Thread: 243 vs .308

243 with factory ammo would be fine for anything in the north island out to 300 mtr.
If you get one with the new fast twist barrels and hand load then you are good to 500mtr.

Again bullet selection to target and range is critical. This also comes down to personal preferences.
Some want to see an exit hole for blood tracking(harder/bonded bullet), some need to be able to break both front legs to ensure the animal can't jump off a ledge and be lost (mostly south island) which dose demand more power, others want something that makes a big mess of the heart-lungs with out the precision require to take out a leg bone.( softer bullet, ie SST, ELD-M or Berger types

So a 243 is softer shooting and flatter shooting than a 308mm but also carries less energy.
Looking at Hornady factory ammo 243 at 300 yards has 6"drop and 12-1300 ftlb of energy while a 308 will have 8" of drop and 16-1800 ftlb of energy. ( looking only at mid range Common loads. 87-95gr 243 & 150-168 gr 308)
Z
I love my 243, it kill's stuff and is so easy to shoot accurately, however I shoot way more with my 358win but it requires much more attention to form and hold to be accurate.