6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

[mxgsfmdpx]

Kill 3 with the Tikka 6 Creed and 115 Berger tonight, on a large whitetail buck.

Yardage: 183.
Impact Velocity: Roughly 2,300
Shot Position: Seated Supported
Distance travelled After Hit: 20 yards.
Impact Location: Entered and broke 4th/5th ribs. Bullet recovered in offside shoulder.

 

[24valve]

@Small-foot's Mule deer buck shot at 2400 impact velocity with 95 TMKs.

Buck ran 40-50 yards after being hit, then collapsed and did not move after 10-15 seconds on the ground.

Large entrance wound, made soup of the vitals, and the jacket was found in the offside hide. The lead core passed all the way through and made a smaller exit wound.

Faster time time to incapacitation and less drama than smaller bucks shot with a 6.5 creedmoor and 300 win mag in the two days prior to this one.

 

[OneEyedGopher]

Hit em where you’re supposed to and they’re not gonna like it. No need to over think it

 

[BugDance29]

Tikka .243 1:8 twist, shooting 108 eldm’s from Unknown Munitions. Barrel chopped to 16.5 inches with a suppressor. Shot this buck at 125 yards just in front of the shoulder and had an exit wound out the offside neck. Massive internal damage. Buck dropped instantly.

View attachment 961851

How are you liking your shorter barreled 243 with a can? Is it suppressing well? I’ve been contemplating having my .243 RA Standard (22”) cut to somewhere near 16 or 18” and threaded, but wasn’t sure how much of a pain it would be considering the thin barrel profile. Did you have to go with 1/2x28?

The temptation to buy a new rifle (6 ARC) that is already threaded is looming over my head, but the ole girl shoots NBT’s into cloverleafs and fills my freezer every time I squeeze the trigger.

 

[Blueman75]

How are you liking your shorter barreled 243 with a can? Is it suppressing well? I’ve been contemplating having my .243 RA Standard (22”) cut to somewhere near 16 or 18” and threaded, but wasn’t sure how much of a pain it would be considering the thin barrel profile. Did you have to go with 1/2x28?

The temptation to buy a new rifle (6 ARC) that is already threaded is looming over my head, but the ole girl shoots NBT’s into cloverleafs and fills my freezer every time I squeeze the trigger.

I’m loving it so far. My Tikka has the D18 barrel, so I had it threaded 5/8x24. The can definitely gets rid of the crack of the shot. I’ll probably pick up a 6 Creedmoor when Tikka finally releases them so I can shoot factory 108 eldm’s.

 

[fshaw]

Is anyone shooting the 95gr TMKs in a 10” twist gun with success? I see that Sierra has them marked for a 9” twist. Thanks.

 

[Formidilosus]

Is anyone shooting the 95gr TMKs in a 10” twist gun with success? I see that Sierra has them marked for a 9” twist. Thanks.

@Small-foot is. Post 2,366 on this page shows her last kill with it.

 

[24valve]

Is anyone shooting the 95gr TMKs in a 10” twist gun with success? I see that Sierra has them marked for a 9” twist. Thanks.

See the post below:

Post in thread '6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game'

Nov 9, 2025

Anyone using 95 grain TMKs in a 1:10 twist 243? Not sure if they always stabilize or not and was wondering before I try load developing with that rifle.

I’m shooting 95 TMKs from a tikka .243 with a 1:10 twist at 2760fps without issue. The link below is the damage on an elk at about 8000 ft elevation with a 340yd shot. Also have shot out to 760 yards at 5500 ft of elevation without a problem.

https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/6mm-243-hunting-success-on-big-game.284525/post-4366627

• Small-foot

• 

 

[Marty]

Kodiak Blacktail Buck:

• 561 yard shot / 1934 fps impact velocity
• 108 ELD-M.
• Deer was broadside.
• Less than 5 mph wind; held .3 mil left.
• Shot, watched impact.
• Vital hit (later confirmed to be the upper portion of the heart, both lungs).
• Deer fell over and didn’t get up in about 5 seconds (can’t confirm when it stopped breathing, last kick, etc) as the grass was tall.

Pics below:
Shot setup (tripod front, pack rear)
Four pics of entry wound side
Two pics of far side (one rib cut out to better see organ damage, one rib was broken/shot threw).

 

[KyleR1985]

Kodiak Blacktail Buck:

• 561 yard shot / 1934 fps impact velocity
• 108 ELD-M.
• Deer was broadside.
• Less than 5 mph wind; held .3 mil left.
• Shot, watched impact.
• Vital hit (later confirmed to be the upper portion of the heart, both lungs).
• Deer fell over and didn’t get up in about 5 seconds (can’t confirm when it stopped breathing, last kick, etc) as the grass was tall.

Pics below:
Shot setup (tripod front, pack rear)
Four pics of entry wound side
Two pics of far side (one rib cut out to better see organ damage, one rib was broken/shot threw).

