Why is the 243 Winchester so popular? 

Kinda interesting when people say a 270, or 6.5 calibers are not enough when us western hunters have 1 shot kill success all our lifes hunting elk and deer. I've hunted whitetails with a 223 and harvested well over 20 deer without follow up shots and longest shot at 430 yards. The 243/6mm calibers are perfect for deer. Caliber performance for me depends on range and energy at estimated ranges

Bullet placement rules with most if not all calibers!

I knew an older gentleman who hunted exclusively with 243 in the back half of his life. He harvested a lot of deer with it. I asked him how far do the deer run after shooting them? His reply: "A lot further than they did when I was using a 30-06, but I don't dread taking the shot."

Ive got family members that have taken elk and bear with the 243 with no problems. Great cartridge

I think it's so popular because it's great for varmint and deer . That is why I've owned a 243 for over 30 years .

My first rifle was a 243 Winchester. I still have it. Planning to make it into a good varmint gun. I'm pretty set on using my 257 Weatherby as my dedicated deer rifle.

I have known guys who, when they were young, were given a .243 to hunt with and it worked. Then, somehow, on the 18th birthday, it was now necessary to get a .30-06. For the same target, whitetail. .243 is fine. In my state, the drawn hunts with centerfire require at least a .243 or equivalent. I have hunted with .308 and now I have a 7 mm PRC that will become my do-all rifle. Short and longer ranges as well as target shooting past the deer hunting distances. And I have read the book by Elmer Keith on hunting. He shot big cartridges, like the .35 Whelen. And he was the K in the .333 OKH. And even at close distances, he has rump or gut shot and the animal got away. He distained .300 WM and .30-06, figuring that would tempt shooters to shoot farther than the gun was precise. But shooters such as myself with a precision rifle, it is not about shooting a deer at 1,000 yards. It is about having minimal drop. Having a bullet dead on out of the cold bore (which is nearly all hunting shots) and the follow-up shot is less than 1/2 of an inch from the first.

243 winchester is an excellent deer killer. I killed 2 deer back to back just past 250 yds several seasons ago. Both dropped in their tracks. I was using 100 grain corelokts. That sealed the deal as far as its effectiveness in my book. I actually just purchased a browning blr chambered in 243 because of my confidence in it with the appropriate bullet. Good video!

My grandad, dad, and I all used .243’s deer hunting growing up. Shot either 80 or 100 grain core lokts. Never shot much over 300 yards, didn’t need to hunting muleys where we did. Killed my first 10 or so muleys with one, always performed well. As I got older, I moved on and up to “cooler bigger” stuff. I still have gramps rifle, busted it out the other day, got it all cleaned up and have a scope on order. Just got a wild hair. It’s crazy to me back then I thought we had the deer rifles of deer rifles, matching Remington 700 ADL’s from the late 80’s early 90’s. 20” barrel, basically the opposite of what I’m attracted to now. Funny that I never had a problem killing with it, but wandered so far from it is. I enjoy my new stuff, but this year I’m planning on going back in time a bit.

My Opinion: The reason some have hated on the 243 and said it is not adequate is that with the 243 bullet construction is more critical than with something like a 30-06. Almost all bullets made for the 30-06 are big game hunting type bullets and almost any of them on the shelf will work. The 243 has a LOT of varmint type bullets made for it that are not designed for deer sized game. I own a couple of 243s and they are great for deer but bullet construction is critical. I like the 90g Nosler Accubond and the 85g Barnes TSX. The Nosler Partition is also very reliable. Nosler makes it in the 85g, 95g, and 100g. Any of those will very reliably kill deer sized game.

If someone says a 243 isn't a proper deer rifle than you can walk away from the discussion knowing they have no idea what they are talking about. A marginal 243 load carrys 1000 ft lbs of energy to 500 meters. That is better than typical loads from a 308. It dwarfs the 400 ft lbs a 30-30 has left over at that range. I think a lot of the hate comes from the desire to be manly, just because you can take the recoil of a 338 win mag than you should. Which would you prefer, a well placed shot from a 243, or a poorly placed shot from a 300 win mag? And just because you can tolerate recoil, doesn't mean we don't all shoot better with less. A 243 has plenty of killing power for deer inside of 500 meters, what matters is the shot placement, and if the low recoil helps you consistently put the shot where it counts, than it is a better deer rifle than a 300 WSM.

