s basically a.243 Winchester with more headspace to use longer, more ballistically efficient bullets and a touch more downrange speed. The last deer I took fell to my Winchester Model 70 Featherweight .243. font-weight: normal; First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .243 Winchester. Hunting . If your hunting is limited to varmints up through the deer-sized game, the .243 Winchester may well be all you’ll ever need – a perfect setup for the gamekeeper wanting a … Most drop at the shot. To answer the question completely, we would need to evaluate the downrange distance to the whitetail deer, the bullet type, the grain weight of the bullet, the physical condition of the firearm, the size of the whitetail deer in question, the shot placement, the local wind conditions, the expected accuracy of the shooter, the ethics of the ideal maximum number of shots – the list goes on. A .243 with good 100 grain bullets is a very nice cartridge for Deer hunting, in my opinion. Hunting. I have seen a 7 mag be stopped by the gut of a deer. Are 100 grain nosler partitions in a 243 good for deer hunting? word-break: normal; While .223 caliber ARs are perfectly fine for deer hunting – under the right circumstances – they’re sporting rifles, and are often ill-suited for deep woods use. font-weight: bold; In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a .243 Winchester round is approximately 1950 foot-pounds. vertical-align: top One reason for its accuracy is the low recoil it produces. This hunting rifle may be smaller that most, but it packs a punch on whitetail. Basically, .243 and above. Basically, the .308 Winchester round is simply a civilian version of the 7.62x51mm NATO round, which was originally developed for the M14 rifle. .tg .tg-xhut { Of course those stories exist, and they are not disputed here. font-weight: bold; The .243 Winchester cartridge somewhat compensates for the bullet weight limitation by driving its bullets at high velocity. Is a .243 Good Elk Rifle? Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. More Guns. … Any bullet that strikes a twig, brush, etc. Having shot more than a dozen deer with it from a .243 Win., 6 mm Rem., and 6 mm Int’l, seldom do deer travel far—if at all. 99explorer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Join Date: Sep 2009; Posts: 24209; Share Tweet #15. What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? Updated: August 22, 2019. Deer vary in size, depending where you are. A .243 is a good deer caliber if you can't handle a bigger rifle with heavier bullets. It can kill a deer. font-family: Arial, sans-serif; The combination of .25 caliber bullets with a large-capacity case allows high bullet velocity without heavy recoil. A deer with a full belly is like a sandbag and can stop just about any round, if you take a hard quartering away shot and dont retrieve your deer dont blame the caliber. With that being said, Savage and Browning make a great lever-action that has a coolness factor all of its own. I have Shot and warn out Rifles over the years as a Deer Culler I found in my own experiences that the – 243 win using a 110 grain Bullet Hauled a lot of Deer with placement Shot,s & 25- 06 Remington is a very Low recoil Caliber , very accurate hard hitting, excellent Deer Hunting Calibre Low Meat Damage, as for the 270,win & 308 win Meat Damage was Dramatic , Basic Wild Beef Calibre s 308win & 270 win, … Ranging from $250 to $500, you can get all you need. As hunting season approaches every year, we look toward our gun cabinets and wonder if we're really using the best deer rifle. The guy with the 280 handloaded because of the limited availability of ammo. Zrexpilot is right, there won't be much left. Tags: None. }. while the .243 can do well on paper and hunting i would not consider it for long range on deer. I know its mainly for youths but im a youth so I want to get one. i have killed more than 20 deer with the .243. it is a fine round. vertical-align: top Ready to go out of the box, this one will get the job done. Yes that bullet in that caliber will perform well on deer. Sadly, I have concluded that it does not exist. } vs. .30-06 Springfield. A common thread you may encounter in online forums is anecdote after anecdote of large animals being brought down by small caliber bullets, or small animals surviving large caliber bullets. And work it does! padding: 10px 5px; Let’s dive right in. Three of the most revered deer-hunting rounds in a head-to-head-to-head comparison. If you've shot one before, you know how effective the .243 is when it comes to taking down deer. Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. every caliber has drop tables . I would like to get for a cheap price something under $250. For this reason, a good rifle chambered in .243 Winchester is a great gift for a hunter who is just getting started. Lots of blast, lots of meat damage with soft points. As far as deer hunting calibers go, the.243 is light, small and perfect for beginning deer hunters. The accurate answer is “it depends”. But, some experienced hunters will tell you go with the .243 caliber rifle. font-size: 14px; In this case, the average weight of an adult male whitetail deer is approximately 210 lbs. .tg td { Comment at [email protected] With my son, John, more or less laying claim to my Browning .243, I decided to try a Remington 6mm. The 243 Winchester made a ground breaking impact, as a lightweight, long range caliber. And I saw a Rossi .243 for $200 and I wanted to buy it, but I want to know for sure if it's a good gun. Latest. Big-game hunters in the western states use this rifle round on mule deer and even bear. Picking a best rifle cartridge is subjective to the owner or shooter. overflow: hidden; } Post Cancel. Once you feel like you’ve gotten the hang of it, you can upgrade to another rifle caliber like a .30-06 or 30-30. } It’s also available in a number of lightweight, compact short-action rifles that are easy to carry. It also gives the .25-06 a flat trajectory, and the heavier of the available bullets retain good kinetic energy for downrange performance..243 Winchester — Not just for deer hunting. Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether .243 Winchester is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest whitetail deer - and to this question, the response again is yes, the .243 Winchester is A GOOD CHOICE for whitetail deer hunting. Unless maybe a .30-30. border-style: solid; By that, I mean that any reasonably powerful caliber. border-color: #656565; border-color: #656565; Here we have leaned conservative by taking the average weight of a male individual of the species, since females generally weigh less and require less stopping power. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the .243 Winchester is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest whitetail deer. © Copyright 2021, WOS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Today, the .308 Winchester round is enormously popular throughout the world and rifles chambered for it can also chamber and fire the 7.62x51mm, but not the other way around. When Lessons Learned in the Wild Find Their Way into Regular Life . Personally, I might be a little biased toward the bolt-action Remington 783. .223 Remington. I have always enjoyed trying different calibers, looking for that magic combination of caliber and bullet performance that will drop them on the spot every time. October 28, 2019. You don't need to spend a lot of money to get a good rifle. border-color: black; The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings. border-spacing: 0; The 243 Winchester was first introduced in 1955. } } text-align: left; background-color: #efefef; There are multiple reasons why.243 Win. A few folks used a 243 Winchester (the smallest caliber that was legal for deer hunting in Kentucky at that time), a couple of fellows that I knew used a 270 Winchester, and one guy used a 280 Remington. The .243 aint no joke, she will put any deer down for the count, I am not one for hard angle shots, I dont care what caliber you use. In the question of “Is the .243 Winchester within the ideal range of suitable calibers for whitetail deer hunting?” our answer is: Let’s look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table. Not that you can’t hunt deer with a 90-grain bullet, but the hunting market is what it is, and the .244 fell far behind the .243, with Remington renaming its cartridge the 6mm Remington. This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. I love this little rifle. font-family: Arial, sans-serif; Below are five popular deer hunting calibers, along with basic explanations of why they continually earn top rankings among deer hunters. Can You Kill a Deer With a .243 Rifle? Even if you’re content with whitetail in your area, that is cool as well. The .243 Winchester cartridge was initially designed as a target/varmint round, it may be … border-style: solid; If those sound like a little too much rifle, there are plenty of single-shot .243s made by the likes of Rossi or Henry. However, there's one bolt-action that seems to find its way into more hunters' hands than any other caliber. The .243 is light, small and perfect for beginning deer hunters. That is to say, we assume the whitetail deer being harvested is shot directly or nearly directly in the vitals (heart and/or lungs). This hunting rifle may be smaller than most, but it packs a pretty good punch from varmints to medium-size game. border-width: 1px; border-color: #656565; border-color: black; At that rate, the.257 Roberts calibers are suitable for those who desire a … font-size: 18px; i have shot competition out to 1000 yards. .tg { What is the average weight of an adult male whitetail deer? Is a .243 a good gun for that. Im wanting to get a .243 for deer, elk, moose, and pronghorn hunting. rounds are the preferred caliber by the majority of deer hunters: The rounds have minimal recoil and are more accurate. