Anyone hunt with a .243 Win?

Hi,
I haven't posted much at all, but I check in now and then to pick up tips and news.
I did a search for .243 handgun hunting, but didn't get anything related.
I've hunted the past 5 years with a T/C Encore in 7mm-08 15"bbl. Very happy with it. But I was thinking of getting a .243 Win barrel too. I would use it for deer 100 to 150 yards. I was wondering if the 15" barrel would limit the .243 velocity and energy to make it a marginal shooter.
If someone has experience with this, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.

I had a slow twist Encore that I shot 55 gr pills out of. It would detonate a watermelon at 400 yds.

Everything I shot with it exploded.

Barrel was originally a 6 mm PPC I had it rechambered by MGM.

My Buddy Mark still has it.

We call it the Detonator.

My son's wife Barbara has killed several antelope bucks and a great mule deer buck with her .243 Encore; no complaints here!

I started with a .243 Encore years ago. Did OK on groundhogs with 70 gr. BTs. Was OK on deer, but I'm always looking for a little more power. SSK rechambered it to 6mm AI. Now it's my "super" long range medium cal. groundhog and deer gun. Have done several deer at 400 yds. with 85 gr. PTs, groundhogs to 450 with 70 gr. BTs, and one monster javelina (55#) at 177 with the PT.
It was good when it was a .243. Now it's great.

Killed deer, antelope and pd's with my 243 XP. I ended up giving the barrel (8T) and Holland brake to a local teen who wanted a XP.
I have plenty of 6mm that are similar to the 243 Win, so I am not hurting in anyway.
He is still shooting steel at distance and hunting with that 243 Win XP

My first Encore setup was a factory 15" 243. With 58 grain V-Max handloads, it would shoot lights-out at 100 yards with minimal recoil. The issue I ran into was it wouldn't shoot heavier bullets like the 95 grain SST at 2,500 fps well, although it did fine with the 85 grain Interbond at 2,700. I don't think the standard 1-10" twist is the best option for heavy bullets with the reduced velocities.

MY BROTHER SHOT A NICE WHITETAIL IN THE SHOULDER WITH A 243 RIFLE, BUCK WENT DOWN BUT TRIED TO CRAWL AWAY, MAYBE IT WAS A BULLET ISSUE (FACTORY AMMO), DO NOT KNOW, BUT THE 243 HAS BEEN OFF MY "NEED" LIST EVER SINCE. MAYBE WITH GOOD BULLETS IT WOULD BE OK, BUT I WILL LET SOMEONE ELSE SORT THAT OUT.

Thanks to all for the feedback. I figured I might get mixed results.
I'm sure the 243 is quite capable of killing large game up to 100 yards or more. I was concerned about being able to throw a heavy enough bullet accurately and break bones and/or penetrate deeply out farther without out the shot having to be ultra-precise. Don't get me wrong, I aim small to miss small and only take shots that I have high confidence in. I just don't want to be under-powered at distance.
Thanks to the commenters, I checked the MGM site and there are more options there than T/C offers for the Encore. I think I'll give some of those consideration too.

Use a Accubond or partition and it will break bone and penetrate

Shot a doe antelope over 400 yards last year with a 6 Creed XP (Slightly less capacity than a 243 Win).
A church member used the same XP and killed a buck antelope with it the same day.
Proper bullet placement and a good bullet is important

I have killed a ton of deer and pigs with a 16 inch .243 Winchester and my boy killed his first 10 deer with the same one.

I have a 14 inch CVA Scout Pistol that I?ve killed a couple deer with.

It?s an absolute great cartridge! Truly one of my favorites.

You need a fast twist to shoot heavier bullets. My go to bullet is the 105 gr A-Max.

Kills deer and pigs with aplomb and has never left me wanting. I?ve tried other bullets and always come back to the A-Max.

In the CVA, with it?s slow 1-10T Twist, I run 85gr Sierra HPBT-Game Kings. They work well but are a little soft. Accurate buggars, though.

I bought my daughter a .243 H&R rifle as her first deer gun. Every deer we?ve shot has been DRT. Only shoot 85grain HPBT our of it and they devastate. I?ve got an Encore pistol barrel for it with a lot of test rounds loaded but never scoped it to see how well it shoots.