Best 243 round for deer - Page 2

alleyyooper · October 3, 2016, 07:59 AM

"85gr sierra hollow points have worked well for me, shoot under an inch at 100 and they do kill deer. I just picked up some speer 85 gr btsp I am going to try this season, have to take em out and test em for accuracy first though. I will let you know how they work out"

I have been hand loading the Sierra HPBT game king bullets for my 243 for years. Don't need a blood trail with them as long as you do your part and put them in the kill zone. If you that the deer is a bang flop right on the spot.

I use the same round on coyotes when it is windy too.

Al

NHSHOOTER · October 3, 2016, 03:23 PM

alleyyooper, Glad to see there is at least 2 others that agree with me, you and sure shot mcgee, although he uses 80's I have yet to try those new 85's but according to the loading manual they spit out at 3250 fps..Lets hope they group well..

alleyyooper · October 4, 2016, 03:53 AM

DA!!!! didn't post up the grainage of the ones I use. I use the 85gt HPBT Sierras, 243 dia. (6mm) 85 gr. HPBT GameKing 1530 .

I use them for every thing from deer bang flop, coyotes pops their eye balls out with head shots and dust crows into a flurry of feathers.

Al

reynolds357 · October 4, 2016, 02:18 PM

I do use the 85 TSX on deer. Maybe I am just old school and stubborn, but I do not trust a traditional construction 85gr bullet on white tail deer. Does not mean I am right.
I like to plan for the less than ideal circumstance and give myself plenty of margin for error. Though I would like to think I am a perfect shot, I know that is not realistic. I want a blood trail that is easy to follow. A neighbor shot a deer with a .243 Win and hit it smack dead on the shoulder blade. My hound could only track it about 70 yards. The buzzards found it for him a few days later. If I remember correctly he was using an 85 grain cup and core type bullet. Had he been using a 100 gr bonded, interlock, or 85 gr gilded, the deer would have been dead in a pile where hit.

Art Eatman · October 4, 2016, 07:45 PM

Me'n alleyyooper. Two dozen bang-flops.

I won't take an angling shot, though, where deep penetration would be needed.

FWIW: I found the Federal load with that Sierra bullet to group just as tight as my handloads. (37.5 grains of 3031.)

kraigwy · October 5, 2016, 09:05 AM

Just some observations: For what its worth.

Last year we used 87 Gr Bergers VLD Hunting, in my wife's Model 70.

She was quite upset. Both her antelope and deer hand huge chunks of meat removed. Too devastating.

So this year, I loaded up some Hornady 100 Gr. BTSP. Left a 1.5 inch exit hole without destroying half the meat.

Art Eatman · October 5, 2016, 09:25 PM

(Sigh) Once again: Don't shoot 'em in the eatin' part!

the blur · October 21, 2016, 04:13 PM

.243 is so devastating, I use the cheapest Federal blue ammo. Leaves a 3" exit hole.

I normally use 100g, I'm considering reducing to 80g.

mikejonestkd · October 22, 2016, 07:06 AM

In my family, We have several .243 win rifles and handguns for deer hunting and most of us use 95gr remington accutips, 95 gr winchester silvertip, or hand load 95 gr nosler ballistic tips.
Most of the deer drop within 25 yards after being hit in the boiler room. I don't think we have ever lost one after being hit with one of the above bullets, and have never recovered a bullet - all have exited the deer.

SJCbklyn · October 22, 2016, 07:51 AM

The .243 is not my regular deer round but I have shot two deer with the Rem 100gr core lokt. Neither ran far. Neither shot was over 100 yds.
Deer don't need fancy bullets imo

Zorro · October 24, 2016, 01:09 AM

.243 is on the light end for deer sized game so go with heavy instead of light bullets.

A semi-handloaders trick.

Buy Remington standard loads because they are usually the lowest power commercial loads.

Pull the bullets with a gravity hammer.

Throw away the Remington bullet and and put in a Barnes copper bullet of the same weight with a Lee Loader.

DON'T try that with the Hornady or Federal loads, they tend to be hot for the caliber.

BoogieMan · October 24, 2016, 08:26 PM

My son had very good luck and clean kills with 100gr PPU soft points. $14 a box at SGAMMO. Might be the cheapest deer we have ever taken.

