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Post by wilmsmeyer on Nov 18, 2012 19:35:21 GMT -5
Shot my 1st deer with a .243 yesterday. Nice 8 pt.
Shot was 40 yds and I deflected on a pine tree branch and it hit low behind the shoulder and a little back. (I didn't know it at the time) He acted as if nothing happened and left the doe he was with and started walking slowly away. I knew I was on him and tried to see a wound. But I could not. I decided to try and shoot again even though I had very little time and the woods were thick. I looked and looked and looked for any opening he might go thru where I could slip in a bullet. I finally was able to get a small window at 90 yds, the size of a coffee cup, and sent another one his way.
This shot found the 3rd rib back and angled out behind his off shoulder. He quivered and walked 2 more steps and fell over. The 80 gr barnes made a mess of his lungs but there was absolutely no meat damaged. I tried to get a picture on photobucket but my computer is acting up.
He's a decent 8 pt that was aged at 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 yrs old and scores about 130. Not huge but very pretty.
My hunting buddy shot a 150 10 pt just minutes into opening day legal light. One other guy got a basket 8 pt in the afternoon.
So far a nice start....but I have a week off and am tagged out for bucks...and too early to start slinging does. Just gonna be around for some strategic little drives 1/2 hr before dark for those that still have a buck tag. We wait to do any drives so that they coincide with last light. Don't want to chase other hunters our bucks
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Post by whyohe on Nov 18, 2012 19:51:16 GMT -5
congratz on the buck. hows it feel to get one with a rifle? if you send me pics ill try to get them on here.
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Post by Rifleman on Nov 18, 2012 20:08:30 GMT -5
NIce job Wilms, glad you were able to hunt this year after all.
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Post by DBinNY on Nov 21, 2012 21:28:55 GMT -5
Not bad for a cripple ;D. Glad you made it out.
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Nov 25, 2012 19:08:35 GMT -5
.243 scores 2 more times. Both 50-70 yd shots at broad side deer. One undisturbed and 1 on a drive where I had nine deer running broad side and had to stop one with a "Maaaaa"
I will say that with a "pocket" shot, the .243 does just as good a job as the hot loaded Savage. The load is a 80 gr copper GMX. Jellied the heart on one and the lungs on another. Short death runs and 2 holes (go figure)
Another guy also shot 2 does today with his .243 and 100 gr factory core lokts. Same result.
Very impressed with the results of both guns and loads. The nice thing is that there is no wasted meat and no massive trauma to the surrounding shoulder tissue as is seen with 7mm Mags, 308's etc.
A perfect deer cartridge! Been wanting to use this gun/cartridge for 11 years since I bought it. But we were shotgun and ML only until last year.
The Savage was a ML I got going to take advantage of the "flatness" of the loads it could shoot. And what a job it does. But now, the .243 will rule the woods when possible.
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Post by deadeer on Nov 25, 2012 21:06:54 GMT -5
Way to go Wilms! I used a 243 Encore pistol on a doe this year and it performed same as your account with rifle. Nice easy shooting cartridge. Funny how no other caliber can bring out so many opinions good/bad from so many different people. We know the truth!
Jay
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Post by pposey on Nov 25, 2012 21:54:19 GMT -5
All abourt putting the right bullet in the right place at the right speed,,, right??
Glad it worked out for ya so well with the injury and all.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2012 9:47:58 GMT -5
Congrats Wilms..and you thought your season was over..... Was the buck killed with a barnes or a gmx..? Greenhorn
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Dec 4, 2012 5:55:42 GMT -5
GMX
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Post by youp50 on Dec 7, 2012 20:10:56 GMT -5
I know its splitting hairs, but the GMX is guilding metal, different than the copper Barnes.
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Dec 7, 2012 20:30:49 GMT -5
A bullet that stays together whatever the metal. A mighty mouse on deer. I thought it would be. Tar shot a pile with this load and I shot 3. No complaints. No splitting hairs. Just mushing hearts/lungs and killing deer very quickly with very little collateral damage.
Great load
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Post by youp50 on Dec 8, 2012 6:58:42 GMT -5
GMX bullets have a reputation for being picky about the barrel. Hard metal that is difficult to obturate. Accuracy suffers.
I have a 7mm that will not accurately shoot GMX bullets, does a fine job with Barnes though. I never slugged the barrel so I cannot say if its true about groove diameter being too great. Just know I have some 7mm GMX that I have given up on.
I think a 243 is marginal for deer. Too small, same as a 25 cal. The mono bullets sure make them kill like a big gun. I was disappointed in my 25-06 until I tried Barnes X. Kills like a bolt of lightening now. I suspect the same for a 243.
I am looking for a 243 for my granddaughter to start with next year. You can bet it will have a monolithic bullet when she pulls the trigger on hair.
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Post by tar12 on Aug 18, 2013 17:43:15 GMT -5
A little late on this one! lol Youp my experience with the .243 and the 80 grn GMX has been vastly different than your GMX experience. The GMX has proven to be very accurate and deadly in my Model 111 .243 Savage bolt gun.The 1-shot kill number is well north of 50. A bolt of lightening for sure! I do summer depredation control work and the .243 rides every time now.It is such a pleasure to carry and shoot that I am going to do a full custom off of this action. My partner and I are hand loading for the .243s now with the 80 grn GMX and 42 grns of Hybrid V100. This is a sob moa load. I love it!
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Post by dannoboone on Aug 19, 2013 17:24:49 GMT -5
Love hearing these success stories which prove ya don't need a cannon cartridge to humanely down deer. I'd rather use a .25-06 than the .243, but that's just me. Long ago, my family used .22-250's with the same results you are getting with the .243. Here in Iowa, I'm now "stuck" with using the high performance ML's......waaaaaahhhh!
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Post by wilmsmeyer on Aug 20, 2013 4:50:44 GMT -5
Since last season, I acquired a vintage, 1st year production Rem 700 7mm Rem Mag. (1962) WAY too much for deer. But, I just had to have it. I wasn't looking for it either. One day it was under my nose. Right place, right time. No time to ponder...just get it before someone else does. You just do not see a gun this old in such great shape. It could be flipped tomorrow for a hefty gain. In addition, it will carry much better than my 26" heavy varmint barrel .243.
They will both get used for sure. However, I see the 7mm getting the bulk of use due to it's size/weight. Man that gun seems to point itself when you shoulder it. I think the Model 700 is one of the finest designed guns for the hunter.
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