6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

[ktmkaratechips]

For me 108,105, and 103 all have same drop and drift at 600yd, 2900MV.

105 only lists g1 bc where as 103 and 108 list g1 and g7, maybe you had that crossed up when inputting?

Roger that. I’ll have to double check my inputs and see where I jacked it up. Thanks

 

[ID_Matt]

Quick math on my 20" 6 creed, going from 108 to 109eldm only gains .1 mil less drop and .1 mil less drift at 600 yds, 6mph cross wind, 5kDA, 2900MV. That's only changing weight and BC, didn't figure MV change.

Yep, not a huge jump but still better and more forgiving. Same price as 108's so not much downside!

 

[MTdan]

My wife has killed two caribou with 80 gr TTSX bullets out of her .243. I think bullet technology has really increased the lethality of light recoiling cartridges like this.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

My wife has killed two caribou with 80 gr TTSX bullets out of her .243. I think bullet technology has really increased the lethality of light recoiling cartridges like this.

In a .243 you got plenty of velocity to drive those copper bullets fast enough for good expansion.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

I was running a ballistic comparison on the 103 eldx vs the 105 bthp from hornady and 4dof was telling me that the 105 had more drop and drift with the same MV and a Higher BC out at distance. Is that even possible or was I messing something up on the calculator??

Check your numbers again. At same MV and higher BC, the 105 should have better numbers. Good luck

 

[wind gypsy]

109 g7: 0.295
108 g7: 0.270

For what it's worth, applied ballistics says
108: 0.261 G7
109: 0.280 G7

Quick math on my 20" 6 creed, going from 108 to 109eldm only gains .1 mil less drop and .1 mil less drift at 600 yds, 6mph cross wind, 5kDA, 2900MV. That's only changing weight and BC, didn't figure MV change.

Funny, very similar to what I looked at. 2850 MV w/ AB's BC #s but at sea level and full value 10 mph wind - still getting a tenth drop and tenth wind at 600 (which is probably further than i should be shooting at a deer).

Makes it hard to pay 7 cents or so more per bullet. Seeing 108s for 35 cents.

 

[sickles107]

109 g7: 0.295
108 g7: 0.270

For what it's worth, applied ballistics says
108: 0.261 G7
109: 0.280 G7

Technically they are both right, per hornady of course..

Ballistic Coefficient - Hornady Manufacturing, Inc

A-Tip®, ELD® Match, and ELD-X® Ballistic Coefficient Values Hornady originally published “800 yard”* average Ballistic Coefficient (BC) values for ELD-X and ELD Match bullets. This was done to provide the most usable BC from a trajectory prediction st...

www.hornady.com

 

[ianpadron]

Took a little 7pt with my .243 this year. 90gr ELD-X, MV around 3050 fps. Shot was 170 yds, quartering towards me. Wound channel through the heart, opposite lung was jelly, forward lung was untouched. He did a big jump, and ran ~30 yds. Bullet didn’t exit, found when skinning on the offside hide.
View attachment 636441

Heart:
View attachment 636440

Entry:
View attachment 636442

Offside (didn’t exit):
View attachment 636443

This is only my first time processing my own deer and analyzing the bullets performance. There was bloodshot meat all the way up through the neck - the only thing I can think is that a bullet fragment traveled this far up?

Overall, I’m happy with the killing performance, but a little disappointed with the amount of bloodshot meat, especially on a smaller deer. But this is my first time - is this amount of bloodshot meat normal?
View attachment 636444

Good to see more 90 grain ELDX data. Jury is still out on them for me. Saw 3 neck shots with them this year that resulted in bang flops as expected but the one broadside shot was similar to yours (pics in my post higher up) but with a much longer death run.

Real test will be in about a week when the .243 comes out for my Elk B late season tag...

 

[Jbehredt]

My question was in context of the 95 nbt. Reason being I've never shot an animal past about 450yds., and honestly don't currently have the ability to shoot over that.
So if my shots on deer and elk are 95% under 300yds, is there any reason a person should go with say a 243 instead of a 223? The wounds look almost excessive at closer range with the 6mm stuff is why I ask... If I was shooting past 450 often, I would go for a 6mm 105+class bullet I think but that not my current reality.
I've read both the 223 and 6mm thread in their entirety.

I’d be all in on the 77 tmk for deer and elk were it not for CO and WY minimum caliber restrictions. Those force me into this thread where the personal debate is the “cooler“ 243/NBT and the “better” 6cm/eldm.

 

[bhylton]

I’d be all in on the 77 tmk for deer and elk were it not for CO and WY minimum caliber restrictions. Those force me into this thread where the personal debate is the “cooler“ 243/NBT and the “better” 6cm/eldm.