Snyper · October 25, 2016, 04:20 AM

Quote:

I just picked up some speer 85 gr btsp I am going to try this season, have to take em out and test em for accuracy first though. I will let you know how they work out"

I got great accuracy with those, but decided they were too fragile for deer.

They would do lots of damage but often didn't pass through, which made tracking tough.

I've never had that problem with the 95 gr Ballistic Tips

Mr. Hill · October 26, 2016, 03:24 PM

Try the Remington corelokt, Winchester power points, and/or the federal fusion, and use whichever is most accurate through your rifle. I'd start with those three less expensive brands because they both work very well for deer; I've used the .243 corelokt to kill deer and it works very well, and I have friends who love the fusion. I suppose that Just about all of the soft point 90-100 grain rounds from the major ammunition manufacturers will work great.

I use the federal premium Sierra 165 grain gameking for deer because my rifle loves it, but I sure wish it loved a less expensive brand!

jfruser · October 26, 2016, 03:37 PM

Federal factory ammo loaded with 100gr Nosler Partition bullets is what my wife likes.

lordvader · October 26, 2016, 03:38 PM

Any factory round in a 243, excepting varmint ammunition, will kill deer. Deer are not hard to kill. Just good shot placement is needed. My son hunts with a 243 and every deer he's shot has gone down with one shot. I do know that the deer in Indiana are larger than they are in Texas IMO. I used to live in Indiana. But any 95 to 100 grain factory bullet will bring them down. Good luck and good hunting.

lefteye · October 27, 2016, 11:22 PM

The Nosler 90 or 95 gr. Ballistic Tip gets my vote. I haven't used a .243 for years but have relied on Nosler bullets almost exclusively for 30 years or more with my .270 and .300 Win Mag, and have NEVER been disappointed.

Saltydog235 · October 28, 2016, 04:03 PM

The best bullet for your deer hunting in a .243 is the one that goes exactly where you put it. It's about shot placement with the .243.

October 3, 2016, 07:59 AM	#26
alleyyooper Member Join Date: March 9, 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 18	"85gr sierra hollow points have worked well for me, shoot under an inch at 100 and they do kill deer. I just picked up some speer 85 gr btsp I am going to try this season, have to take em out and test em for accuracy first though. I will let you know how they work out" I have been hand loading the Sierra HPBT game king bullets for my 243 for years. Don't need a blood trail with them as long as you do your part and put them in the kill zone. If you that the deer is a bang flop right on the spot. I use the same round on coyotes when it is windy too. Al __________________ Garden View Apiaries where the view is as sweet as the honey.

October 4, 2016, 03:53 AM	#28
alleyyooper Member Join Date: March 9, 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 18	DA!!!! didn't post up the grainage of the ones I use. I use the 85gt HPBT Sierras, 243 dia. (6mm) 85 gr. HPBT GameKing 1530 . I use them for every thing from deer bang flop, coyotes pops their eye balls out with head shots and dust crows into a flurry of feathers. Al __________________ Garden View Apiaries where the view is as sweet as the honey.

October 5, 2016, 09:05 AM	#31
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	Just some observations: For what its worth. Last year we used 87 Gr Bergers VLD Hunting, in my wife's Model 70. She was quite upset. Both her antelope and deer hand huge chunks of meat removed. Too devastating. So this year, I loaded up some Hornady 100 Gr. BTSP. Left a 1.5 inch exit hole without destroying half the meat. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

October 22, 2016, 07:06 AM	#34
mikejonestkd Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2006 Location: Brockport, NY Posts: 3,717	In my family, We have several .243 win rifles and handguns for deer hunting and most of us use 95gr remington accutips, 95 gr winchester silvertip, or hand load 95 gr nosler ballistic tips. Most of the deer drop within 25 yards after being hit in the boiler room. I don't think we have ever lost one after being hit with one of the above bullets, and have never recovered a bullet - all have exited the deer. __________________ You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

October 24, 2016, 08:26 PM	#37
BoogieMan Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2012 Location: South Jersey Posts: 2,217	My son had very good luck and clean kills with 100gr PPU soft points. $14 a box at SGAMMO. Might be the cheapest deer we have ever taken. __________________ Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it. Milton Freidman "If you find yourself in a fair fight,,, Your tactics suck"- Unknown

October 3, 2016, 03:23 PM	#27
NHSHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2012 Location: Concord NH Posts: 1,002	alleyyooper, Glad to see there is at least 2 others that agree with me, you and sure shot mcgee, although he uses 80's I have yet to try those new 85's but according to the loading manual they spit out at 3250 fps..Lets hope they group well..

