# .270 or .243



## everynamestaken

i can't decide what gun to get. I hunt whitetail deer i can't decide from a .243 or .270 can anybody help me


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## huntingdude16

Either will kill a deer just fine.

Where do you live? If you live farther north, the .243 will do the job but you may opt for the .270 due to bigger bodied deer. If you live down south, a .243 should kill as well as anything.


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## ndm

If you hunt coyotes or fox, or like short action rifles with little or no recoil get the .243.

If all you will use this rifle for is deer, then I would go with the .270. A .270 could also be used to shoot elk or black bear.

Good Luck


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## MossyMO

A .243 with right bullet & load is the correct choice. IMHO


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## Horsager

A bullet of the proper construction inserted properly makes the discussion moot. An 85 or 110/130/140/150 TSX through the shoulders makes all your dreams of dead deer come true.


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## lunkerlander

.270


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## Sportin' Woodies

.243s are for women. seriously


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## Sasha and Abby

.243's are great for women and kids.

Get a .270 Win :sniper:


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## themaddmortician

Get a 270 with Winchester 130 grain power points, no deer, moose, or elk will run far with proper bullet placement.....but 270 works best with 130 gr. bullets, super fast, hits hard and easy on the shoulder.

Cheers,
TTM :beer:


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## bnbrk94

Apparently some people seem to think that a man shooting a 243 will not kill a deer. I have seen some pretty nice bang flops with a 243. They dont kick as hard and they are very flat shooting. Some of the comments must have something to do with the whole bigger caliber makes the deer more dead mentality.


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## bigbuck144

.243 are not for women. im 14 and its still is a good gun for people of different sexes and age.


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## dogdonthunt

look around at the stores and see what they carry for ammo... check the prices and what might be more common.... obviuosly cabelas and scheels are gonna have both but check out areas where you hunt and see who carries what ... ie.. places like convienence stores and such... you never know when your gonna get 60 or 70 miles away from your local hunting store and realize you remembered your tags, gun, and clothing but oops... you forgot your shells... it happens.... other than that both rifles will kill deer... just find out what you like better.... such as feel and weight.. good luck and have fun hunting :sniper:


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## weasle414

I hate that whole "243 are for women! Get a BIG GUN!" crap. Yeah big guns are fun sometimes. But to me, the added recoil wouldn't be worth getting the .270. Heck, I know a few guys that even use their .243 on black bear and elk and hardly ever have to track farther than 50-60 yards. DEAD IS DEAD, and both rounds will kill things just as well when packed with the right bullet, especially when it comes to deer sized game and smaller. If you stick a .243 bullet through a deers shoulder or heart, it's not going to live. If you do the same with a .270, it's not going to live. So now think about the added recoil, the .270 kicks like a mule in my books. The .243 is really easy on the shoulders and is a fun gun to shoot. And the last thing I've got to say is just what dogdonthunt said, check for ammo avalability. If you go to a local hardware store you could probably find 30-06, .270, and .308 shells just about 95% of the time. The .243 might be a bit harder than checking hardware stores, but the majority of sports shops sell a good selection of .243, and even a few hardware stores.


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## jkolson

I've used a .243 for 20+ years, my dad for 40+ years and it will flat DROP a deer. The only plus for a .270 is you can shoot 130 grain for deer and bump up to 170 grain for elk.


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## winston88

I like my 270 WSM. It brought down my Once in Lifetime ND moose and a whitetail every year that I have owned it. Fast, accurate and just enough take down power for anything you will hunt in ND. 140 AcuBonds is how I roll and I see that Winchester now has 150 grain for bigger game. Just my two cents.


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## usmarine0352

everynamestaken said:


> i can't decide what gun to get. I hunt whitetail deer i can't decide from a .243 or .270 can anybody help me


Will you EVER hunt for anything bigger? Moose, Elk Bear? Gophers, coyotes?

If you think your going to shoot bigger animals, look at the .270 or .270 WSM.

If you think you may shoot smaller, look at the .243.

Remember in MN, a .243 is the smallest you can use. If you are out in the big country with possible long range shots, the .270 WSM or .270 will shoot farther, flatter, with more power then a .243.

If I'm going to shoot a deer of a lifetime, I want to make sure I'm not limited by my rifle.

...........If I want to be limited I'd shoot muzzleloader, bow, shotgun, or pistol.

Also, make sure your ok with the increased recoil of a .270. If you can go to a gun range and shoot both, see how they feel that will help alot.

:sniper:


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## Horsager

I'll tell you for sure in Dec but I'm betting that an 85gn TSX from a 243 will punch both front shoulders of a whittail out to 400yds (probably further) and keep right on sailing. Chart shows I'm under 900 F.P.E. I hope that doe doesn't get up and leave after I render her heart, lungs, and front quarters useless just because I didn't have 1000fpe when the bullet got there. Results to follow, pics and stats if I find the bullet.