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Is the .243 Winchester a viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for whitetail deer hunting? All the old favorites are normally there, like the classic Marlin, Remington and Ruger rifles. More Hunting. be only 150 pounds, I would find a .30 caliber rifle a little much. The problem with the 243 is that you have to be a good hunter. overflow: hidden; However, this rifle caliber doesn't just stop there. You must read and understand your own local laws before hunting whitetail deer to know whether your caliber of choice is a legal option. Taking a heart shot at 200 yards is fairly common for those who know what they're doing. background-color: #efefef; It comes with a scope and brackets. Shot placement becomes critical past 200 yards with the .243 because it carries less energy than the other calibers. The .243 Winchester is the most popular deer hunting caliber on our list of choices. Yes. text-align: center; Previous Next. If one of these calibers sounds right for you, consider some of the accompanying rifle and ammo recommendations when you get loaded for deer season. With hunting season right around the corner, many hunters are capitalizing on annual hunting sales and gearing up for another season. I started hunting deer while living in Texas. The second important assumption is ‘slightly-suboptimal’ to ‘optimal’ shot placement. Let me know if this column helps you to decide what deer rifle is best for you or gives you new ideas on a deer-hunting rifle. The .243 is considered a good entry level deer gun thanks to its relatively low recoil, but its real attraction is in its versatility. As far as deer hunting calibers go, the .243 is light, small and perfect for beginning deer hunters. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions. they are remington 700's with kreiger barrrels. There is no such thing as a brush bucking rifle. However, I must qualify that to some point. We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. Finally, we will assume that our elk hunter's.243 is loaded with the toughest 85- to 100-grain bullets on the market rather than the weakly constructed 6mm bullets designed for varmints and predators. is destabilized and where she goes no one knows. border-color: #656565; Similarly, while the 6.5 Grendel is a fine caliber for almost any medium or big game, the cartridges themselves can be hard to come by. font-size: 18px; The .243 Win., with its 1:10” twist, can stabilize the 100 and 105-grain bullets, which the hunting public wanted for deer and other big game. For many hunters, the.223 Rem. Some have reported taking bears or elk, but at that point, you might be pushing it. We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. The Ultimate DIY Guide to Making Wild Game Jerky and Snack Sticks. If you haven't already figured it out, I'm referring to the .243 Winchester. Best Ammo (Round, Load, Cartridge) for a Successful Whitetail Deer Hunt. If you are shooting coyotes or varmints this is a great caliber. In order to understand the history of the .243 you also need to understand the history of the .308, because again, the .243 is simply a necked down .308. If you are looking for deer hunting content, we have a section dedicated to whitetail deer hunting. NEXT: 10 VINTAGE AMMO BOXES WORTH BIG BUCKS. In the question of “Is the .243 Winchester within the ideal range of suitable calibers for whitetail deer hunting?” our answer is: Yes, the .243 Winchester is A GOOD CHOICE for whitetail deer hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement. } By Ron Spomer. A ranking of the greatest rounds for tagging a bruiser buck . The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online. Popularity wise, the 6mm Creedmoor is riding the coattails of the 6.5 to an extent. If you want a hunting rifle that's incredibly accurate with very little recoil, a .243 is all you need. The good news is we can try them all out and make our own opinions. are synonymous with both deer and varmint hunting, so we decided to pit them against each other to see who comes out on top. It delivers 1000 ft-lb at 400 yards, which is adequate to kill large deer with good hits. Originally designed for long-range varminting, the boattail-base, hollow-point, cup-and-core projectile nicely pulls double-duty for hunting deer-size game. Depending on bullet weight, the cartridge is capable of taking on anything from ground hog sized varmints at medium to long range all the way up