A 243 is a super high velocity...A shoulder hit means the deer will take a few steps backwards...Then bounce to try to escape...50 to 75 feet away they drop while gasping. Sidearm finishes the job.

I have owned so many different rifles chambered in so many different cartridges over the years from .243 on up to the big 7mm and .300 magnums and I can tell you that they all pretty much take care of business , within their respective limitations. A while back I sold all of those big heavy hitting hard kicking rifles and have kept only a few that I use for deer and elk and occasional black bear hunting . ( .243 , 7mm-08 and .30-06 and I’m contemplating on adding a .25-06 as well, not that I need it but the cartridge just fascinates me and I’ve never owned a quarter bore “ yet ” .. it is nice to have options lol 😂) My favorite is my 7mm-08 Remington, it just seems to hit that sweet spot for an all purpose cartridge that can do anything out to 500 yards with the proper load , and it typically drops em in their tracks . And I’ve experienced very similar results with a .243 . I’ve used .270 , .280 and .30-06 with DRT results as well , but there’s something special about that .243 … very pleasantly surprising results with minimal recoil , compact in design ( I have one in Winchester model 70 featherweight) and very flat trajectory. With a 100 grain Hornady BTSP the trajectory is identical to a .300 WSM 180 grain Winchester XP3 when both are zeroed at 200 yards . All these new fangled fancy cartridges and I just can’t justify buying any of them , especially when the price and availability of ammunition is a key factor these days which is my only hang up on that .25-06 , but the .243 / 7mm-08 and .30-06 are always here to stay so I have plenty of ammo for those .

I've had success with my 243 rifles and agree with you. You make good points sir.

When I lived in Montana I saw plenty of elk drop to the.243

My three favorite calibers 1. 270 win. 2. 300wsm 3.243 win. / my first rifle was a Savage 99 in 243 I've shot a lot of deer with it my largest 11pt.255 lbs.buck .

I agree, I learned about it also, and love it!

Sold a .243 to a buddy it was a Howa 1500 with a Shaw 8 twist 24 inch barrel in a mdt onyx chassis,he took to an outfitter in Texas shot a 240lb mule deer at 175 yards using my handloads 103 grain Eld-X deer went 15 feet and folded up,so many people love to dismiss or under rate the .243

Missouri here , I picked up a AR 10 in 243 Winchester hopefully it'll do what I think it will on deer 🦌 this season as I'm southern Missouri so woods and my shot will be under 100 yards

Whoever said the 270 isn’t good for deer hunting is silly. Bless his heart.

I have always had a 243. It is an excellent varmint cartridge and is good for deer. It al depends on the bullet. When i didnt have loaded my deer cartidge with 85 to 100 gr, my son used a 75 gr hp. It was a perfect shot at 75 yards. Exploded heart n vitals. It never moved a step. I have most of the 308 base case and do most everything with them. 20 guage slug took my first deer.

Me Myself and I down here in South Africa we enjoy it hopefully to see more videos coming

Debating over the best deer caliber is an inherent part of hunting traditions and an utmost controversial activity ! To me it's undoubtedly the .243 : low recoil, flat trajectory, high velocity, powerful enough terminal energy and perfect accuracy ! I'm not narrow minded I own .308 and 223, but the 243 perfectly fills in gap and is the most versatile and efficient !

My first centerfire rifle was the Winchester Model 70 in 30-06. I still have a 30-06 and 243 and with good shot placement they drop game in their steps. In addition, I've owned the 7mm Rem Mag in the Remington 700. Currently have a 308 Savage Axis rifle, as well, plus the 7mm-08, 6.5 Creedmoore, the 6.5 x 55 Swede and a few 8mm military rifles. Also have a couple 303 Brit surplus rifles.

Really enjoy your frank discussions. Gut shot a small buck last year with my 7 PRC. Slapped it down like it was hit by dumptruck. Laid there for 10 minutes. I was backbto hunting when he crawled out of sight. I had to get down, get him back in sight and put a second one in him. Big horsepower my turn a marginal shot into a quick kill, but it doesn't do the same for a bad shot. We all hate making those shots. Mine was completely avoidable.

