Stuck with a .243, where do I aim?

[Siskiyou]

fastchicken:  Very telling bullet and deer pictures.   Very positive report.  Your son did a good job, does he help with the reloading?

[Darrell Davis]

What kind/style/design bullets were those "old Noslers"?

Just no way the GameKing will out do a Partition, even the old ones made on the screw machine.

So, a solid base Zippedo or a Balistic tip maybe?

I started using those old Partitions, and still have a few of them around in an unfired, but everyone I have ever retreaved or seen in fired condition was picture book perfect, even ones which hit heavy bone.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

[saddlebum]

Nosler Solid Base 100gr
They would start to come apart on broadside hits and make the whole exit wound side of an antelope all bloodshot and jello like. I wouldn't trust them to penetrate on a shoulder hit.
The Sierra bullets make a better wound without coming apart, as witnessed in the pictures.

[fastchicken]

My son, on occasion, helps out with my reloading but at 13 he has MUCH more important things to do like play video games . I've made upwards of 40 trips in the woods this year and 3 deer to show for it, he has had almost no interest in hunting at all this year, been out twice and gets one! I think the only reason he decided to go out this last time was to get out of cleaning up around the house, but it got him out and it worked.
  A note on that recovered bullet, it stayed together until I was working it out of the hide, then the core fell out. I'm not one that considers core separation a failure, so it doesn't bother me, even if it had separated earlier, deer was just as dead. The core weighed 32.5gr and the jacket 27gr

[Todd1700]

Killed a lot of deer with a 243 in my younger years. I killed them with Win PP and Rem Cor-Lokt 100 grain bullets out of that 243. They both worked just fine. I personally shoot behind the shoulder to keep from ruining meat which I have ground into hamburger or sausage.

I use a 7mm-08 for deer now but would not feel handicapped in the least to carry a 243 again. If you can shoot it's more than enough. If you can't shoot, well no amount of extra powder or bullet size will make up for it.

[roscoe]

I've been using the a 243 since shoulder surgery in 2004 and have harvested 9 bucks and a couple of does without any issues, all with 95 grn  Winchester Supreme 243 Ballistic Silvertips. Mostly heart/lung shots from 40-350 yds. Shoulda started using the 243 20 yrs ago!

[T.R.]

This shot into the chest is deadly every time!

TR

[BBF]

This shot into the chest is deadly every time!

TR

 
Agreed, it is my preferred placement as well. I don't expect an instant drop dead but no long tracking either.

[Darrell Davis]

Yep, that is also my shot!

You will never know how fast the critter will drop, but as shown, that is a great hold if the oppertunity is given.

I have had critters, with this hold and the 243, drop like a rock when the trigger was pulled. Some don't.

With this hold, almost any bullet will do, but hunting being hunting this just doesn't happen everytime to everybody.

That is why I come down on the side of the premimum bullets such as the old 95gr. or current 100gr. Nosler Partition.

Push comes to shove for whatever reason, not only will these bullets not give excessive blow up, but they will keep on driving when needed.

Years back, when working with my wife in preseason dry firing practice, I cut out a good number of deer pictures from hunting publications.  These images showed a good number of angles/positions in which we might see a critter in a hunting situation.

I put these photographs on the wall of the room where Sharon was doing her dry fire practice, and we went over the needed points of aim to allow the bullet path to go through the kill zone, depending on animal position.

Then Sharon did her dry fire practice aiming at the pictured critter, using the proper point of aim depending on animal position.

If everything was perfect, we would always have the clear and perfect broadside shot on every critter.  Doesn't happen every time in the real world!

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot 

[BBF]

DD
That brings up something I had done years back. After several sessions at the range with a particular rifle& ammo combination trying to get the best shotgroups and POI all in my mind to the extend of getting ridiculous I switched targets to those used by archers with the outline of an animal. They are not lifesize, perhaps 1/2 or 1/3 of the real thing.
 
Using the Hold that I would normally use on the game it was very clear that all of the shots would have been fatal.
 
Lesson of this was that you can drive yourself nuts on the standard 100 or 200 yard rifle targets. I'll leave those for the 300 plus yard sharpshooters. My longest shot that I tried and connected ever was 220 paces( no laser rangefinders then) to a pronghorn.

[T.R.]

I've discovered that many "plain hunting bullets" fired from .243 do not exit the animal.  Of course a deer or 'lope shot through the ribs is a lethal hit.  But many hunters desire 100% penetration for blood trail.  This is where the Premium bullets really shine.  Nosler's 95 grain Partition provides outstanding accuracy and penetration.  Some guys have taken large animals such as elk with this amazing bullet!!

Here's a tip for practice shooting:
-  tape a calendar or magazine photo of big game animals to cardboard
-  shoot for the vitals with a 22 rifle from 25 yards

TR 

[Darrell Davis]

T.R.

Good tip about shooting 25yds.

I have given that same tip, as per practice at short distance, to people using "reduced" loads for practice.

With a scope, distance is relative, meaning using a small target at close range is in many ways, the same as a larger target at a greater distance.

If using a variable power scope, using low power and short distance with a small target can provide very effective practice sessions.

Plus the ability to see point of impact without the use of a spotting scope, higher power scope, OR a walk to the target and back.

If your effectively and repeatably hitting the "kill zone" of the 1 or 2" target at 25yds and with a low power setting on the scope, it relates quickly to a larger target at normal hunting yardage.

Works well, and can save a lot of steps/time.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

[lucky guy]

Actually I find this quite amusing  .............................. In the UK the .243 is probably the most used deer round and where we have red Deer they often go quite a bit bigger than 250lbs. Put the bullet in a vital spot and the deer will die.

