.243 deer bullet choice

[Unclecroc]

I’ve been using hammer bullets in my 6mm creedmoor snd it has impressed me.

 

[Live2hunt941]

I’ve always found it hard to beat a Remington core lokt It is not flashy but it gets the Jobe done

 

[06 SB]

I have killed deer with a 243W/6mmRem with Hornady 100gr, Remington 100gr, Barnes 85gr TSX and 80TTSX. ALL worked perfectly. I generally kept Hornady and corelokts at or just under 3000fps. The Barnes were run 3200 or above.

 

[Lukeandcod]

90 gr accubonds have worked well in my 243.

 

[Hoosier2425]

Always been a Hornady fan. I liked using the American whitetail.

 

[joeharold]

Accubonds are tough to beat.

 

[onlybrowning]

Every time this thread comes up I am torn. I want (but not really) there to be one consistent, definitive response. The fact that there are so many bullets recommended means to me that there are many good options. Nevertheless, with my very limited experience with .243 and my irrational thinking about it being marginal no matter what, I want a consensus!


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[rbaney]

Sierra 1530 85gr HPBT and the 95 Ballistic tip have always worked wonders for me in a 243.

 

[S-3 ranch]

I’m a fan of federal blue 100gr & 100gr Remington
My family have all shot .243 on deer and antelope for over 60 years with these two loads flawlessly out of their savage 99’s
Lately I have been shooting Norma 100gr oryx and they are foolproof so far

 

[Floridave]

Every time this thread comes up I am torn. I want (but not really) there to be one consistent, definitive response. The fact that there are so many bullets recommended means to me that there are many good options. Nevertheless, with my very limited experience with .243 and my irrational thinking about it being marginal no matter what, I want a consensus!


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The way I think about this and part of what drove me to the 6mm is just that fact that there are SO MANY bullets that seem to work so well. Add the list up and it’s extensive. In my mind that’s just what takes it out of the marginal category. It’s not dependent on one magic bullet to work.


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[nubbin]

I’m a .243 fan and i understand some of the gripes about it. The 95gr SST is what my gun favors. It’ll clover leaf them at 100 yards, and 1” at 200, that’s the best of my abilities. The SST’s are a violent round at higher velocities, I always had a hint of concern about shooting them for that reason. But the more i use them on deer, the more they impress me. At close range and higher velocities they dump so much energy it just destroys the vitals. If you do hit shoulder, it’s a mess, but they’ll penetrate it. I’ve shot 1 deer in the shoulder with the SST, quartering toward me at 35 yards. The round blew the shoulder to pieces, the bullet fragmented along with the bone, and no exit. The buck stumbled 40 yards and fell over. Zero blood. Upon gutting the lungs, liver, diaphragm look like they when through a blinder. I’ve stayed off the shoulders since then. It leave a small entry, quarter size exit, and a fist size wound channel on everything else I’ve shot, that includes a sow hog at around 200lbs. I’ve shot deer with 30-06, 308, .243 and 30-30. Outside of the 30-30 shooting 150gr power points which just hammers deer, the .243 with 95gr sst has left the most damage on the vitals on deer.

 

[dan33]

I’m a .243 fan and i understand some of the gripes about it. The 95gr SST is what my gun favors. It’ll clover leaf them at 100 yards, and 1” at 200, that’s the best of my abilities. The SST’s are a violent round at higher velocities, I always had a hint of concern about shooting them for that reason. But the more i use them on deer, the more they impress me. At close range and higher velocities they dump so much energy it just destroys the vitals. If you do hit shoulder, it’s a mess, but they’ll penetrate it. I’ve shot 1 deer in the shoulder with the SST, quartering toward me at 35 yards. The round blew the shoulder to pieces, the bullet fragmented along with the bone, and no exit. The buck stumbled 40 yards and fell over. Zero blood. Upon gutting the lungs, liver, diaphragm look like they when through a blinder. I’ve stayed off the shoulders since then. It leave a small entry, quarter size exit, and a fist size wound channel on everything else I’ve shot, that includes a sow hog at around 200lbs. I’ve shot deer with 30-06, 308, .243 and 30-30. Outside of the 30-30 shooting 150gr power points which just hammers deer, the .243 with 95gr sst has left the most damage on the vitals on deer.

When I shot ssts out of my 270 it was literally a softball sized hole if you hit bone. That being said probably only 20 percent of the deer i killed with it ran less than 50 yards. A buddy of mine used a 243 with hornady American whitetails which I believe is an sst without the polymer tip. The bloodshot and carnage was even worse than my 300 with winchester power points. The only thing I've seen "worse" was an 8mm mauser with a 200 grain partition

 

[nubbin]

When I shot ssts out of my 270 it was literally a softball sized hole if you hit bone. That being said probably only 20 percent of the deer i killed with it ran less than 50 yards. A buddy of mine used a 243 with hornady American whitetails which I believe is an sst without the polymer tip. The bloodshot and carnage was even worse than my 300 with winchester power points. The only thing I've seen "worse" was an 8mm mauser with a 200 grain partition

Yeah they definitely expand. The 95gr combo has worked well for me. My 30-30 shooting 150gr power points leaves a gnarly hole. I think the lower velocity plus soft bullet just match well and it’ll knock the plug out a deer.

 

[EmperorMA]

I loaded 95g ballistic tips for my son’s first 3 deer and was very impressed, 2 dropped and the third only made it 40 yards. I have always used 30 calibers so I was unsure what to expect from a 243. There are better bullets but I keep going back to the nosler BT’s

Are there TRULY better bullets for the .243 Winchester? I think not.

 

[EmperorMA]

Every time this thread comes up I am torn. I want (but not really) there to be one consistent, definitive response. The fact that there are so many bullets recommended means to me that there are many good options. Nevertheless, with my very limited experience with .243 and my irrational thinking about it being marginal no matter what, I want a consensus!


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There absolutely IS a consistent, definitive response. If you're shooting a .243 Win (or 6mm Rem or any of the like-powered cartridges that have faster-twist barrels), the 95gr Nosler Ballistic tip is definitely your Huckleberry.

 

[juju]

SC DNR did a study some years ago proving 243 is literally the worst. If you do well with, take all the credit for your shooting. Give none to the cartridge, because it deserves none.

Picking the best .243 bullet is a waste of time when .223 works at least as well. Whatever you think .243 does, .223 actually does. Both depend on your exceptional marksmanship. So take the easier route with .223.

If you want more than .243 get any of the .25s or smaller capacity 6.5s. Even 6.5 Grendel does a better job.

 

[Trapperkid]

SC DNR did a study some years ago proving 243 is literally the worst. If you do well with, take all the credit for your shooting. Give none to the cartridge, because it deserves none.

Picking the best .243 bullet is a waste of time when .223 works at least as well. Whatever you think .243 does, .223 actually does. Both depend on your exceptional marksmanship. So take the easier route with .223.

If you want more than .243 get any of the .25s or smaller capacity 6.5s. Even 6.5 Grendel does a better job.

@Formidilosus show him the way please sir

 

[Formidilosus]

SC DNR did a study some years ago proving 243 is literally the worst. If you do well with, take all the credit for your shooting. Give none to the cartridge, because it deserves none.

You mean this one-

SCDNR - Wildlife Information

If so, it doesn’t say what you stated that it does.