Ive taken a lot of big bucks with the 243 win in my opinion its the minimum of what id pick for whitetails i bought 6.5 creeds for my daughter's and they are definitely step up in performance above the 243 win and as far as the 270 win goes my dad has hunted with one for 30 years and has never lost a deer definitely not the 270's fault if someone looses a deer with one ive saw countless big bucks folded up like a lawn chair by the 270 win

Definitely popular for its low recoil my wife's favorite cartridge too it's most definitely adequate for deer from age 11 to 16 its what I shot in a winchester model 100

I've been shooting the 243 for over 40 years. I have tried the 105 grain match bullets on deer and I've had it fail on two big bucks I will no longer be using 105 grain match type bullets for deer hunting, not ever. 105 grain bullets do not stabilize out of a 1 in 10 twist which is the standard 243 factory barrel twist. I have custom barrels with 1 in 8 twists. A All copper 80 or 85 grain bullet is the best thing to use for deer. I have shot several deer with 85 grain spear boat tail soft point. With good results. Speer hot core bullets are the best economical hunting bullets on the market. I recommend for deer, all copper, or hotcore, or partition, or bonded style bullets for deer. 243 is awesome for deer and coyotes and everything in between. It's worth the extra money for high quality bullets above just standard cup and core style for deer. Although there have been probably hundreds of thousands of deer killed with cup and core type bullets. No to the match high B C bullets for deer. You have to have a custom barrel to shoot 105 grain without tumbling or wobbling. Factory barrel 243 Winchester shooters will have the best luck with 90 grain or lighter bullets. Including Remington 1 in 9. Barrels.

I think it’s versatility,low recoil,availability and price are reasons for it’s popularity as you said, including mine. I just have a sample of three on whitetail deer with it, two dropped in their tracks and i lost a big one with it. The two were shoulder shots that dropped in their tracks and the big buck I lost I believe was due to a dose of buck fever, semi fogged glasses and not parking the bullet where I meant to,that one still stings a bit

My first Centerfire rifle was a Mossberg 880 in .243 I bought in 1977. You might check your history book.

What I used the most? .22 :) Most used for deer, historically - 30-30 and 30-06.

Nice job stating your opinion. I’m convinced it’s a good cartridge for deer.

I was born in 1956 and by that time my uncle was already hunting with the wildcat that became the 6mm Remington. From listening to him and other hunters from way back the biggest selling point of the 243 (by now the 6MM REM lost out because of the slow twist barrel) was higher velocity, ie 3000fps plus which was touted for flat shooting and "hydrostatic shock" and its ability to kill. Never was low recoil touted as a reason to adopt, but yes it is an advantage. I would guess that the 243-270 and 7MM RemMag have been some of the most overhyped cartridges ever and hyped mainly for their MV. BTW when my Uncle built his 6MM REM he used a 1-9 barrel.

With today’s am with today’s bullets , absolutely the.243 hands down.

I live in Australia & in the 1970s early 1980s my older brother had a pre 64 Winchester Model 70 243 he used it for Roos, Wild pigs etc i don't remember the name of the scope but I do remember it was crap/shit, in 1970 it was over 10years old my brother would reloaded his Ammo, I still remember how smooth the Bolt Action was & how easy it was for an 8 year old to shoot manage.😀 the rifle is still in the family & still used unfortunately not by me, Australian Gun regulations are brutal.but at the same time Great, it all depends what side of the fence your on.😎🇦🇺🙏

The 270 was a bullet problem! At first years back the guys that shot 270s showed up with 130 grain cup and core bullets and they killed the deer right away but also destroyed way to much meat. So they started shooting the 150 grain loadings and started penciling deer that’s when I started seeing people losing deer with the 270 Winchester! You have to understand our shots at our Pa deer camp average 50 yards. 80 being a long shot! I’m a big 25/06 fan but don’t use it at this deer camp at these ranges I carry my model 70 in 308! I own a 270 Winchester! It works for whitetail but I feel it’s not ideal in this situation! My 308 is! The main problem I saw with the 243 Winchester in my camp was dad’s giving those calibers to new hunters then not giving them enough trigger time or the proper shot placement instructions then you have a poorly placed shot on an animal and an undersized projectile! These are just my experiences and the things I’ve witnessed! If I’ve offended anyone I apologize! I know I’m not an expert mountain man from Montana! lol 😂 I’m just a back woods Pa hick!!! lol 😂

I suppose another advantage, if you're willing to put on the extra pounds to a setup for it, is that you could also potentially use .243 Winchester in a 7.62 NATO semiauto rifle conversion. Obviously, some platforms would take better to being refit for .243, but the potential is certainly there for those that appreciate the versatility of a semiauto platform.

