800 yards? Thats not hunting, thats long range execution! IMO you cant be accurate at that range repeatably enough for that to be humane. Just my opinion.

My grandfather has been chasing whitetails in south Texas for about 75 years now and shoots a .243. Good enough for me! With correct shot placement they fold up immediately. THe most important thing is shot placement. If you are prone to taking running shots, get a .375 H&H. That'll put them down for sure.

EVA3....as does a 25-06. It shoots a 115 grain faster, with more energy and flatter than a .243 with 100 grain out to 500 yards. Why is the 25-06 not the best caliber versus a .243?

[This message has been edited by sunchaser (edited 12/5/2006 6:25a).]

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EVA3....as does a 25-06. It shoots a 115 grain faster, with more energy and flatter than a .243 with 100 grain out to 500 yards. Why is the 25-06 not the best caliber versus a .243?

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I don't think one is really any "better" than the other when you get down to the nuts and bolts of it. Both are excellent, if not perfect, white tail rounds.

However, concerning power...I have seen several cases where more power wasn't necessarily better. I hunted out in Ozona a couple of years back with several co-workers and clients on our company lease. I brought my .243, one of the clients brought his .300 Win Mag. He shot an 8 pointer at about 135 yards and we had to track it for over 1/4 mile before we found him. At that close of a range, the round had so much energy that it wasn't able to transfer enough of the energy into the deer itself to really be an effective knock down round. Now, had he had another hundred or so yards on the shot, I have no doubt at all that he would have dropped the deer in it's tracks.

I popped my doe at about 170 yards and she didn't take a step. That's because my round was able to transfer considerably more energy into the deer itself, which is what you want to happen.

At shorter ranges, say under 200 yards, I'd say the advantage goes to the .243. At ranges from 200-300 yards, they are pretty much dead even, and at anything over 300, the advantage goes with the .25-06. But both are excellent rounds for white tail without a doubt.

I think in the case of more power may not be better, you really need to look at the bullet type. I think matching the bullet type to the game is as important as the caliber itself.

If you have a 300 mag Full Metal Jacket travelling at 3000fps, it may go through like a needle.

Do you want a needle? No?

Do you want a hammer? No?

You want something that goes in like a needle and turns into a hammer (expands) when it gets in.

You best scenario would be where the bullet was where you could pluck it from the other side of the animal. It expended every bit of energy on the animal.

Big bullets moving slow make big holes, causing blood loss and organ damage.

Small bullets moving fast make little holes and also hydrostatic shock. the body is mostly water, and if you slap water it disturbs all the water around it. Same as a fast bullet hitting a body. It causes a lot of cellular damage that way.

I first learned about Hydrostatic shock in my riflery class at A&M. Different kind of guy teaching it. Maybe that's a question for another thread ....

Okay - on to bullets.
Here's a tip. The correct bullet choice makes a world of difference. For instance, those of you using Ballistic Bilvertips - dump them and buy the XP3 as soon as they are available in your calber. I recently observed the difference in damage between the two round in .300WSM and it was unfreaking believable.

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Okay - on to bullets.
Here's a tip. The correct bullet choice makes a world of difference. For instance, those of you using Ballistic Bilvertips - dump them and buy the XP3 as soon as they are available in your calber. I recently observed the difference in damage between the two round in .300WSM and it was unfreaking believable

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I have had excellent results out of my Ballistic Silvertips over the years. Great expansion, the bullet held together (sans the copper jacket) and effective knock down power in every shot.

I'll probably take a look at the XP3, but it will come down to whether or not Winchester Loads them in their Supreme line of rounds. I have been more than happy with the out of the box performance and accuracy that the 95 gr. Supreme rounds have performed with my rifle.

Every rifle is finicky about a particular type of ammunition, and when you find one that works as well as I have, it's hard to just up and change. Not to say that the XPe won't be a great round for my rifle, but change.....well, it's hard.

Guess that's why it doesn't leave a mark when you get beaned in slow pitch.

