Pros and Cons of .243?

The .243 is to light for bigger game, You would do much better with an old 30 30, .308 Wnchester. or 30 06. That is not to say that a .22 LR will not kill large game, I have killed Rocky Mountain Elk with a .22 LR before, but the shot has to be well placed, far above the average hunters skills.

A good sized Red Deer can be near 400 pounds,and the 243 is minimal for deer weighing half that,so 243 isn't going to be a good choice in that regard. 270 is capable of taking elk and is considered about "best" deer cartridge for use in the areas I hunt (western US with open terrain). 308 Win and 7mm-08 would be equivalent,30-06 or 7mm Rem Mag have a bit more energy/mass on target capability. More important than which of those cartridges I would use is bullet construction,a decent bonded core or controlled expansion bullet that shoots well in your rifle will provide the added penetration for larger animals than deer/goat. A better quality bullet will also limit the amount of overexpansion seen in many light weight or cheap cup and core bullets providing for less meat being ruined. Bullet terminal performance has really improved in the last 15 years or so with different technologies. I suggest getting a 308 Win rifle,cartridge has plenty of performance for what you want and everyone makes a good load for it,including "Match" ammo for target if that were an option for you (but a hunting rifle isn't the same as a target rifle).
The Savage 10/110 based rifles have a loyal following,and while I'm not a personal fan I can't/won't fault them,they seem to provide excellent value/accuracy/satisfaction. You might want to check out the Howa 1500/Weatherby Vanguard (especially the Series 2) for value and accuracy also,the Series 2 has upgraded trigger/safety group,stock and shoots MOA out of the box. I like the Tikka T-3 also for its smooth bolt cycling,but I prefer my Browning A-Bolts to the T-3 overall,but they aren't same prices.
As for glass,yeah you want better quality than what an average Burris provides. Nikon 2nd tier (like the Monarch) and Leupold V- series scopes,Sightron and a few more are where I would look first.

Pros are it is mild recoiling. Cons are that it shoots a tiny bullet and is kind of expensive.

If I was going to have one hunting gun over the long term, I would probably want a meatier cartridge. 25-06, 7mm-08, 270 Win, 308 Win are all great hunting cartridges that are also mild recoiling.

The Savage Lightweight Hunter is a fine rifle, but if it were me, I would want better glass. I really like the Nikon Monarch scopes at their price points. It also isn't the only fine rifle. Also look at the Remington 700 BDL, the Winchester model 70 featherweight, and the Tikka T3 hunter line.

If I recall correctly a Red Deer is substantially larger that the White Tail and Mule Deer here in the US. Just my opinion but I'm thinking a 7-08 or .308 might be a better all around choice in a short action rifle.

I'd want bigger for red deer, but for everything else you listed a .243 with a heavy bullet would be alright.
That gun is a good option, but I'd want a better scope. I mostly use Leopolds and a couple of Nikon Monarcs.

I was gonna say-
Pro- its pretty good.
Con- it ain't bad

Lower recoil (suggest 100 gr. for deer) shoots flat, easy to handle. Good starting rifle for deer and smaller animals.

My go-to hunting rifle is a Winchester bolt action carbine (19" barrel) chambered in 30-06. You can go all the way down to comparatively light loads all the way up to rounds capable of dropping the largest game in North America. To me it's just more versitile than the .243 which limits you when it comes to larger animals. Plus, it's very common and I even have a source for relatively inexpensive surplus. On the downside it can be punishing out of a light rifle and its hard on powder when you reload for it. For a rifle that "does everything" I would skip the .243 even though it's outstanding in its niche.

You'll want a little more gun for red deer, and 243 Winchester is famous for its pressure excursions. It should do well enough for the smaller game in most circumstances. But the fact remains that it really isn't designed for medium/large game. It's for small/medium game. Something like 6.5x55 SE, 270 Winchester, or one of the 7mm's would be more appropriate.

I've frequently seen lack of penetration; even on smaller whitetails (120 lb. ±). If it must be used shoot premium partition bullets. It's a fine woodchuck caliber but I would never use it on deer.

If you consider the .270 WCF you will definitely not be disappointed, but I'm not familiar with the game animals in your area.

Its taken plenty of deer in NZ. Completely different terrain and hunting to the States.