An accurate rifle shooting good bullets placed properly makes caliber discussions largely moot.


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## Jiffy

Neither......308 

Between the two I would take the 270.


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## huntin1

243 or 270 either one is great for deer.

But I agree with Jiffy.....go 308.

huntin1


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## szm69

why not both?


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## Horsager

szm69 said:


> why not both?


Truely the best and most well thought out answer of the thread!!

*BRAVO!*


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## iwantabuggy

Horsager said:


> szm69 said:
> 
> 
> 
> why not both?
> 
> 
> 
> Truely the best and most well thought out answer of the thread!!
> 
> *BRAVO!*
Click to expand...

I agree.


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## bucidart

Maybe you should start off by what type of rifle you would prefer to shoot and feel more comfortable to handle.
I am a lever-action man and my favorite is the Savage 99, which is a short action rifle which excludes the chambering of the longer .270 cal.
By far the most popular rifle is the Bolt-action and it will handle all calibers(that I know of) with a short -action or a long -action.
Then some hunter perfer the Pump-action rifle and Shotgun so the shooting and rechambering are a "natural" reaction.
I have .243 and .300 savage in the 99's and .30-.30 in 94' plus my favorite is my .40-.65-260 in a 1900 era 1886 Win.... KICK'S like a mule but put's a smile on your face when you know that a 260 grain bullet just left the barrel.

Shoot stright and watch the wind...

bucidart


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## szm69

Horsager said:


> szm69 said:
> 
> 
> 
> why not both?
> 
> 
> 
> Truely the best and most well thought out answer of the thread!!
> 
> *BRAVO!*
Click to expand...

I like to think out of the box and after hours of arguing with myself, I came to the cosmic resolution that it was really a trick question and you need both because there was not a good reason to own just one......................hope I didn't loose anyone

lol


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## earlthepearl

A .243 is fun to shot, cost less to shoot, and is great for hunting deer of any size.
Bullet placement is the key with any size gun.
Using a .243 you can shoot all day without the hurt, so you won't tend to have that flinch when you shoot.
You'll get very good at shooting.
I like 100 grain super X in mine.


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## phildo57

i shoot a .270. never had a deer go more than twenty yards after takin a hit from it. recoil is hardly noticeable. especially when there's brown in the scope!!


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## bigbuck144

i know another guy besides me whoe shoots a 243 and when that deers hit hes going down right there or close by !!!!!!!! :sniper: :sniper: :sniper:


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## everynamestaken

i think that i am going to get a .270 savage i have heard that you can't find shells for .243


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## Horsager

When it was my job to run an ammo dept the rifle ammo went as follows. 270/30-06 ran neck and neck. 243/7mm ran #3 and #4. If you're having trouble finding 243's it must be just unpopular in your region. No flies on the 270 though.


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## bigbuck144

what do you mean cant find .243. check bass pro , cabela walmart kmart. they all carry them here in pa but im not sure of there. but one of the places has got to have them!!!!!!!!! :eyeroll: :roll: :beer:


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## Sportin' Woodies

seriously, .243s are for women. you fellas shooting one are girls.

.270 recoil aint nothing.
.270s arent "big butt whoopin" calibers of the future.

.243s dont really retain enough knock down power past 250 yds to consistantly and cleanly kill a deer, esp a big buck like yall have up north.


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## kjmdrumz3

Sportin' Woodies said:


> seriously, .243s are for women. 243s dont really retain enough knock down power past 250 yds to consistantly and cleanly kill a deer, esp a big buck like yall have up north.


Maybe he's not planning on 300+ yard shots. I would think if that were the case he'd be looking at .300 Win Mag's and the such. Up North here there are quite a bit of fields, but also alot of thick hardwoods. On my dad's property up here 75 yards is about the max as far as woods hunting goes. The .243 is PLENTY of gun for that. Depends on the situation. And YES.....I SHOOT A .243 WINCHESTER!


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## thurdypointer

I started shooting a 270 when I was 13 and could handle it fine. the only time I notice recoil is on the bench. It is the perfect deer rifle in my eyes.


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## kjmdrumz3

I think what matters most is what you feel COMFORTABLE with. Try and shoot both if you can get a chance. I just shot my first deer this morning with a 50 cal. Muzzle Loader. And when people tell you that you won't feel the recoil when shooting at game it is absolutely true! Only on the bench will you notice the kick. The .243 is plenty of gun for whitetail as long as you aren't trying to shoot 250+ yards. Every "X caliber vs Y caliber" will spark debate no matter what type of game you are going after. In the end, go with what feels best TO YOU!


