6mm /.243 hunting success on Big Game

[SUD1988]

I try to tell people that they are nasty monster bullets…. They don’t listen. grin

Would a guy lose much just building a 6 Dasher and running 95 TMK’s for everything inside 600 yards? That kind of damage is crazy. Or just run the new 88’s out of a 22 ARC or GT?

I am all in on the lighter recoiling cartridges after hunting with a 6 ARC this year. Now I just want even shorter barrels .

 

[Gstew1930]

Would a guy lose much just building a 6 Dasher and running 95 TMK’s for everything inside 600 yards? That kind of damage is crazy. Or just run the new 88’s out of a 22 ARC or GT?

I am all in on the lighter recoiling cartridges after hunting with a 6 ARC this year. Now I just want even shorter barrels .

I did a 16" 6GT for this exact reason. I love it. I probably would have built something around the 88s if I had known about it though

 

[SUD1988]

I did a 16" 6GT for this exact reason. I love it. I probably would have built something around the 88s if I had known about it though

What are you shooting out of the 6 GT? Also what platform and want kind of velocity?

 

[Gettincloser]

Would a guy lose much just building a 6 Dasher and running 95 TMK’s for everything inside 600 yards? That kind of damage is crazy. Or just run the new 88’s out of a 22 ARC or GT?

I am all in on the lighter recoiling cartridges after hunting with a 6 ARC this year. Now I just want even shorter barrels .

I love my 22 ARC. In the 88 gr ELDm and a 20" barrel is getting me to 580 yards at 1800fps.

I have not chronographed or proven the 80gr ELDx projectiles yet... factory loads seem to have same point of impact and it seemed to me to do more damage than the 88gr...

If you are looking for a shorter barrel and 60p yards... as much as I love the 22 ARC, I do not think you will get there with factory ammo. If you hand load, the reloading mannual allows you to far exceed factory pressures if you are loading for a bolt gun. Factory ammo is set for the AR platform at lower pressures.

Eventually I will get into reloading and the 22 ARC will be my 99% rifle unless required to go 6mm by law.

For me, the 22 ARC does everything I need with factory loads.

 

[SUD1988]

I love my 22 ARC. In the 88 gr ELDm and a 20" barrel is getting me to 580 yards at 1800fps.

I have not chronographed or proven the 80gr ELDx projectiles yet... factory loads seem to have same point of impact and it seemed to me to do more damage than the 88gr...

If you are looking for a shorter barrel and 60p yards... as much as I love the 22 ARC, I do not think you will get there with factory ammo. If you hand load, the reloading mannual allows you to far exceed factory pressures if you are loading for a bolt gun. Factory ammo is set for the AR platform at lower pressures.

Eventually I will get into reloading and the 22 ARC will be my 99% rifle unless required to go 6mm by law.

For me, the 22 ARC does everything I need with factory loads.

I currently reload for everything, so I definitely can maximize the ARC. I just want to run a Tikka again. It seems like the ARC’s have been hit and miss feeding reliably out of the Tikka mags. Unless more guys have figured it out since I looked last. I currently run a 6 ARC Howa mini. I really like it, but I still prefer Tikkas.

 

[Gstew1930]

What are you shooting out of the 6 GT? Also what platform and want kind of velocity?

Tikka. I keep it at 2800 to line up with quick drop where I live. Ive gotten it up to 2950

 

[Formidilosus]

Would a guy lose much just building a 6 Dasher and running 95 TMK’s for everything inside 600 yards?

Nope.

 

[Speaks]

Definitely worth trying both, in handloads the 103gr are actually a bit more accurate than the 108gr in my 18" ARC, although they are both plenty accurate.

Turned out both grouped well in my gun but the 103 eldx was noticeably better. Have a couple more boxes of each to confirm but really liking those 103s for now.

 

[CJ_BG]

After seeing the thick base on the 70, it made me wonder how it would do on deer/antelope.

I don't have personal data with it but a local family has a few 243s and their favorite deer bullet is the little 70gr. I'm not sure exactly what the wounds look like but there's at least a few dozen deer for them with that bullet so clearly something about it works.

 

[Poe]

I don't have personal data with it but a local family has a few 243s and their favorite deer bullet is the little 70gr. I'm not sure exactly what the wounds look like but there's at least a few dozen deer for them with that bullet so clearly something about it works.

I used the 70gr NBT and the 70gr varmageddon’s one season out of my 243 on coyotes. They killed very well and did not seem to splashy on coyotes so I am sure they would work on deer.