There it is, 243 is plenty, a fair number of people around here even use 223's and 22-250's for deer.   I'd second the comments on good bullets though.  Stick with a premium bullet that's not going to shatter on a bone and ruin a bunch of the meat. 

[Spencer, Carey]

I generally tend to go with the larger calibers for most everything but thats just because of my personal preferences. That being said, my largest ever whitetail buck fell to a 95gr balistic silvertip(winchester supreme) to the neck. He was taken near Pilot Mt NC and never knew what hit him. His dressed weight was 197 lbs wich is a big deer in my neck of the woods. I did not get an exit wound and have since switched to the 100gr nosler partition when I shoot the 243 now because of that. That bullet may have exited if the shot were through the vitals but who knows? The spinal column was totaly obliterated for three vertabrae and bone fragments were mixed with bullet fragments under the hide on the opposite side of the neck. It may bear mentioning that the shot was taken at 20yds at most so even a heavier constructed bullet at that retained velocity may have experienced overexpansion too. Again, cant say for sure.   

[T.R.]

About 100 years ago, Aurthur Savage gave away several dozen of his NEW 250-3000 rifles.  These NEW rifles were given to a diverse cross section of hunters, trappers, explorers, and even a couple Missionaries in far off places such as India and Hudson Bay, Canada.  This was a rather unique marketing strategy - Aurthur Savage expected positive written reports a year later. 

The 250-3000 cartridge fired an 87 grain bullet at muzzle velocity of 3000 feet per second.  At the time, this was was considered amazing high velocity.  A couple years later, a 100 grain bullet was loaded.

Trappers and hunters across the Yukon and rural West killed many animals with their high velocity 250-3000 rifles.  Reports came in that deer, elk, moose, caribou, and even grizzlies were successfully killed with those high velocity 87 grain bullets.   But its widely believed that the 100 grain offering was directly related to mediocre  penetration of the 87 grain bullet.  Roy Chapman Andrews hunted all over the planet during 1920's for a variety of museums as he was an expert taxidermist.  Roy was very well financed.  It impresses me very much that Roy chose only two rifles for his widespread hunting trips and one was 250-3000.  The other was a 6.5mm Mannlicher.  This proves to me at least, that a careful hunter who places his shots is well armed with his 243 rifle. 

The 250-3000 popularity was slain by the 243 Winchester cartridge about 57 years ago.  Unfair but true.  Winchester won over the public with better advertising strategies.  To this day, 243 is widely accepted as the ULTIMATE varmint/deer cartridge.  Whether 243 or 250-3000 is the better of the two is subject to debate.  But my experience killing mule deer, whitetails, and antelope is limited to 243 cartridge. It's a KEEPER!

I've said it before and will say it again.  243 is deadly when the bullet is directed into the chest organs.  Tissue damage is quite ghastly to observe!  I'm certain that this accurate and hard hitting cartridge will be popular long after I'm dead.

TR

[Shu]

A 243 for deer!!! Are you kidding!!?! I think it's a great caliber for that.
As pointed out right behind the sholder blade is the shot. I wonder why all these answers are the same?

[T.R.]

Shu:

We all know a hunter or two that says 30-06 is BEST.  These guys are great buddies but tend to be a little narrow minded about deer hunting cartridges.  Surprisingly, none of the 30-06 fans have chimed in with strong opinions.  This thread appears to consist of knowledgeable and experienced 243 hunters.

TR

[Darrell Davis]

You must be correct, T.R.

Most of us understand there are limits, but guess that could also be said for the 30/378.

However, I wonder on those that might bad mouth the 243, if #1 they ever used one, an #2 if so did they use a bad boolit, or #3 had a bad hit for what ever reason?

Personally, I have had a number of sucussfull hunts with the .243 and the critters seemed to go down about as quick as they do with my 300.

Some drop where they stood and some run a bit.

As I basically stated early on in this thread, a quality boolit helps to put the odds on your side.

But, within reasonable confines, the .243 is just dandy!

If the left wing pukes don't get it first, I have a great shoot'in old RUGER "Flat Bolt," in .243, that will pass on to a son.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[Crow Juice]

Remington 100 gr coreloks have served me well .

[jackruff]

Shu:

We all know a hunter or two that says 30-06 is BEST.  These guys are great buddies but tend to be a little narrow minded about deer hunting cartridges.  Surprisingly, none of the 30-06 fans have chimed in with strong opinions.  This thread appears to consist of knowledgeable and experienced 243 hunters.

TR

... and 6mm Remington hunters!

[Darrell Davis]

6mm??

Sorry jackruff, couldn't resist!

There have been a couple 6mm in this home, so I hear ya loud and clear.

Might have one if it weren't for some very fond teenage memories of a 243!

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[saddlebum]

Shu:
We all know a hunter or two that says 30-06 is BEST.  These guys are great buddies but tend to be a little narrow minded about deer hunting cartridges.  Surprisingly, none of the 30-06 fans have chimed in with strong opinions.  This thread appears to consist of knowledgeable and experienced 243 hunters.
TR

I'll take the bait!
The .243 is my favorite deer and antelope cartridge, period!
If I had to live with just one hunting rifle, it would be a .30-06.
Let the games begin!.........................

[Darrell Davis]

Yep, Saddlebum,

You'll note that a couple posts back I say, "within reasonable confines".

Beyond that there is a big world of other great and worthy cartridges and if a person was down to one and only one rifle the "06" would be hard to fault.

Glad we are not!

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot