I know this seems to be a very controversial debate and the reason being shot placement. I am a good enough shot I think I could use the .243 Win very successfully on Eastern Oregon Muleys. I just got my .243 Win and finished breaking in the barrel. My 25/06 barrel is shot out so my new .243 will be going with me this deer season. I understand the 2000fps and 1000lbs energy rule and if I went by that, depending on bullet weights, what type, etc.. the .243 looks like a maximum of a 400 yard deer cartridge. A lot of times my shots will be 450-550 on deer. What bullet would you recomend using? I was thinking of the 95g B-tip, 85g Barnes XLC, or the 90g Swift scirocco. Also, this is the big question, how far do you guys think the .243 Win is capable of taking deer effictively at the cartridges maximum limitation? I know most dont go by the 2000fps and 1000lb rule. Thanks for the help guys.
I killed a lot of deer (as in dozens) with the 95 Nosler Partition a long time ago, . No lasers back then but some shots were 450-500 and the deer died about as dead as they were going to get.
I used to weigh and segregate the Partitions into groups by 1/10ths, back then they were not as uniform as today. (Some guys here might recall that you used to be able to run your thumbnail down the side of a Partition and you would feel little ridges all along it - is that a sign of getting older than dirt or what [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
If you happen to get a close shot you need a bullet that will not blow up - that happens with 75's and 85's and it ain't good. When I was killing a lot of deer for work I got to try a lot of bullets in the .243, including some light ones that did not do well at all. Found out that you need about 100 grains for reliability, the 95's never let me down. Killed a bunch with Winchester Power Points in .243 also, very reliable.
If you can get a Barnes or Scirocco to shoot well, go for it. I used to stick with H-4831 for my .243 and 6mm Rem loads, shot very well in several rifles.
Good luck, hope your new rifle makes you happy.
What about the 100g Sierra Game king? This bullet is a lot cheaper then the others and I could practice a lot more with this bullet. The barnes and sciroccos are to expensive for me to go out and just practice with. And will the rifle with a 1 in 9 1/4 twist properly stabilize the 107g Sierra Match king? I feel a lot better knowing I can go out to 500 yards. Probly dont want to stretch it much farther though. Right now am leaning towards the 95g B-tip or the 100g Game King.
25-06, You might want to try the 100grSST also, I'd get the cheapest bullet I could find for practice, maybe a Remington 100PSPCL. or even a 80grPSP or HP, that's a pretty accurate bullet and could double as a varmint round, Just my .02, Jay
My wife shot a 243 for a couple of years and now it's a 243 Ackley. After an exhausted search for info on this exact subject the conclusion was the Sierra 85 grain GameKing hands down. It has the "perfect" weight/velocity combination.
The proof is in the puddin and several dead deer later.....
PS They are accurate too...her gun consistantly shoots 1/4 MOA with those bullets.
I've killed a lot of deer with a .243 and a 6mm Rem. Love the little rifle but I think that anything over 300 yards is stretching it with that cartridge. Sure it will do it if you hit exactly where you aimed. A .22 will do it if you hit exactly where you aim. At over 300 yards, you may not hit exactly where you aim! I use the Sierra 100 gn spitzer boat tail. Super accurate and deadly. Good luck but you won't need as much luck if you keep the range down. Ken.
I worked up a load with the 100g SBT's the last couple days and today I settled on my load. 43.5g IMR-4831. Giving me 3025fps. After setting my target knobs and stuff all up, I set milk jug up at 400,500,550 and 2 at 600. I hit the ones at 400,500, and 550 on the first shot. The first 600 I missed a little high and to the right. Next shot I adjusted and connected a little high and to the right, but still a hit. Only problem I see is this, at 500 and 550 and 600, the 100g SBT is not doing much explosiveness or expansion on these jugs. Its not even tossing them off the ground. It is enough to tell you hit, but not like when I shot them with my 55g B-tips at 4100fps. At 400 yards, the 100g SBT would still toss em up in the air pretty nicely. Might have to consider 400 yards as the max for deer. I have till the first of October to make a final decision, but overall this new little .243 is making me quite happy.
Linear Mode