I use a 243 occasionally for whitetail deer, but I am not familiar with red deer. Our whitetails are fairly small in my part of the USA so a 243 is fine. I use a 100 grain bullet for deer and something smaller for anything else.
A 243 is a fine gun and if that is your choice I think you will enjoy using it. A good shot with a 243 will be fine. Dead is dead, with a 22 or 375 H&H.

Obviously a .243 Win is not a .30-06. My preferred round for deer and such is .243 WIn. You can get bullets over 80 gr for bigger things and 55 gr or so for varmints.

Pros: Low recoil. Common caliber (at least in the US). Cons: Lower bullet mass, lower bullet energy, but probably OK for what you are planning to hunt. Buy since it is a long term rifle, I would consider a bit larger caliber. Anything in the 6.5 to 7mm range, including .270 win, 6.5 Grendel, 7mm-08 Rem...whatever is popular and relatively inexpensive in that range in your area.

I love the .243. I've shot many deer and coyotes with it. I've never had a lack of penetration with it. As a matter of fact, the only problem I've had is velocities too high for bullet construction. I've had clean pass-throughs where the bullet didn't expand at close ranges. It's a great round for everything from varmints at 400 yards to whitetails at 200 yards. That said, I don't think I would trust it on critters bigger than 250 lbs.

The .243 is a great cartridge but its great for varmints, not deer size game. Move up to 7mm or 30 caliber.

if i recall correctly a red deer is substantially larger that the white tail and mule deer here in the us... just my opinion but i'm thinking a 7-08 or ...308 might be a better all around choice in a short action rifle...

pros and cons, a shortening of the latin expression "pro et contra" (for and against) may refer to:

pros and cons (tv series), a television series that aired from 1991 to 1992
pros & cons, a 1999 film starring larry miller and tommy davidson
pros & cons (comic strip), a comic strip by kieran meehan
"pros and cons", an episode of garfield and friends
"pros and cons", an episode of the a-team
"pros and cons", a method of decision making

the ...243 is a awesome cartridge but its awesome for varmints, not deer size game... move up to 7mm or 30 caliber...

Although it’s a popular deer hunting rifle for many hunters the .243 hunting rifle sometimes gets a bad rap. Some hunters report that it doesn’t have enough stopping power and complain of wounded deer running off after being hit, along with causing blood-shot venison. The problem is most likely not the rifle – it’s the bullet. A lot of .243 shooters use an 80-grain bullet because it’s faster, but for deer, a heavier bullet is better – one with at least 100 grains.
With the right ammo, the .243 deer hunting rifle is great for long-range shots. It doesn’t have much of a kick, and it has a flat trajectory. This is a popular hunting rifle with smaller hunters because the recoil is only 8.4 pounds.

I would go with the .308 Win. (7.62x51mm) over the .243 for a couple of reasons. 1. Availability of ammo. The 7.62 x 51mm is a standard NATO round and thus is more readily available and usually at better prices for "plinking" and target practice. 2. The .308 has many more loads available, especially if you get into hand loading, or know a shop that can do hand loads for you. (I'm not sure how you local laws work in that respect!) That means that for smaller game, you can use smaller (and faster) bullets, or reduce the powder charge for less recoil. That ability makes the caliber available for more different circumstances and for me eliminates the need for several different calibers depending on game hunted. I have one shot clean killed 90 pound pronghorn antelope at 400+ yards and 1200 lb moose at 150 yards with the same rifle but using different loads. (The pronghorn with a flat shooting light weight, boat tail bullet and the moose with a heavy and slow moving bullet with good penetration.)

I use from 110grain (great high speed varmint rounds) to 240 grain (can drop anything in North America!) with heavy powder charges. My standard 158 grain rounds are ideal for medium sized (deer, antelope, feral hogs, etc.) game.

Consider a rifle in .270 winchester..... The .243 is nice but a little lightweight for larger deer and pigs.... I know budgets can be tight but really consider 2 rifles.... One for larger game and the .243 for the smaller game....

Take a look here for a more educated opinion....

Pros and cons, a shortening of the Latin expression "pro et contra" (for and against) may refer to:

Pros and Cons (TV series), a television series that aired from 1991 to 1992
Pros & Cons, a 1999 film starring Larry Miller and Tommy Davidson
Pros & Cons (comic strip), a comic strip by Kieran Meehan
"Pros and Cons", an episode of Garfield and Friends
"Pros and Cons", an episode of The A-Team
"Pros and Cons", a method of decision making