If you can accept the limitations of the .223 caliber for hunting a deer, you are most welcome to use the type of rifle. The .243 is an awesome varmint round. LAHunter . The mild kick of the .243 makes it perfect for kids, and yet it is powerful enough to take down the largest deer. i was wondering what will be a better rifle a .243 or a .223 for whitetail deer . The .223 gives more distance than .222, and good caliber for fox and small deer species and exhibits good terminal ballistics for humane kills. go with the 243 for sure. This same velocity contributes to tissue damage. I cannot see any logic in getting the .223 for deer and fox, its unlikely you will never want to shoot English Roe or larger deer. Join Date: Oct 2007. Less than an inch difference in drop and drift gives it the win. and up something about me being lunch just doesn't set well with me . The .243 has become a favorite of hunters who want to shoot varmints, predators and deer size game with the same rifle. With good softpoint ammo a 223 will kill any deer. hey thanks alot for the help. 243 Winchester Overview. Having witnessed the impact of dozens of .243 bullets of many styles and construction on dozens of whitetails, pronghorns, feral hogs, coyotes, bobcats and even one zebra stallion, I’m convinced the 243 Win. The .243 is often referred to as the baby brother of the .308 Win. Most of the problems I see with the 243 is people using bullets that don't expand reliably. In other words don't shoot deer much beyond 150 yards. The .22 Hornet or .223 Rem would work okay, but not for deer. walt1980. “The .223 Remington is a suitable cartridge for hunting deer, within its limitation. I don't think I would recommend the 7.62x39 for bear but then the guys up north do go out for polar bears with a 223 each to their own . Neither would be satisfactory for fox. 243 is excellent for deer as well as 22-250 and 223. dean 913 is offline Quote Quick Reply. It has better expansion for deer sized game and is a better hunting cartridge out to about 250 yards. The .243 Win is a necked down version of the .308 Win and was introduced to the shooting world in 1955. vs. .30-06 Springfield Three of the most revered deer-hunting rounds in a head-to-head-to-head comparison By Ron Spomer Just about any centerfire is going to be hard on small fur bearers. Advertisement . Reload beast. It has plenty of velocity, energy, and penetration at moderate distances to take down deer. It has also become almost the standard long range deer and antelope cartridge for beginning hunters. The 243 Winchester versus 7mm-08 Remington race is won by the 243, but not by much. The .243 is also a great deer sized cartridge. The .223 is not legal for deer hunting in many states. In addition, it doubles as an effective varmint cartridge. Re: 223 vs 243 vs 270 by duncan61 » Sun Nov 13, 2016 1:05 pm Ive never shot a 270 but I have shot the 30/06.The ballistics are nearly at 7mm rem so Its got some go and it’s close cousins — the 6XC, 6x47 Lapua, 6mm Remington, 243 WSSM, 6mm-284 Win., and 240 Wby Mag. The .243 is marginal for deer except for experienced riflemen. First, though the .223 Remington and the 5.56x45mm NATO are technically different cartridges (the same goes for the .308 Winchester and the 7.62x51mm NATO rounds), the practical difference in performance between the .223 vs 5.56 (and the .308 vs 7.62) is very small and doesn’t make any difference for the purposes of this article. The design features play a big role in the general performance of the bullets. The bullets used must be tough, as they move at such high velocities. It will shoot a 55 gr bullet almost 4000 fps while the .223 can barely break 3000 fps. ... • .223 Remington vs. .22-250 Remington. Some hunters think the .223 Remington is too small of a caliber, without enough bullet weight, for deer. Here are the specifications for a much better deer and general purpose CXP2 game cartridge, in this case the 6.5x55mm shooting the economical Federal Power-Shok pointed soft point factory load: Bullet diameter: .264" Bullet weight: 140 grains; Sectional density: .287 Here’s a look at three of the best Bullet diameter: .243 in (6.2 mm) Case length: 2.045 in (51.9 mm) Twist: 1-10, 1-8 Availability: Great vs. .243 Win. I own an AR15 in .223, a singe shot .243 Winchester, and a Weatherby Vanguard in a .22-250 Remington. With the proper bullet the .223 Remington is more than adequate for deer. Whitetail Deer Cartridge Shoot-Out: .30-30 Win. I have Remington AR 223 and a number of other rifles that I have or had for coyote hunting. Many of the 100g bullets will pencil. Posts: 28 That seems like a question that answers itself. Just looking for some "educated" opinions on these 3 calibers for next deer rifle....223 vs .243 vs 7mm-08 ??? The 25-06, 30-06, 308, 7mm-mag, 270 and 50 BMG are'nt listed because I'm focusing on the top 3 for various reasons....Deer and maybe Varmint gun (coyote) Thanks ! About the same as a 357. It will either be a bolt action or an NEF Ultra single shot. Messages: 18 Likes Received: 22. Coyote Cartridges: .223 