6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

[Short Track]

Moose at 40 yds with 243 win, 80gr TTSX. Full pass through.

Speed Kills. No need for a super-duper magnum. and all the brake guys are 1/2 deaf with worn out shoulders.

 

[Patriot2]

My father and I shot 6mm Remington loads for a couple decades harvesting at least a couple dozen deer. We never lost one deer. We chose 80 (?) grain hollow points and they were deadly. No experience on larger game.

 

[ChaseingTheOutdoors]

16” 6mm ARC with 103gr ELDX at 100 yards. Full pass through with a wicked wound channel, DRT.

Also killed a handful of deer when I was younger with my first deer rifle, Savage youth .243. They never went far.

 

[Clarktar]

So, stock Tikka in 243 win. What's the bullet to use for black bear, deer, moose, elk..? 95 gr? 80 gr? 105 gr? Bullet construction type?

Handloads specifically.....

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[bbell]

So, stock Tikka in 243 win. What's the bullet to use for black bear, deer, moose, elk..? 95 gr? 80 gr? 105 gr? Bullet construction type?

Handloads specifically.....

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Probably the 95 ballistic tip because I don’t think the bigger bullets will stabilize in the 1-10 tikka.

 

[bbell]

I should add that is just what I’ve gathered from my research

 

[Devildogg]

The 6mm bullet traveling at 3000+ is simply magic. My go to bullet for deer size game is the ugly old Hornady 100gr btsp they are moving just over 3100 out of my 6creed and really kill good . My coyote bullet for my 6creed and 243 is the 108 eldm. They have been a wicked bullet for close or long range hit properly there is minimal pelt damage at all. Also the 80gr Berger has been a super bullet for cougars well.

 

[Jim1187]

So, stock Tikka in 243 win. What's the bullet to use for black bear, deer, moose, elk..? 95 gr? 80 gr? 105 gr? Bullet construction type?

Handloads specifically.....

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Its not sexy or cool and it lacks high BC but a Partition is almost never a bad choice for hunting. If I was going to use your setup for elk or moose, given the restrictive moose season locally and costs involved for a traveling elk hunt, I'd probably reach for the Nosler Partitions.

 

[Formidilosus]

So, stock Tikka in 243 win. What's the bullet to use for black bear, deer, moose, elk..? 95 gr? 80 gr? 105 gr? Bullet construction type?

Handloads specifically.....

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Less than 500 yards on game- 95gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. I would also try the 95gr Sierra TMK as it might stabilize in your gun and conditions.

Its not sexy or cool and it lacks high BC but a Partition is almost never a bad choice for hunting. If I was going to use your setup for elk or moose, given the restrictive moose season locally and costs involved for a traveling elk hunt, I'd probably reach for the Nosler Partitions.

Just as an FYI, the person who designed the 95gr NBT (Gail Root) was a 243 and elk nut, and designed it specifically for big deer and bull elk for his use- it was a personal thing for him.

 

[83cj-7]

So, stock Tikka in 243 win. What's the bullet to use for black bear, deer, moose, elk..? 95 gr? 80 gr? 105 gr? Bullet construction type?

Handloads specifically.....

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Honestly for all those animals listed, I’d use the Nosler Partition.

That said, the 105 A-max serves me well, though I’m not sure about moose and elk.

Both with the 105

 

[Rich M]

7 late night tracks for kids on lease.

Dad shot 2 bucks, 1 ran, 1dr
Buddy shot doe drt, nice buck, gut shot 1/2 mile chase
Me 220 yd high shoulder shot on 300# muley, he peg legged 20 yards more and ate 2nd one in ribs walked up and he takes off, hit him again. Tough critter or marginal round. You choose.

243 doesnt impress me too much. Iwill still use it but only in certain circumstances.

 

[BjornF16]

7 late night tracks for kids on lease.

Dad shot 2 bucks, 1 ran, 1dr
Buddy shot doe drt, nice buck, gut shot 1/2 mile chase
Me 220 yd high shoulder shot on 300# muley, he peg legged 20 yards more and ate 2nd one in ribs walked up and he takes off, hit him again. Tough critter or marginal round. You choose.

243 doesnt impress me too much. Iwill still use it but only in certain circumstances.

What bullet?

 

[Seeknelk]

7 late night tracks for kids on lease.

