.243 95gr BT on deer?

[Robster80]

Any fans of the Nosler BT 95gr in their .243 winchester on whitetail? Picked up a couple boxes, shoots great in my 700. Have yet to shoot a deer with it tho

 

[adam32]

I just shot a whitetail with one last week. It was at 426 yards and the bullet started at 3460 fps. The bullet hit the shoulder, continued into the offside and the doe was dead before she hit the ground. Did not move an inch.

 

[FatBoy...]

I use a very light load with of Varget in a Winchester case. Never chrono'd it as it shoots .5 MOA from the M788 so I figured the heck with it. My current hunting area only allows 150-200 yards max and it's performed excellent inside that. I have only taken one deer with this load, DRT. High neck shot. I have also taken a coyote and a Bobcat. Everything this bullet has touched so far never took a step. I like it. With some H4350 and a little development I think it may be even better but as it is, it gets the job done.

 

[Clark]

I have shot animals with:
120 gr NBT 270
140 gr NBT 7mmRM
125 gr NBT 300WM
120 gr NBT 6.5-06
115 gr NBT 25-06
95 gr NBT 6mmBR.

The only one that has 100% bang flops is the 95 gr NBT 6mmBR.

I think I aim better when I have a wimpier kicking gun.
I think I aim better when I KNOW I have a wimpier hitting gun.

 

[snox801]

That is my go to bullet for anyone hunt 6mm. The factory Winchester combined tech shoot so well I don't even reload. It will hold a 5 shot group that I can cover with a nickel out of a cheap savage axis. It's taken quite a few large Michigan whitetail and several hogs. Never had one not pass through. I also run them in my .257 roy

 

[jaeger19]

I used them in my .243 tikka. 95g with 7828. .5 inch groups. Problem was jacket separation on animals. Had 2 problems on antelope. They were hit hard and layed down but needed a coup de grace. Jacket came of and found bits of bullet on opposite side of animal . Same with a mule deer. Ranges 185 yards to 300. . Now use 85 grain barnes tsx.

 

[ShootnMathews]

I use them in my 243. 2920 fps if I recal correctly. They shoot 1/2 moa out to 500 yards. I made the load for my wife but so far only my nephew and I have taken a deer with it. Nephew took his first deer. A button whitetail at 30 yards and closed his eyes on the shot. Barely even hit the deer in the low brisket. It ran maybe 40 yards. The bullet hit all bone in the brisket and did not exit.

My deer was a 3.5 yr old 9 pt whitetail at 40 yards. Shot was perfect and the bullet passed through leaving a hole big enough to hide a ping pong ball in. Amazingly the deer ran almost 100 yards and I did not find a single drop of blood. I followed just the tracks in the leaves and I watched where it went. About 20 yards from where I lost sight of it I found it laying in a pool of blood. Both lungs were totally destroyed. How it went 100 yards I'll never know.

In the pic is my 9 pt. the leg is slightly back from when I shot which is closing up the exit hole, but the hole was perfectly round at the width you see.

 

[RT2506]

My buddy and I have shot a lot of deer with ballistic tips in many different calibers. Our observations for the deer hunting bullets in any caliber are keep the impact velocity under 3000 fps or it will really blow up. Best impact velocity is 2800 fps and lower and they work wonderfully. They are a very accurate bullet and usually are not hard to get to shoot great in most any weapon.

 

[Clark]

My experience is that Nosler ballistic tips in 270 130 gr, 7mm 140 gr, 300WM 125 gr, 6.5 120 gr, 257 115 gr, and 6mm 95 gr all work like a dream in getting bang flop.

Hornady SST 162 gr SST 7mm worked too.

But on the other hand are Berger VLD 180 gr hunting bullets 7mm take bullet after bullet after bullet to take down deer. They made little pencil holes.

My experiences are anecdotal, and your experience might be the exact opposite.

 

[105Coues]

Been using the BT bullets on deer sized game for over 20 years and love them. Extremely accurate and deadly and always sub moa. Usually a half moa grouping.
The 95 BT is perfect for deer IMO.

I have to ask what caliber you can get 3460 pushing one? If that is still very accurate at that velocity, that would be a great rifle.

 

[Summa724]

My buddy shoots 95 grn. SST out of his .243. he got a buck at 298 yards,doe at 416 yards and another doe at 260 yards. All of them died within a view yards. I was impressed. I use the 168 grn BT out of my .308 and dropped a buck at 300 yards in his track's out west and a buck in Pennsylvania at 35 yards.I love the bullet so far.

 

[Clark]

If they stopped making Nosler BTs I would switch to Hornady SSTs.

For pennies on the dollar, I got over 160 pounds of Hornady blem bullets from Lock Stock and Barrel in 2004.
Most of it I do not use, but the 7mm SST 162 gr bullets are accurate and kill just like a Hornady Ballistic tip.

The 95 gr BT killed two animals bang flop for me in 2016, and it is now one of my favorites.

 

[68w]

I've been using 95 federal fusion. Accurate, retains weight, consistent and controlled expansion even at slower impact velocity. Real good bullet, always puts the biggest part of the permanent wound cavity right where you want it. Either exits or lodges in the opposing side hide predictably.

 

[mike33]

Its a winner!