The best all around 243 bullet

[Lance Kangas]

100 grain nosler

 

[KenLee]

100 grain nosler

BT, AB , PT???

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I’ve read a ton online (here and other places), listened to the exo podcast with @Formidilosus and am still trying to figure this out. I understand that the Hornady 90g ELD-X, Hornady 95g SST, and Nosler 95g ballistic tip have all proven to be successful on deer, elk, and moose when fired from .243 rifles. Earlier in this thread, Form said the nosler was the all around best performer. What exactly is the difference between the three? Does the SST just expand a little less, while the 95g Nosler BT and the 90g hornady eld-x expand about the same but the extra weight in the Nosler causes a little more internal damage to the target animal? Is that a correct synopsis and am I missing anything? My 1:8 tikka likes the 95sst better than the 90g eld-x, I have not had the chance to shoot the 95g BT. Also, is Winchester ballistic silvertip the only factory produced bullet with the 95g Nosler BT?

 

[Ringbill27]

Also, is Winchester ballistic silvertip the only factory produced bullet with the 95g Nosler BT?

As far as I can see it looks like choice ammunition is the only one I could find who load the 95gr in 243win. Not even nosler does.

 

[Kimber7man]

Nosler sells 243 with 95 BT in their Ballistic Tip ammo line. They’re probably out of stock right now.

 

[Formidilosus]

I’ve read a ton online (here and other places), listened to the exo podcast with @Formidilosus and am still trying to figure this out. I understand that the Hornady 90g ELD-X, Hornady 95g SST, and Nosler 95g ballistic tip have all proven to be successful on deer, elk, and moose when fired from .243 rifles. Earlier in this thread, Form said the nosler was the all around best performer. What exactly is the difference between the three?

95gr SST and 90gr ELD-X upsets a bit more rapidly, and penetrates a bit less. Both are good terminally.

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.

All kill fine.

Also, is Winchester ballistic silvertip the only factory produced bullet with the 95g Nosler BT?

There are a couple, Winchester is the most available.

 

[cjdewese]

95gr SST and 90gr ELD-X upsets a bit more rapidly, and penetrates a bit less. Both are good terminally.

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.

All kill fine.



There are a couple, Winchester is the most available.

Any experience with the 95g LRX?

 

[Formidilosus]

Any experience with the 95g LRX?

Yes. Like all conventional monos- deep penetration, narrow rounds.

 

[beretta_man11]

It's not 243 ammo, but we killed several deer with the Hornady 106tap bullets this past season. Most exited with good sized holes. The bullets I did find had good expansion. (all from an 18" 6arc bolt gun) Due to liking more speed, I just bought a box of the 90gr CX to try out. Hopeful for good results in a couple months.

 

[CBB1]

I’ve read a ton online (here and other places), listened to the exo podcast with @Formidilosus

Which podcast is this? I’ve only heard the S2H podcasts with Form.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Blind Squirrel]

@CBB1

469 | Why Smaller Calibers May Be Better For Big Game Hunting (Part 1) — The Experience Project

Podcast Episode · The Hunt Backcountry Podcast · June 19, 2024 · 1h 32m

podcasts.apple.com

 

[Blind Squirrel]

@CBB1 also, what is the podcast you mentioned?

 

[CBB1]

Form has done a lot of podcast with Shoot2Hunt. S2H has become my favorite podcast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bigsky_hunter]

Agree with the 95gr Ballistic Tip comments. I'm working up a load now for a youth rifle which has now become my personal favorite (migrated into a full-size Grayboe) and that is the bullet of choice so far.

Looking into a similar setup for my kids. What twist do you have shooting those 95 NBT?

 

[Mikey_B79]

Looking into a similar setup for my kids. What twist do you have shooting those 95 NBT?

It's a Model 700 youth rifle so it came with the Remington 9-1/8 twist (9.125"). I tried 103's but they wouldn't group great, the 95's do and so does the 90 ELD-X. I believe the BT is a tougher jacket though.

I got terrible SDs though with the load I was using, even after switching to Magnum primers on a hunch, so still working on a load to get these going nicely. Will try N555 next.

 

[6mm Remington]

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

90 gr. Nosler E-tip. Fantastic bullet.
Here are a 100 gr. Partition, a 90 gr. E-tip and a 90 gr. Accubond shot into water jugs at 400 yards.