While it was originally developed as a varmint cartridge, it became very popular for deer, and it became so popular that the LAPD SWAT teams adopted the .243 for urban sniping roles during their early years, but I don't know what grain bullet they used.

A big bullet won’t make up for a bad shot. It happens.

It's excellent because it's accurate,flat shooting ,low recoil, it is very adequate for dear,black bear and hogs and will do wonderfully on varmints, were I personally would not recommend it because I'm from Pa we have a lot of heavy brush areas I would not say it would be good under the conditions as well not a as good for elk and large bear, i still stick to the 3006 with a 180 grain bullet h414 and I'm at almost 2900 fps and could take most anything in North America, shot placement is something that cannot be overlooked

It absolutely is. I can show you entire walls covered with trophy mounts taken with 243s. I personally have taken 24 bucks, and 33 does, with a 243. Zero second shots.

My family members have all hunted with our older Remington rifle in .243 and it works just fine. Even extra-large South Dakota mulies have been toppled with ease shooting this low recoil rifle. The wound channels through the chest organs are ghastly indeed. I feel that this popular cartridge is ideal for deer and antelope hunting.

I had a similar experience regarding not having enough ammunition in the field. I now carry 5 rounds in my rifle and at least another 5 in my coat or vest. It costs me nothing and will be there should I need them.

I killed the biggest buck in my life last year with a 243 savage model 110 E . I've hunted with it these last couple of season and it has done well for me . Before I used a old 8mm mauser and killed many deer with it . The last deer I shot with the 243 was at 200 yards . Drop it in its tracks .

When I was young I had a 6mm Remington model 6 pump action that I shot 2 of the tree biggest deer I ever got. Both went less than 50 feet but both shot boiler room. I even shot a bear in November but he was close probably 10 yards. Thinking back I don’t remember any animal I shot with it that went more than 30 yards. I sold that rifle and regret it to this day.

Imagine a sharp rock tied to a stick flying less than 200fps killing deer before the invention of gunpowder. Now imagine a 243 not being enough gun. Shot placement and using the proper bullets are more important than cartridge selection.

It truely depends on the enviroment im hunting in and what im hunting. Myself it's not a caliber i would ever use, due to my area of hunting. I hunt in heavy brush and bear country. Though if i was way back east up in a tree stand with no brush so to say, and could easily track it, it's probably all id use.

Love my 243. Traditions G2 single shot. Killed several deer with it. I have an observation and wonder if others have experienced the same: the point of impact varies a good bit from 90 grain to 100 grain.

Best hunter I ever knew here in central NH was a guy down the road growing up. Always at the local gun store/coffee shop on the weekends. He carried a savage 99 in .243. Always took a monster buck and a big black bear every year. Every animal got a core lokt off the shelf. No idea what the rifle shot for groups but he’d chopped it down to an 18” barrel and put a shotgun 1-4 on it. Biggest thing that gives the .243 a bad rep is the fact it’s handed to inexperienced hunters/shooters. It’ll tip over most anything in N.A. given the right range and shot placement. The Barnes 80grn TTSX is a hammer for white tails. It’s absolutely flying out that rifle and holds together no matter the angle.

If it's so popular, then how come I never hear anyone ever talking about it?!

I like my 6mm Remington better especially for reloading but the ammo is harder to find. The .243 is just everywhere. Recoil is zero in winter with a jacket. Recoil is mild and pleasant in summer with a T-shirt. I practice all summer long killing chucks. When winter gets here I am totally relaxed and confident with my abilities and my rifle zero and dope out to 400 yards with 85 and 100 grainers. Got my first .243 in 1978 and still use it to this day. Just be sure to use 100 grain core lokt bullets for deer and black bear and 85 varminters or ballistic tips for chucks. 45 years and no problems at all. Finally ordering a new barrel after 2,500 rounds of empty cases in my reloading bucket. Groups with the core lokt opening up to 2+ inches finally. Contemplated 6 Creedmoor, 6,5 Creedmoor and a few others. Think I will just get another .243 barrel. If it aint broke don't fix it. Plus I got 2,500 pieces of empty once fired brass. Can't beat that.

I’ve hunted here in Ohio with a Remington 700 Varmint Special in 243 Winchester for woodchucks for years. Sierra 70 gr MatchKings are excellent! Several hundred chucks taken years ago. A good many at 400+ and one 500+ yds. The 243 is capable of very nice accuracy. Yes not as flat of a trajectory as 22-250 but with some good bullet drop info from chronographing and actual shooting it never let me down. I have failed to accurately perform on occasion but this rifle and caliber has not.

