.243 for deer

rr41mag · September 10, 2000, 08:54 PM

I have been invited to hunt on some private property in Jan. It is almost guaranteed that there will be does seen of which I personally don't care to shoot. However I woudn't mind my son shooting one for a little freezer meat. He will be 7 is about 3 1/2 ft tall and weighs about 45 pounds. He is deadly accurate with a .22 out to 35 yards. He will be closely supervised and shot placement will be a high priority. So I guess what I'm gettin at is will the .243 be an effective deer rifle out to say 50 yards?

ArmySon · September 10, 2000, 09:01 PM

Yes it's very effective at that range. I used a .243 for awhile here in PA since the deer are not huge.

I learned on a 30-30 but prefer bolt actions as I got older.

Dagny · September 10, 2000, 09:09 PM

Yes, the .243 will be entirely up to the job if the shooter can place the shot correctly (and this applies even to 375's). For a boy that age, the .243 is perfect! I took my first deer with a 20 gauge slug. Then I graduated to a real rifle - a .243 and had success with it too for several years. Now I've moved up to a 30-06 for larger deer and elk. But if I'm going for meat on the table and thus a doe of reasonable size to easily drag out (rather than a trophy buck), then I go back to the .243 and 100 grain Federal BTSP.

BadMedicine · September 11, 2000, 03:00 AM

YES!!! The .243 is a great rifle, and perfectly adequate for deer. I Shot my first one when I was 12, at about 120 yards with our .243. It was a Blacktail Buck weighing about 170lbs, and it died just fine. My Second was a Blacktail doe, prolly only 100lbs, and she dropped at about 15 yrds. My Mom and my dad have shot MANY deer with that gun, because it was my moms hunting rifles for some years. For a young kid it's perfect, if he doesn't mind a little kick. It never bothered me, but I wasn't shooting it when I was 7. Hope he gets one, and thanks for starting him young

rr41mag · September 11, 2000, 08:26 PM

cool, shot placement will be most important right along with safety. I'll keep yall posted on the results.

smitty21 · September 12, 2000, 01:24 AM

ArmySon, what do you mean the deer are not huge?

labgrade · September 13, 2000, 04:40 PM

rr,

Have you checked him out with it as to fit AND can he hold the rifle up properly so that he can aim it?

& hopefully, he's had some decent opportunities to fire this .243 quite a bit before the hunt.

rr41mag · September 13, 2000, 08:33 PM

he will definitly shoot the rifle quite a few times before we go out hunting.

dZ · September 13, 2000, 09:14 PM

where i hunt in PA a hundred pound deer is big

most are german shepard sized

smitty21 · September 14, 2000, 07:30 PM

A hundred pound deer is big? That is small!!
I hunt in Schuykill Co., and the deer are are pretty big. I took 8 pointer one year that was about 234lbs. live weight. Right now I am stationed in Va. and the deer here are dogs with antlers.

BadMedicine · September 15, 2000, 12:26 AM

In washington you could hunt on some of the islands in the pudget sound. But theres a few catches. Alot of the islands you can hunt on are only a few square miles. they're pretty populatied so only shotgun w/ slugs, or Bow&arrow, and you have to know somebody with land to hunt on, or pay someone. The upside, is most are any deer. Well my friend came over after hunting his grandparents place. He said he had gotten a "nice buck." I went to look at it and it was already skinned except for the head, and the legs were cut off at the knee. This was the smalles deer I've ever seen shot!! It was Probably 40-60 pounds dressed, and had 1/2 inch antlers. They didn't hardly come above the hair. He said he saw a group of does and shot the closest one. Turned out to be a buck. I thought that was hilarious, it must've only been about 5 months old

September 10, 2000, 08:54 PM	#1
rr41mag Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2000 Location: Biloxi, Miss. Posts: 180	I have been invited to hunt on some private property in Jan. It is almost guaranteed that there will be does seen of which I personally don't care to shoot. However I woudn't mind my son shooting one for a little freezer meat. He will be 7 is about 3 1/2 ft tall and weighs about 45 pounds. He is deadly accurate with a .22 out to 35 yards. He will be closely supervised and shot placement will be a high priority. So I guess what I'm gettin at is will the .243 be an effective deer rifle out to say 50 yards?

