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I'm buying a Ruger M-77 in .243 cal., bolt, with wide Canjar custom trigger. 2x-7x Redfield "Frontier" variable scope for $450, second-hand. My friend got a big white-tail with it- seemed almost like an elk!
What's the biggest game one should try for with that puppy?
Accuracy is excellent: I got a 1 MOA with the first three rounds, first try. Of course, the owner has previously been using it hence well-zeroed.

Hi Jaeger,

A White tail or a Mulie is about the size limit for the 95- 100 grain bullet in the .243 Winchester round.

R,
Bullseye

I agree, you shouldn't be shooting anything thicker skinned than a mule deer; unless of course it's self-defense.

Talk is Cheap.

One fellow told me of an elk taken in north central Colorado,
near Steamboat Springs with a .243. He told me though that the .243 was
NOT an elk rifle. Like the previous responses, I agree that a mulie is about the effective limit of a .243. Then there are those who'll disagree.

Ripsaw

I hope you don't mind my jumping in. My .243 has killed over a dozen deer so I have some experience with the round. Double lung shots with pointed soft point bullets did not exit but killed deer fast. Since switching to nosler partition the bullets zip right through in a straight line on double ling shots. My point is that I believe I can now take shoulder or angling shots at deer successfully with the partitions and kill much larger animals with a double lung shot with the partitions.

Fran

You are correct.

With proper shot placement the .243 will take larger game than deer. You also reinforce the point that the .243 has harvested deer successfully and quickly. Nosler makes a 100gr bullet, on the light end for elk. I still think that the .243 is not an elk calibre. As I stated, there are those who'll disagree on the .243 being an elk rifle, you're one of them.

Ripsaw

The .243 is a deservedly popular caliber, but "With proper shot placement" says it all. Guys have killed African lions with the .243, and elephants with the .22 Long Rifle.

But should you? is the question to ask. My Son in law's father uses a 6mm for elk, and gets his every year. The year I hunted wth him, I saw how he does it. He shoots them LOTS of times, till that little bullet gets to something vital.

Deer, black bear and hog are as big as I would like to go with the .243, and I think the heaviest, deepest penetrating bullet you can find and getting closer would insure better results with a borderline caliber.

In the book "Cartridges of the World" by Frank C. Barnes, one of the calibers mentioned, I believe it is the 7 mm Mauser, has taken almost all big game in the world. Including elephant.

It's been a while since I have looked it up and no longer have a edition of this book. Mr Barnes states that although this has been a successful caliber on dangerous African game, this hardy makes this cartridge a suitable caliber for elephant.

Same with the .243 on elk. Many have been harvested with proper shot placement with the .243, but I agree with you that this caliber is better suited to smaller game and is borderline for elk. Just my humble opinion though and there will be those who disagree.

I have seen BIG elk in north central Colorado and South central Wyoming.

There are always anecdotal cases where someone successfully took game that maybe they should not have. Any time a question comes up concerning the suitability of a caliber someone will make mention of having succeeded taking such and such game with some borderline round. But they seldom bring up the fact that for every one of those successful attempts there are no doubt many more cases where the animal was wounded and got away or took several shots to complete the job.

Better to stick with a round that is suitable for the game you're after than take the chance that you are the exceptional hunter capable of perfect shot placement every time.

DWS

DancesWithSquirrels wrote:There are always anecdotal cases where someone successfully took game that maybe they should not have. Any time a question comes up concerning the suitability of a caliber someone will make mention of having succeeded taking such and such game with some borderline round. But they seldom bring up the fact that for every one of those successful attempts there are no doubt many more cases where the animal was wounded and got away or took several shots to complete the job.

Better to stick with a round that is suitable for the game you're after than take the chance that you are the exceptional hunter capable of perfect shot placement every time.

DWS

This post pretty much sums it all up.

Wounded game and those animals that suffer and die from wounds, are depressing to me and bring disdain on all who hunt. A clean, humane kill with respect to the animal is best.

Ripsaw

while i dont consider the 243 an elk rifle, two of our guides from the outfit i work for use nothing but the 243 or 6mm rem... i have killed one with it.. it resulted in a good hit, but i needed another for a finisher... in western montana, quite a bit of folks, mostly older,, use the 243 with great success.. but the people i speak of are not non resident hunters,, but folks who spend most of the year around looking for and studying elk... i would use it again, but not as a first pick.... i have also seen it account for a fairly decent pile of black bear..... as for my personal druthers,, i like the 338 win mag, or plain ol 30-06...but i have used a 30-30 with success twice,,, but wouldnt shoot a bull further than 70 yards,,,, but to me shots in black timber are selfom seen further than that

MountainWalk.338, I once killed a bull elk with a 25/06, which I often used for 10 years prior harvesting whitetail deer and antelope. However, I will not take it elk hunting anymore, as I figure I just got lucky that day by golly.

My go to elk gun is a .338 Win mag and backup is a .338/06 because it is very light to carry and still packs a good punch with a 210 Nosler Partition bullet.

I would for sure stay with whitetail deer and antelope types using a .243 Winchester caliber. Now after all, it is NOT a draggon slayer by any means. It can do big things in the hands of a very experienced hunter/marksman using a 100 grain premium bullet but it still does have a lot of limitations.