6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

Felix40

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Jul 27, 2015
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New Mexico
I’ve been working on something very different from most guys here. A reduced recoil hunting load for my son’s 18” 243. I loaded some very mild 87gr vmax for it and did some culling. I’m very happy with terminal performance on animals from deer sized to a little bigger than elk. Not a lot of exits or blood but you don’t need blood if you watch them fall. I wish I had a chronograph to give a speed. All I can say is it’s about 75% of what I would normally load. I know the vmax seems like a bad idea on big animals but going that slow it seems to work beautifully.
 

The Guide

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Aug 20, 2023
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Montana
I’ve been working on something very different from most guys here. A reduced recoil hunting load for my son’s 18” 243. I loaded some very mild 87gr vmax for it and did some culling. I’m very happy with terminal performance on animals from deer sized to a little bigger than elk. Not a lot of exits or blood but you don’t need blood if you watch them fall. I wish I had a chronograph to give a speed. All I can say is it’s about 75% of what I would normally load. I know the vmax seems like a bad idea on big animals but going that slow it seems to work beautifully.
When you slow that 87 VMAX down, it works really good. The 120 NBT does the same in the 6.5 Grendel. In my 260 the 120 is very accurate but a little splashy. At Grendel speeds it just kills.

Jay
 

ktmkaratechips

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 25, 2021
Messages
113
I’ve been working on something very different from most guys here. A reduced recoil hunting load for my son’s 18” 243. I loaded some very mild 87gr vmax for it and did some culling. I’m very happy with terminal performance on animals from deer sized to a little bigger than elk. Not a lot of exits or blood but you don’t need blood if you watch them fall. I wish I had a chronograph to give a speed. All I can say is it’s about 75% of what I would normally load. I know the vmax seems like a bad idea on big animals but going that slow it seems to work beautifully.
What shot placement have you been trying for? Does the recoil seem reduced enough to make a difference? Sounds great to me!
 

turbo406

FNG
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Jan 2, 2023
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406
I’ve been working on something very different from most guys here. A reduced recoil hunting load for my son’s 18” 243. I loaded some very mild 87gr vmax for it and did some culling. I’m very happy with terminal performance on animals from deer sized to a little bigger than elk. Not a lot of exits or blood but you don’t need blood if you watch them fall. I wish I had a chronograph to give a speed. All I can say is it’s about 75% of what I would normally load. I know the vmax seems like a bad idea on big animals but going that slow it seems to work beautifully.
What speed if you had to guess? I'm running them at 2840 out of an 18 inch arc and it shoots wonderfully. Was thinking about trying it on deerthis year
 

Felix40

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Jul 27, 2015
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New Mexico
What shot placement have you been trying for? Does the recoil seem reduced enough to make a difference? Sounds great to me!
Bow type shots at 100 yds or less. It’s substantially softer shooting than what I would load for myself (95 nbt close to max). I would say it’s comparable to a 223 ar. The set up is for a 9 year old. He killed an elk last year but I used too hard of a bullet and wasn’t super happy with it.
 

Felix40

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Jul 27, 2015
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New Mexico
What speed if you had to guess? I'm running them at 2840 out of an 18 inch arc and it shoots wonderfully. Was thinking about trying it on deerthis year
Wild guess would be around 2350. That’s just about 75% of what factory ammo is listed at while accounting for the 18” barrel. I know velocity:charge isn’t linear but I have nothing else to go on.
 
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Wild guess would be around 2350. That’s just about 75% of what factory ammo is listed at while accounting for the 18” barrel. I know velocity:charge isn’t linear but I have nothing else to go on.
What's the load specifics?
 

280Ackley

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Jun 4, 2014
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Idaho
Well the 6ARC with 108 edl-m’s got put to the test this week!! My buddy used my rifle on the 1st bull he was bedded 604 yards. 1 perfect shot behind the shoulder and 2 low but still in the chest cavity. Walked about 20 yards and bedded down. Died in about 4 mins. Blood at the shot sight and the whole way to his bed. Gallons of blood in his chest cavity. Bull recovered in offside under the hide 1/4” still in the shoulder.IMG_6090.jpegIMG_6091.jpegIMG_6096.jpegIMG_6092.jpegIMG_6098.jpeg
 

Spoonbill

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Jan 15, 2020
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Well the 6ARC with 108 edl-m’s got put to the test this week!! My buddy used my rifle on the 1st bull he was bedded 604 yards. 1 perfect shot behind the shoulder and 2 low but still in the chest cavity. Walked about 20 yards and bedded down. Died in about 4 mins. Blood at the shot sight and the whole way to his bed. Gallons of blood in his chest cavity. Bull recovered in offside under the hide 1/4” still in the shoulder.View attachment 772864View attachment 772866View attachment 772865View attachment 772867View attachment 772870
Congrats to your buddy, can you share what rifle he was using?
 

280Ackley

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Jun 4, 2014
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Idaho
2nd Bull was my son using the same gun. We called this guy into 44 yards and my son shot him straight in the chest, he dropped instantly!! We put a mercy shot at the base of skull but he wasn’t getting up. Gallons of blood in the chest cavity again. Did not recover the bullet.IMG_6101.jpeg5563193a-adf2-4afd-9631-a11be21a515b.jpeg
 
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Jsmalls273

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
107
Is the reason for a VMAX bullet vs an SST type because of the explosive fragmentation that turns em into organ soup??

Sent from my SM-S921U using Tapatalk
 

MThuntr

WKR
Joined
Apr 10, 2015
Messages
1,083
Location
SW MT
Well the 6ARC with 108 edl-m’s got put to the test this week!! My buddy used my rifle on the 1st bull he was bedded 604 yards. 1 perfect shot behind the shoulder and 2 low but still in the chest cavity. Walked about 20 yards and bedded down. Died in about 4 mins. Blood at the shot sight and the whole way to his bed. Gallons of blood in his chest cavity. Bull recovered in offside under the hide 1/4” still in the shoulder.View attachment 772864View attachment 772866View attachment 772865View attachment 772867View attachment 772870
Any guess at an impact velocity?
 
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