The .243 is a great deer gun even on our big northern Whitetails, but only if shots are through the heart/lung and used with jacketed bullets.(And inside 250 yards or so)The typical velocity of a cast .243 (with any accuracy) in my opinion, and in several rifles I tried them in, is about 1600 to 1800 f/s. This puts on a par with the 25/20 hardly a deer gun. Yes I know the"Jordan buck" was shot with a 25/20 , but he reportedly used every round in the mag. Why cause an animal undue suffering, just because it can be done? Odicoilius