6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

[Elite]

I shot 3 animals with the 90 grain ELDX last year and was next to a buddy that shot another. All with .243s

Yardages were from 25 to 300 yds. All but one were instant light switches with exits. The one that didn't was mentioned in this thread and is still talked about frequently by my hunting crew. We have agreed to chalk it up as a WTF moment and keep shooting them.

Looking forward to more killin' and more data points this year, although I'll also be shooting the 87 grain hunting VLDs which get no love in this thread but were my go-to prior to the 90s. They are wicked fast in a 243...like 3300 fps fast.

Planning on killing at least one elk with them this year

What animals did you shoot? And that one that didn’t die instantly get away?


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[Tobe_B]

Has anyone used the Hornady ELD-VT bullets on deer/elk? I was comparing tbem to the ELD-X and ELD-M. Both my 6 ARCs shoot the 103/108 bullets well. But I could gain about 200fps (just going off the Hornady website) possibly by going to the 80gr ELD-VT. Supposedly it’s a fast fragmenting bullet, just wondering if it’ll get enough penetration before it grenades internally.


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[nubbin]

Not my only .243 kill but a big sow hog from previous fall in Arkansas. 95gr SST at 20 some odd yards. Second picture you can see the exit when we were quartering it up for the cooler. Definitely impressed that the SST exited at max velocity on a thick hog, but it went though a rib in and a rib out. Small fragment exited in the armpit.

 

[Jlop_2]

No photos but my first elk (cow elk) I killed with a browning lever action .243 shooting 100 grain Remington core lokt. Shot her at about 150 yards broadside, she took about 3 steps as I remember and tipped over.

 

[kkp005]

killed another boar with my 18” 6CM shooting factory hornady black 105gr bthp.
Impact velocity of a little more than 2600fps.
Shot him right at the back of his shoulder and bang/flopped him.
Bullet came to rest under the opposite shoulder shield. Only found the jacket, it was hot and mosquitos were eating me alive so I didn’t dig around very long checking out damage.

 

[gman82001]

killed another boar with my 18” 6CM shooting factory hornady black 105gr bthp.
Impact velocity of a little more than 2600fps.
Shot him right at the back of his shoulder and bang/flopped him.
Bullet came to rest under the opposite shoulder shield. Only found the jacket, it was hot and mosquitos were eating me alive so I didn’t dig around very long checking out damage.

What is mv on your 18” for that load?

 

[kkp005]

What is mv on your 18” for that load?

Around 2750

 

[turbo406]

Bump for hoping someone has some new experience with an 87 vmax? Probably won't take an elk this year but wouldn't mind packing my 6 arc ar along and it shoots 87 vmax alot better than it has any business doing.

 

[Unclecroc]

Bump for hoping someone has some new experience with an 87 vmax? Probably won't take an elk this year but wouldn't mind packing my 6 arc ar along and it shoots 87 vmax alot better than it has any business doing.

I shoot 87 vmaxes out of my 6mm creedmoor at 3340 fps in a 1-8” twist. I can tell you they are explosive! I have taken one coyote with them and a few groundhogs. I myself wouldn’t shoot deer with them but maybe in an arc slowed down they would do well on rib shots but I wouldn’t expect an exit.

 

[turbo406]

I shoot 87 vmaxes out of my 6mm creedmoor at 3340 fps in a 1-8” twist. I can tell you they are explosive! I have taken one coyote with them and a few groundhogs. I myself wouldn’t shoot deer with them but maybe in an arc slowed down they would do well on rib shots but I wouldn’t expect an exit.

I'm slowed down to about 2840

 

[kswaterfowl]

I shoot 87 vmaxes out of my 6mm creedmoor at 3340 fps in a 1-8” twist. I can tell you they are explosive! I have taken one coyote with them and a few groundhogs. I myself wouldn’t shoot deer with them but maybe in an arc slowed down they would do well on rib shots but I wouldn’t expect an exit.

I've shot a few coyotes with them, and I've noticed the same thing. They can be pretty explosive, but that's what I've seen with all vmax. But I always get great accuracy out of them.

 

[RyanT26]

I shoot 87 vmaxes out of my 6mm creedmoor at 3340 fps in a 1-8” twist. I can tell you they are explosive! I have taken one coyote with them and a few groundhogs. I myself wouldn’t shoot deer with them but maybe in an arc slowed down they would do well on rib shots but I wouldn’t expect an exit.

Good lord, Is that an exit on the coyote?

 

[kswaterfowl]

Good lord, Is that an exit on the coyote?

I would bet money that's the entry. Typical of vmax, if you hit any bone.

 

[Unclecroc]

I'm slowed down to about 2840

What’s the twist on your 6arc? Vmaxes have a max rated rpm of 290k in my 6 creed I’m right at 300k which I figured contributes to the explosiveness. A friend shoots the 87 out of a 243 1-9.25 twist at 3200 and it’s not nearly as explosive.

 

[Unclecroc]

I've shot a few coyotes with them, and I've noticed the same thing. They can be pretty explosive, but that's what I've seen with all vmax. But I always get great accuracy out of them.

Depending on twist rates I’ve seen them from mild to wild. The closer to 300k rpm you get the more explosive they become.

 

[turbo406]

Depending on twist rates I’ve seen them from mild to wild. The closer to 300k rpm you get the more explosive they become.

I believe it's a 7 twist, it's an odin barrel, I have a savage 110 tac that shoots a 103 eldx well unsuperessed but I need to do some more sanding on it I think the suppressor hanging off of it makes the action contact the stock in odd spots. But it's also an absolute tank with a venom hanging off it so I try not to pack it far

 

[Unclecroc]

Good lord, Is that an exit on the coyote?

Yes sir

 

[Unclecroc]

I believe it's a 7 twist, it's an odin barrel, I have a savage 110 tac that shoots a 103 eldx well unsuperessed but I need to do some more sanding on it I think the suppressor hanging off of it makes the action contact the stock in odd spots. But it's also an absolute tank with a venom hanging off it so I try not to pack it far

Your rpm is 292k so it’s slightly less than I am spinning them but still over the max recommended rpm from hornady. Me personally I would shy away from shooting a deer with them. Not saying it won’t work but I like some insurance for penetration.

 

[Taudisio]

Tagging in as I’m planning you use the 87gr vmax on a bear in a week or so with my 6x45.

In regards to that coyote, I take it with a grain of salt. I shot a coyote with my 30 nosler at 90 yards and blew hair 20 yards away. Shot a cow at about 85 yards and it punched through and through. Same rifle/load/distance only 5 days apart. That’s the exit on the cow. Entrance on the coyote is the right side. Can’t judge a bullet for big game by what it does to a varmint, if you don’t find the bullet.

 

[Unclecroc]

Tagging in as I’m planning you use the 87gr vmax on a bear in a week or so with my 6x45.

In regards to that coyote, I take it with a grain of salt. I shot a coyote with my 30 nosler at 90 yards and blew hair 20 yards away. Shot a cow at about 85 yards and it punched through and through. Same rifle/load/distance only 5 days apart. That’s the exit on the cow. Entrance on the coyote is the right side. Can’t judge a bullet for big game by what it does to a varmint, if you don’t find the bullet.

I’ve had the 87 not penetrate a groundhog if shot length wise on more than one occasion. I’m just presenting facts that I’ve seen. The only way to see how it works in your case is to try it out. Let us know how it goes on bear, I’m genuinely curious.