Rem. The .243 has only two downsides 1. it burns barrels quicker than .223 rem 2. its harder to moderate. For deer I'm a fan of 243 and up for bear I think 30 cal. AKG. What you want to avoid are light-for-caliber bullets that are made for either match or varmint shooting. I use the .243 for coyotes and groundhogs, and do the same with the .22-250. I will take a well placed shot over knock down every single time. Quote; Link to post Share on other sites. will cycle through almost any short action rifle, whether bolt, lever, pump, or semi-auto. I wouldn't pass on a 200 yard shot with the small whitetails around here, but with some of the bigger deer would probably limit my shots to 100 or less. Remember that your right selection of caliber will only bring success to your hunting experience..223 caliber vs 22-250 caliber I like to think of a 7.62x39 as a 30-30 with a better bullet design. When it comes to the 223 vs 243 recoil, you may find that hunting with a 243 may tire you out after a long day, but the 223 Remington is a faithful and easy to handle companion you’ll be glad to have by your side. Wait. Contrary to popular belief, the .223 is a legal big-game cartridge in most states. Anyway, I used to use the .243, and it is a joke in comparison when it comes putting the bigger deer species down, it will never see the open hill again to be honest. and if you get into handloading, Hornady makes a 58gr V-Max bullet for the 243 … Then of course there’s the long range rock star competitive round 6.5 Creedmoor against the .223/5.56 combat load issue of the military and well known among recreational shooters. What this cartridge offered was a long range hunting round that was able to take lighter bullets that were more suitable for target shooting and varmint hunting. Not sure for handloading, but in factory loads, the .243 has better performance in deer bullets than the .257 according to both winchester and remingtons sites John, and is considerably flatter shooting over longer distances. post #2 of 15 Old 11-04-2007, 06:48 PM. 223 is great for smaller game but isn't really the ideal cartridge for anything bigger than a man. This cartridge relies on velocity to drive the lightweight bullets deep. The 243 Winchester is by far superior to the 223 for deer and similar sized game. "The .243 Win. It generates a bit more energy at the muzzle than 223 and uses sane speeds, so I think it’d be a better close range deer cartridge than the 223… Therefore, 5.56mm NATO ammo isn’t safe for use in a rifle chambered for .223 Remington, but .223 is OK in 5.56. Very similar to ballistics on the 7.62×39, but lagging in power at 100-150 yards. I have said this several times on here recoil is the number 1 reason most hunters miss a deer. If you really want to use it for deer go 243. Nov 29, 2018 #15 . I shot my biggest whitetail deer to date with a .243 Winchester in Texas—with, of all things, an 85-grain Federal Trophy Copper bullet—and have many friends who find it to be absolutely perfect for deer. I would prefer the .270 for deer over the .243. Vs. .22-250 Rem. the 223 is more suited as a varmint round. Thus, powder charge is the main difference between 5.56 vs .223 cartridges. projectile is a great starter gun for young hunters. Vs. .243 Win. If you going to target deer use something more suitable, 243 and up,no need to be a hero and gloat bout i use a 22, 222, or 223 on deer, no need for 7mm mags etc. Just have to limit your ranges a bit. The 223 ammo is indeed a radical design. While the .223 has many advantages in range and ballistics, it is through reloading that the true potential can be achieved. 6.5 Creedmoor vs 223 Inside the gun community there are always talks about which is the better caliber, such as .308 vs the .243 or 9mm against the .45 ACP. JMHO. The ideal coyote hunting cartridge is flat shooting, highly accurate, and won’t ruin pelts. Otherwise 223 and buy a separate deer rifle sureshot006, Nov 27, 2018. sureshot006, Nov 27, 2018. Way to devastating for fur. It will either be a bolt action or an NEF Ultra single shot. The key to using a .223 Remington on deer is to keep impact velocities high. (granted, a well placed shot is effective on deer), but the 243 with 100gr. Effectively, it’s a 100 yard cartridge for hunting deer. By contrast, .223 Remington tends to produce lower chamber pressures between 52,000 and 55,000 psi, going by SAAMI specs. Just looking for some "educated" opinions ::; on these 3 calibers for next deer rifle....223 vs .243 vs 7mm-08 ??? (Ever seen a camo-clad wanna-be deer hunter with a .223 AR carbine?) If you are asking from a purely performance perspective I'll take the 223 any day. I will fire a 100 gr bullet at almost 3000 fps at about 2000 ft lb of energy and is capable of taking deer out to 300 yds. In most cases, the .223 will work best with a barrel length of twenty-two inches or slightly higher. I doubt many hunters -- big, little, veteran, or novice -- are capable of determining if they or the bullet missed by an inch at 300 yards. 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