People that have a .243 generally are better shots why because they can practice a lot more and not kill their shoulder Ammo is cheaper much lighter to carry around all day are few reasons its so popular. Fact to its popular it will be first shells along with good old 30-30 to sell out on the shelves in our area..

Because it’s a great pronghorn and varmit cartridge. (I think there are much better choices for deer, especially when longer shots are the norm.) I really, really like it for coyotes! The Roadrunner agrees, Wile E Coyote not so much!

I thought the Model 800 (short action) and Model 810 Long action (1970s) were the first Mossberg's first centerfire rifles.

here in the UK the .243w is the smallest all Deer species legal caliber and the most likely to be granted on a Firearm Certificate by most police forces, certainly as a new certificate holder, I have shot hundreds of Deer with my .243 Ruger M77 mk2 with hand loaded 100gn Partitions, deer from 30lbs to 400lbs and not lost one yet, I have had to track a few but always found them dead, I also have a .308w but the .243 is generally the first one out of the safe, I would venture that at least 50% of all Deer shot each year in the UK are shot with the .243w, I wouldn't be without one

Low experience with a 243. I’ve shot 2 deer and one black bear. All died. All down within 75 yards of where they were shot. The 2 deer didn’t bleed much , both shot well with the 95 grain fusion. Actually one had no blood visible, just clotted or closed off with fat ? Either way. Both deer were dead and the cavity was full of remnants of lung material. The black bear was 155 yards with 100 grain core lokt. It ran hard and crashed hard at about 60 yards from where shot. It left significant blood to track it. I would’ve thought the fat bear with thick fur would be more likely to soak up or seal the blood. All I can figure is the expanded core lokt left a better exit hole than the fusions 243 is a good deer cartridge in my books but I’m Leary of the tracking jobs if the blood isn’t dripping.

Have not in used my 243 for a few years last season had the opertunity to shoot Spring Buck the fist one at 250 yards droped so fast I was sure that I missed had to count the remaining buck to figure put one was missing 100gn & 3100 ft /sec from a 26 " barrel in my 80 years I shot maybe 200 not one ran more than afew yards Hugely popular in Africa as a small game cartridge

What bullets does your friend use? I’m undecided on what to use on whitetail.

Twist the243 win to 1/8 From the factory

I have 2 A9.25 twist savage Ruger RPR 7.7 twist

Practicing pays off which most hunters don’t do. I know guys that have hunted for years and haven’t put 100 rounds through their rifle. The major attitude is a large magnum is best absolutely wrong a 22LR will kill a deer if you put the bullet in the right place

It is popular because of light recoil. It kills deer just fine. I do not like the explosive tissue damage that looks like strawberry jelly. Own one once but prefer the 6mm Remington because it is just more of the same. For animals I want to eat I like slower heaver bullet fired from 30-30 Winchester or down loaded 308 and 30-06. I hate cleaning blown up deer. The non magnum 6.5 probably are the best deer size game cartridges . I don't own 😮 6.5. I'm happy with non magnum 30 Calibers. The 6mms are considered a compromise varmint /deer cartridge. I do not like them for either. I went through a phase with the 6mms hunting and reloading with them. I like the 22 center-fires for varmint and the 30 çals for deer. If I wanted a varmint/deer cartridge it would be something of the 257 Roberts class . If I wanted a deer/Varmint cartridge it would be a 270 Winchester. The standard 130gr. 270 load is explosive on everything large and small . Moderate recoil , shoots flat, good barrel life and easy to reload for accuracy. I came to that conclusion of the 270 as a deer/varmint cartridge by hunting deer and shooting jack rabbit on a west Texas day lease at age 16.

I juat put a stevens 243 on layaway...having some problems finding fmj ammo for it as im gonna plink n target shoot...not really a hunter any more...bad back and shoulder.

Mossberg .243, Md. 800M. RARE.

Don't care for the 243 and 6mm Remington simply because I've never seen them shoot accurately. Seen an old 240 Weatherby magnum Mark V shoot 1/2 inch groups.