Sierra GameKings

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EVA3....as does a 25-06. It shoots a 115 grain faster, with more energy and flatter than a .243 with 100 grain out to 500 yards. Why is the 25-06 not the best caliber versus a .243?

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Because I was just stating my opinion, and without ever having shot a 25-06, I have no basis for an opinion on that round.

This thread cracks me up

77 replies and over 1400 views when the answer to the original question could have been in the 2nd post: yes.

Gun guys (and gals!) do love to talk about guns, don't they?

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This thread cracks me up

77 replies and over 1400 views when the answer to the original question could have been in the 2nd post: yes.

Gun guys (and gals!) do love to talk about guns, don't they?

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Goose, so you say your favorite rifle is the Ruger Model 77 and your favorite shotgun is the Winchester 1400 ...

So why do you like them and think they are the best?

Little Story:

I used to sell guns. And every hunting season, hunters would come in and buy a new rig; all carefully selected (make, model, grade, caliber, optics, bases and rings, everything) and at the end of the process, form all filled out and money changed hands, I'd ask them why they were buying a new rifle. Maybe 1 in 20 answered that they were either first time hunters or were hunting an animal in a previously unhunted size range, elk primarily. The other 19 just wanted something new and different from what they had. Nothing wrong with the old rig, just wanted something new.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

One of the craziest questions my wife ever asked me ... "Why do you need more than one gun?"

I just shook my head and walked away ...

I have had my .243 Smith and Wesson (yes they used to make rifles) for 19 years. Never missed a beat with it and the only ones that ran off were clean missed, b/c I was an idiot and didn't take a good solid shot.

I do some handloading, but with things getting crazier around hunting time. I just buy the 100 grain bullets at acadame $9 or $10 for 20 of them. Gun shoots really good.

With all the towel heads going crazy these days, a man can never have too many guns (and ammo!) Snicker...

aggiecoach - yes the .243 is enough gun for texas whitetail. we got to go hunting this last weekend. the daughter used her .243 with some 80g bullets i loaded. 2 shots and 2 deer dropped dead right there. I was using a remington 260 with some 120g ballastic tip bullets i loaded. the one deer i shot ran off into the woods. if the daughter hadn't found the blood trail, i would have never found that deer. all 3 deer were shot in the heart.

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One of the craziest questions my wife ever asked me ... "Why do you need more than one gun?"

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I told my wife I wanted one of the Marlin .308 Expresses when they come out, and she told me I had to get rid of one of my other guns, to get a new one. I asked her if she knew how many I had, "No". I asked her if she knew the combo to the safe, "No". And that's the way its gonna stay...

Techsan -

The 308 works great on deer. ever since I've got it about 7 or 8 years ago, it has dropped deer right in their tracks. I haven't had to track one yet.

I hand load 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips, and the lighter bullets really help on trajectory for the short action round, and they also happen to be the most accurate round for my rifle (Rem 700 VS).

All in all the .308 is a great caliber and I definitely recommend it for deer.

^
KRamp, thats funny right there. Its like every Christmas I ask for a new gun, just in the off chance that I might get lucky. Im 18 and already up to 6, I think Im lagging, its been since months since I got a new gun. Spent my graduation money on a new O/U, thats the way its done!

To keep on topic, yes, the .243 is a great gun provided you put the bullet in the right place. Little less margin of error as with larger calibers.

"The road goes on forever and the party never ends."

[This message has been edited by mneisch (edited 12/12/2006 3:01p).]

Does anyone else here call BS on the claims of 300-800 yards shots?

Sure someone might take a 300 yarder every now and then but I would fathom that the vast majority of deer taken (especially in texas) are taken somewhere between 75-150 yards.

Of course this is texags so I am sure there really are all those Gunny Hatchcock Jr's out there.

Theres not very many places in Texas where you can even SEE for 800 yards. 300, maybe, 800, no way.

"The road goes on forever and the party never ends."

Hunted with one for over 20 years. Its a great rifle IMO. Have used a 270 the last couple of years.

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Does anyone else here call BS on the claims of 300-800 yards shots?

Sure someone might take a 300 yarder every now and then but I would fathom that the vast majority of deer taken (especially in texas) are taken somewhere between 75-150 yards.

