Max. range for .243 Win. for whitetails and pronghorn?

[Triggernosis]

What would be the max. range I should attempt to hunt whitetails and pronghorn with in .243 Win. using factory loads (Hornady, etc.)? I'm envisioning 95-100 gr. bullets.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I"m gonna go out on a limb here and say around 500 yards, at the most 600. Just my opinion. Id use a 95g NBT or maybe a 90-95g berger VLD. Since you said factory ammo though, man thats tough. Better hope it shoots really really well. You wont have to much room for error. I would probly limit myself to around 400 yards with factory ammo. Others may vary...

 

[stxhunter]

ive taken a 8 point whitetail at just over 400 with the 100 grn core-lokt one shot

 

[Eaglet]

My second son, Marlon, shot two nice mule deer with his Ruger in 243. One was at 343 yards, one shot and it just dropped, the second one 319 yards ran 40 to 50 yards and dropped dead. He also used 100 grn core-lokt.

 

[sewwhat89]

The longest shot in my family with a .243 was 309 yards with 80 gr Federal factory ammo. BANG . . . Flop.

I would try the Hornady LightMag and Federal High-Energy loads first. The added umph will help if your rifle shoots them accurately. I have not had problems with factory .243 ammo shooting well. The 100 gr Core-lokts are about 3/4 MOA, Federal 100 gr SGK (I think) shoot 1/2 MOA, and the Federal 80 gr loads shoot 1/3 MOA in my fiancee's hands out to 200m. She put five shots into a golf ball sized group at 200m, but the golf ball was about an inch to the left of where the bullets were going.

I will be using 105 gr AMAX myself next year on my "long-range" stand where shots go out to about 340 yards.

 

[Jimm]

nosis ,

My 243 rifles are the AI version but I am not using the full capacity of the case in the one I have antelope experience with .

Load is a 107 smk in a lapua case over 41.6 grs. of H4350 lit by a Fed gm210 . Velocity is avg 305 fps . not very hot ..............but the accuracy is moa of gnat at 700 yds .

The furtherest I have shot a speed goat with this combo is bumping 600 yds . but there was no problem energy wise at that distance . As a matter of fact that particular antelope hit the dirt upon bullet impact .

And I have witness that is an oldtimer on this site , our very own BuffaloBob.

I am quite sure that with good bullet placement ( double lungs ) the 243 std round is capable of killing cleanly to the 7 to 800 yd. mark .

Come fall Lord willing I will see if it has longer legs than that . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Jim B.

 

[uncleB]

[ QUOTE ]
nosis ,

My 243 rifles are the AI version but I am not using the full capacity of the case in the one I have antelope experience with .

Load is a 107 smk in a lapua case over 41.6 grs. of H4350 lit by a Fed gm210 . Velocity is avg 305 fps . not very hot ..............but the accuracy is moa of gnat at 700 yds .

The furtherest I have shot a speed goat with this combo is bumping 600 yds . but there was no problem energy wise at that distance . As a matter of fact that particular antelope hit the dirt upon bullet impact .

And I have witness that is an oldtimer on this site , our very own BuffaloBob.

I am quite sure that with good bullet placement ( double lungs ) the 243 std round is capable of killing cleanly to the 7 to 800 yd. mark .

Come fall Lord willing I will see if it has longer legs than that . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Jim B.

[/ QUOTE ]
Jimm,
If your velocity is 305fps with a 107gr SMK I dont think it could make it 700yds what is your real fps /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
UB

 

[Jimm]

Awww shoot Unc B ,

You know my typing fingers ( all two of them ) are sore /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

3050 feet per second as verified by a very good chrono /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Another fine example of my pitiful typing /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Jim B.

 

[screech]

I know a 80gr. soft point killed a forked horn white tail at 427 out of a 243 and he only ran 20 or so yards. This bullet passed completly through the animal with a behind the shoulder shot.

 

[Fotis]

243 Win with factory loads?
Honestly I would not be comfortable at anything over 450-500 yards.

 

[biff's reloading]

fairly certain i couldnt stop a bullet from a 243 at 500 yards. and im quite a bit thicker than any deer ive ever seen!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[keithcandler]

The Hornady \"Custom\" 100g BTSP factory loads ...

are the most accurate factory 243 loads that I have ever witnessed. Last year I shot a 700 and a Win Model 70 with them after the guns were bedded, etc and the rifles shot 1/2" groups with the factory fodder...Hornady did a very good job with their ammo. I pulled the bullets, load was 42.3g of H4350. I duplicated that load in my 700 with the bullet touching the lands and shot a clover leaf with the bullets touching at 100.

Now as far as distance you can kill with that load.

Several years ago, after shooting p. dogs on a ranch that covered 63 sections of land, I got to shoot my speed goats. I shot them with a custom 223 loaded with 55g Sierra SPT flat base loaded at 3250 fps. I killed 4 goats with one shot each, the closest was 250 and the furtherest was 550, all bang flops. On a goat, it is not how much gun you have, it is shot placement, within reason.

Over the years, I had been using less and less gun. Started off with a 7 Mag, 270, 25/06, 243, then 223. I will not shoot another antelope, killed more than my fair share. However, antelope makes the best jerkey that you will ever eat.

Your post was, "How far can I kill an antelope, factory ammo with a 243"? My answer is how far are you going to practice? If you live out West, I would sight the gun in for 300 yards, see how your gun groups at that range, the put targets out at 400, 500, and 600 yards. You will figure out for yourself just how far you can kill one.

There is a world of difference shooting between 500 & 600 yards because the 243 really starts taking a nose dive between 400 to 500 yards.

If the wind is howling at 25 mph, it will take some pretty good shooting to hit one at 400 yards.

 

[tylercleary]

Triggernosis
Great name by the way – Deer and speed goats are light bodied creatures, if you're confident shooting out to 500 yards and get either one of those in your sites, shoot it.

I shoot both a standard .243 and a .243AI. I shoot 87gr. Vmax's and 105 gr. Amax's. The Vmax's might be questionable (up close), but the 105gr Amax's are a good choice. My sweet spot for the 105 is 2950 fps at the muzzle. At 500 yards it's still traveling at 2063 fps and has 992 ftlbs of energy – plenty for the game you've mentioned.

I shoot at 526 yards all the time (my little public land hide-away), so I would feel comfortable shooting at that distance. However, the maximum distance I'd take game with my 243 is 600 yards… The energy is still there (845 ftlbs), but beyond that and I'm out of my comfort zone.

So, do some shooting with your 243 and determine what your maximum range should be and don't worry about the maximum effective range because conditions will dictate that anyway.


TAC

 

[blackco]

You know what I LOVE about this site; NOT ONE PERSON EVEN QUESTIONED THE USE OF A 6mm/243 FOR DEER/ANTELOPE!!! No one baggs on what others are doing!!! I absolutly believe that the 6mm/243's are a GREAT round for deer and antelope. I agree that you can probably kill them as far as you can hit them with the 6mm's. My daughter kiled her first 2 deer this year; the first at about 100ish yards and the second, a big-bodied mulie, the far side of 300yards. They would have fallen in their tracks if she would stop shooting them in the heart so they do that 50yard death run. I've killed many deer and a few caribou out in the 400 yard area, (bang-flop) the only problem is how far I have to haul them back. My dad has killed several deer in the 600 yard area with a 243. Again, his kid's (my) problem hauling them back.

How far you can hit them when you are hunting is the limiting factor with the 243/6mm for deer and antelope.