243 energy

[brendog84cj8]

My son who is 13 now has been killing deer with a Browning micro midas 243 since he was 10. Started with ttsx hand loads and now shooting Accubond handloads that I prefer. At reasonable distances it is deadly with the Accubond bullets.

 

[Steelsearchin]

.243 "off switch" worked again for my son yesterday. Growth spurt to 6' 130# made me change stocks out, but he is still rocking the pink muddy girl magazine off the kids stock.

Dead in her tracks...

 

[howl]

So with my 7 rem mag I am used to never tracking whitetails. I always shoot high shoulder and its lights out, they fall over. But that guns pushing 162 eldxs at 3150ish.

im considering taking a 243 hunting this year and would be shooting 100gr interlocks, factory ammo. All I have time for at the moment. I hunt a slim piece of national forest on top of a mountain where not tracking a deer for an extended period is beneficial.

Does anyone have any experience with high shoulder CNS shots with a 243 on whitetail? Does it have the energy or should I consider heart shots only or just take the 7 to get it done?

Most any cartridge will handle a high shoulder shot just fine. Bigger cartridges may help if you miss your mark a little, but if you can hit it there's no reason to go bigger than 223 for that. People do it with 22 Hornet. 243 be fine.

 

[D4570]

Come on, a 243 is much better at killing deer than a 223...
243 will be great for ANY deer.

 

[elevatorman]

.243 "off switch" worked again for my son yesterday. Growth spurt to 6' 130# made me change stocks out, but he is still rocking the pink muddy girl magazine off the kids stock.

Dead in her tracks...
View attachment 392870

Nice job! Thanks for the info!

 

[mevertsen]

.243 "off switch" worked again for my son yesterday. Growth spurt to 6' 130# made me change stocks out, but he is still rocking the pink muddy girl magazine off the kids stock.

Dead in her tracks...
View attachment 392870

Thats how my daughters last deer ended up. Took a minute to find him because he fell so deep under a burned out tree he blended in.

 

[howl]

Come on, a 243 is much better at killing deer than a 223...
243 will be great for ANY deer.

They're about the same with the edge going to 223 because most people shoot them better. Try it and see.

 

[Savagenut]

Its more important to select the right bullet than the right caliber. I have exclusively hunted with the 243 for the last several years and I have never had an issue. I enjoy the lower recoil and it has been very effective. I can take teh kids with me and we can share the same ammo between our rifles.