The best all around 243 bullet

[TxLite]

The 95gr NBT is near optimally balanced- the wound profile created is oval shaped and a bit longer than the two above. Performance is a bit more like an Accubond or ABLR that fragments a bit.

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

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

 

[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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[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