Well I know ( I think) part of the answer to my question and it is shot placement...but here it is. Is a 243 "enough" gun to take an axis doe or even a buck? Average 100-150 yard shot. From a blind. Thank you for your replies in advance.

Placement is first and for mosts imo. However at lest .30 cal and up, is my preferance.

+1

We had a 9 year old boy kill one two weeks ago with a .22-250 and dropped her in her tracks.

Shot placement is the key.

Shot one at 100 yards yesterday, with 125 grain .30-06. Aimed and shot right in the front shoulder. She kicked and jumped literally, like a bronco in a damn rodeo, and ran off. Went over to the spot where she was, NO BLOOD, no trail, no deer, no nothing. I know I hit her, but did not find her. Saw some white hair in the barbed wire fence, and a chunk of hair, but NO BLOOD. Never found her.

So, my point is, using a .22-250 or a .243 to kill an axis is ridiculou.I am not trying to stir the pot, but axis are tough and the hide is tough also. You nee at the very least a .270, which is really a necked down .30-06.

Just my .02, which doesnt matter anyway. LOL!

That's another reason why I want to hunt Axis so bad. My uncle owns property around Rocksprings that had axis on it. He says that even with well placed large caliber bullets, they just don't go down and stay down. Says that more often than not, even with his 30-06, he has to put 2 in them to keep em down. Man, I can't wait.

Shot one right behind the shoulder a few years ago with a 6.5x55 Swedish (which almost exactly like a 257 Roberts) and never found him. That doesn't mean anything though. My cousin shoots them every year (and has never lost one) with a .22 Mag. Shoots them behind the shoulder and they don't go far. Most of the time less than 50 yards. He has killed a ton with that gun.

Never ever ever seen one go far with a .243 right behind the shoulder. Been busting them for years.
I bust them with my .22 Hornet and they dont go far. If your losing animals it aint the caliber, I guarantee it.

I been using a .243 for 30+ years, just this year I got a 7-08 cause I heard a lot about them, I aint impressed, I think I like the .243 better.

You can kill a hog w/ a airgun, but why go under gunned? To each his own. However, axis deserve .30cal + imo.

Never can go wrong with a 7mm mag!!!!!

Under gunned. Buwahahahaha
It truely amazes how uneducated people are about firearms.
Its obvious some of you havent killed many animals with many calibers.

i have taken two axis does with a 25.06 100 gr corelokt at 100 yds
both went about 30 yds and piled up...
both shots were thru the vitals right behind the front shoulder

.243 is fine for the does so long as you have a good clean shot and a solid rest to shoot from.

as for the buck, they are much bigger and would likely go down just as well if a .243 round slams thru their chest cavity, but you should hunt what you are confident with and that you can make the most ethical shot with. if you feel strong with your .243 and you can drive tacks with it, then use it and dont exceed its appropriate range. if you are more comfortable with the .30 cal and up, then use that. i would just advocate some patience and waiting for a good shot. afterall, while not everyone will see axis and the temptation is going to be there to just start slinging lead. it is really important to glass them well enough to make sure you are not shooting a buck who dropped his antlers and also to make sure you dont ruin a bunch of meat with your shot. they taste way too good to lose any hams, backstraps, or tenderloin to a hasty shot.

just my .02

btw... they make some awesome summer sausage. i am eating some now

So, you mean to tell me that hole in that animal is from a .243. I have to call bs on that one. I might be wrong, but that hole looks like at least a .30 caliber bullet. And people are not uneducated, just giving their opinion. I just like to be ethical and I would not shoot an axis with anything smaller than .30 caliber. Hell, would you shoot an elk with a .223 or a bear with a .22-250. To me, it all about an ethical kill, no matter the caliber.

Again, just my two cents that doesnt really mean much.

shot placement is everything bit they are very hardy animals

Yes and that little man made that shot




If I chose to hunt an elk with one, I would and have no problems. The eskimos hunt seal and polar bear with a .222

I have shot probably close to 30 axis by now. I have used 22250 (mostly), 270 wsm, and 308. If they are going to run they will. Even sometimes with a well placed shot. The sometimes give no sign of being hit. Go to the shot spot and look around for blood. Sometimes they wont bleed much.
If I were to tell a person to shoot one, I would say shoot them in the front shoulder, yes waste meat. The vitals seem to be further up than a wt. Just use your 243. Watch the direction of travel after the shot. They usually pile up within 60 yards if they run, no matter what size gun.

The one I shot with a 30-06 went about 30 yards and took a dirt nap. Personally wouldn't use any less than a .270 caliber, and most game ranches require at least that for a axis.

I've killed five axis in the last two seasons, all using a 25-06 with 116 gr Hornady btsp ammo. Two were shot in the neck, the other four in the shoulder or just behind. Three dropped right in their tracks.The furthest any went was 60 yards for a buck shot in the shoulder-but he got that far with BOTH front legs unusable! Yeah, they're tough, but shot placement is everything.

+1 on them bein tough! I shot my first one this year with a .243 and hit him once quartering away and he ran a little ways and stopped and I put one right behind the shoulder and he just stood there! I put one more behind his shoulder and he finally got wobbly legged and fell! It will do the job but they are def. a tough critter!

i've killed 5 or 6 and guided hunters to about that many..

they have a thicker bone structure therefore they need a tougher bullet to break down bone.

I neck shoot them with a .22-250 and they drop, but i've seen deer skid on their brisket for 50 yards with both front legs disabled after taking a 150 grain ballistic tip from a .300wsm. they are tougher than a whitetail, but not to the extent some make it seem.

also, a axis buck is going to outweigh a hill country buck by 100 or so pounds, so keep that in consideration in caliber selecton.

that being said, tons are killed with .243's, 25-06s and .270's.

a .30 caliber minimum is rediculous, but i would't use less than a .25-06 personally, although that is my minimum for whitetails, saving for cull work with a .22 centerfire

so either your hill country deer only get to 100lbs or your saying axis go 300lbs
either way that statement is false.

heres a 205 lb, free range hillcountry buck
.22 hornet, neck shot

The shooter should be comfortable with the firearm they are using, good shot placement and know the firearms limitations. I'm not a 'vital shot placement' hunter, but a head/neck shooter and I use a 22-250, never had a problem with any lost or wounded animals and zero damaged meat on front shoulders or bone-fragments in meat I could have used.

My largest was a bull elk with my 22-250, neck shot and dropped it in its tracks.

damn you seem to have an answer for everything......i've never seen ANY hill country buck go over 140lbs on the hoof...including protien feed high fence deer....what county was that shot in? Never gonna get a buck close to that heavy on the ranches I frequent, most are only 120 lbs max

anyway, I've seen axis bucks that go 250-275 on the hoof, which is pretty close to 300. hill country free range.

nothern bexar county, Ive killed them in the 180 -190 range in edwards county as well, junction area too.
250lbs is about max for an axis, though Ive never seen one and Ive seen some big ones.
What I have seen in the hill country the Axis are about the same size as the whitetail, some might be a tad bigger. theres no difference in skin its not any thicker than deer there not any tuffer to bring down either.