The best all around 243 bullet

[6mm Remington]

If one could only shoot non lead, what would it be?

90 gr. Nosler E-tip

 

[CBB1]

I’m looking forward to trying the 95gr TMK when Serria starts making them again. I’ve shot or been with people that shot 6 this year with 108eldm. All very dead very quickly but only one exit. Shooting from 75-400 yards. My boys 243s are shooting the 95gr NBT and we almost always get exits and good blood trails. We are in the south so a good blood trails really aids in recovery even if the deer only goes 40-50 yards.


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[Formidilosus]

Would this still be your recommendation for an 18” 6 creed?

Primary use would be whitetail and antelope from 100-700ish yards

Not for 700 yards. You need 1,800fps for upset, and the BC is low. 450 to 500’ish yards, it’s great.

 

[TxLite]

Not for 700 yards. You need 1,800fps for upset, and the BC is low. 450 to 500’ish yards, it’s great.

Thanks. Would you go to the 108 eld for that then?

 

[NickT406]

I shot an antelope buck, a mule deer and 2 whitetails with 108 Eldm’s out of my 16” tikka 1:8 243 win this year.

Muzzle velocity: 2760

The antelope was 540 yards, shot was behind shoulder in lungs. 4-5” exit hole. 1940ish impact velocity

Mule deer was 720 yards, shot was tucked behind shoulder with a 2.5-3 inch exit.
At 720 yards bullet impact velocity was 1700 fps. I’m not recommending this just sharing my experience.

Both whitetail bucks were around 100 yards or so and both bang flops. Both shots were at the base of the neck shoulder junction.

I was surprised with the exit wound on the mule deer and especially the antelope.

Sorry I have no pictures to share. Everybody thinks I’m crazy enough packing around a cap gun for big game I didn’t want to weird them out even more doing autopsy pictures.

 

[General RE LEE]

Thanks. Would you go to the 108 eld for that then?

I’m 3/3 this season with 108 ELDMs on deer this season. Including one at 501 yards, the other 2 at 250 yards.

This is with a 6 ARC going 2650 FPS.

The 108 ELDM is a great hunting bullet.

 

[TxLite]

I’m 3/3 this season with 108 ELDMs on deer this season. Including one at 501 yards, the other 2 at 250 yards.

This is with a 6 ARC going 2650 FPS.

The 108 ELDM is a great hunting bullet.

I guess the 109 eld would be a good choice too then. Higher bc for no negligible additional weight. I seem to recall they have the same terminal performance

 

[General RE LEE]

I guess the 109 eld would be a good choice too then. Higher bc for no negligible additional weight. I seem to recall they have the same terminal performance

Good question and not exactly sure. Seems there have been mumblings it doesn’t expand like the 108. I’m interested to know as well.

The longer I shoot, reload and hunt, the more I realize those BC #s on the box can be a bit of mental masturbation.

Pick a proven high BC bullet that you can readily get, shoot high volumes and go hunt.

 

[Athens]

I'll still go with the 95 gr ballistic tip. This bullet is also built fairly tough. It's been accurate and deadly for me in the 243 WIN & 240 WBY.
The 105 Berger hunting VLD is also super accurate and holds up well at longer ranges.

 

[Sponxx]

My son shot this smaller doe. I think we were about 50 yards away. Perfect shot. She ran about 50-60 yards and fell over. Half the heart was turned into burger, lungs were the same. Some of the lung tissue came out of the large exit hole. .243 Hornady SST. We also have the eld-m and the Winchester silver tip we’ll be testing this year.
View attachment 802682View attachment 802684
Not the most straightforward pic, but you can see the very large exit hole. Meant to take a photo of the heart, but oh well.
She did sprint as if unaffected post shot (son was initially deflated because he thought he missed), but she didn’t make it out of the field. I didn’t really look around to see if she left a blood trail.

My only "runner" was a small button buck, hit broadside at about 50-60yd with a 95g NBT muzzle vel 3000fps. I was with my son and both of us were bufuddled, he just turned around and sprinted into the thickets. Blood trail was impressive, spray and then massive leak. I had hit perfectly behind shoulder, both lungs were pureed and heart was split apart in two. Entry caliber size, and exit gold ball size, whatever he didn't bleed while running just dripped down when I lifted it. How it managed to run so much I am still surprised. Hardest part of tracking was following the redriver through the thickets

 

[Skydog]

So for a 10 twist 243 with factory ammo what is THE bullet for 243 for deer bear elk and moose.

Winchester Ballistic SilverTip 95gr. It’s a 95gr NBT.

@Formidilosus and anyone else who wants to weigh in...

Would your recommendation be any different for an 8 twist (instead of a 10) or is the 95gr NBT still "THE" .243 bullet of choice regardless of twist?

