Thread: First gun

Originally Posted by Spudattack

I disagree with you that a light fast bullet is ideal for close bush hunting, however with the right projectile there is no reason it wouldn't work.
With regards to the .243 shot deer that escaped we never got to the bottom of the pill that was used, it is possible that a fragile pill was used (A-max, Matchking etc.) that disintegrated without reaching the vitals after encountering heavy bone or muscle eg. shoulder, one of the side effects of a fast light pill. Have seen this happen on lighter game than a big red with much tougher bullets.
Nothing against the .243, but as you say, use it for what it was intended.

Fair enough, but regards to bush stalking my mates father whose shot hundreds of deer over the years(job was a culler) bush stalking used a 222 then a 243 for years and years. Hardly even lost any deer and i and a couple of my mates use 243 bush stalking and have never had a prob with lost animals yet. I hear plenty of stories from other mates and there circle of hunter friends on how they shot a deer with there 308, 270 etc and how it got away. The fact is even bush stalking you shouldnt shoot unless you have a clean shot, as any caliber trying to shoot thou crap is asking for trouble. And just as a note its been well known on tests that have been done in rod and rifle and field and stream that a 100gr 243 round will out perform much heavier slower rounds keeping a straight line shooting thou rubbish. Last dozen or so deer i have shot all around the shoulder area or just behind none of them have run more than 20 yards, a 243 with a good round drops them fine. I use 100 gr fed powershok rounds, knockdown power is awesum, still think its the best factory round you can use in a 243 after trying a few different brands. I dont like recoil much, so a 243 suits me fine, of cause a 7mm-08 or 270, 3006 does the job even better but you wont be losing deer because you using a 243 , esp if you shooting within 200m like i try to do. In saying that i have shot a deer at 350m and it dropped it on the spot shot in the chest.