E-tip above, Partition, Accubond

 

[BlaserNut]

I can't say a whole lot in regard to everyone's experience here. What works for you is great! Keep using it. I am a loyal fan of Nosler Accubonds. I've had some weird, bizarre things happen at close range with elk, but I've never had prey walk very far. The most typical story is to find a caliber appropriate sized entrance wound and an expanded bullet just under the skin at the "would be" exit site. This is shooting a .375 H&H Magnum, 260 gr Accubond, 25 to 350 yds. coyote to giraffe. I've got a new 1:10 Savage 11 .243 I want to use on blacktail deer, a once in a lifetime opportunity, I've never shot it, but I've got 120 rounds of 100 gr Federal Softpoint bullets to test its zero. I recently saw my friend drop a cow elk on the spot with his 6.5 PRC with a very difficult shot at 100 yds. with Hornady ELD-X, and am now interested in expanding out beyond Accubond. First, I'm told by many that with a 1:10 twist I should go heavy, is this true? And two, I want a bullet that zeroes well and drops the animal. Any ideas are very much appreciated. I keep seeing the partition popping up, I just replace "Partition" with "Accubond" and think, "No need to change!"

 

[kkp005]

I can't say a whole lot in regard to everyone's experience here. What works for you is great! Keep using it. I am a loyal fan of Nosler Accubonds. I've had some weird, bizarre things happen at close range with elk, but I've never had prey walk very far. The most typical story is to find a caliber appropriate sized entrance wound and an expanded bullet just under the skin at the "would be" exit site. This is shooting a .375 H&H Magnum, 260 gr Accubond, 25 to 350 yds. coyote to giraffe. I've got a new 1:10 Savage 11 .243 I want to use on blacktail deer, a once in a lifetime opportunity, I've never shot it, but I've got 120 rounds of 100 gr Federal Softpoint bullets to test its zero. I recently saw my friend drop a cow elk on the spot with his 6.5 PRC with a very difficult shot at 100 yds. with Hornady ELD-X, and am now interested in expanding out beyond Accubond. First, I'm told by many that with a 1:10 twist I should go heavy, is this true? And two, I want a bullet that zeroes well and drops the animal. Any ideas are very much appreciated. I keep seeing the partition popping up, I just replace "Partition" with "Accubond" and think, "No need to change!"

Since you like Nosler, I’d go with the 95gr purple pill (NBT)

 

[Ozarkansas]

I can't say a whole lot in regard to everyone's experience here. What works for you is great! Keep using it. I am a loyal fan of Nosler Accubonds. I've had some weird, bizarre things happen at close range with elk, but I've never had prey walk very far. The most typical story is to find a caliber appropriate sized entrance wound and an expanded bullet just under the skin at the "would be" exit site. This is shooting a .375 H&H Magnum, 260 gr Accubond, 25 to 350 yds. coyote to giraffe. I've got a new 1:10 Savage 11 .243 I want to use on blacktail deer, a once in a lifetime opportunity, I've never shot it, but I've got 120 rounds of 100 gr Federal Softpoint bullets to test its zero. I recently saw my friend drop a cow elk on the spot with his 6.5 PRC with a very difficult shot at 100 yds. with Hornady ELD-X, and am now interested in expanding out beyond Accubond. First, I'm told by many that with a 1:10 twist I should go heavy, is this true? And two, I want a bullet that zeroes well and drops the animal. Any ideas are very much appreciated. I keep seeing the partition popping up, I just replace "Partition" with "Accubond" and think, "No need to change!"

Nothing wrong with the partition as a deer bullet, but the 95 grain ballistic tip would be tough to beat.

That being said, for black tail and whitetail, any 90+ grain soft point is going to do just fine out to several hundred yards. A lot of big deer have been killed by cheap Winchester PowerPoint and Remington corelokt. The last big buck I shot was with 100 grain Hornady soft points and it only ran about 30 yards, bullet stopped under the far side hide.

 

[BlaserNut]

Thank you, Ozarkansas for that input. In the past I've heard concerns about ballistic tips fragmenting early due to a thinner outer copper jacket. I didn't fully buy into this until my friend shot a bull elk at 75 yds., he put it down practically on the spot with two quick shots to the front shoulder area with 180 gr ballistic tips from a 30-06. On cleaning the elk it was clear that he had hit the shoulder/humerus with one of the shots and the bullet had exploded into tiny fragments, destroying a lot of meat without penetrating any bone. I'm surprised that I've seen them recommended so often in this forum, it's rebuilding my confidence to test them.