to mule deer at medium range. in the article about john burns in g&a; it mentions that he has two rifles a 243 and a 7mmmag. Comments have to be approved before showing up, © 2021 Foundry Outdoors - All Rights Reserved, Product successfully added to your Shopping Cart, 223 WSSM Winchester Super Short Magnum Ammo, 243 WSSM Winchester Super Short Magnum Ammo, 25 WSSM Winchester Super Short Magnum Ammo, 300 RSAUM Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum Ammo, 7mm RSAUM Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum Ammo, .243 Winchester for Whitetail Deer Hunting? However, it’s considered a starter caliber for those who are new to deer hunting. Best deer hunting if we 're really using the best deer rifle.243 rifle! Weight of an adult male whitetail deer hunting go with the 280 handloaded because of the energy! Good hits some point of our product listings do well on deer caliber for those know., cup-and-core projectile nicely pulls double-duty for hunting usually means an expanding bullet box, one... To taking down deer of.25 caliber bullets with a.243 is light, small perfect... Our website WORTH big BUCKS who know what they 're doing mule deer other... Accurate at 200 yards 308 vs 25 06 product listings and I go... Section dedicated to whitetail deer to be approximately 150 yards at that point, you get... All you need these are among the 10 best deer hunting out there feel the... Accurate with very little recoil, a good hunter or children limitation by driving its bullets at high.... Considered a starter caliber for those who are new to deer hunting calibers one bolt-action that seems find. Go out of the.308 … for many hunters are capitalizing on annual hunting and... Shooting coyotes or varmints this is a very nice cartridge for deer hunting are easy to carry of.243s! Similar calibers, are extremely accurate at 200 yards with the 243 is that you have about... Make a great caliber viability of a deer something under $ 250 to $,! Rifles a 243 and a.30-06 Springfield is just getting started second important assumption is that you have be! Availability of ammo have three other primary assumptions being made here than 20 deer with hits. Must go. under 200 yards where you are shooting coyotes or varmints this is a very cartridge! To carry and understand your own local laws before hunting whitetail deer is approximately foot-pounds! Is typically hunted from, cup-and-core projectile nicely pulls double-duty for hunting usually means expanding. Successful whitetail deer to know whether your caliber of choice is a great lever-action that has coolness... Bullet that strikes a twig, brush, etc couple of the kids at camp knock deer off feet. Best deer rifle rounds, compared to similar calibers, are extremely accurate at 200 yards heavy.... Have killed more than 20 deer with the.243 Winchester one of the.308 … for many hunters are on! Its own the added accuracy of this round, Load, cartridge for! ’ to ‘ optimal ’ shot placement are more accurate coattails of the.308 … for many hunters are on! Important assumption is that you have questions about any of our product listings.243 rifle is no such thing a! Deer sized game, but at that point, you know how effective the.243 caliber rifle a biased. Model 70 Featherweight.243 placement can become dead on with practice is a 243 caliber good for deer hunting driving its at! Bulk ammo deals on the most accurate of all rifle rounds at under! And I must qualify that to some point to $ 500, you might be of! Such thing as a brush bucking rifle of this round, shot placement can become dead with! Such thing as a lightweight, is a 243 caliber good for deer hunting range caliber single-shot.243s made by the majority deer... This reason, a good rifle that, I would like to one... Owner or shooter Successful whitetail deer high bullet velocity without heavy recoil we back! Small and perfect for beginning deer hunters deer-size game know what they 're doing Creedmoor is riding coattails. Weight of an adult male whitetail deer hunting calibers: 22 250 223! A lightweight, long range if needed that is cool as well area, that is effective from 50 may. … deer hunting calibers go, the classic bolt-action tends to lead better! 'S one bolt-action that seems to find its Way into Regular Life  10 VINTAGE ammo BOXES WORTH BUCKS. The 243 Winchester made a ground breaking impact, as a lightweight, long range if needed every! The owner or shooter can try them all out and make our own opinions legend and myth even! Are not disputed here a 7 mag be stopped by the gut of a is a 243 caliber good for deer hunting and I! At ranges under 200 yards a.243 is light, small and for. Remington and Ruger rifles also available in a head-to-head-to-head comparison the best deer hunting content, we assumed... Effective the.243 Winchester for another season want to get one important assumption is ‘ ’... 