😂 My guess is that Patrick Gallagher also doesn't know what bullets (weight and construction) these people with the 270 Winchester were shooting? If they were using bonded bullets, rather than cup and core bullets, the deer would have dropped in their tracks! Bullet selection matters and half of the guys out their are hunting with the cheapest bullets that they can find (in a recent poll that I saw)! 🤯 Hence, the real problem! ☹ Remember that this is the same guy, Patrick, is also advocating using the smaller 25-06 on everything too! 🤦‍♂️🤪

If manufacturers and shooters fugure out , stop putting match bullets in 6.5 it will take over . But my love for .243 will outlast even that .

243 is plenty for deer inside 250. Will take out both shoulders and make an exit. That's plenty enough for me.

Because it works like all the other calibers

Believe it or not but I have killed a deer 300 + yards with a 3030

🦌 Some of the deer in the area that I live and hunt (Montana and Alberta, Canada) can get 400 to 500 lbs! That is as Big as an Average Sized elk! So, using a 243 on a Big Buck of that Size would not be advisable! Especially, when 400 to 500 yard shots may be required and the wind is blowing 10 to 30 mph! And, we hunt deer and elk at the same time! What if it turns out to be a 1,000 lb+ bull elk? Nope, Ain't Gonna Work! 🤦‍♂️ Bring you 270 wsm or 30-06 and leave that 243 Winchester at home! 🙄

to me, the .243 is more of a "game specific" weapon. it's fast. very fast. and if in a good, sighted gun, 300 yards will take out earballs on hogs 170 yards? will drive tacks, all ,day, long. white tail deer, no problem, muleys? possible but that's where i'd move up to a 30-06 or 300 wsm and if at 1000 yards target? 6.5 creedmore. engine block at a mile? .375 Chey Tac.. but the .243 does have it's shine . Accuracy matters

At 500m off hand my .243 is soft enough recoil that I can hold a 5 shot 1.2mrad/4moa group. That’s 60cm/24” off hand at 500m. If I’m off the bench / prone / off a tripod, it’s 0.1mrad/0.3moa. Or about 5cm/3”… .243 is a brilliant cartridge. If the target is within 220m/244y it’s a minute of dear heart, off hand for me. I’m not going to miss. The projectile does matter for hunting, you need the correct projectile for the target. Like a 87gr vmax for varmint or a 100gr spbt for herd animals. The only other cartridge I prefer is the 7 saum. It’s my favourite cartridge. The other cartridge I like is the .223 AI for varmint hunting or close predator hunting.

I hunt hogs with 243. I don't have to go look for them

It's not what you shoot its where that bullet.

243 are only favorites of people who have shot them .

Carry more ammo… missing a shot happens, not carrying enough ammo when hunting with a bolt gun is……

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Ive killed many deer with the 243 handy rifle

I just got to say it, sorry. My Dad grew up in Northern California in the back country. He was Born in 1921 So His Youth was during the Great Depression. They always had meat on the table. From about 10 years old until he joined the Army in WW2, what did they hunt DEER with. Yea that's right a 22 single shot. Not White Tail, but Mule Deer. Why use the (not good for hunting Deer) 22, it was cheep. Mygosh what would my Dad think if he had a 223/5.56. hold on!! the 223 is bad round for Deer. Tell that to a man who only used a 22 for deer. Then there is the 243. 243 is just barely a deer gun. what is wrong with people these days. some may even say the 270 is not enough. I think to my self alot, what would my Dad do if I could have given him a 270 and all the ammo he could shoot, would he look at it as a freeken canon. Then I think if I had my Dad's hunting Skills, with my AR-15 Holy Cow What I could do with it. I could take. Deer, Elk. Moose, and even Bear. To my Dad hunting with a 270 would be like hunting Deer with a 50 Cal. Sorry it just gets to me sometimes when I hear a Caliber is just not enough. To Me it's more like I can not shoot good enough. I need a bigger round. Even saw on You-tub a guy hunting White tail with a 50 cal. When I was young My Dad always told me, He hunted for Meat the bigger the round used the less meat you get.

Underpowered? I have killed whitetail, mulies, elk, hogs, axis, muflon, and otehr exotics without issue out to 300 yards

flat trajectory low recoil

you should not tell your sins. You aimed your best. It is a sad story you tell about your misses. You harvest the best you can the right way. Sure you made lots of good shots so why tell us the bad ones?

Its a flat shooter!

This all boils down to proper bullet choice and placement on the animal. There are a lot of premium hunting bullets for the 6mm family. Choose wisely. Are you going after varmints or big game???

A .270 Win is plenty for any deer.