# going deer hunting with a .243 first time



## Mud15 (Sep 24, 2004)

alright i have hunted many different species of game but this was my first year of deer hunting i went up north but saw nothing to shoot i used my shotgun with slugs... But now my friend said i can come with them to SD and his dad wit let me use he rifle its a .243 with a nice scope he piad big bucks for this gun and i must take good care of it.. i know that a .243 is like a minumum caliber for deer but i know its capable if shooting them with good shot placement. i have never shot a rifle in my life except for my .22 lr and i should target practice with it before i go out.. i think that biggest bullet u can get is a 100 grain do u guy recommend any bullet brand or i may ask him what he uses since it is his gun i know he uses it for coyotes and deer the scope is like 20 power very nice.. any help will be nice :beer:


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

use whatever brand shells it was sighted in with unless they aren't the 100 grain ones then you should buy some and re-zero it.


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## BirdCrusher (Nov 16, 2004)

Ask your friends dad what he was using to shoot deer with and buy the same brand and grain.

Never re-sight a gun that you barrowed from someone unless they ask you to or say it is alright.

Hope this helps


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

I dropped my buck this year with my .243. Running shot, I nailed it through both lungs and it ran about 30 yards. My father in law has used the .243 for over 20 years and has yet to track a deer. If you take smart shots the .243 is plenty large. You hear these people that make other claims. There are also people who think that a shot in the back leg is going to kill a deer. Not a chance. Hit the deer in the vitals, and you SHOULD get it. I know there are those freak occurances too where a deer will run forever hit in the vitals, so this is not 100%, but it should help your chances. I use 100 grain for deer. If you have not shot a caliber this size, you had better get used to how it shoots prior to going in the field.

You said the scope was 20 power. That seems awful high. My scope is a 3.5-10 power. I really never adjust it past 8X usually. If it is any higher a running shot will be tough. Good luck! I hope you succeed!


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## OneShotOneKill (Feb 13, 2004)

*Mud15,*

I hope the scope is variable so you can adjust it to a much lower setting. *The 243 Winchester is and always will be a capable humane deer sized game cartridge with bullet weights of 95 to 100 grains.* I also would talk to the father about what brand cartridges his rifle is sighted in for and purchase that brand or ask if you need to buy any at all.

If I let you barrow my rifle I would supply an adequate supply of deer hunting ammunition, and have you shoot the rifle with my ammo so you can feel confident with the rifle ammo combo, but that's me.


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## Mud15 (Sep 24, 2004)

yes sorry the scope is varible for 3-20 i bielieve


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

I reload 95 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips for my son's 243. He shot his deer this year at 225 yards, double lung, complete penetration. Deer went about 40 yards and expired.

You can get the same basic thing by using Winchester Supreme ammo with the 95 grain Ballistic Silvertip loading. Good luck!

huntin1


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## Mud15 (Sep 24, 2004)

yea i looked at those they look perty and i like the silver tip i might buy a box unless hes got some for me.. 225 yards nice i might buy me a .243 eventually hows the recoil with them?


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Recoil on the 243 is light, you should not have a problem with it.

huntin1


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## Mud15 (Sep 24, 2004)

alright sounds good cant wait to get out in jan 7


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## the_rookie (Nov 22, 2004)

the recoil of the 243 is very small compared to other calibers my friend has one were both 14 he is about 5 feet exacly tall and it doesnt really hurt him i myself have shot it good accuracy and im 5 feet 6 inches tall there is not enough recoil to say i dont want to shoot it in my free time hanging out i deer hunt with a model 94 winchester in 30-30 (old good gun) and that has more kick then a 243 and i can barrely feel that guns kick


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## smileyball32 (Dec 27, 2004)

huntin 1.

about the vitals, my uncle was watching this hunting show and it said that the best place to shoot the deer is not low shoulder, but high. yesterday we went hunting and he shot high shoulder, deer droped. not a step.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

I personally like that high shoulder shot. If your a little high you hit the spine or get a clean miss. A little low and your still in the heart lung area. Both does this year dropped like a rock with high shoulder hits.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Yeah, the high shoulder works real good. I still prefer to go lower and get the heart, just a habit picked up from bowhunting. Either way, it's venison in the freezer.  

huntin1


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