Which .243 round????

[redfox33]

This will be my first year to deer hunt with a .243.  I don't hand load so my choices are factory only.  I know the gun will determine what round I'll ultimately shoot but I want to know personal opinions on the round and real life experiences using a .243.  I've narrowed it down to three but that is subject to change.  They are the Winchester Supreme 95gr Bal. tip(personal experience with .280 & .30-06), Federal Fusion 95gr and the Federal Vital Shok with the 85gr Barnes Triple Shock.  Has anybody shot or heard reviews about the new Federal with the Barnes??  That one interests me the most for whitetail but nobody around here is carrying it.

[K.K]

I have killed a few smaller deer in Pa with a .243. With the right shot placement, it will work fine.  You want to make sure that the bullet you choose is indeed designed for deer sized game and not varmints. Any controlled expansion bullet 85 grains or heavier (I like heavier) will do the job. The two you mentioned are good loads. The Barnes Triple Shock tends to penetrate well. If they shoot well in your rifle, these would be my choice. Many of the polymer-tipped offerings in the .243 are built for varmints and will not perform well on deer. (Hornady V-max) for instance. 

[squirrel_hunter6]

redfox33,

I shot 3 deer last season using Winchester 100 grain Power-Points. I had 2 broadside shots and 1 quartering away. One of the broadside shots was on a doe that was about 40 yards away and weighed 117 pounds. My biggest deer ever. The bullet entered the lower part of the shoulder and exited the opposite shoulder. However, the exit wound was small, it was about the same size as the bullet itself (.243). The second broadside shot was right behind the shoulder of doe that weighed around 75-80 pounds. The exit wound was about the size of a nickel. The quartering away shot went through a shoulder of another doe that weighed 75-80 pounds and exited right in front of the heart. The exit wound was about the size of a nickel.

[flintlock]

red...I have used my .243 since 1980, have killed about 150 deer with, several years ago I started trying different factory loadings to see what each would do to a deer...Now here is what I want a bullet to do...on broadside lung shots, I want an exit wound...On high shoulder shots, I want the bullet to pass through the near side shoulder blade, spine and off blade, doesn't matter as much if it exits or not, as the deer will drop...If your shots are within 200 yards, these are my preferred factory loadings...(in no particular order)...100gr Remington CoreLokt, I have killed 80+ deer with this bullet, it does the job...100gr Hornady Custom InterLokt Soft Point...100gr Federal Premium Nosler Partition and the 100 gr Federal Premium Sierra GameKing SPBT...The average hunter can hunt with any of these his entire lifetime and never lose a deer due to bullet failure....

Now...if hunting over bean fields or light lines where shots can run 2-300 yards, I like the 85gr Federal Premium Sierra GameKing HPBT...Sighted in 2 1/2 - 3 inches high at 100 yards it is about 2 1/2 - 3 inches low at 300 yards...Its an excellent long range bullet and I have made the high shoulder shot on deer with it within 50-60 yards or so....I am a little leery about it on very close shots, I killed a pretty good buck with this bullet a few years back, hit him just behind the shoulder...The deer didn't run but about 25 yards, but it did scare me when I looked for a blood trail, there  was blood where the deer was standing but no trail, no exit...No problem with recovery because I heard the deer fall and walked up to him....His lungs were mush but it did cause me to go back to the CoreLokts or the Partitions when hunting in the woods where such close shots might occur...btw...he was only about 15 yards from my muzzle when I shot him...

Fortunately in my .243 when I am sighted 2 1/2 high at 100 yards with the Federal 85gr then the CoreLokt is 2 inches high and the Federal Partition is one inch high...So I don't need to change my sight in to use either....

I did also try the100gr Federal Classic loading and the 100 gr Winchester Power Point loadings, none of these gave me reliable exits on lung shots...I wanted to try the Fusion and the Winchester 95gr Nosler Ballistic tip you mentioned, but my gun didn't care for them, so I gave the rest of the box to a buddy of mine last year....Frankly with the damage and velocity of the 85gr Federal loading, I don't  see the need for me to try any 96gr loading...

