6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

[TxLite]

Keep going, I need a good reason to go back to bergers on meat. They sure do shoot better.

That’s it for this trip unfortunately. 5 tags filled, 4 with my rifle, one with 105 Berger hybrids (also worked great). Hoping to use them on whitetail next month.

 

[Timjohnson11]

Another benefit to the 108 Elite Hunter is the Berger factory ammo is fantastic. High quality components (Lapua brass) and much tighter spreads than any of the Hornady loads I’ve ran through mine.

 

[TxLite]

Another benefit to the 108 Elite Hunter is the Berger factory ammo is fantastic. High quality components (Lapua brass) and much tighter spreads than any of the Hornady loads I’ve ran through mine.

That’s what I did. Kept the brass and handloaded. The only reason I even bothered to load was to get the velocity bump with my short barrel (~250fps increase). The factory ammo shot fantastic

 

[HairyScandinavian]

That’s what I did. Kept the brass and handloaded. The only reason I even bothered to load was to get the velocity bump with my short barrel (~250fps increase). The factory ammo shot fantastic

That's significant!

 

[Hoosker Doo]

Small whitetail buck with my 6x45 ULUL build.

90 gr ELD-X
300 yards quartered away
MV- 2504 fps, Impact velocity- 2025 fps

I was the second shooter, so the deer was on the move. Shot entered behind the ribs, and exited behind the front shoulder, high lung shot. The deer dropped like a rock. Zero steps taken.

Entrance


Exit



Lung

 

[TxLite]

That's significant!

Yup. The factory ammo shot great but was averaging 2700 in my barrel. I’m at max charge from hodgdon. Work up went smooth and it shoots well

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Yup. The factory ammo shot great but was averaging 2700 in my barrel. I’m at max charge from hodgdon. Work up went smooth and it shoots well

I can't freaking wait to start reloading. I've got most of my equipment and books and some powders and primers, just waiting on the knowledge now but going into hunting season it'll probably be a summer start-up.

 

[Poe]

I can't freaking wait to start reloading. I've got most of my equipment and books and some powders and primers, just waiting on the knowledge now but going into hunting season it'll probably be a summer start-up.

One of the best parts about reloading is it always gives you more of an excuse to go and shoot. That’s another reason of love my .223. When I go out to test loads for a different gun I like to set up steal targets and various ranges and do some practice with the .223 while the test gun is cooling off between groups.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Bull moose, 95g Winchester silver tip. Frontal shot @ 135y. Through the heart and found the core in the back of the lung, about to exit. Not sure how far that penetration is, but it’s a long way. Moose went 30ish yards and fell over.

 

[handwerk]

Just back from Wyoming antelope hunt with my sons.
My older son and I both used our customized Kimber 6 Cms with Barnes 95 LRX's ( MV around 3150 FPS)
His buck was shot standing broadside @ 100 yards, bullet entered through center of lungs, buck ran about 15 yards, staggered and fell over after about 20 seconds.
My buck was bedded at 185 yards, my shot hit high lungs, the buck just flopped over, not even a leg kick.
Both entrance wounds were an 1" or so exits about golf ball size, lungs were mush.
There was no bloodshot meat and zero waste.
Exactly why after years with this bullet in many rifles/cartridges we keep using it.

 

[ztc92]

One of the best parts about reloading is it always gives you more of an excuse to go and shoot. That’s another reason of love my .223. When I go out to test loads for a different gun I like to set up steal targets and various ranges and do some practice with the .223 while the test gun is cooling off between groups.

This is the way. Load test the hunting rifle and then just put in reps or practice with the 223. This is every trip I make to the range or public land now.

 

[Brap01]

108 ELDM at 402 and at 387 yards on a mule deer buck, muzzle velocity was 2850 and at 6,200 feet. On the first round the deer was evidently quartering a bit. First round went through part of a lung and into the guts/grass bag, leaving blood shot on the off side hide but not exiting. The buck walked 30 or 40 yards, stopped, got woozy but didn't fall over so after about 3 seconds I sent another round. Second round was ribs in and ribs out. Lungs evaporated, just looked like jelly. Nothing much to take a picture of there. Pics are of entry wounds.

