I let my buddy shoot my encore .308 wow he didn't like it at all. But he is determined to get a new encore. He really likes the gun just not the .308 part. I suggested a Tc in .7-30 . He wants to get a encore in .243 he thinks he can handle the recoil and have a great deer gun , any one out there use a .243 on deer? what kind of range are you taking deer at , his max range he can shoot where he hunts is about 300 yards or so . what do you guys think ?

A deer at the end of a .243 with a good bullet will end up stone dead.

Use the right bullet and you'll be fine. I've killed a boat load of deer with a 243 in a rifle and some considerably farther than 300 yards.

243 is big enough to do it.shot placement will be very importaint.7-30 or 7mm08would be a better choice.i am sure there are more good choices.30-30 is not bad as far as recoil and is a great round for deer 300 yards is a long ways for anygun unless you have enough practice

I've used a buddies 15" .243 Encore with 80gr. Speer Hot Core Spitzers handloaded with H-4895 to 2920 FPS to take two Whitetail Does at a bit over 200 yards one afternoon a couple years ago. If the second one hadn't been walking at the shot and had I not messed up and hit her too far back both would have been one shot kills.

I think the .243 in a 15" Encore makes a great Deer Handgun. For the record I never shot anything but paper with them but 95gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips handloaded with H-4350 to 2717 FPS would make a dandy Deer Load also IMHO.

The 100gr. Factory Ammo I chronographed in my buddies 15" .243 weren't the greatest in the accuracy department and only managed 2550 FPS.

Larry

You lose a lot of velocity with the small bore and some bullets that work from a rifle won't from the pistol. I'd go with a 7 something, or at least 6.5 for deer.

X2

If you put the bullet in the right spot it will do its job. Nothing can make up for shot placement, but I am just a 7mm fan. The 308 is almost as good as it gets in the Encore as far as I am concerned… put a break on it and keep on going.

Duane

243 will do just fine-Shot placement is always important.
You will lose about 300 fps compared to a rifle's performance.
I have taken deer out ot 350 yards with my 6-284 without problem, but I wouldn't go much beyond 300 with a 243.
It all depends on the bullet you use, what MV you end up with, actual accuracy of the barrel and the ability of the one shooting from field positions.

My son (11YRS) has been using a 243 rifle since he was 7YRS and has taken 7 whitetails, 2 hogs (1 over 350lbs), 1 bobcat, and 1 texas dahl ram. All with one shot and all dropped in they're tracks. As many above has stated, bullet placement is the key. He shoots handloads of 95gr NBT's pushed by max load of Varget, accurate and deadly combo.....KRal

A 243 will kill dear all day long if the shot is placed right. My grandfather has killed 50+ with a savage model 99 in 243. I dont know how much experience you buddy has but the 243 is a experts cartridge as it will not be forgiving for poor shot placement. Id recoment a 7-08 or a 308. that way he could hunt bigger stuff (elk or moose) and not have to get another barrel. Get a good break on it and the recoil will be fine. a 7-30 would be good too but ammo will be harder to find if he doesnt handload.