.243 for Mule Deer?

[Enslow]

I think it would work. I also think there are better calibers to choose from.

Yep agreed.

 

[SupressYourself]

[/COLOR]
People always say with the right shot placement when they talk about it. Well with the right shot placement a .22 will also kill a mule deer. There is a reason people use bigger guns for bigger animals. That is all.

While both certainly factor into the kill, I think people mention it in these conversations to emphasize that shot placement is much more important than how big the bullet is. If you shoot a deer in the leg with a 338 Lapua, it's not going to die.

 

[huntinforfish]

I shot my biggest whitetail to date with a .243 and it had no issues penetrating the front of the chest cavity with a dead straight on shot. I was 13 years old and have been chasing that mark for 16 years now...;:;boohoo The gun will work if used properly. Good luck!

 

[luvcatchingbass]

No way a normal 243 will work. What you really need is an AK-57 uzzie radar lasar triple barrel double scoped heat-seakin shotgun.

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Unless your 243 looks like this then it will work. If nothing else the cool factor will knock them dead.

 

[Enslow]

I would not hunt deer with an AMAX though they will splash if they hit bone. Especially on smaller calibers as they just dont hold together worth a shiite.

 

[lunkerslayer]

I would not hunt deer with an AMAX though they will splash if they hit bone. Especially on smaller calibers as they just dont hold together worth a shiite.

Enslow check your pm please

 

[Rowdie]

My brother who has hunted deer in SD for over 40 years, has killed more deer with a .243 than most of you will ever kill. In SD there are 2 seasons East and West river. He has had double tags for both many many of those 40 years. Plus, he used to shoot a deer for his tribal mother inlaw for many years. He has 2 .243's and he mostly used his old bolt action. I know he has shot the doe for his buddy many of those years also, not to mention the double tags of antelope every year.

Bottom line is this. If you can't place a .243 round in a deer and kill it, a bigger caliber won't matter much.

 

[Nmariner]

A 243 will work just fine. I used to use my 300 Weatherby Mag on Mule Bucks. Shot a buck straight through the heart with it that ran 200 yards before piling up. When I gutted him the only thing left of the heart was small chunks. This deer just stood up from his bed when I shot with no idea I was there. So no adrenaline or anything to keep him going. So even with perfect shot placement you may have to do some tracking regardless of caliber.

 

[huffranger]

I would not hunt deer with an AMAX though they will splash if they hit bone. Especially on smaller calibers as they just dont hold together worth a shiite.

Wrong

Although it’s not a TSX by any means the A-Max will crush and do the job it needs to do. I have zero doubt the pill will perform that’s why it’s my choice to use on deer.

Again opinions will run the gamut, but I am more than certain that you are wrong.

 

[deactivated]

My brother who has hunted deer in SD for over 40 years, has killed more deer with a .243 than most of you will ever kill. In SD there are 2 seasons East and West river. He has had double tags for both many many of those 40 years. Plus, he used to shoot a deer for his tribal mother inlaw for many years. He has 2 .243's and he mostly used his old bolt action. I know he has shot the doe for his buddy many of those years also, not to mention the double tags of antelope every year.

Bottom line is this. If you can't place a .243 round in a deer and kill it, a bigger caliber won't matter much.

10,000s of terrorists have been killed with a 5.56 mm bullet. Would a 6.5 mm or 7 mm bullet work better? I think so.

 

[Enslow]

The AMAX is a target bullet. I have shot antelope with light caliber AMAx’s and the animal gets blown up way to much. The amax puts them down but leaves a bloody mess under the skin. I will never kill another big game critter that i want to eat with a target bullet. Why not use the eld x instead as they are designed for hunting and have just as good of b.c.?

 

[Rowdie]

10,000s of terrorists have been killed with a 5.56 mm bullet. Would a 6.5 mm or 7 mm bullet work better? I think so.

Ya, a bigger caliber will work better, and ruin more meat.

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I shot my biggest whitetail to date with a .243 and it had no issues penetrating the front of the chest cavity with a dead straight on shot. I was 13 years old and have been chasing that mark for 16 years now...;:;boohoo The gun will work if used properly. Good luck!

Me too, shot by biggest deer with a .243 borrowed from my brother. Been chasing bigger with a 25-06 for 20 years and just haven't seen one that big while hunting. Love my 25-06 btw.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

Killed lots of game with a 243 and a 22-250.
I always called the 22-250 the meat gun. Because if it didn't kill it, it certainly wasn't the guns fault. Both are highly accurate one just needs to shoot a lot to know what it will do and where you put the bullet is #1.

 

[SupressYourself]

I would not hunt deer with an AMAX though they will splash if they hit bone. Especially on smaller calibers as they just dont hold together worth a shiite.

Uh-oh... People don't like it when you tell them their target bullet is not designed for hunting and therefore may not perform consistently.
Surprised KurtR hasn't spit his coffee all over the screen yet.

BTW: I don't have first-hand experience with the AMAX, but my brother found the same "splashing" on deer with the 123 AMAX out of a 260 Rem. Kills coyotes good and dead though. He runs the 127 LRX for deer now.

 

[Petras]

I used an old 6mm for my first 10 years of deer hunting. I've never had a problem killing mule deer with 85g remington corelocks. While it's not exactly the same as a .243, it's pretty Fricken close. Shoot away.

 

[Callem'In]

Posts like this one make me laugh. Shot placement is everything. Shoot what you are comfortable with whether that is a .223, 45-70, or anything in between. My 11 year old daughter shot her first whitetail doe this year with a .223 bolt action. It is what she was comfortable with and shoots well. She passed on some longer shots and some shots that were not ideal and waited for the right shot. 145 yards and it made it 2 steps and folded.

 

[labhunter66]

10,000s of terrorists have been killed with a 5.56 mm bullet. Would a 6.5 mm or 7 mm bullet work better? I think so.

So a 6.5 or 7mm would have killed them more dead?

 

[deactivated]

So a 6.5 or 7mm would have killed them more dead?

Way deader!!

 

[Kurtr]

The AMAX is a target bullet. I have shot antelope with light caliber AMAx’s and the animal gets blown up way to much. The amax puts them down but leaves a bloody mess under the skin. I will never kill another big game critter that i want to eat with a target bullet. Why not use the eld x instead as they are designed for hunting and have just as good of b.c.?

You know the old amax and new eldx have the same jacket thickness. Just saying

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Uh-oh... People don't like it when you tell them their target bullet is not designed for hunting and therefore may not perform consistently.
Surprised KurtR hasn't spit his coffee all over the screen yet.

BTW: I don't have first-hand experience with the AMAX, but my brother found the same "splashing" on deer with the 123 AMAX out of a 260 Rem. Kills coyotes good and dead though. He runs the 127 LRX for deer now.

I really don't care it's when one person puts a definite because of what they do but discredits a whole groups experience. The only deer I lost in my life was with a accubond so does that make all accubombs junk?

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Also it is much funner having this argument on the hide

 

[Stan's Dad]

You know the old amax and new eldx have the same jacket thickness. Just saying

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I really don't care it's when one person puts a definite because of what they do but discredits a whole groups experience. The only deer I lost in my life was with a accubond so does that make all accubombs junk?

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Also it is much funner having this argument on the hide

i agree with your take. although you do realize you are one of the more opinionated, my way or you're wrong types on here right?

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accubonds suck haha