If you can't hit the right place with a 243 then a heavier recoiling rifle is not the answer. What she needs it trigger time and an understanding in deer anatomy. If you load that 243 with something like a 90 grain TSX or TTSX, there is not a deer on this continent that will walk away inside 300 yards IF you hit the right spot.
If you want more energy down range, you will get a harder thump on the shoulder in return. You just cant beat physics.
Just my 2 cents worth and probably worth less than that.
Typing this thought brought on by the above post, not a slap at the OP.
Too many people buy an extra box of shells and go to the range, lay over a truck hood or side, set at a makeshift table etc and burn those 20 shells up on a target. That doesn’t necessarily make you ready for the hunt or even a hunter, Nor does just passing a hunter safety course and purchasing a gun.
There is a lot more to take into consideration during the build up and trigger pull. To be a hunter. There should also be ever-present the thought of a search and recovery involved and an honesty within of wether you can accomplish that critical component of a successful hunt, in whatever terrain you have chosen. That factor hinges strongly on the shooters ability to stay on the sights and see and understand the impact location.
There was a thread here a day or two back where a deer was shot and left until the morning retrieval. A good bunch of guys here called the hit pretty darn well just from explanation of the deers reaction to the hit. Terrific example of knowledge seldom taught these days and should be stressed more.
Hunting with other good hunters every chance to put a “newby”” of any age on a hit trail should be taken advantage of. That’s where the learning happens blood on the trail or not.
Hooved animals leave trails some very subtle, but they are there.
This is a long way around to saying a .243 is just fine, in a HUNTERS hands. I know plenty of guys on this site and others who are hunters. To them a blood trail is certainly no deal breaker in choosing caliber. No matter the caliber things happen, blood trails are no guarantee. Comfort, practice and familiarity with the weapon, fit and tuning of the chosen weapon, conditions/limitations when using the weapon, and again holding in to see the result of the shot, hopefully on the quarry.
A couple weeks ago I posted a tale here of a young lady with me on her first big game hunt and the success she had. She took a fine mule deer buck at a fair distance with a .243 loaded with Hornady 90gr ballistic tips. I knew that was a small hole in and don’t count on an exit set up. As we waited for the opening to shoot, guns ready I had plenty of time to switch her over to the .270 I was carrying. She had practiced a lot of rounds, different rifles ahead of time with me from a .17 up to a 30.06 with a brake. I knew she could handle the .270 just fine.
I left her on the .243 because I knew I could track down whatever happened. Even on dry broken prairie. The bullet did exactly what I thought after breaking two ribs, stayed inside. After the shot and she calmed down our first walk was to the hit site and picked up the scuff marks where the buck bolted, then followed what there was straight on to the dead buck. No blood trail at all, no biggy.
The deer wasn’t far, I saw the hit was good and she saw the deer “hump” with the hit as well. All good things I think she learned and retained. No heroics, Indian secret knowledge, armor piecing do all bullets and rifles, or red spray just hunting 101 and some experienced guidance made it all come together.
I think basic knowledge, experience and common sense trump’s technology in many cases and needs to be more leaned on again. “Thump the magic rifle” is just a myth.
Osky
