northwoodsguy

Looking to get a 243 for my son's first deer rifle. Worried about the small cal. and only able to get 100 gr bullet. We hunt in northern Minnesota were the longest shot should only be 100 yards. Does anybody have any advice for me?

keylargo

It looks like you and I are in exactly the same boat. I looked long and hard for a gun that would fit my son. I just put a N.E.F. Handi Rifle youth model on lay a way. Everything I have found on the rifle is very good considering the $200.00 price. As an added bonus my gun shop is throwing in an additional .22 in the exact same rifle for $70.00.
I am also not a huge fan of the .243 but I feel that with the 95 grain nosler partition is will handle our La deer. Next year I plan on getting an additional 30-30 barrel which I think Ill like a little better and a 20 guage for some added fun.
Oh well thats my two cents worth. Good luck

totoe

..Trust me a 243,will work fine seen alot of big bucks fall
down from a 243 bullet at 150 yards and more.....

..JESUS IS COMING BACK BE READY...

thndrchiken

I agree the .243 is about the best dual purpose rifle that can be found. Not many cartridges can go from varmint hunting to deer hunting with just a change of loads and rezero the scope.

Tree climber

trust me , the 243 will work great for whitetail.my wife and myslef both shoot 243.she has taken countless hogs and 6 or 8 deer. I have takenin excess of 35 to 40 with mine and have only lost one.(I am not sure of the hit on him)

you can go with the 100 gr. for deer and drop to 80 gr. for varmits out to 400 yards.
I shoot 80 gr. all the time for all game,deer,hogs,varmits. works real well for me.

all we shoot is Winchester PSP bullets.

you will not be dissapointed with the 243.

I am not a hunter I am a whitetail population reduction specialest

remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.

Josh Sorensen

Any good bolt gun would be a great start. I have a browning eurobolt with 20" barrel and CR boss. Its superbly accurate and easy to carry around all day. I have settled on the 100gr Sierra SBT. IT is an excellent bullet for deer and I have used it from 100-280 yards and always got great penetration and terminal effects. I just get the federal premium loading with the sierra bullet because it would be hard for me to beat them reloading and I don't have the time to reload everything. Of the 10 deer shot with this load none has ever made it past 25 yards and I have gotten double shoulders on 3 of them. Biggest deer was a 175lb doe shot at 156 yards blew out both shoulders and she fell 12 steps from where she was hit. Second biggest deer was 160lb buck shot at 230 yards dropped at the shot, broke far shoulder and totally destroyed lungs. Great bullet great caliber.

boltman

I would stay away from the .243 and go with something a little more substantial, like a .260 remington or 7mm-08. I get plenty of flaming when I say that the .243 isn't deer medicine. Folks come out of the woodwork to tell me how their uncle's cousin's stepbrother killed the largest buck ever in calhoun county with a .243. In my opinion anyone that can handle a .243 can handle a .260 remington shooting a downloaded 100 gr partition, which is a better deer round than anything a .243 will shoot. A .243 will kill a deer, but there are much, much better choices out there and they don't necessarilary kick more. Leave the .243 to coyote and other varmit hunting where it should have been left in the first place.

keylargo

I really think that the 243 will work fine because Im not going to let my son take risky shots.I just wish I could get one in 257 roberts because it is a personal favorite.

frizzellr

The 243 Win works great. I find it funny when people insist that it isn't "deer medicine" and insist one should shoot something like a 30-30. The 243 shooting a 100 grain bullet will outperform a 30-30 any day of the week, no questions asked.

If you are that worried about the performance of the 243, the 7mm-08 Rem offers great ballistics, versatility and mild recoil.

eldeguello

The .243 will work fine, but it is not the "best dual-purpose" round! Several better ones come to mind, including the .250 Savage, the .257 Roberts, the .260 Remington, and the 6.5X55mm!!

Keep yore powder dry!!