.243 versus 44 mag for deer

[Hookeye]

Have you tried swapping in the BOSS that doesn't have the ports?
Gives you the tuning without the noise.

 

[Bounty Hunter]

I have used 44 mag pistol with very good results. Shoot and drop. small entrance hole, no exit. Heart could not be found other than pudding. I saw a big doe hit with a 243 years ago(Not legal then mind you), she was hit in the front shoulder, and the whole front half of the deer was no good. One leg almost shot off, and the damage on the other side was bad. 44 mag has put down my deer without a lot of meat damaged just as good as my slug gun.

I am for the new caliber rifles, but that being said, there will be a lot of meat wasted, and probably a few hunters sent scurrying for cover when the shooting starts. People will take a lot further shots, just because they can, and may not be safe to do so.

Anyway, Love the 44 mag.

 

[Bfish]

You haven't seen the wounds from 12 ga High Impact Supremes or Active fosters have you?

Glad the .44 mag impressed you.

I haven't seen them, I'd check them out but I'm done using a shotgun for deer thankfully. I'm not saying 44mag is going to be better than 243 I just mean at 100 yards it's not like he needs to spend money on a new rifle unless he wants. And it did impress me mainly be the fact it performed much better than I thought it would. Probably one of the better performers I've seen over the last few seasons was a 450bushmaster.

 

[oldpink]

I have used 44 mag pistol with very good results. Shoot and drop. small entrance hole, no exit. Heart could not be found other than pudding. I saw a big doe hit with a 243 years ago(Not legal then mind you), she was hit in the front shoulder, and the whole front half of the deer was no good. One leg almost shot off, and the damage on the other side was bad. 44 mag has put down my deer without a lot of meat damaged just as good as my slug gun.

I am for the new caliber rifles, but that being said, there will be a lot of meat wasted, and probably a few hunters sent scurrying for cover when the shooting starts. People will take a lot further shots, just because they can, and may not be safe to do so.

Anyway, Love the 44 mag.

That kind of meat devastation is common from high velocity bullets fragmenting, especially when they strike bone.
The problem can be reduced or eliminated with premium bullets, either bonded (think Nosler Accubond, Federal Fusion or Trophy Bonded), Nosler Partition, or expanding copper or gilding metal bullets (what I'll be using, specifically the Barnes TTSX).

 

[Hookeye]

Or not shooting them in the shoulder.
Previous users of slow moving projectiles may need to adjust aiming points.

 

[Hookeye]

When WW dropped the HI Supremes I quit slug gunning.

 

[Ford Truck]

I often think of those old-timers who didn't know they were undergunned when they successfully hunted deer, bear, elk and etc. with their .38-40 and .44-40 rifles.

 

[ru44mag]

I often think of those old-timers who didn't know they were undergunned when they successfully hunted deer, bear, elk and etc. with their .38-40 and .44-40 rifles.

They knew the limitations of the round. Much like most of us that use the 44 mag. Keep it under 100 yards, and you are good. Over that, it works, but tracking deer starts to be more common.

 

[tommyj223]

I'd keep with the.44

 

[Carey]

I in the same boat as the original post but, I'm looking at the .308 I have one at my local shop I got my eye on.

 

[oldpink]

I'd keep with the.44

Why must it be either/or?
Keep the .44, but get a .243 for longer range.
If you hunt on private land only and don't have either, the choice is obvious, though: .243 Winchester

 

[Lick Creek]

Agree with Old Plink. Not either or....It's always both

 

[MikeBrennan]

If it aint broke.

This!

i took a 243 out this season...it did okay, but I doubt I'll be taking it out again...the 44 has more punch for the distances I am typically hunting....usually 100 yds or less.

 

[Woobie]

More punch? I don't know how that would be defined, but I can't imagine whatever metric used would show the 44 as greater than the 243, unless you were comparing something like .44 Mag +P+ Buffalo Bore to some Hornady Custom Lite .243 loads.

 

[Hookeye]

Punch..........defined as energy expended on/in the target.

FWIW .243win 100gr WW softpoint pretty much zipped through my deer's lungs this yr.
He kicked at the hit, and then acted as if unhurt, went about 80 yards.
Opened him up, rib blasted on exit. Entrance small, exit maybe twice the size of entrance (and not big by my view).
Looked like you just poked a finger in his lungs.

Def different bullet next yr.

 

[Woobie]

Punch..........defined as energy expended on/in the target.

FWIW .243win 100gr WW softpoint pretty much zipped through my deer's lungs this yr.
He kicked at the hit, and then acted as if unhurt, went about 80 yards.
Opened him up, rib blasted on exit. Entrance small, exit maybe twice the size of entrance (and not big by my view).
Looked like you just poked a finger in his lungs.

Def different bullet next yr.

Yeah, bullet selection is key.

Sometimes deer just don't drop, though. I once shot a big doe head on at 110 yards with a Remington solid copper sabot. Everything above her diaphragm looked like it had all been thrown in a blender together and poured back in her chest. Slug lodged just behind the diaphragm. It couldn't have been a better shot. She still ran 50-60 yards before dropping.

Still, I would be looking for a bullet that did more than just poke a couple of clean holes.

 

[Leadeye]

Shot placement for me is the key to keep them from running, I like the rear quartering shot best, letting the deer pass the stand by 25+ yards. When faced away from me at that distance everything I've shot drops in it's tracks.