.243 Bullet selection for deer

[Arkansas Paul]

Hello all. Great news in the Arkansas Paul house. The wife has decided that she wants to go deer hunting this coming season. The thing is, she's a featherweight and will require something with substantially less recoil than the ol' .30-06. I thought of just loading some reduced recoil loads for it, but why waste a chance to go gun shopping?

We'll probably end up getting a .243 for her, and then I'll have the dreadful task of working up a load for a new rifle.

I've never been a huge fan of the 6mms but have not had any firsthand experience with them, so it's not totally founded. I've heard horror stories of whitetails hit perfectly through both lungs and running a half a mile with little or no blood trail. Again, I've never experienced this personally. Obviously I want to avoid this and am thinking of what bullet to use. In the .30-06 and the .280 I use a fast expanding bullet like a Nosler Ballistic Tip or a Hornady SST and have had excellent results. Mostly DRTs.

Using the lighter 6mm bullets, will these choices give plenty of penetration, or do I need to use a tougher bullet? I know there's a great debate on whether you want the bullet to pass through or stay inside and expend all it's energy in the animal. I like pass throughs personally, so there's a greater chance of a blood trail. Should I step up to a premium bullet like a Barnes TSX or a Nosler Partition? If it helps selection any, there are plenty of hogs on our lease and the possibility of shooting on of those is definately there. I know they're a little tougher than a deer.

Thanks for the help all.

 

[slicksleeve]

I took a nice buck last season with my .243 shooting 100 grain Sierra Pro-hunter. It was a broadside, through the heart hit, and left a very good boodtrail. The deer might have went 50 yards. I killed my first ever deer with the same gun, using Remington factory ammo loaded with 95 grain balistic tip. The results were strikingly similar. If I didn't handload, I would not spend any more money than a box of Remington Core-lokt ammo would cost for any of my deer rifles.

 

[howards]

If you don't like the 6mm try a 7X57 or 7mm Express with a 140 grams SP.

 

[tahunua001]

I've killed 2 deer with my 243. the first was a 75 pound doe(my first deer just let it go) I hit her straight through the heart, she took one step and slid about 200 feet down a very steep hill. upon field dressing her I discovered that I blew her heart in 2 pieces. I took her with 80gr federal powershoks.
my first buck came the year after that. he was a 225 pound 6x5 whitetail. I hit him perfectly right behind the front quarters. he made it about 10 feet before he dropped. upon field dressing I discovered that his lungs had been shredded. I used 100gr federal powershoks on him and didn't waste an ounce of meat.
I've tried remington corelokts. they are less consistent than the feds and I wasn't nearly as accurate with them and wounded 2 deer that both got away to probably die in agony days later.
I'd definitely recommend federal powershoks as a good 243 hunting round

 

[WTBguns10kOK]

With the advent of the newer premium bullets, there is no cause for worry about the .243's ability to humanely take deer sized animals. Both my last kills were one shot kills - one bear and one deer. With research you will even find people get pass throughs on small to medium elk with the proper .243 bullet.

I use a Barnes TTSX just so I know it will go through a shoulder if necessary. Strong bullet+fast speed=success. So, I would also advise that a pass through is better than the bullet blowing up in the deer...but that's just my experience.

 

[Pacsd]

I've been using the Sierra 100 grain boat tail since 1983 out of my Model 7 Rem .243. Works great on whitetail, mulies and antelope.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I use a Barnes TTSX just so I know it will go through a shoulder if necessary.

I was thinking the same thing. That's what I'm concerned about is proper penetration with the lighter weight bullet, especially if it hits a big bone or the angle isn't perfect. The Barnes bullets are a little higher in price, but since I handload, I'll still be well under what factory ammo costs, so it won't be that bad.

 

[jbkebert]

I have had very good success with the 95 grain SST. Between myself and my two boys we have taken 11 whitetails with this combo. Longest shot was 178 yards and piled up with 30-35 yards. 5 were DRT shot be me in the neck. Pick your shot the 6mm guns do very very well.

 

[Art Eatman]

Most of my deer hunting has alternated between my .243 and my '06. I'm happy to say that I've never had to trail a deer. Most of them just dropped in their tracks.

My pet .243 load is with the 85-grain Sierra HPBT. I regard it as fine for neck shots and cross-body heart/lung shots, but not for angling shots to the body where deep penetration is desirable. I'm far less likely to take a running shot, also.

The chest-cavity hit creates a double-handful of mush.

 

[303tom]

Dad always used 100gr. HP !

 

[just in joy]

I am in the process of working up loads for the same Projectiles Sierra 85gr HPBT's for my kids 243's. and BTW I will not be mad if you Message me your Pet load for it either

My daughter got her first Mulie (doe) 4 yrs ago with her 243 did not move any direction but up then back down same spot. Perfect shot str8 through the Heart.

I am almost wanting to trade my son for his 243 for my 7mm mag or my 300wsm. as he wants one of them. light rifle low recoil compared to the 300wsm .

I have one Savage and one rem 710 for the kids

 

[Johnny_Come_Lately]

Have you considered a Remington Model 7 in .260? Assuming your wife is of about average female stature, she may find that rifle comfortable. Also, the .260 a bit flatter shooting than most bullets.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Barnes X Bullet, Solid Copper HP.