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## Wyomingpredator

When you are looking for a gun to shoot the most important thing is can YOU shoot it accurately My grandma shot over 20 elk with a 243 and none were head shots. I have seen many deer and larger game fall to a well placed shot from both a 243 and a 270. my only objection to a 270 is most animals I have seen shot with them had a larger exit hole than most other calibers. could have been the bullet or they way it was hit.


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## gunsmokex

1st time hunting? How old are you? How many deer have you killed? What area of the country do you live? How much does recoil affect your shooting? Do you plan on taking bigger game than a deer? Do you plan on ever reloading?

Lotta factors to consider. I sure wouldn't buy my rifle based on what the hardware store has or on if some Texan says .243's are for women, lol.

I use Winchester Model 88's, .243 and .308. I probably shouldn't use them since they are collectors, but hey what's the use in owning a gun if you don't use it :sniper: Of the 2 though I'd have to say my .243 is more accurate.


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## Hooligan

*Like most have said you can debate this issue till next season. Boils down to personal preference, as well as other factors.

I started with a 30.06 and went to .270 Win.

As far as recoil goes, if you're hunting, you don't even feel it because you're all pumped up for the hunt. However, at rifle range, thats a different story, you gonna feel it after shooting a box of ammo.... :lol:

Since I am the only one that hunts in my family I pretty much have the gun collection to myself, Winchester model 70 .270 win, Remington 700 ADL .270 win and a Marlin lever action 30-30. Had a Savage 30.06 and Remington semi auto 30.06 sold both of those. Dad lost a Winchester model 70 .243 quite a few years ago, actually it got stole after he rolled his pickup 2 miles out of town when we lived in Missouri, it was in the behind the seat, when he went back to the truck a few hours later it was gone.

It all up to the shooter, but .270 win seems to be a popular choice IMO.

Good Luck All -- 6 days and counting.....*


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## 308

I am 12 and I shot a pump action 12gauge 3 inch mag. I want somthing witha bit more kick  But seriosly it wasn't that bad


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## stuffer

:lol:


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## gunner30-06

i have a 243 & i never have yet lost a deer, as long as u put it through the shoulders under 150 yards
right now i cant deside wether to buy a 270 or 30-06 if somone thinks that they could help me that would be nice


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## 308

30/06 they are awesome.

bullets wiegh from 125grain to 220grain.

Good for anything up to elk or moose :beer:


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## headshot

My "go to" deer and yote rifle is a 243. Loaded with partitions or the TSX it will take any big game that roams N. america. People who say it won't are usually lousy shots that have trouble hitting the kill zone. I used to live in an area that allowed 223's for deer. I have shot quite a few sitka deer with a 60 gr. partition. IMO a 243 is a more "ethical" calibre than the 7.62x39 that some people rave about. Just remeber any shot in the boiler room will be deadly with proper ammo. Even with a 22lr. (i don't condone this but it does have enough energy at less then 100 yards)


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## boondocks

.270 under all circumstances is better for deer than a .243.

If you plan on hunting yotes get another gun. .22-250 or.223.


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## bigbuck144

.243 just killed my first buck and my first deer with one today!i used 100 grain core lock bullets from remmington.when he was hit he stumbled and walked about 20 feet and fell right over.what a sight.now im soo hooked on hunting!


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## dd6

A 20 guage shotgun can have more recoil than the 270. If you shoot a shotgun okay, you can handle the 270!! Why not by a gun that can handle a 350 yard shot. Even in south east Pennsylvania there are 300 yard fields. Plus, the heavier 270 bullet, usually 130gr., is better for brush.
If you go upstate around Elk or Clearfield counties, you can have 500 yard field or coal strip mine shots if you want, not that you should take that shot! If he shoots a 12 ga. he can handle the 30-06.
But the lighter kick helps big time. How well do we shoot a .22!

With a good 3-9x scope and a proven bolt gun, the 270 recoil isn't much to worry about. You get more bullet weights and better construction with the 270 and about the same trajectory with more punch=reach! 
Even if your 12, youll be 18 before you know it!


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## Estaban

I shoot a .270 wsm but I have been thinking about using my .243 the next season. If I use my .270 again I know I won't be using ballistic tips. DANGNABIT!!!!! I sure damaged a boat load a meat when I use those kind o' bullets! .243 is much cheaper to shoot too.

BTW, I know a .243 will do just fine. Hell, I've used a .22 long rifle to bring down deer and they don't stray too far after being shot. .243 is not just a womans gun or for sissy's. I'm going to be using one and if you would call a 6' 5" 296 pound man with a 36' waist a sissy then I'd like to see what manly men look like where you come from Sportin woodies. [/b]


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