My dad recently shot a big mule deer with .243 100 grain moly coated nosler partition premier Federal ammunition the buck was on

[Del in KS]

I shot 5 or 6 deer with an 85 grain partition from my 6mm X284 win. (very simular to a 243) and never recovered a bullet. All but one dropped in his tracks. Something is amiss here. Perhaps he is wrong about the bullet.

[prairieghost]

att: Sportman Matt- you don't know jack about .243's. 85-100 gr bullets will take down an elk with proper bullet placement (no not just a head shot) and is certainly capable of hammering a mule deer. like others posting here, i've taken dozens of mule deer, all with one shot from a .243 and none have gone more than 15 yards after impact. Also, there is no such thing as a 150 gr. .243 round. a 100 gr round will punch through a shoulder blade, both lungs and the exit hole will be bigger than quarter on the other side.

[kjflorian]

I know people that use the .243, I was just never a big fan of them for deer. Sounds exactly like previous posts mentioned, the bullet did not have enough kinetic energy to bust through the shoulder. Shot placement sounds like it could have been better, maybe that quartering away shot to get behind the shoulder, but it does seem odd it didn't get both lungs. Good news is you got the deer.

[streack]

Jim in MO: I read the question a second time after I posted and when I saw moly coating and Nosler I instantly thought WBST without processing Partition before I answered.

[steve182]

Del., Man is there any gun you don't have or have had? I'm sure i'm not the only one here jealous of all your great guns, great hunts, custom rifles, wildcats, improved loads, etc. More power to you buddy, you've obviously been there done that in almost every situation. But you don't really represent the average shooter/hunter. I mean that in the nicest possible way. I feel like a real greenhorn when i read your posts.

[rudyglove27]

Agreed with herbie57_57 answer above and A + 1 for you sir!!!