243 for newbie shooting fallow
- Thread starter The Singing Stalker
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farrieral
Well-Known Member
.243 95grn SST and high shoulder shot, drops them on the spot, if his shot drops low it'll still be in the vitals, and a decent margin for error either side. Some meat damage but he won't have to track them! I feel the .243 gets a bad deal, I love mine!
I use an X Bolt. Was £719 brand new from Malmo, have an Alpex on top and this setup has accounted for many deer and many, many foxes!
Point and shoot out to 200 yards with the 95 grain and further on foxes with 75 grain vmax.
Took a wild boar with it last week in the forest of Dean as well!
Drill shot placement into him and plenty of practice, the chance of error will decrease with time spent on the range! If the shots not right don't take it.
The .308 comes out to play on the big stuff but 90% of the time I reach for the .243
I use an X Bolt. Was £719 brand new from Malmo, have an Alpex on top and this setup has accounted for many deer and many, many foxes!
Point and shoot out to 200 yards with the 95 grain and further on foxes with 75 grain vmax.
Took a wild boar with it last week in the forest of Dean as well!
Drill shot placement into him and plenty of practice, the chance of error will decrease with time spent on the range! If the shots not right don't take it.
The .308 comes out to play on the big stuff but 90% of the time I reach for the .243
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Amen...
The other thing with a lot of forces is that as a new shooter they would look more favourable on a .243 as a first deer rifle , then as experience is gained you’re more likely to be granted a .308 etc ,
I know it shouldn’t matter if you can show good cause for a calibre but all forces are different , plus the .243 would do all he requires
I know it shouldn’t matter if you can show good cause for a calibre but all forces are different , plus the .243 would do all he requires
243 with the correct choice of bullet is a fantastic Killer of deer , shot one for decades ( dont have one now but have added the slot back - for a night culling gun ) . Just pick the right bullet for purpose
I’ve recently started using a .243 again. If you can get it and budget allows the hornady outfitter ammo loaded with the CX bullet is awesome on fallow.
This Saturday I Shot two at about 160 and another at 240, which ran out across the barley and left a great blood trail.
This Saturday I Shot two at about 160 and another at 240, which ran out across the barley and left a great blood trail.
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Should still consider buying new and maybe future proof 6.5CM although for Fallow a 308 might be better but then fox thrown in the 6.5CM might be a good compromise. I prefer new, even if Howa or Bergara to avoid buying some else's problem. 243 is great for fox and small deer but just a little light for larger deer. I know the 6.5x55... but we are noticing already ammo supply being less choices and availability compared to the CM. It is only going one way.
edi
edi
Think I would need a taller ceiling if I was shooting those sizes.
They all go bang and all go smack. Probably a bigger hole better to leak fluid out. That said my biggest red was shot with the little .243. Recently being legal to now use 95grn noslers have proven to be amazing, reliably passing straight through reds. Selecting a .308 would be boringly simple
Dixie Dean
Well-Known Member
Try and buy a rifle that can be fired to see how well it shoots / groups. Rifles and scopes are of course subjective, but a rifle incapable of a decent group in any calibre should not be considered. Price does not dictate this in all circumstances, my 84 year old Dad has a Parker Hale 243 that still shoots a clover leaf group at 100 yards, but one I owned (from new) many years ago struggled to hold even a 2.5 inch group, with either of us shooting it. If you ever read this far down the thread, good luck.
There is a lot of love for the 243, so now, to turn it on its head.
As the 243 is such a good round, why does anyone need bigger?
Surely if it is good enough for a novice who is shooting fallow, then an experienced gun will not need anything bigger?
As the 243 is such a good round, why does anyone need bigger?
Surely if it is good enough for a novice who is shooting fallow, then an experienced gun will not need anything bigger?
Surely his application is in and he asked for a rifle in the calibre he needed, why is it even being discussed with the FEO? What did he put on his application?
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