September 10, 2000, 09:01 PM	#2
ArmySon Staff Alumnus Join Date: April 14, 2000 Posts: 2,926	Yes it's very effective at that range. I used a .243 for awhile here in PA since the deer are not huge. I learned on a 30-30 but prefer bolt actions as I got older.

September 10, 2000, 09:09 PM	#3
Dagny Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2000 Location: Galt's Gulch Posts: 390	Yes, the .243 will be entirely up to the job if the shooter can place the shot correctly (and this applies even to 375's). For a boy that age, the .243 is perfect! I took my first deer with a 20 gauge slug. Then I graduated to a real rifle - a .243 and had success with it too for several years. Now I've moved up to a 30-06 for larger deer and elk. But if I'm going for meat on the table and thus a doe of reasonable size to easily drag out (rather than a trophy buck), then I go back to the .243 and 100 grain Federal BTSP.

September 11, 2000, 03:00 AM	#4
BadMedicine Junior member Join Date: July 7, 2000 Location: Anchorage Posts: 863	YES!!! The .243 is a great rifle, and perfectly adequate for deer. I Shot my first one when I was 12, at about 120 yards with our .243. It was a Blacktail Buck weighing about 170lbs, and it died just fine. My Second was a Blacktail doe, prolly only 100lbs, and she dropped at about 15 yrds. My Mom and my dad have shot MANY deer with that gun, because it was my moms hunting rifles for some years. For a young kid it's perfect, if he doesn't mind a little kick. It never bothered me, but I wasn't shooting it when I was 7. Hope he gets one, and thanks for starting him young

September 11, 2000, 08:26 PM	#5
rr41mag Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2000 Location: Biloxi, Miss. Posts: 180	cool, shot placement will be most important right along with safety. I'll keep yall posted on the results.

September 12, 2000, 01:24 AM	#6
smitty21 Member Join Date: August 3, 2000 Location: Hampton, Va. Posts: 93	ArmySon, what do you mean the deer are not huge?

September 13, 2000, 04:40 PM	#7
labgrade Member In Memoriam Join Date: November 29, 1999 Location: west of a small town, CO Posts: 4,346	rr, Have you checked him out with it as to fit AND can he hold the rifle up properly so that he can aim it? & hopefully, he's had some decent opportunities to fire this .243 quite a bit before the hunt.

September 13, 2000, 08:33 PM	#8
rr41mag Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2000 Location: Biloxi, Miss. Posts: 180	he will definitly shoot the rifle quite a few times before we go out hunting.

September 13, 2000, 09:14 PM	#9
dZ Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 1999 Location: Exiled, Fetid Swamp, DC Posts: 7,548	where i hunt in PA a hundred pound deer is big most are german shepard sized

September 14, 2000, 07:30 PM	#10
smitty21 Member Join Date: August 3, 2000 Location: Hampton, Va. Posts: 93	A hundred pound deer is big? That is small!! I hunt in Schuykill Co., and the deer are are pretty big. I took 8 pointer one year that was about 234lbs. live weight. Right now I am stationed in Va. and the deer here are dogs with antlers.

September 15, 2000, 12:26 AM	#11
BadMedicine Junior member Join Date: July 7, 2000 Location: Anchorage Posts: 863	In washington you could hunt on some of the islands in the pudget sound. But theres a few catches. Alot of the islands you can hunt on are only a few square miles. they're pretty populatied so only shotgun w/ slugs, or Bow&arrow, and you have to know somebody with land to hunt on, or pay someone. The upside, is most are any deer. Well my friend came over after hunting his grandparents place. He said he had gotten a "nice buck." I went to look at it and it was already skinned except for the head, and the legs were cut off at the knee. This was the smalles deer I've ever seen shot!! It was Probably 40-60 pounds dressed, and had 1/2 inch antlers. They didn't hardly come above the hair. He said he saw a group of does and shot the closest one. Turned out to be a buck. I thought that was hilarious, it must've only been about 5 months old