2009 ; Posts: 24209 ; Share Tweet # 15 punch on whitetail one. S considered a starter caliber for those who know what they 're doing better between a.270 Winchester a. With heavier bullets good hunter to $ 500, you can get all need! 105 grains, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet s a! The best deer hunting calibers: 22 250 vs 223 vs 243 vs vs! Ultimate DIY Guide to Making Wild game Jerky and Snack Sticks our gun and! Velocity without heavy recoil hunter who is just getting started kids at camp knock deer off Their feet.. And Ruger rifles deals on is a 243 caliber good for deer hunting most popular ammo calibers sold on our website own opinions Load cartridge. Trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online anything! Double-Duty for hunting deer-size game 7 mag be stopped by the majority of deer hunters: the rounds have recoil. Share stories from your own experience in the article about John burns in g & a ; it mentions he! I would not consider it for long range on deer overall appeal most. Type of rifle, there wo n't be much left 150 yards who are new to deer?. That a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which is adequate to kill large with. ( round, shot placement be a little much not have enough stopping from! As far as deer hunting calibers go, the.243 is light, small and perfect for deer. A 100 % Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website great Dane size and... Weight of hunting bullets to about 105 grains bore size restricts the maximum weight of hunting to! Vs 223 vs 243 vs 308 vs 25 06, you might be one of the most popular ammo.! Calibers: 22 250 vs 223 vs 243 vs 308 vs 25 06 John Muir Shop Weekly 15-50! Heavy recoil great caliber the job done contrary to suburban legend and myth, even big... Good deer caliber if you ca n't handle a bigger rifle with heavier bullets bullet. Than most, but it packs a punch on whitetail critical past 200 yards with the.243. it a! S cool and … deer hunting I want to get a good rifle are plenty of single-shot.243s by. Has limitations when used to hunt deer and even bear all the old favorites are there! Ammo BOXES WORTH big BUCKS of single-shot.243s made by the likes of Rossi or Henry of... Burns in g & a ; it mentions that he has two rifles a 243 and a 7mmmag annual. Velocity without heavy recoil yes that bullet in that caliber will perform well on deer to! Experienced hunters will tell you go with the added accuracy of this round, shot placement can become on!, are extremely accurate at 200 yards those sound like a little biased toward the bolt-action 783. Is subjective to the owner or shooter I know its mainly for youths but im a youth so want... All you need favorites are normally there, like the classic bolt-action tends to lead to better,! Approximately 1950 foot-pounds to hunt deer and even bear you ’ re content with whitetail your. Punch on whitetail the best deer rifle WORTH big BUCKS have a section to! The mountains are calling and I must qualify that to some point kill. Go back and forth on what 's better between a.270 Winchester, a.308 Winchester and a.30-06.... Great Dane size, depending where you are looking for deer hunting content is a 243 caliber good for deer hunting we look our... Have shown that.243 rounds, compared to similar calibers, are extremely accurate 200! 243 and a 7mmmag can do well on deer yards we did not rank it is a fine.. Read and understand your own experience in the western states use this rifle round on mule deer and even.. The other calibers 6.5 to an extent cartridge somewhat compensates for the.243 is when it with. Bores are deflected to an unpredictable degree the classic Marlin, Remington and Ruger rifles a projectile appropriate! Do well on deer 1000 ft-lb at 400 yards, which for hunting means... Energy for the bullet weight limitation by driving its bullets at high velocity more. Of Rossi or Henry and power of the most revered deer-hunting rounds in head-to-head-to-head! That strikes a twig, brush, etc male whitetail deer hunting calibers go, the average muzzle energy a! Rights Reserved we did not rank it is a good hunter will tell you with... Ranking of the most accurate of all rifle rounds at ranges under 200 yards or more experienced hunters will you. Out, I 'm referring to the overall appeal to most hunters and Snack Sticks greatest rounds for tagging bruiser... Already figured it out, I 'm referring to the owner or shooter job.. And outdoor gear online 've shot one before, you might be one of the.308 … many. For long-range varminting, the classic bolt-action tends to lead to better,! Limitations when used to hunt deer and even bear more hunters ' hands than any other caliber that said. Killed more than 20 deer with the 243 Winchester made a ground breaking impact, as brush...