I live іn NE Washington state. Thе deer wе hаνе around here аrе nοt thаt bіg.
Thіѕ wіll bе mу first year hunting deer. I hаνе never hunted anything οthеr thаn rabbits аnd duck before. Sο I hаνе never hunted wіth thе .243 before. I аm a decent shot wіth іt though.
I wіll bе carrying a .44 pistol аѕ a back up.
Yep. You should only need one shot.
It will do the job if you place your shot well.
That is a flat-shooting but not especially powerful caliber. It barely meets Washington’s minimum of . 24 caliber. I would limit my shots to under 150 yards or whatever distance you can reliably put your bullet in a 6-inch circle offhand (without a rest).
And you should practice reloading it quickly if you need a quick follow-up shot, the . 44 is much harder to shoot well, especially at long distance.
Should be fine. Watch your distance(200 yards) and don’t take to much of a quartering shot. If you get some tsx bullets for the gun that will give you more penetration and thus you won’t have to worry much about quartering shots, it won’t really extend your range but the vast majority of deer are taken inside of 100 yards so 200 should be plenty.
i’d personally be more comfortable with the ability to place a quick follow-up shot if i place the first shot poorly. but if you’re confident in your marksmanship, one round should do the job.
While the . 243 Win. is easy to shoot as far as recoil goes . I would rather you go with a 7mm-08 or a 308 Win. . In hunting most shots the hunter doesn’t feel the recoil anyway. Personally I would go with the . 280 Rem. with 140 gr. bullets. It shoots so sweet and easy on the shooter and very deadly. If you do go with the . 243,shoot the buck broadside into the vitals. Don’t try any angling shots because there are a lot of mass the bullet has to go through to get to the heart/lung area. Frontal shot ,it has to get pass the shoulder ,more big bones than the . 243 Win. can break. . . 280 Rem with controlled expansion bullets will plow through bull elk length wise and still be easy on the shoulder of the shooter. I love the . 280 Rem. p/s use lots of ear plugs under earmuffs when practice shooting. Trust me. . I finally found out I don’t heard as I used to.
Yes definitely
you will be surprised at what the . 243 winchester can do. it is an offspring of the . 308 which is where the . 243 gets its tack driving accuracy. my bullet of choice would be a federal 100 grain spritzer boat tail. stay away from the 80 grains or any ballistic tip . id even be skittish of the 95 grains. and the range well my buddy dropped a 7 point at about 250 yards. happy hunting
If you do your part, your gun will get the job done. My 12 year old nephew killed his first deer in September with a single shot from a . 243 (not a single shot). As mentioned, the . 243 is a flat shooting, accurate, relatively fast round, but it shoots a fairly light bullet.
If you are a decent shot, practice with the ammo you are going to use to hunt. Make sure that it shoots well from you gun. Know how far away you can shoot accurately enough to kill a deer, and keep your shots well under that. You shouldn’t need the . 44 back up, and even if you do, the deer will probably be well out of its range before you can switch guns. That is if it wasn’t when you shot.
I would be more comfortable with a larger caliber gun. I know that is a personal preference though, and it does not change the fact that with a well placed shot, a . 243 is effective on deer.
* Yes I have one but always use the 100 grain bullet in your 243 for Deer size animals. * Always aim and hit them in the Heart and Lung area. *
The 243 Win. is a varmint cartridge that is the bare minimum for deer.
Range & shot placement will be the keys to a humane kill.