The reason I'm asking...the 108 ELDM seems to have a huge following for the 6ARC and other 6mm cartridges. And I know non-handloaders (such as myself) can get it in .243 Win. from UM and Copper Creek.

ETA: For my use case it would only be deer (no bear, elk or moose). Max range of 300 yards, but the vast majority within 100.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

@Formidilosus and anyone else who wants to weigh in...

Would your recommendation be any different for an 8 twist (instead of a 10) or is the 95gr NBT still "THE" .243 bullet of choice regardless of twist?

The reason I'm asking...the 108 ELDM seems to have a huge following for the 6ARC and other 6mm cartridges. And I know non-handloaders (such as myself) can get it in .243 Win. from UM and Copper Creek.

ETA: For my use case it would only be deer (no bear, elk or moose). Max range of 300 yards, but the vast majority within 100.

Interested as well. I bought the wife a 6mm CM and ASSumed she'd be shooting the 108 M's but just saw this thread and gives me a bit of pause. She's got Elk on the menu this year though.

 

[Stearinlys]

@Formidilosus and anyone else who wants to weigh in...

Would your recommendation be any different for an 8 twist (instead of a 10) or is the 95gr NBT still "THE" .243 bullet of choice regardless of twist?

The reason I'm asking...the 108 ELDM seems to have a huge following for the 6ARC and other 6mm cartridges. And I know non-handloaders (such as myself) can get it in .243 Win. from UM and Copper Creek.

ETA: For my use case it would only be deer (no bear, elk or moose). Max range of 300 yards, but the vast majority within 100.

That would depend on what you want to happen terminally. Saving meat? Use the 95. Want to do as much damage as possible? Use the 108. Of course, everyone has different experiences with either, but from what I've read, those results are pretty consistent with how they're described of each bullet.

I use the 95 NBT's and they do really, really well on everything. I shoot under 400 yds, and would have no reservations shooting at anything here in Alberta with it.

The nice thing about having the 8 twist is, it doesn't hurt the stability of the 95's, and if you want to step up you can.

 

[Skydog]

That would depend on what you want to happen terminally. Saving meat? Use the 95. Want to do as much damage as possible? Use the 108. Of course, everyone has different experiences with either, but from what I've read, those results are pretty consistent with how they're described of each bullet.

I use the 95 NBT's and they do really, really well on everything. I shoot under 400 yds, and would have no reservations shooting at anything here in Alberta with it.

The nice thing about having the 8 twist is, it doesn't hurt the stability of the 95's, and if you want to step up you can.

Yes, saving meat would be my preference.

 

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus and anyone else who wants to weigh in...

Would your recommendation be any different for an 8 twist (instead of a 10)

No. If your range that you are legitimately killing animals at, had the impact velocity above 1,800fps or so- I would choose the 95gr NBT between those two. It is a near ideal killing bullet.

 

[kkp005]

No. If your range that you are legitimately killing animals at, had the impact velocity above 1,800fps or so- I would choose the 95gr NBT between those two. It is a near ideal killing bullet.

@Formidilosus ..if a fella was lucky enough like me to have a couple hundred 95gr tmks laying around would it be “the bullet” for shots out of an 18” 6cm in the sub 400yd range ?
I’ve killed hogs and deer with the 95gr NBT and tmk…. Just not a large enough sample size to see what’s best… I’ve killed the most stuff with 105gr hornady bthp and it has worked great

 

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus ..if a fella was lucky enough like me to have a couple hundred 95gr tmks laying around would it be “the bullet” for shots out of an 18” 6cm in the sub 400yd range ?
I’ve killed hogs and deer with the 95gr NBT and tmk…. Just not a large enough sample size to see what’s best… I’ve killed the most stuff with 105gr hornady bthp and it has worked great

I think you should send them to me….



The 95gr TMK is very effective and does create larger wounds on average than about any other 6mm bullet.

 

[Seak_angler]

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95gr Federal Fusion. Not the best long range bullet, but lets hope they add a .243 Win to the Tipped-Fusion lineup in the next year or so to help with that.

This!

 

[CBB1]

I think you should send them to me….



The 95gr TMK is very effective and does create larger wounds on average than about any other 6mm bullet.

Damnit! Why do you do this to us knowing we can’t get them! I waited all winter to reload on rumors that they were going to be coming out with the 95TMK in early spring. Now I guess they have pushed that back to fall.


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[Harronek]

I don’t want to derail This thread but can someone explain why there is such a holdup with the availability of Sierra projectiles at the moment.
If you guys think it’s hard to source them in the USA you should try getting them here in Australia.
Does Sierra not want our money ?