Dad shot 2 bucks, 1 ran, 1dr
Buddy shot doe drt, nice buck, gut shot 1/2 mile chase
Me 220 yd high shoulder shot on 300# muley, he peg legged 20 yards more and ate 2nd one in ribs walked up and he takes off, hit him again. Tough critter or marginal round. You choose.

243 doesnt impress me too much. Iwill still use it but only in certain circumstances.

What bullet was used?

 

[Seeknelk]

Ha! You beat me to it!

 

[sandhill_hunter]

My favorite cartridge is the .243 winchester. We have 3 of them an early 80's 700 my grandpa gave me when I turned 14 for my hunting rifle. I dont use it as much since its very special, but I get it out from time to time. It was replaced by my trusty TC Venture. That rifle is responsible for dozens of coyotes, deer and several pronghorn. My son is 14 so I bought him a savage 16 in .308 and then found a brand new .243 take off barrel that I twisted on. Thay rifle has taken several deer. We have had success with lots of bullets. 80gr GMX, 85gr TSX, 95gr SST, 100gr Interlocks, 85gr Sierra HPBT, 87gr Hornady SP, but recently our favorite has been the 100gr Speer BTSP. It's shoots awesome in all rifles. It has a construction that WE like. We always find about 1/2 of the bullet on the opposite side under the hide of the animal. Perfect performance in my opinion. Here's my sons deer from this year. A nice 4x4 (barely) 4 1/2 year old Sandhill buck. And his from last year, another 4 1/2 year old buck. Both taken with the Speer 100gr BTSP.

I also have a TC Contender 16.5" barrel chambered in 6TCU (basically a 6x45 Ackley improved) and an AR chambered in 6mm Mongoose (based on .223 case shortened and improved). The Mongoose has taken a 400lb wild boar in Texas with 80gr GMX. But is also a great coyote cartridge (55gr SBKs at 3450fps) and prairie dog cartridge (87gr Vmax at 2750 fps).

 

[Rich M]

What bullet?

7 tracks win power point 2013-2015, 2016 kids upgraded to 270s and the bucks started dropping in their tracks.

Dads track federal blue box or red box 2012ish, drt NP 100 gr 2020

Buddy’s deer federal blue or red box 2015ish

Mule deer was federal blue box 2019

All bullets were 100 gr

Worked up a couple handloads - sierra pro hunter 100 gr, NP 100 gr. These are what we use when using the 243 these days. Rough velocities NP might be 2850 and PH might be 3050. Would need to dig out the loading journals to verify.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I’m researching and laying the ground work for a 2023 Tikka semi-custom in 6mm-06. Attached are a couple of handload tables I located online. I’m planning on a 24”, 1:7 barrel to stabilize the 95 grain and above 6mm bullets, and especially interested in the 115 grain Berger VLD.

 

[MarcherLord]

JJ- I have a 6-06 on a Kimber with 8twist. Stabilizes 108s without issue at 3375fps.

 

[Floridave]

This is a great thread, I'm watching and hoping it helps me with rebarreling a 30/06 to a 6mm or 6.5mm cartridge and having a heck of a time deciding.
I have a lifetime supply of 30/06 brass that I could neck down to 6mm/06 or 6.5mm/06, but I have no problem going to a 6mm CM or 243 either. Those would be brand new calibers for me though, so completely new dies/brass/bullets.
Looking for reduced recoil, enjoyable to shoot, fast and flat which all of this group does well enough for me. Also of the cartridges would handle deer and occasional elk I know. Leaning heavily to a 6mm, but just not sure the pros and cons of 243 vs 6mm CM vs 6mm/06. All would be custom barrel with twist to my spec for high BC bullets. Any thoughts?

 

[Jake Leibke]

Ah… the 243… early on I despised it as a big game round. Watched my wife shoot several deer with it with 100 gr Hornady interlocks and they ran off with no blood and a lost deer. Switched to using the 75 gr VMAX that I was using for coyotes and that changed my mind on a 243 for big game. Since we’ve killed numerous deer and antelope with the 243. The down side is no exit hole and a small entrance which leads to little blood but they don’t go far, less then 50 usually.
The 75 gr VMAX have a muzzle velocity about 3300 fps out of my Howa 1500. Furthest kill was 650 yrds on a mule deer buck. Here’s a few pictures.

200 yard shot.

135 yards

650 yards

225 yards

Speed and Energy


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