Like everyone had said ammo and shot placement. I use a 22-250 and swear by the 60gr nosler partition. I can post pics of exit wounds the size of fifty cent pieces from a 120 yards.

I've actually seen two elk killed with a Browning lever action .243. Shot placement shot placement shot placement.

He's concerned about lack of a blood trail. This could be because his bullets are punching through without expanding enough OR because they are expanding too much and not exiting. It isn't clear to me from his statements which is the case.

Last 2 or 3 years I've used the 100 gr Nosler BT in my 260, and about at the same MV as in your 243. Prior to that I shot the 120 gr version of that bullet. I can say that the 120 gr version worked a bit better (deer deader faster), but the 100 grainer still worked Ok, but often with no exit. But, when I finally found that spike I've been hunting, the 100 gr BT just flat blew through the deer at 100ish yards. Major exit wound. Targeted spot was about 1/3 of the way down, right behind the shoulder.

I've been using Nosler BT's since they were introduced. Great bullet. Never had exit wound issues with the 270 or when using the 120 in the 260. As for the 100 grainer, it works every time but I rarely get an exit on large hogs and on some deer. If you want a consistent exit wound, I think a bullet change is in order. The Accubond, if they have a good bullet weight in your caliber, would be an obvious choice - or the Partition.

As is often the case,the first reply is one of the best. FWIW a .243 is the biggest thing I use on deer.They work great!

Flat Shooting Round

Lots of deer killed with 243. Most any of the factory offerings with hunting bullets will do the job. Blood trail is going to be more dependent on what bullet your shooting and shot placement.

I would go for some form of bonded core, partitioned, or mono metal bullet if looking for a blood trail.

Dad shot a bull elk with a .243 in Colorado. It's big enough.

I like to use my Remington 760 243 with Remington core-lokts 100 grain. I shot a buck across the front shoulders this year at about 80 yards. It was a complete pass through and plenty of blood. He might have ran 50 yards. I used to use a Remington 700 carbine in 6mm when I was younger. I killed countless deer and pigs with that gun.

One more thing, I read an article in Wyoming wildlife from the sixties where a father and son killed a mule deer,pronghorn, elk, and a moose with a 243. It was the only gun they had and nobody told them they were under gunned.

My son - 2 deer this season with .243
Me - 0 deer this season with 30-06

Our family has used the .243 since it came out in 1955 for mule deer in New Mexico. We have taken literally over 100 deer combined with the .243 and its all about bullet selection. Too light and it busts "no penetration". The best bullet by far we found was the 100 grain Sierra pro hunter. Good heavy bullet with great penetration and retention. I have taken muley's out to 300+ yards and get exit wounds. Now you won't get the blood trail you would get with and 30 cal of some variety, but you won't lose as much meat. As far a fusion ammo is concerned my opinion it is to lightly constructed thus NO penetration. Just my $.02

I've shot a lot of deer with a 7 mag and I rarely get an exit wound. Never been much of an issue because they don't go far. I now mostly use Remington Managed Recoil ammo because a full power 7 mag is just not necessary.
A .243 is a sweet round for Texas sized whitetail. If they are dropping close to where you shot them, then I say stick with it.

BTW my load for .243 is 43 grains of IMR4350 with 100 grain Sierra pro hunter. Gives you a muzzle of about 2850 and is deadly on deer. I took a big 9 point 2 last year on a ranch near Talpa, and literally dropped it in its tracks, which made tracking easy.

I enjoy the lightweight feel of my daughter's Browning Micro Medallion .243 and have taken both deer and hogs with it. It packs a powerful punch for a gun that carries so easily.

I've always shot 100 grain Remington Core Lokt ammo.

Except for recent accuracy issues I always had great success with Core-Lokts. Got a pass through almost every time. The only couple I remember not going through were a buck I must have hit in the boniest lower part of the shoulder and a doe that was heavily quartering to me. The buck went down in a pile and never even twitched. When my dad helped me load him we couldn't even find the entrance wound, but his shoulder and heart/lungs behind it were destroyed. On the doe, I found the bullet under the skin on the far side ham-it was a perfect mushroom and had devastated her chest cavity on the way through after I hit her in the chest just inside the near shoulder.

If your gun likes them they are both affordable and deadly, IMO. However, testing with them in the last 5 years has shown that neither my 700 or 788 like them very much, only around 2-2.5" groups at 100 yds. With Ballistic Silvertips or Hornady SSTs both guns are MOA or better. I actually liked the Winchester better but they got hard to find two years ago and I made the switch to Hornady. I have too much of the Hornady or I would switch back to the Winchester BTs tomorrow, they seem to hold together better. But my dad has shot four-five so far this year with the Hornady and the blood trail on one was impressive (only went 30 yards) and no recovery issues on any of them.

I absolutely love my Remington 243 and have been using 100 grain cor lokt bullets for years. Rarely will I get a blood trail and rarely do I get an exit hole but deer and pigs never run too far. I have opened up some of the deer I have shot and can see where the bullet will hit the other shoulder or a rib and bounce around inside the cavity, it really exerts its energy inside of the animal. If you are wanting an exit wound then go to a larger heavier caliber but the 243 for me is perfect in my opinion.

Ballistic Silvertip is what I always shot in my .243 and my results were spot on with yours. No exit - no blood trail - all energy went into the animal. It made me stay in the scope and watch the animal.

Sorry postoak, I misspoke, I have not had a thru and thru yet. Lots of good inputs here everyone and definitely has me reassured in the 243. I grew up shooting slugs out of my shotgun, or a 7mm mag. This is my first year with the 243

My .243 (Pre-'64 Win.) with the above ammo, my youngest on the trigger:


She even pulled a little and it hit slighty further back than ideal, but he went right down.

I have been loading 100gr Interlocks in front of 40gr of IMR4350 this year for the kids to shoot. 2 dead deer so far and decent accuracy on paper. 1 doe shot behind the shoulder at about 90 yds, liquified heart and lung area, left a good blood trail and piled up about 25 yd away. Nice 10 point hit a little high in the shoulder at 100yds, spine shot. Bang flopped there like you'd expect. 2nd shot on the ground with the bottom of the chest facing us destroyed a whole bunch of stuff except meat, don't think it exited.

I have been happy with the results so far.

I have shot deer from 30-130yds with a 243 and have had pass through every time whether it was shoulder or lung shots. Some have dropped dead in their tracks, only one has ran very far but I had good blood trail.

I've used
Federal "Deer Thugs' 90gr
Federal Fusion 95gr
Federal 100gr Sierra Game King

The 243 is really my favorite all around cartridge. I use 223 have always got a exit wound except for one time with a very funky shot.

This is my 3rd year hunting with a .243. Only once did I have to track a deer, and that was all my fault. 186 yard shot downhill and I didn't compensate correctly. All the rest were DRT or within 10 yards. Very pleased with Hornady SST 95 grain.

I have hunted with a 243 for probably 10 years, never lost an animal or had one go further than 30 yards. I've seen blood and had complete pass through on deer shot up to 200 yards. I've killed deer out to 325 yards with it. I use the hornady sst 95 grain bullets. 243 is plenty for deer.

Started with a 243 over 40 years ago. After moving on to a 270 and 300 win mag, I am back where I started. Here in east texas I use 100 grain nosler partitions, and in the panhandle I use hornady 95 grain SST.