Yeah, that sounds nasty.
Best 243 bullet for deer?
- Thread starter veeman
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sdakotaguy
Well-Known Member
Flamed, for bullet choice, & digging up 10 year old thread, Yes a bit of flame may be called for. Well Ill offer another perspective any way.
Now this perspective is from a guy who has never fired a 243. Though I have taken a lot of deer with a 6mm REM which is so very close in so many ways. & last years deer was taken with a 6mm ARC.
So I started deer hunting a little over 40 years ago w the 6mm Rem & in the 6mm Rem, a 100 gr cup & core SP bullet was what was recommended to me & Boy howdy the 100 gr SP worked well!
I have taken nearly as many deer with archery equipment as rifle over the years. In either Archery or Rifle I am a big believer in a heavy for caliber hunting projectile. Name of the game IMHO is I want a bullet that works well even when things don't go exactly to plan.
Consensus seems to be a bullet with a higher sectional density that expands well while retaining at least 60% of its weight tends to be more reliable even when the shot goes a bit wrong. Don't take me wrong as I am not recommending taking questionable shots. Point here is when the real world experience results in a shoulder bone hit. Even though that was not the intended impact point. The heavier bullet offers a better chance of getting to the vitals for a quick reliable kill shot.
Must say the heavier bullets 100 gr in the 6mm rem & 108 gr in the 6mm ARC worked well for me. Now I also came across some 95 gr Fusion bullets. Loaded those 95 gr gold dot type bullets in the 6mm ARC. Did a few milk jug test to recover bullets fired into a series of milk jugs filled w water. In terms of expansion & retained weight that bullet was picture perfect phenomenal.
Federal Fusion Ammo 243 Winchester 95 Grain Bonded Spitzer Boat Tail
Federal Fusion Ammunition is loaded with a specialized bullet, perfect for deer sized game, that features an electrochemically bonded lead core to...
www.midwayusa.com
Orange Dust
Well-Known Member
Totally deserve it for accidently digging up the thread. If I had to hunt deer with a 6mm I would most likely use a 100gr partition in the woods. But we were talking about kids. Hit a little doe dead center up and down and right to left and usually drt. Messy to clean but drt. The 55gr bullets flat work.Flamed, for bullet choice, & digging up 10 year old thread, Yes a bit of flame may be called for. Well Ill offer another perspective any way.
Now this perspective is from a guy who has never fired a 243. Though I have taken a lot of deer with a 6mm REM which is so very close in so many ways. & last years deer was taken with a 6mm ARC.
So I started deer hunting a little over 40 years ago w the 6mm Rem & in the 6mm Rem, a 100 gr cup & core SP bullet was what was recommended to me & Boy howdy the 100 gr SP worked well!
I have taken nearly as many deer with archery equipment as rifle over the years. In either Archery or Rifle I am a big believer in a heavy for caliber hunting projectile. Name of the game IMHO is I want a bullet that works well even when things don't go exactly to plan.
Consensus seems to be a bullet with a higher sectional density that expands well while retaining at least 60% of its weight tends to be more reliable even when the shot goes a bit wrong. Don't take me wrong as I am not recommending taking questionable shots. Point here is when the real world experience results in a shoulder bone hit. Even though that was not the intended impact point. The heavier bullet offers a better chance of getting to the vitals for a quick reliable kill shot.
Must say the heavier bullets 100 gr in the 6mm rem & 108 gr in the 6mm ARC worked well for me. Now I also came across some 95 gr Fusion bullets. Loaded those 95 gr gold dot type bullets in the 6mm ARC. Did a few milk jug test to recover bullets fired into a series of milk jugs filled w water. In terms of expansion & retained weight that bullet was picture perfect phenomenal.
Federal Fusion Ammo 243 Winchester 95 Grain Bonded Spitzer Boat Tail
Federal Fusion Ammunition is loaded with a specialized bullet, perfect for deer sized game, that features an electrochemically bonded lead core to...
sdakotaguy
Well-Known Member
Guess I just find it way to easy to visualize A splash on a rib if not An accidental front shoulder hit. Though I can see it working very well when threading a quartering away shot into the liver & lungs on a quartering away shot.
Recoil either way 65 gr up to 100 gr at the respective velocity should be very moderate for a youth. In either case Id be more concerned with firearm fit as opposed to recoil with the mild 243. Seasoned or youth the 100 gr bullet would get my vote for the youth hunter. 80 gr GMX Would be a fine consideration as well.
High shoulder would be where Id coach the youth to shoot for if I trusted their marksmanship.
Muddyboots
Well-Known Member
10 year revival! Ten years and bullet development has progressed quite a bit. Pump up a 70 grain Hammer and let er rip! I have a 25 year old .243VLS that is wholly different rifle with the 70HH.
slas
Well-Known Member
This behind 38 grains of Varget has done it time and again for me.
KeithF
Well-Known Member
Very subjective question. Hahaha. The 100 Nosler Partitions are what my father has me load into his 243. He has yet to lose an animal with them.
snox801
Well-Known Member
I've found the same thing. It's pretty impressive how well the 70gr hammer works in the .243. I'm hoping to try the absolute for even more speed. Lots of first time hunters have used my setup to take a deer.
athanasios23
Well-Known Member
What powder and charge weight have you guys used with 70gr hammers?
in all reality, about any bullet will work fine. I have buddies that have used the 85 TTSX with good results. Kind of a smallish hole, but the deer died. Other guy uses winchester white box, 100 or 105 soft points and those are pretty deadly. We killed 7 deer with a 223 rem this year with 62 grain swifts, so anything the 243 launches will be better than that.
Accubond or nosler 95 ballistic tip
Critter Picker
Well-Known Member
What he said!
Twolf
Well-Known Member
this fall 2022 my 10 year old grandson will be also shooting a 243 Win. , i will be loading 80 gr. Hammer bullets for grandson these bullets are a Montana bullet company. Hammer bullets do shoot well in my custom 257 Creedmoor.
