Balistic Tip, Soft Point, or Round Nose in .243 for neck shots on deer?

[Badnews Bob]

I don't take long shots on deer, I don't have to so I don't. I always shoot for the heart/lungs, Big target lotsa vitals. I have never lost a deer and I hope I never do, Just bothers me to think I wounded one, I don't care what others think. Ethics are what you make of them, Good or bad your choice, I am not a judge.

All that being said.

100 gr Hornady RN .243s will shoot a 4" group out of my handi rifle at 200 yards, It may do better or shoot farther I don't know and I don't care. Because I know that from 10 to 200 yards I will hit that deer in the chest with that bullet and it will die. My shots are normally taken inside of 100 yards and most inside of 50, I believe that if you know your limits and abide by them you will be successful, That's all that matters.

[TLARbb]

I used to really like the Sierra 100 gr. Pro Hunter semi spitzer that they used to make.  They made one in .257, 117gr too as I recall.  Oh well, have to go with the flow I guess, which seems to be really long pointy bullets with a boat tail. 

EJ

[LONGTOM]

Boys, I like others have shot them with most calibers and in all the spots mentioned.
I don't care where you hit them you are going to lose one sooner or later if you shoot many deer.
The fartherest I ever tracked a deer was over 1 mile with an angled lung shot, only took out one lung.
Have tracked over 300 yds with the heart of a deer turned to jelly.
Have dropped them in theit tracks with all of the above shots along with head shots.
I have hunted deer for over 43 years with an average of 5 or more deer per season and have lost completely three deer.
Lost two that was found latter and one that was shot on the ajoining farm.
All of these were when I was first starting to hunt except one, just a couple of years back which turned out to be a scope malfunction.
That's six deer total in well over 200 deer shot.
It can happen, it does happen, it will happen no matter where you hit them or what you hit them with!

That being said, now for his question.
I really don't like ballistic tips but they will work.
A good soft point or round nose always does a good job.
I very seldom use the preminum type bullets although they have their place.
I will almost always let the rifle tell me what to shoot.
If the gun won't shoot it well then I don't use it.

These are just my thoughts.
Take them for what they are worth.


LONGTOM

[Heavy C]

I've had excellent results with 100 gr Federal solft points.  I think they are called Power Shoks (Blue and Black box).  I shot a doe in the neck just under the spine and it still broke it.  Bang flop.  The bullet also performed perfectly with shots in the vitals with no deer running more than 25 yards.  This ammo is affordable and fairly easy to find too.

Good luck!

[Bingo]

   I have never lost a deer. I shoot ether 270 or 260. If a deer gives me a standing shot at 125 yrds or less, I shoot for the head. Although I have never missed a head shot, my thoughts are that it will drop in it's tracks or I will miss completely. Also, NO MEAT LOSS! All other shots have been in the boiler, lung and heart. I only had one deer make it more than 50 yrds and that was my first deer. Buck feaver got me and I hit iit a little far back.

[doeroller]

I shoot deer every summer on depredation permits. I kill dozens of deer every year and have seen them shot with just about every caliber. The 243 is my gun of choice because of the light recoil. I have had the best luck with the quickest kills with the believe it or not 100 gr Hornady RN. I load it over Imr-4831 in my Tikka T-3. From experience, unless the deer is facing straight toward you or straight away the neck shot should be avoided. The neck is a smaller target on a side profile. Shoot a little low, you will have a cripple deer that will run. Shoot a little high from the mark and the deer will hit the ground and jump up and stagger off after a short while. If you hit the lungs, most of the time you will have a short tracking job. Bust both front shoulders high. DRT. Neck shot facing or facing away, much higher percentage of DRT than a side neck shot. I am spoiled. Here in MS we take the front running gear out and don't worry about wasting meat. We just go shoot another deer.