Exit? Or picture of what’s left of bullet?

 

[sierracharlie338]

Kodiak Blacktail Buck:

• 561 yard shot / 1934 fps impact velocity
• 108 ELD-M.
• Deer was broadside.
• Less than 5 mph wind; held .3 mil left.
• Shot, watched impact.
• Vital hit (later confirmed to be the upper portion of the heart, both lungs).
• Deer fell over and didn’t get up in about 5 seconds (can’t confirm when it stopped breathing, last kick, etc) as the grass was tall.

Pics below:
Shot setup (tripod front, pack rear)
Four pics of entry wound side
Two pics of far side (one rib cut out to better see organ damage, one rib was broken/shot threw).

Nice work! What blade ya got there?

 

[Burnt Reynolds]

My son (10 years old) knocked over his first buck last week. Filled my tag via youth mentor program on a great coastie fork. Shooting the youth Tikka Superlight 8 twist 243 santa brought him. Kneeling, offhand frontal shot - drilled him with a 90 grain factory eldx at about 40 yards. Impact velocity about 2900fps.

Question: is anyone making factory heavies in 243? Like 100gr +?

 

[KyleR1985]

My son (10 years old) knocked over his first buck last week. Filled my tag via youth mentor program on a great coastie fork. Shooting the youth Tikka Superlight 8 twist 243 santa brought him. Kneeling, offhand frontal shot - drilled him with a 90 grain factory eldx at about 40 yards. Impact velocity about 2900fps.

Question: is anyone making factory heavies in 243? Like 100gr +?

243 Winchester 103gr Hornady ELD-X – Copper Creek Cartridge Co.

coppercreekcartridgeco.com

243 Winchester 108gr Hornady ELD-M – Copper Creek Cartridge Co.

coppercreekcartridgeco.com

 

[Marty]

Nice work! What blade ya got there?

A custom -

Legacy Blades

www.legacy-blades.com

 

[Chet707]

A little bragging post on my wife. Killed her first game animal the other day, mature mule deer doe. 20" ruger m77 thats been changed up a little for her. Cut down, suppressed and shortened lop mcarbo spring and polished trigger at 2 lbs, shooting 95 gr fusions at around 2850ish.

Pretty tough go finding accessible deer on public land cause she's about 5 months pregnant and we were hauling a 2 and 4 year old along. Finally found a couple bedded does about 700 yards out in a cut field. Not much for cover. We ended up crawling the last 60 ish yards to a little rise where she could get a kneeling shot off the bipod. 180 yards, on the biggest one, bedded broadside. Made a perfect shot in about 20 mph head winds. The deer stood up and walked about 10 yards and tipped over about 4 seconds after the shot. Awesome memories!

 

[Ajsomp]

My son (10 years old) knocked over his first buck last week. Filled my tag via youth mentor program on a great coastie fork. Shooting the youth Tikka Superlight 8 twist 243 santa brought him. Kneeling, offhand frontal shot - drilled him with a 90 grain factory eldx at about 40 yards. Impact velocity about 2900fps.

Question: is anyone making factory heavies in 243? Like 100gr +?

Factory? No. But you can get copper creek or UM to load up some heavier bullets for you.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Kill 4 with Tikka 6 Creed and 115 Berger.

Large Doe.
Yardage: 347.
Impact Velocity: Roughly 2,170.
Shot Position: Standing supported (large round hay bale).
Distance travelled After Hit: 40 yards into the woods. Another 30ish yards and crashed into a tree.
Impact Location: Entered left scapula. Exited between 2nd and 3rd rib. Exited the hide. Much narrower wound than the first 3.

 

[Ajsomp]

Kill 4 with Tikka 6 Creed and 115 Berger.

Large Doe.
Yardage: 347.
Impact Velocity: Roughly 2,170.
Shot Position: Standing supported (large round hay bale).
Distance travelled After Hit: 40 yards into the woods. Another 30ish yards and crashed into a tree.
Impact Location: Entered left scapula. Exited between 2nd and 3rd rib. Exited the hide. Much narrower wound than the first 3.

I think you’re the only one I know using the 115 Berger. I could have missed it in the thread

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I think you’re the only one I know using the 115 Berger. I could have missed it in the thread

It’s a recent development for me. Partially for me and partially for a friend that works at Berger.

They seem inherently more accurate and less finicky shooting wise than the 103s and 108s from hornady so far. You give up some killing range on paper.

Long range bullet flight has been true so far out to around 900 yards, nothing weird seen there yet. More to come when I’m back from hunts.

Need a lot more animals shot before I make any assumptions. First three were ideal wounds although a bit short necked. The last one was nothing to write home about but animal was dead.

 

[Bowfinn]

Need a lot more animals shot before I make any assumptions. First three were ideal wounds although a bit short necked. The last one was nothing to write home about but animal was dead.

When you say a bit short necked are you saying that you would prefer a longer distance to upset?