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Post by lonewufcry on May 7, 2013 7:21:09 GMT -7
OK I am having a debate with a few people where I live and I am asking for your opinion. I purchased a .243 for my wife to hunt with since it has a low recoil and she has a bad shoulder I figured it would be a decent one for her. Well all of the sudden some of her friends feel that I just wasted her time and bought a poor caliber of rifle and it will not take down any animal. I figured that a 90gr or higher will be fine. What is your opinion did I do something wrong by purchasing it? Or am I just getting caught up in the mix with them. I will not be offended by your comments. BTW she has a 2in grouping at 150yds off of a 5in plate.
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Post by kutkota on May 7, 2013 7:42:10 GMT -7
Offer to let them go stand in the field and see if it will take them down. Never hunted but I would say it would be more than able in a fairly short distance shot.
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Post by mud on May 7, 2013 9:53:58 GMT -7
243 is what my brother uses for deer. Does the job just fine.
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Post by Cwi555 on May 7, 2013 10:34:54 GMT -7
OK I am having a debate with a few people where I live and I am asking for your opinion. I purchased a .243 for my wife to hunt with since it has a low recoil and she has a bad shoulder I figured it would be a decent one for her. Well all of the sudden some of her friends feel that I just wasted her time and bought a poor caliber of rifle and it will not take down any animal. I figured that a 90gr or higher will be fine. What is your opinion did I do something wrong by purchasing it? Or am I just getting caught up in the mix with them. I will not be offended by your comments. BTW she has a 2in grouping at 150yds off of a 5in plate. I should tell that to the dozen or so deer I've taken with one of them. |
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Post by swamprat1 on May 7, 2013 12:01:45 GMT -7
Lot of folks use them to take down deer in these parts. Real popular with the ladies and kids. That's what my son will be using next year. Got him the Rossi Trifecta, .22lr, .243, and 20 ga. Though he can just barely handle the .243, and I won't let him shoot the 20ga yet.
But yeah, it will work. Though you may want to emphasize proper shot placement.
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Post by cowgirlup on May 7, 2013 13:21:57 GMT -7
Offer to let them go stand in the field and see if it will take them down. Never hunted but I would say it would be more than able in a fairly short distance shot. That ought to shut them up! hehehehe |
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Post by thywar on May 7, 2013 13:48:17 GMT -7
I've killed deer with a .243 and that was the only hunting rifle I had for a long time. It is a sweet caliber and very handy.. With her shot placement she won't have any trouble killing a good sized deer.
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Post by missasip on May 7, 2013 16:16:25 GMT -7
If you will use any of the 100 gr SPBT out there(I perfer Speer) you can kill anything in the USA, deer wise. I have cousins in CO that have been using the 243 on elk for nearly 40 years. Same cousin using it on Pronghorns at 300 yards. Granted the larger the animal, the shorter range you want to shoot. But they even use them here in MS in the delta bean fields on 200 lb + whitetails out to 250 yards.
Wish I had never sold that 788 Rem in 243...it was a sweetie!
Jimmy
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Post by mrmike on May 7, 2013 17:36:58 GMT -7
I hunt with my wife's .243 more than I use my .308 or 12 ga W/sabots and a rifled barrel. Its very accurate, light weight and has more than enough velocity to cleanly take down any white tail at the tune of 3000 FPS with a 100 grain core lock. I wouldn't hold back at a 250 to 300 yard shot with this rifle. Good choice on the .243.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2013 18:55:06 GMT -7
For the record, my daughter was 15 years old, and in cancer treatments as well as recovering from extensive spinal surgery when she took this 5x6 bull elk that field dressed at 750#. She hit him in the heart 5 times before he dropped, but he never took a step. He was about 120-130 yards from her and she hit dead on every single shot. If anyone wants to say the gun you picked for her was a waste, they don't know their pecker from a pencil! Sure, there are bigger and better guns, but considering that she had a double lumen port implanted in the collar bone/shoulder area on the right side where she shot from, and it never hurt her...well I would say it was a damned good gun! Those azzhats can carry on all they want, but I have PROOF they are wrong. That's my daughter at 15 years old with a severe heart infection between chemo treatments with her guide, Doug. Thank you to Safari Club International for this dream come true!!  Amber is on the left side of the cover of the SCI magazine with her elk.  The top story is about her hunt and what she went through to get her bruiser.  You wife has a good gun and if she doesn't want it, I would LOVE to acquire it. |
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stmtrn
Starting to settle in
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Post by stmtrn on May 7, 2013 22:21:08 GMT -7
.243 is a great choice for someone that is recoil sensitive . I have seen that caliber do wonders on the big mule deer at modest ranges. Like you said, about 90 to 110 gr bullet loaded light with some practice and you'll have a happy freezer.
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Post by Ceorlmann on May 7, 2013 22:35:03 GMT -7
As another plus for picking a .243: it's one type of ammo I've never seen run out in stores that sell ammo.
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Post by lonewufcry on May 8, 2013 7:15:54 GMT -7
Thanks for the response. I got my piont across to them and they backed down quick after what I showed them.
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Post by missasip on May 8, 2013 8:18:32 GMT -7
As another plus for picking a .243: it's one type of ammo I've never seen run out in stores that sell ammo. +1 And at this point, that might be a major plus. Jimmy |
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Post by woodyz on May 8, 2013 15:52:50 GMT -7
My primary deer rifle since 1980 has been a .243 and it has taken Elk and Mule deer equally. I have made no secrete that I custom load. When this last row on reloads took off I have been trying to find a box of shells I knew I had. I found them today. A few years back Federal came out with a .243 load that is so close in ballistics to what my custom load is that I told everyone I knew they had stolen it from me.    I bought this box to try out in a vice against my loads and if I were to buy off the shelf or recommend an off the shelf load for deer in .243 this would be it. Federal Premium Vital Shok .243 WIN. 85 GRAIN SIERRA GAMEKING BTHP. The same people who belly ached about the .243 will belly ache about the 85 grain. And if you have a problem with shot placement they might be right. But if shot placement isn't a problem this little bullet has done the job for me for more times than I can count. on deer, elk yotes and cats and once out to 400 yards dropping only 5" and delivering 1000 ft-lbs of energy. Or at least my load does. After two guys watched the 400 yard shot they insisted we ranged test the load and it consistently vice shot 5" low and had 2500 fps at 400 yards with my custom load I have used since 1980, using an 85 GRAIN SIERRA GAMEKING Boat Tail Hollow Point. (zero at 150 with 3300 fps) This factory load I am recommending dropped 2.5 inches at 300 yards and 2500 fps. Which I think would be more than adequate as a deer load. |
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