Of course this is texags so I am sure there really are all those Gunny Hatchcock Jr's out there.

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Personally I've only taken 2 deer past 300 yards, and one of them was just barely past that mark. 90% of them have been under 200, which I'm betting that is probably true for most of the hunters out there.

I do, however, have a buddy of mine that wouldn't even entertain shooting at a white tail that was under the 300 yard mark. But he was also one of those exceptional marksmen with his rifle. I wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it (and ranged it) with my own eyes, but a neck shot at 437 yards is pretty impressive. I also watched him group 5 shots at 9 3/4" at 1000 yards with his 270. That little turd could shoot like few others I have come across.

There are those out there that can, and do, take shots that most other people can't really imagine taking. They are few and fairly far between, but I've seen it done more than once.

Several of my first deer were shot using my brother's 243. I know own my own 270 and love it, but never had any problem with my brother's gun.

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Theres not very many places in Texas where you can even SEE for 800 yards. 300, maybe, 800, no way.

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My granddad and dad hunted on Matagorda Island a couple times on the state park. There, all of their deer were shot at about 500 yards. It is pretty easy to see that far on the island from a stand.

Okay I can't stand it any longer.

NO - BULL****!

All the deer were shot at 500 yards my ass!



Unless the Marines were conducting a live fire drill with scout snipers I am not buying it.







AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.270 and hit 'em in the neck. The violence of the blow usually breaks their neck. A user friendly (and humane) kill.

Someone needs a range finder.

I had an aoudad at 398 yds the other weekend out in West Texas...I had a 3x9 scope and the damn crosshairs looked bigger than the things body. I did not shoot, cause if I did I would have had to aim at the middle of it's body and pray I hit it. I call BS on all the people who say they consistently shoot deer at 400+ yards.

also, if you don't have a range finder it is highly likely that you think you are shooting farther than you really are...I would have sworn that aoudad was 500+ yards...rangefinder said 398.

Nothin' like my Tikka T3 in .270 WSM. 140 gr shoots flat and fast. Lower recoil than a long action .270. Not a lot of damage to the animal. I've killed 2 elk with it with lung shots - one each. Awsome cartridge IMO.

Beat the ever lovin, ever livin, compound, complex, Fightin Texas Aggie Hell out Cal!

The dispersion on even a good manufacturer original barrel that hasn't been re-worked is probably so great that its luck as much as skill at 400+ yards. You shoot 1/2 inch group at 100 yards, it will be at LEAST 2 inches at 400 yards. You add in the fact that shooters rarely shoot as well in the field with a cold gun as they do at the range with a not so cold gun, warm up shots, and less pressure, and its the rare man that can pull that kind of shot off consistently enough to claim skill versus luck. You can probably always hit body, but not with a truly well placed shot that kills quickly.

I'm not into long range shots myself, scopes just piss me off by principle and they're not so sporting to me. I'd rather get well into easy iron sights range with a .223 carbine using 72 or 75 grain softips, or a good old 30/30 or 45 colt lever action and do it that way. More challenge, as you have to operate like a bow hunter would, fieldcraft, etc. Needless to say, I don't bring home much meat, but that's not the point for me.

I'm not so sure you want to go heavier than you need to with little texas deer unless you are holding out for a trophy, and need the extra footlbs. From all accounts, a .243 is a great cartridge. My deer killin fool buddy from Munday swears by is 25-06 though. I've shot it, and it is a sweet cartridge..very flat trajectory. I'd probably do that or a 270 if I wanted to get a scoped rifle instead of my carbine.

Thought I'd add this, just for levity:

http://www.break.com/movies/deerboxing.html

I've hunted deer my entire teenage/adult life. I have guided for years.

I have seen only a handful of deer taken at distances more than 250 yards.

Personally, I took a whitetail doe at about (pace counted) 320 yards in an oat field. I took a wing and a prayer shot and got lucky, 7mag collapsed the spine mid body.

All this talk about 400+ yards shots on whitetail is grade A bullsh**.