 

[fallout mike]

I'm glad u decided on the .243. When I get Mikey's you will have first hand knowledge to relay to me.

 

[exbiologist]

Split the difference. 85 grain Nosler Partition. That way you get light, fast and explosive, with deep penetration. For what it's worth though, I load 95 grain Ballistic Tips for my pals 243

 

[ridgerunner1965]

243

ive killed prob close to 30 deer with a 243 rem model seven.ive always used 100 grn rem core lokt bullets.i used it for probably 20 yrs and ive had the opposite experience of the horror stories you hear about the 243.for me it killed deer so fast and so well it got to be boreing and i bought another gun just for a change of pace.shoulder shots would anchor deer like they had been hit with a sledge hammer.lung or heart shots, sumtimes the deer would not even act like it was hit while it spewed blood from a quarter sized exit hole and then expired promptly.the only bad shot i made, i hit a qaurtering away running deer in the elbow.made him so sik he went bout 40 yrds and stood for several minutes with his head down so i popped him in the neck.ive shot deer with a lot of diff guns but i never seen the kind of shock that the core lokt bullet does to deer meat.i really dont recommend the shoulder shot with it if yu want to harvest much meat from the front end.

 

[slugg01]

If you handload try an 87 gr hornady v-max with 42 gr of imr 4350. that should do the trick, not that I'm endorsing the 243.....i have my opinion on cartridges derived from the 300 savage

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

My son's hunt with my .243. They swear by Winchester ballistic silvertips, but I say any bullet meant for deer will do the job just fine.

 

[Coltdriver]

The incredible destructive power of a ~3500 fps 85 grain bullet from a .243 has to be seen to be appreciated. I vote for a partition but Art's experience is impossible to argue with.

 

[41 Mag]

I've hunted with mine since back in 1970, and it has dropped many whitetails. I have used most bullets in all brands from 85grs up through the years on these deer, and even though the lighter ones will go faster this is sometimes not really an added plus when you get a up close shot.

I personally would advise sticking with weights of 90grs and up. Work your loads up for accuracy first and don't worry about the speed. Any of the bullets out there today will work wonders at any velocity over 2700fps, out to ranges past 200yds. You will find that there is less trimming to be done as well.

If suggesting two bullets I would have to go with the Hornady 100gr SPBT, or the Rem CL's. Either of these have proven to drop deer and hogs very reliably for both myself and my friend who shoots the Hornady Custom factory loads. His whole family uses that and they drop plenty of hogs with one shot stops.

My personal load uses the Nosler Solid Base in 100gr which is a shame they quite making. I had several hundred when they dried up the first time and added to them when they became available again. It to me is the perfect bullet for this caliber and I have not found anything that will drop deer or hogs any faster with minimal damage.

Stick with powders like IMR or Hodgdon's 4350, or similar in that range and you will find your best velocities and usually groups well into the !" or less range.

Good luck and wishing your wife a good season.

 

[Davek1977]

If you handload try an 87 gr hornady v-max with 42 gr of imr 4350.

No offense, but a bullet like the V-max, designed to fragment upon inmpact, is a wonderful load for varmits and furbearers, but a HORRIBLE choice as a deer bullet. When using lighter bullets, like the .243, you want a well designed bullet that will retain weight and penetrate well, not something that fragments into tiny pieces upon impact. I'll never understand why people often suggest varmint bullets when discussing loads for the .22 caliber centerfires and the 6mm/.243 family of cartridges. Hollowpoints and V-max's just don't hold together well enough to be used on deer-sized game, and anything less than a perfect shot could EASILY lead to wounded animals.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I agree Dave. My concern is penetration with a lighter bullet. I don't want one that blows to conffeti on impact and doesn't exit.

 

[janobles14]

my wife and her 13 deer will not argue with the 100 grain cor lokt's that i load for her.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I bought an NEF Handi Rifle for my wife yesterday in .243 win. I also got a box of Hornady Superformance with 95 grn SST bullets. Topped with a Nikon Pro-staff 3x9x40,it should be an effective deer getter.

 

[AKElroy]

I bought an NEF Handi Rifle for my wife yesterday in .243 win. I also got a box of Hornady Superformance with 95 grn SST bullets. Topped with a Nikon Pro-staff 3x9x40,it should be an effective deer getter.

I bought this exact set-up for my son, right down to the Nikon Prostaff. I am not happy with the groups, although it is fine for deer. Mine did not like premium ammo, and absolutely hated the Hornady Superformance offering. I finally got it to provide decent groups with cheap, hard hitting Remmy Core-Lokd 100 gr. So much so that I wonder if NEF / HR / Marlin developed the gun around cheaper ammo.

They hit these little Texas whitetail like a truck, and it groups minute of softball @ 100 yards. Good enough--$14 bucks a box.

One word of caution on the Handi-rifle; they are prone to string groups vertically, and are notoriously hard to sight in for that reason. The best advice I received was to keep a bag under the receiver, not the fore-end or barrel when sighting it in. This definately helped. Also, keep the for-end screw just snug enough to not fall out on its own. When I had that sucker cranked, it shot like a pig.