I am satisfied with its performance on deer. I'll try it on elk next.

 

[nuffgun]

Daughters first pronghorn. Tikka .243, 108 eld-m, 335 yard shot, bullet entered the left shoulder and broke right shoulder as well, no exit, never opened the chest cavity but there was a golf ball size hole on the rib side underneath of the right shoulder. Buck hobbled 30 yards and fell over dead, no drama. Impact velocity was 2516 FPS.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Daughters first pronghorn. Tikka .243, 108 eld-m, 335 yard shot, bullet entered the left shoulder and broke right shoulder as well, no exit, never opened the chest cavity but there was a golf ball size hole on the rib side underneath of the right shoulder. Buck hobbled 30 yards and fell over dead, no drama. Impact velocity was 2516 FPS.

That’s awesome, congrats to you both!

 

[24valve]

95 TMk on an elk. First shot was 300 yards in the lungs, 2760 MV, 2365 impact velocity. It continued to follow the small herd it was with for 40 yards before stopping, so another shot was fired at 340 into the neck which dropped it.

The remnants of the first round was found in the offside hide, the jacket and lead together weighed 28 grains. The second shot passed through the neck.

While butchering, we found the extent of the damage to the shoulder blade here:
Post in thread '6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game' https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/6mm-243-hunting-success-on-big-game.284525/post-4378430

(Edited to clarify velocities and link shouldler post)

 

[Ajsomp]

95 TMk on an elk. First shot was 300 yards in the lungs, 2365 MV. It continued to follow the small herd it was with for 40 yards before stopping, so another shot was fired at 340 into the neck which dropped it.

The remnants of the first round was found in the offside hide, the jacket and lead together weighed 28 grains. The second shot passed through the neck.

TMK and Canadian belt knives FTW

 

[WyoWild]

The little Howa Mini 6 ARC strikes again. Badlands backpack mule deer hunt. 220 yard shot with approximate impact velocity of 2367. Shooting Berger 105gr VLD hunting bullets. Slight quatering shot, bullet entered mid ribcage on the onside and exited just in front of the off side shoulder. Lungs were shredded and buck dropped on impact.

 

[Thegman]

95 TMk on an elk. First shot was 300 yards in the lungs, 2365 MV. It continued to follow the small herd it was with for 40 yards before stopping, so another shot was fired at 340 into the neck which dropped it.

The remnants of the first round was found in the offside hide, the jacket and lead together weighed 28 grains. The second shot passed through the neck.

What was the cartridge and platform? Pretty impressive that the 95 TMK still works that well, that far, when started fairly slowly.

 

[Ajsomp]

What was the cartridge and platform? Pretty impressive that the 95 TMK still works that well, that far, when started fairly slowly.

I’m going to guess he meant impact velocity not MV, but I could be wrong

 

[LostWapiti]

After shooting a 300 WSM for a few years I decided to get a 22” 1:8 Tikka 243 this year. Got some Lapua brass and handloaded 109 ELD-Ms. Got it shooting great at 2980 fps over H4350. On paper I was really impressed and excited as it carries great velocity out to distance with 2200 fps at 600 yards. My girlfriend and I used the rifle to take 2 elk (Cow and Spike) already this season and it was very effective. Each elk was shot twice at 300 yards(2500fps) but I don’t doubt that one shot would have been enough. She loves shooting it as there is next to no recoil and is very easy to stay on target.

I have a very big criticism though and it ties me back to why I started shooting the 300 WSM with 215 Bergers after coming from 7mm. When you shoot them with the 6mm, they do not act hit, they don’t hunch up and there is no ripple across their body. The “thwack” noise you get is much less as well. This makes it hard to be sure you hit them good and leaves me with a bit of unease right after the shot. I would say it does also have an advantage which is the elk also does not seem to know it’s hit and wants to run less.

Anybody else experience this issue I am complaining about less report from the impact and signs of a successful shot?

All of this is a long way of saying it absolutely does work well and I trust this bullet to take down big game.