.223 Vs .243 for white tail deer hunting?

[False_Cast]

+1

One single post of real life experience is worth suffering thousands of these Outdoor Life subscribers’ drivel.

 

[rbljack]

if long range isn't in the cards...I know these weren't on your list, but maybe a 7mm-08 or even 270 with the managed recoil ammo if they still make it. The Remington Managed recoil loads kicked less than normal 270 ammo....and worked well for my wife. she shoots regular 270 ammo now though. Although 223 will kill deer, I think its too small a caliber. 243 minimum, but that's just my opinion.

Oh...and gun weight matters too for sure. If mainly sitting in and not hiking for miles a heavier gun kicks less than a light gun in any given caliber. But that being said...my wifes 270 is heavy and guess who carries it when she has the tag and I don't....LOL. Choose wisely sir, but glad to hear she interested, that's awesome. Hunting expenses go WAY up fast though. Clothing, boots, backpacks,....everything is 2x, but there are worse problems to have then more gear right?

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

I just picked up a Rem Model 7 Stainless with HS precision stock in .243 on gunbroker for $650. great little rifle.

New or used? Midway had them for $750 new recently, but have since gone up. GREAT rifles.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

I would not hesitate to put a 223 in her hands. The right bullets out of a 223 destroy vitals. For the non-handloader, that means the Fusion 62. My grandson and granddaughter have quite a few one shot, no tracking kills with that round. It's not even close to marginal. Its on game performance is ideal. I have yet to meet anyone who couldn't easily master the 223. A 243 in a lightweight rifle may intimidate some.

If you get a 223, look for one that has a tighter twist than 1-12. I have seen some 12 twist 223s do well with bullets in the 60-64 grain range, and others that were marginal. The 62 grain Fusion isn't terribly long and would likely do well in 99% of 12 twist rifles, but there is a bit of a risk there.

A few more notes here. Through the current run on guns and ammo, 223s and more specifically, ammo can be a bit of work to find. 243 ammo is just about everywhere I have looked.

What's your budget?

 

[wildwilderness]

New or used? Midway had them for $750 new recently, but have since gone up. GREAT rifles.

It was NIB. sometimes good deals pop up! I did make a bad choice once on a Fieldcraft in 243 for $1100 NIB and passed on it, of course that was right before I found out they stopped making them

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

It was NIB. sometimes good deals pop up! I did make a bad choice once on a Fieldcraft in 243 for $1100 NIB and passed on it, of course that was right before I found out they stopped making them

Man, you got an incredible score on that one.

 

[alabamahunt]

243 if I had to choose between the two

 

[bikinitoboots]

Good post @bikinitoboots. Tell us more about your rifle & load setup in the bear pic, please.

My rifle is a Tikka T3 stainless with a krg chassis. For the antelope and bear, I shot 77gr TMK.

 

[Lawnboi]

One very important thing to keep an eye on when buying either calibers is the twist of the barrel. You want faster twist for shooting heavy for caliber bullets. They make both calibers in slower varmint twists.

 

[fwafwow]

I have hunted and killed deer with a 243, and know folks who swear by the 223 for the same. FWIW - https://www.themeateater.com/hunt/firearm-hunting/caliber-battle-223-rem-vs-243-win

 

[Jim1187]

If you don't handload and you're going to need ammo ASAP the .243 is probably easier to source currently. Honestly I didn't see a whole lot of difference between the 2 as long as bullets of a similar construction are placed well. My .243 became a lightweight 7mm-08, I still have a turnbolt .223 and it gets picked for black bears and whitetails from time to time.

 

[Dunndm]

I would not hesitate to put a 223 in her hands. The right bullets out of a 223 destroy vitals. For the non-handloader, that means the Fusion 62. My grandson and granddaughter have quite a few one shot, no tracking kills with that round. It's not even close to marginal. Its on game performance is ideal. I have yet to meet anyone who couldn't easily master the 223. A 243 in a lightweight rifle may intimidate some.

If you get a 223, look for one that has a tighter twist than 1-12. I have seen some 12 twist 223s do well with bullets in the 60-64 grain range, and others that were marginal. The 62 grain Fusion isn't terribly long and would likely do well in 99% of 12 twist rifles, but there is a bit of a risk there.

A few more notes here. Through the current run on guns and ammo, 223s and more specifically, ammo can be a bit of work to find. 243 ammo is just about everywhere I have looked.

What's your budget?

The budget is preferably around that 5-650 range... preferably with a scope but I mean if I gotta get an after market scope I won’t worry about it.


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[Dunndm]

I have hunted and killed deer with a 243, and know folks who swear by the 223 for the same. FWIW - https://www.themeateater.com/hunt/firearm-hunting/caliber-battle-223-rem-vs-243-win

That was very enlightening and a good read. Thank you for that!


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[Formidilosus]

That was very enlightening and a good read. Thank you for that!


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What was enlightening and good about it?

 

[260madman]

That was very enlightening and a good read. Thank you for that!


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Didn’t tell much. No first hand experience. Good plug for federal I guess.

 

[Mr Drysdale]

I’m not a fan of the 223 for deer BUT I have one grandson that is recoil sensitive that shoots a CVA single shot 223 using the Barnes Vor-Tx 55 grain ammo. Two Whitetail bucks fell to that combo last season. Neither went over 30 yards. Hard to argue with real world results.

 

[RMajors]

The .243 is definitely a better deer cartridge in my opinion. That being said, I took a whitetail doe last season with my 16" ar-15 using Barnes vor-tx 70 grain tsx 5.56 factory ammo. Even through the short barrel, the bullet took off the tip of the heart and exited. Deer ran maybe 40 yards and was as dead as any other I've ever shot. I would also recommend the 80 grain ttsx Barnes in the .243 if you decide to go that route. The .243 will have substantially greater energy, but if she's very recoil sensitive an 18" or 20" ar-15 will definitely have less recoil. Another plus to an ar-15 is length of pull adjustability and lighter weight. I must admit it was convenient getting in and out of stands with the stock collapsed on the ar. I'm going to try my 6.8 spc 16" ar this year for culling purposes with Federal XM68GD 90 grain gold dot and see how they perform. So there's flexibility in the ar for bigger than 22 caliber ammo. 6mm ARC, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 spc, are the first ones that come to mind.

 

[RMajors]

If you're looking for a nice wood stocked, pretty looking rifle, I did see a Winchester 70 featherweight compact .243 on gunbroker.com just a few minutes ago. It's a really nice looking rifle if a little spendy. The buy it now price is $825 on that one. I'll post a link if you'd like to check it out.

GunBroker.com - Error

 

[Dunndm]

I think we are settled on a 110 savage in a .243, she seems to like the feel and it’s not terribly heavy, but enough it seems to reduce some of the kick....
if she doesn’t like it I guess it’ll be back to this post to see what else is out there for her to like and I’ll keep it for myself hahah


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[Dunndm]

I’m sorry, it’s the axis. I was looking at the other.


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