Deer with a .243

[Uncle Alvah]

Suppose you have "all your ducks in a row" on a nice whitetail, deer is standing broadside, 100 yards away, rifle is well sighted and you have a solid rest, easy shot all-in-all.

Would you shoot for the heart/lungs or opt to send that .243 bullet into the neck?

[tat2]

heart/lungs, .243 is a good hunting round around these parts.

[INKSPOT74]

I've killed at least 5 with a .243 all heart and lung area. 3 of them fell straight to the ground and the other 2 went maybe 50 yrds. Longest shot was around 250 yrds on a doe she fell straight to the ground. My opinion is the .243 is the best all around gun.

[dipper]

Honestly with the shot you describe which seems about the perfect presentation, I would shoot the deer in the head....really.
I don't own a centerfire hunting rifle that will not shoot under MOA and I practice and shoot often....... might as well take advantage of the accuracy of my firearms and my practice.
Again, this would be with the perfect presentation that you described..... any other than that it would be heart and lung shot for me.

[republican24/7]

Originally Posted by tat2

heart/lungs, .243 is a good hunting round around these parts.

This.

[geneinnc]

I lost count, but at that distance a 95gr Nosler Ballistic Tip in 243 drops them in their tracks and does the same damage as an 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tip from my 7 rem mag.

100% dead before they hit the ground in my case.

They simply are not going to run more than a few yards when the heart, lungs & liver are turned to jelly. The exit side is bloodshocked from elbow to the rear of the ribs.

The same damage occurs out to 200 yards.

After that the 243 starts to lose energy quicker, but still kills them within 40 yards.

I only carry my 7 mag in fields that offer shots over 200 yards.
The rest of the time, it's the 243.

I'm talking about NC deer. If I were in Canada or such that had big bodied deer (200 plus) I would prefer the 7 mag.

[Dan in NC]

With a 75 gr or better bullet I would have no problem with either shot. But I preferr to shoot em in the neck about 2 or 3 in behind skull.

[Jeepfan]

The problem with head and neck shots is that they might decide to move their head and neck about the time you touch one off. At least if they move the head or neck when you take a heart lung shot you don't miss or wound.

[geneinnc]

Originally Posted by Jeepfan

The problem with head and neck shots is that they might decide to move their head and neck about the time you touch one off. At least if they move the head or neck when you take a heart lung shot you don't miss or wound.

+1

[222fan]

I HAVE SHOT 40 GRS OF 4350 WITH A SIERRA 100 GR GAMEKING( I FORGOT WHAT THEY CALLED THEM BEFORE GAMEKING) IN MY 243'S. IN ABOUT 35 YEARS OF HUNTING ONLY THREE TIMES DID THE BULLET PASS THROUGH THE DEER. I SHOOT HIGH ON THE SHOULDER, ABOUT 2 TO 3 INCHES BELOW THE SPINE, STRAIGHT UP THE FROM THE LEG. I WOULD GUESS MAYBE ONLY 10 % DID NOT DROP IN THEIR TRACKS. THE DEER TAKES ALL THE BULLETS ENERGY, RATHER THAN MAKING A GAPPING HOLE ON THE OTHER SIDE AND FLYING OUT TO WASTE TO REST OF ITS KILLING ENERGY. IT WORKS FOR ME.

[wesley]

behind the shoulder or the neck both will kill him. ive kill a 162 7/8 inch deer with the 243 and a 150 4\8 inch deer with it this year at a touch over 450 yards. neither deer ran over 40 yards. the problem with the neck shot is when that buck of a life times standing there an your hearts about to beat out of your chest your knees are knocking arms shaking. thats when its easy to go from a hero to a zero. anybody can punch good groups on paper. its when the ole buck fever jumps on your back that makes it tough.

[sgtsundevil]

the heart lung area give the biggest margin of error so if deer moves as you pull trigger , you jerk trigger or whatever might go wrong

[geneinnc]

forgot ti mention after years of selection, and choosing the Ballistic Tip for both it's Match accuracy, I made notes on the deer after skinning. I altered my shot placement to the upper third/rear third of the deers lungs. That gives you plenty of room to take out both lungs, the liver and a couple of vertebrae. I filmed my own hunt in Texas, and I guess it's time to figure out how to make a short video of the kill to show how devastating this shot is. This deer hit the ground instantly, and tried to roll, then it was all over. Maybe 2 seconds from impact to death. The others not on film were legs buckled, dead when the hit the ground, out to 403 yards.

There is one quirk, very minor on the ballistic tip that a few of us discovered. Inside of 40 yards, the bullet does not have the same violent explosiveness as usual, but it's still a short track. I'm thinking maybe your pushing the upper end of the velocity design.

I had a doe come in and freshen a scape at my 40 bow station during the rut. 40 minutes later a buck lip curled and had his nose in the scrape, and he was totally WIRED.

At impact, I have never seen a deer buck so high. He landed, jumped in a thicket and was dead in seconds. Those 2 are the only deer that didn't die where they stood.

Please not the 403 yard shot was with the 7mag 150 gr Ballistic Tip.
All deer taken from 75 to 225 yards with the 243 95 gr Ballistic Tip also died in their tracks.

[06]

My bud's wife has used a 243 for ten yrs and now has passed it to their son after she had rotator cuff surgery. She has a couple of impressive mounts to show for her efforts. Her husband has a state non-typical runner up above their fireplace- massive 27 points if my memory is correct. Looks like a cedar tree-lol.

[woodyolin1]

.243 is overkill for me....(LOL)