I'm in MT, I would have to double check but I don't think there is a cal. restriction. Maybe I should just go 223? I suppose 6mm is better for wind, but then again maybe it does not matter much inside 500. From their respective threads ,it looks like wound channels are very similar between 223 and 243 with similar bullets

 

[Ryan Avery]

Forgot to post this here
6UM
115 NR Dtac
3330MV
710 yards

Hit the bull tight to the shoulder it took a step back and a step forward then fell over dead. I watched the whole process in the scope.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Bbell12]

Forgot to post this here
6UM
115 NR Dtac
3330MV
710 yards

Hit the bull tight to the shoulder it took a step back and a step forward then fell over dead. I watched the whole process in the scope.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Nice, what’s the weight and barrel profile of your rig?

 

[redneckbmxer24]

The 95 TMK is recommended for slower twist .243’s. It was designed for shooting elk with a .243 Win.

While I completely intend to load up 95gr TMK’s for hunting big game including elk, I can 100% tell you that IS NOT what Sierra designed it or any of the TMK’s for. So much of the stuff said on this forum is so stupid and without any fact or basis. Yes they work great on game but they were not designed or intended for elk hunting.

It’s interesting that in the 223 thread the TMK bullet is the far and away winner for what’s suggested for use but there’s not a clear front runner for the 6’s.

I’ve got a bevy of 6’s but I’m currently leaning towards hunting a 6 ARC in a Proof Elevation MTR. The rifle is very accurate with factory 108 ELD-M’s. I tried loading some 95 NBT’s with CFE-223 but was underwhelmed which surprised me because of the ease of usually finding a load with the Noslers. Not sure I like the CFE a lot…

Anyway, what’s the leaning for this slower 6 bullet wise? I am still going to work up some 95 NBT loads but in the meantime are there other projectiles that would make this cartridge sing? Primarily hunting Texas for deer and pigs.

And how does the 108 ELD stack up. In the thread in all 21 pages I never got a real sense of 108 on game in flesh performance. Is this one of the splashy ELD’s or will it penetrate a little better?

I’m going to load TMK’s for my ARC because of how well they perform on game and run the factory ELDX until then.

You should have no problem getting them to at least 2750 in a 20” bolt gun (realistically 2800-2900). At 2750 they give 1800fps+ impact velocity to at least 600 yards in all but the worst conditions.

 

[WestTN2288]

It’s interesting that in the 223 thread the TMK bullet is the far and away winner for what’s suggested for use but there’s not a clear front runner for the 6’s.

I’ve got a bevy of 6’s but I’m currently leaning towards hunting a 6 ARC in a Proof Elevation MTR. The rifle is very accurate with factory 108 ELD-M’s. I tried loading some 95 NBT’s with CFE-223 but was underwhelmed which surprised me because of the ease of usually finding a load with the Noslers. Not sure I like the CFE a lot…

Anyway, what’s the leaning for this slower 6 bullet wise? I am still going to work up some 95 NBT loads but in the meantime are there other projectiles that would make this cartridge sing? Primarily hunting Texas for deer and pigs.

And how does the 108 ELD stack up. In the thread in all 21 pages I never got a real sense of 108 on game in flesh performance. Is this one of the splashy ELD’s or will it penetrate a little better?

For what it’s worth, I’m shooting a 6ARC ar with a BA barrel. I know that’s not the cats meow of barrels, but it shoots really good (1-1.5in 10 shot groups) with 100-108gr bullets. However, I cannot get it to shoot well with anything lighter than 100gr bullets.

 

[Trapperkid]

Does anyone have any pictures of what a 95 sst does to an elk?

 

[Seeknelk]

The 95 TMK is recommended for slower twist .243’s. It was designed for shooting elk with a .243 Win.

@eric1115 is correct…a 115-120 grain TMK would be THE answer.

I shoot the 108 ELD-M from my current 6XC and my previous 6CM…

Just to clear the first part up, it's the 95 nosler BT that was designed and used a lot on elk NOT the 95tmk. Probably a little mental typo. Just wanted to not leave this out there. Maybe the 95 tmk is great on elk too but I don't know.

 

[6mm Remington]

With the 6mm's bullet choice is very important to performance on game. I have only used Nosler bullets in all of my rifles and my son's rifles for which I load the ammunition for. The ones I list have all been used many times and they work!
90gr. Accubond
90gr. E-Tip
100gr. Partition

95gr. Partition: Have not used this one but it is a Partition and I have 100% confidence on how it would perform, which would be to say ver well!

 

[kkp005]

Shot this dummy in my truck headlights the other morning headed to the deer stand.

Factory hornady black 105gr bthp in 6cm
70-80ish yards
Angled slightly away . Blew through him and the exit is right in the crease behind left shoulder
Ran maybe 40-50 yards

 

[ktmkaratechips]

Shot this dummy in my truck headlights the other morning headed to the deer stand.

Factory hornady black 105gr bthp in 6cm
70-80ish yards
Angled slightly away . Blew through him and the exit is right in the crease behind left shoulder
Ran maybe 40-50 yards

Big dummy! Haha how big of a pig is that?

 

[kkp005]

Big dummy! Haha how big of a pig is that?

He was a dummy . Lol. Stayed in the headlights while I got out of the truck. Got my rifle out of the back seat and then loaded it .

He looks bigger in that picture than he really was. Might have weighed 150. Left him out for the buzzards. He was funky smelling