243 bullet for youth deer

[CBB1]

For the past 2 seasons I’ve been taking my son deer hunting. He is shooting a Model 7 243 with Federal blue box 100gr soft points. These were all I could find when I purchased them.

Here is why I’m looking for something else. All shots are going to be within 100 yards, most at feeding animals inside of 50yards. So far he has killed 8 deer but blood trails have been poor and the soft point bullets have been coming apart with me finding a couple of copper jackets with no lead remaining.

For his experience level he is a good shot and we always shoot off a tripod with saddle mount. Still, nerves are a factor and to be honest he’s made a couple suboptimal shots. I’m looking for a bullet to perform well at short distances with deer size game. Should I be looking at a beefier bullet like a TTSX or something like a TMK that will provide more shock?

Factory ammo is preferred but I am set up to reload if that’s the better option.


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[Oregonmuley]

I've used the Federal Fusion 95 grain factory ammo to kill a couple truckloads of antelope and several mule deer out to 350 yards and only caught one bullet so far. My rifle sure likes the Fusion ammo and I think from what I have seen posted most rifles shoot Fusion good or great so that might be an option??

Also had really good luck with Nosler 95 grain Ballistic tip ammo, is a pretty tough little bullet. That is if you can find it, any ammo is tough to find these days.

 

[Laramie]

This is the best factory deer round we have found in the .243. They do expand quickly up close but most deer are DRT. Pretty devastating results. Out of the 30 or so deer we have taken with them only one big doe whitetail made it more than 20 yards.

243 Win 95 gr SST® Superformance® - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

...

www.hornady.com

 

[Bearlodge10]

I think there are several good options out there but some other things to consider as well. First, the performance of the Federal blue box (Speer bullets I believe) sounds on par with most cup and core bullets. My family has used Remington corelokts and Hornady interlocks for years and with mixed results. The worst performance and blood trails are those when a marginal shot was taken or I should say happened. Although a different bullet could have helped, shot placement trumps the bullet. With that said, stepping up to a more premium bullet can result in better terminal performance (quicker kills no need for blood tracking) but also means more expense.
I do like the suggestion of the federal fusion ammo. I think that these are a little more bonded and should hold together a little better but in my opinion, will still perform like the Federals you are using now. I have loaded the fusion bullets for the .338-06 with good results.
I like the Hornady SST for wound channels. In fact, I used the H4895 formula to create a reduced recoil load for my son's .243 and I shot a doe this year with it as a test. The shot was just under 100 yards and placement was perfect, top of the heart and through both lungs. She went 60 yards but there was no doubt that she was hit and the blood was a red carpet. I have shot the SST previously but I turned away from it as it really tends to separate and causes much more bloodshot and meat loss especially if you hit more solid bone first.
As for the Barnes bullets, I think that the loaded ammo (85 grainers) would be worth a look. I have always had a hard time getting Barnes to shoot well and have never shot an animal with them.
The only Sierras that I am familiar with is the true match kings and the varminters. I have killed coyotes, deer, and antelope with them but think that a bullet more designed for big game would be better. Others can chime in with their actual use.
Nosler partition might be worth a shot too and I think it would be easier to reload these than to find affordable ammo. I have never shot a partition out of the .243 but figure that at mild velocities the performance should be good Although higher velocities might be better for accuracy and for terminal performance.
I do think that given the scenarios you present, handloading the fusions or tipped (sst /ballistic tips) in a lighter bullet 90-95 grains and running them at more mild velocities will get you exactly what you are after. Of course, more shooting experience for your son and better shot placement will do wonders as well.
My book is complete and I hope there is something helpful there

 

[Skee7533]

My son has taken 13 whitetails and 1 mule deer with a .243. All were taken with Winchester Deer Season 95 grain. All were one shot kills. Most were shot under 75 yards. 5 dropped in their tracks. Of the others, none ran more than a short distance before going down, only one (a whitetail doe that only ran 40 yards) had a poor blood trail. His rifle really likes this ammo, he has shot a 2" 3 shot 300 yard group with it.

 

[EdP]

I use the 100 gr Sierra Gameking (1560) in my 6mm Rem with good results. It's not really much different from the bullet you used, a cup and core soft point. Early on, like you, I became concerned after finding a shed jacket in a whitetail doe I had shot. At the time I couldn't find the rest of the bullet. The next spring I was fleshing the hide from that doe to tan and found a perfectly mushroomed lead core in the fat layer under the hide. The intact and perfectly mushroomed lead core resolved my concern about using the bullet on deer. Since then I have taken a number of deer and two pronghorn with that same load at distances from 100 to 500 yds. None of them travelled far.

If you want a more robust bullet, Nosler makes a 90 gr Accubond and Barnes makes all copper 80 and 85 gr bullets in .243. Like Bearlodge, I also have not had great luck getting the all coppers to shoot well. I have had good success with Accubonds though. In either case you are looking at twice the cost of the Gamekings. I personally like heavy for caliber bullets for the higher BCs they offer so I'm sticking with the 100 gr GKs in my 6mm.

 

[black dawg]

Give the 95 grain ballistic tip a try. We have used 100 grn speer bullets and 100grn hornady interlocks, and both killed fine, the ballistic tip was better.

I keep reading about guys liking the 85ttsx, but our results with it were pretty poor......slow kills and no blood trail.

 

[TripleJ]

My boys have killed a pile of blacktails and 1 antelope with 100 grain partition hand loads out of a .243.

 

[handwerk]

My kids had great results from the 80g TTSX.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Winchester Supreme 95gr NBT would be my first choice for factory hunting ammo in a .243.