 

[KyleR1985]

Would a guy lose much just building a 6 Dasher and running 95 TMK’s for everything inside 600 yards? That kind of damage is crazy. Or just run the new 88’s out of a 22 ARC or GT?

I am all in on the lighter recoiling cartridges after hunting with a 6 ARC this year. Now I just want even shorter barrels .

Love mine. Built it around the 95tmk.

Right at 2800 from 16” barrel

 

[Nine Banger]

@Bluumoon sent me some nose ring DTACs because he's awesome.

This was a 50 yard broadside shot.

104lbs white-tailed deer.

2687 fps at target.

I was in a saddle so it was at an angle.

I went for a high shoulder shot because I had a guest in a stand in another area and wanted to drop it to minimize post shot work to focus on their hunt.

I couldn't find the entry, even with both of us rubbing on the hide.

We don't field dress here when we drop off at the processor and the processor was too busy for me sit there and see the guts unfortunately.

But...

I spotted my shot and watched the deer kick with all 4 legs and prance off. I heard the crash. I had 3 deer in my field of view but thought I had a pretty good idea of where it was.

It ended up being about 125 yards further away than I thought.

Great blood trail but about 175 yards total travel.

 

[Lawnboi]

@Formidilosus or anyone else use an 87vmax on a deer? Wouldn’t be what I’d normally use but I don’t want to zero for the opportunity at a crop damage doe

From the milled bullets it looks like the jacket isn’t super thin. I’m working up a prairie dog/ predator load for my dasher. They are starting at 3000fps.

 

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus or anyone else use an 87vmax on a deer? Wouldn’t be what I’d normally use but I don’t want to zero for the opportunity at a crop damage doe

From the milled bullets it looks like the jacket isn’t super thin. I’m working up a prairie dog/ predator load for my dasher. They are starting at 3000fps.

Oh yeah. Kills fine.

 

[Formidilosus]

@Bluumoon sent me some nose ring DTACs because he's awesome.

This was a 50 yard broadside shot.

I was in a saddle so it was at an angle.

I went for a high shoulder shot because I had a guest in a stand in another area and wanted to drop it to minimize post shot work to focus on their hunt.

I couldn't find the entry, even with both of us rubbing on the hide.

We don't field dress here when we drop off at the processor and the processor was too busy for me sit there and see the guts unfortunately.

But...

I spotted my shot and watched the deer kick with all 4 legs and prance off. I heard the crash. I had 3 deer in my field of view but thought I had a pretty good idea of where it was.

It ended up being about 125 yards further away than I thought.

Great blood trail but about 175 yards total travel.

That’s the weakness of the DTAC NR- long neck length. Most- almost all damage will be in the offside lung, and sometimes not much at that.

 

[Taudisio]

@Formidilosus or anyone else use an 87vmax on a deer? Wouldn’t be what I’d normally use but I don’t want to zero for the opportunity at a crop damage doe

From the milled bullets it looks like the jacket isn’t super thin. I’m working up a prairie dog/ predator load for my dasher. They are starting at 3000fps.

87gr vmax exit wound used by a JR hunter this year from my 16” 6x45. MV is 2680ish IIRC.

 

[Nine Banger]

That’s the weakness of the DTAC NR- long neck length. Most- almost all damage will be in the offside lung, and sometimes not much at that.

I went for it because I had 7 left and I trust the zero. Lesson learned.

I'm going to shoot the few I have left on steel, run thru the rest of my box of 112 MBs and then I have a ton of 95tmk to settle in on.

 

[Kaleb]

@Formidilosus or anyone else use an 87vmax on a deer? Wouldn’t be what I’d normally use but I don’t want to zero for the opportunity at a crop damage doe

From the milled bullets it looks like the jacket isn’t super thin. I’m working up a prairie dog/ predator load for my dasher. They are starting at 3000fps.

I might be way off base and won't argue it all if I am but what Ive seen by shooting deer with the 87vmax seem a lot like what is posted on the TMK. Ive not use the tmk but appears that if you hit stuff with a little velocity things get a kinda messy depending on poi. Same for the 87vmax. Just hit the chest and it's a mess inside the chest. Shoot shoulders and it's a little more dramatic.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Don’t go for the “shoulder” on jack rabbits if you don’t want meat loss with 115 Bergers.

 

[Anschutz]

Don’t go for the “shoulder” on jack rabbits if you don’t want meat loss with 115 Bergers.

View attachment 994258

Gotta head shoot them. And that's a 35gr VMAX from a 22 Hornet. To make this 243 relevant, I have killed a squirrel and an opossum with 100gr soft points. The squirrel wasn't to bad IIRC but the possum was a mess.