October 4, 2016, 02:18 PM	#29
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	I do use the 85 TSX on deer. Maybe I am just old school and stubborn, but I do not trust a traditional construction 85gr bullet on white tail deer. Does not mean I am right. I like to plan for the less than ideal circumstance and give myself plenty of margin for error. Though I would like to think I am a perfect shot, I know that is not realistic. I want a blood trail that is easy to follow. A neighbor shot a deer with a .243 Win and hit it smack dead on the shoulder blade. My hound could only track it about 70 yards. The buzzards found it for him a few days later. If I remember correctly he was using an 85 grain cup and core type bullet. Had he been using a 100 gr bonded, interlock, or 85 gr gilded, the deer would have been dead in a pile where hit.

October 4, 2016, 07:45 PM	#30
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Me'n alleyyooper. Two dozen bang-flops. I won't take an angling shot, though, where deep penetration would be needed. FWIW: I found the Federal load with that Sierra bullet to group just as tight as my handloads. (37.5 grains of 3031.)

October 5, 2016, 09:25 PM	#32
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	(Sigh) Once again: Don't shoot 'em in the eatin' part!

October 21, 2016, 04:13 PM	#33
the blur Senior Member Join Date: October 3, 2010 Posts: 243	.243 is so devastating, I use the cheapest Federal blue ammo. Leaves a 3" exit hole. I normally use 100g, I'm considering reducing to 80g.

October 22, 2016, 07:51 AM	#35
SJCbklyn Senior Member Join Date: September 25, 2016 Posts: 102	The .243 is not my regular deer round but I have shot two deer with the Rem 100gr core lokt. Neither ran far. Neither shot was over 100 yds. Deer don't need fancy bullets imo

October 24, 2016, 01:09 AM	#36
Zorro Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2000 Posts: 1,072	.243 is on the light end for deer sized game so go with heavy instead of light bullets. A semi-handloaders trick. Buy Remington standard loads because they are usually the lowest power commercial loads. Pull the bullets with a gravity hammer. Throw away the Remington bullet and and put in a Barnes copper bullet of the same weight with a Lee Loader. DON'T try that with the Hornady or Federal loads, they tend to be hot for the caliber.

October 26, 2016, 03:24 PM	#39
Mr. Hill Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2015 Posts: 384	Try the Remington corelokt, Winchester power points, and/or the federal fusion, and use whichever is most accurate through your rifle. I'd start with those three less expensive brands because they both work very well for deer; I've used the .243 corelokt to kill deer and it works very well, and I have friends who love the fusion. I suppose that Just about all of the soft point 90-100 grain rounds from the major ammunition manufacturers will work great. I use the federal premium Sierra 165 grain gameking for deer because my rifle loves it, but I sure wish it loved a less expensive brand! Last edited by Mr. Hill; October 26, 2016 at 05:20 PM.

October 26, 2016, 03:37 PM	#40
jfruser Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 350	Federal factory ammo loaded with 100gr Nosler Partition bullets is what my wife likes. __________________ Regards, jfruser "Books and bullets have their own destinies."----Bob Ross

October 26, 2016, 03:38 PM	#41
lordvader Member Join Date: September 30, 2015 Posts: 86	Any factory round in a 243, excepting varmint ammunition, will kill deer. Deer are not hard to kill. Just good shot placement is needed. My son hunts with a 243 and every deer he's shot has gone down with one shot. I do know that the deer in Indiana are larger than they are in Texas IMO. I used to live in Indiana. But any 95 to 100 grain factory bullet will bring them down. Good luck and good hunting.

October 27, 2016, 11:22 PM	#42
lefteye Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2006 Posts: 1,433	The Nosler 90 or 95 gr. Ballistic Tip gets my vote. I haven't used a .243 for years but have relied on Nosler bullets almost exclusively for 30 years or more with my .270 and .300 Win Mag, and have NEVER been disappointed. __________________ Vietnam Veteran ('69-'70) NRA Life Member RMEF Life Member

October 28, 2016, 04:03 PM	#43
Saltydog235 Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2010 Location: Pawleys Island Posts: 1,563	The best bullet for your deer hunting in a .243 is the one that goes exactly where you put it. It's about shot placement with the .243.