 

[CBB1]

Thanks guys, I was was able to pick up a couple boxes of Federal Fusions. I will give those a try. Hopefully they hold together better then the soft points.


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[Gotitbad]

I think there are several good options out there but some other things to consider as well. First, the performance of the Federal blue box (Speer bullets I believe) sounds on par with most cup and core bullets. My family has used Remington corelokts and Hornady interlocks for years and with mixed results. The worst performance and blood trails are those when a marginal shot was taken or I should say happened. Although a different bullet could have helped, shot placement trumps the bullet. With that said, stepping up to a more premium bullet can result in better terminal performance (quicker kills no need for blood tracking) but also means more expense.
I do like the suggestion of the federal fusion ammo. I think that these are a little more bonded and should hold together a little better but in my opinion, will still perform like the Federals you are using now. I have loaded the fusion bullets for the .338-06 with good results.
I like the Hornady SST for wound channels. In fact, I used the H4895 formula to create a reduced recoil load for my son's .243 and I shot a doe this year with it as a test. The shot was just under 100 yards and placement was perfect, top of the heart and through both lungs. She went 60 yards but there was no doubt that she was hit and the blood was a red carpet. I have shot the SST previously but I turned away from it as it really tends to separate and causes much more bloodshot and meat loss especially if you hit more solid bone first.
As for the Barnes bullets, I think that the loaded ammo (85 grainers) would be worth a look. I have always had a hard time getting Barnes to shoot well and have never shot an animal with them.
The only Sierras that I am familiar with is the true match kings and the varminters. I have killed coyotes, deer, and antelope with them but think that a bullet more designed for big game would be better. Others can chime in with their actual use.
Nosler partition might be worth a shot too and I think it would be easier to reload these than to find affordable ammo. I have never shot a partition out of the .243 but figure that at mild velocities the performance should be good Although higher velocities might be better for accuracy and for terminal performance.
I do think that given the scenarios you present, handloading the fusions or tipped (sst /ballistic tips) in a lighter bullet 90-95 grains and running them at more mild velocities will get you exactly what you are after. Of course, more shooting experience for your son and better shot placement will do wonders as well.
My book is complete and I hope there is something helpful there

I’ve been using the 100 gr partitions in my 6mm Remingto. What a difference from the Coreloks. No fragmentation and pass through on most

 

[country_20boy]

My kids had great results from the 80g TTSX.

My daughter has killed a truck full with these and I have no complaints. I'm handloading them but basically duplicating the Vortex factory loads. 3180fps in a 20" barrel and very little recoil.

 

[35WhelenAI]

OP, Sounds like your son hasn't lost any deer despite 2 sub optimal shots out of 8, if I read you correct.

However I would go with the TTSX at higher velocity. I like the lighter bullet at higher velocity with the monos, it's the best of both worlds. Vicious terminal performance and probably an exit that might help you find them easier IF they do go anywhere. It's funny, 243 and 100 gr factory loads has these results on deer, but a frangible bullet seems to be all the rage on elk for a 6mm. Help me understand???

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

Fusion or Partition

 

[dubsya]

Federal fusion is g2g.

 

[Formidilosus]

I like the lighter bullet at higher velocity with the monos, it's the best of both worlds. Vicious terminal performance and probably an exit that might help you find them easier IF they do go anywhere.

This is “devastating” to you?





In over thirty deer this was the most tissue damaging of all using 85gr TSX and 80gr TTSX-



Average distance traveled after impacts was more than 80 yards; all shots were sub 400, and almost all were sub 100 yards. Permanent wound channels of around thumb thickness. Temporary wound channels of around golfball to baseball size. Oh, and there were fewer exits in animals than any other projectile from any 6mm up to that point. To compare, the next 30’ish deer shot with 6mm “fragmenting” or rapidly expanding bullets (95gr NBT) after the Barnes, traveled a grand total of less than 10 yards COMBINED- they simply folded at the shot. The average wound channel was baseball to softball size.



Contrast those Barnes results above with-



Or-

(Knife is pointing to high scapula of an elk with 6+ inch permanent wound channel.




So we have the same caliber and same impact velocities, the only difference being “lighter high velocity monos” versus mid velocity heavy fragmenting bullets.

It's funny, 243 and 100 gr factory loads has these results on deer, but a frangible bullet seems to be all the rage on elk for a 6mm. Help me understand???

You’ve been helped. You just refuse to listen, learn, or even consider that your beliefs of something you’ve never done or seen might be incorrect.

 

[Formidilosus]

Thanks guys, I was was able to pick up a couple boxes of Federal Fusions. I will give those a try. Hopefully they hold together better then the soft points.

The Fusions do well. However, for normal range hunting, the 95gr Nosler Ballistic Tip might be the best performing 6mm on the market.

 

[Highvoltage1]

85 gr Sierra is what your looking for if your a reloder, if not 100 gr corelok. Best wishes!

 

[CBB1]

Thanks guys. To clarify, we have recovered all but one. All but one of the shots were in the vitals but no DRT shots and very little blood if at all. It’s a challenge with a 6 year old when you aren’t sure exactly where the crosshairs were when the shot broke and you watched a deer run off in the woods. But he’s says “I know I was on him.”

A couple of the deer we have found shot through the lungs 80-100 yards away with basically no blood. The one that really hurt was a very nice buck that he undoubtedly hit but we found no blood. A couple weeks later the neighbors son killed it and we found that my son had hit it through ribs just below the heart. There was obvious trauma to the lower part of the heart but he lived. I know things happen but I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if we were shooting a more frangible bullet like a NBT or SST.

Basically I’m looking for more DRT and celebrations and less “let’s give it a hour and go see if we can find some blood.” That’s tough for anyone, let alone a 6 year old.


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