As far as the TSX, I don't really see the need for it, good penetration can be had with the 100gr CoreLokt, Partition or the Hornady InterLokt soft point...

Good Luck!!!

[ccoker]

I have killed a bunch of deer with a 243 (texas whitetails) and tried a lot of factory rounds
the Federal 80g sp groups very tight (1/2" at 200 yards) in my gun (old Sako) shoots flat and kills with authority and is what I take in the field

I don't think you need magic bullets, just good shot placement

[rickt300]

The last deer I took with a 243 was with the Remington 80 grain Pointed Soft Point. This is an older designed bullet and it really isn't as soft as the 85 grain Sierra BTHP and it works pretty well. You won't get an exit on a shoulder blade hit but you will get enough damage to drop the deer. Broadside lung hits will exit with lots of blood to trail with but mostly the deer drop or go down fast. This is on Texas deer that weigh less than 150 pounds. Otherwise I would use the 100 grain Corelokt.

[Dave in WV]

My son and I both have a .243. We load 100gr Rem. Core-lokt bullets and have never had a problem with their performance.

[700xcr]

I"m like Dave,Have used Rem. 100gr, core-lock in my 243 and have harvested many mule deer. Took a 5x5 muley two years ago.

[poncaguy]

95 grain Federal Fusion would be my first choice, followed by 100 grain Remington core locks

[sniperVLS]

I've only used Rem 100 grain Core Lokts and Rem 90 grain Scirocco Bondeds and both perform very very well. My cousin uses the Rem 95 grain Accutip(not just a varmint round like some think) with great success.

Like others have said, shot placement is what counts but with that said, I still prefer the 90grain and heavier bullets. I have no doubt the lighter ones would work but I have more peace of mind with the slightly heavier ones.

[rockbilly]

I too shoot an old Sako.  It is a bull barreled, topped with a Leupold scope, and will drive tacks at hundred yards.  I experienced quite a bit with factory and reloads before settling on a mile reload.  I have killed more deer than I can remember with this round, as I said, it is a light load, but very accurate in my gun.

Using Federal cases, I load a hundred gr Sierra BT SP over 33 gr of IMR 3031, with a CCI Mag primer.  It has worked for me for well over 25 years.

[JKump]

Try Hornady 100-grain light mags.  They are excellent on deer.  Two years ago, I took a Doe and a Spike with this round.  Small hole going in, not to big of a hole coming out (under 2” ).  The Does was shot at about 25 yards and the Spike was shot at 90 yards.  The Doe ran about 100 Yards with part of her lung coming out of the exit wound, the Spike was down right there. 

[backstrap]

I shot a 187lb 10  point buck last year  220yards first time i used a 243 for deer hunting used 100 core lok worked well he didnt run 20 yards shot it out of a nef 243 great little rifle and round i like the core lok so well i use it in my 30- 06 150 grainer

[SingleShotShorty]

My Favorite whitetail bullet for the 243 Win is the Nosler Partiton loaded to 3000fps.

[Texas Hunter]

I have killed several deer with both my 243 and 6mm.
More feral hogs than deer but since they are a much tougher target i have a few observations to give on certain factory ammo.
As far as Win 100 grain Power Points every deer i have shot broadside at ranges anywhere from 70-120 yards have been complete pass throughs.
In 2005 i shot a 200 pound 13 point South Texas buck that scored 151 BC at 120 yards using those 100 grain Power Points in my 6mm.
The shot was placed at an angle into his back left rib with the nickel sized exit coming out right behind his right shoulder.
Although he did run right at 100 yards his lungs were nothing but jello.
Corelokts work pretty good too.
Never tried the Hornady's but have used the Federal 100 Grain Premium BTSP and they work like dynamite!!
Problem is i dont intend to spend nearly $30.00 for a box of ammo.
Last year I bought a box of the 100 gr. Federal Power Shocks on sale$10.00.
In my little Remington 600 Mohawk i found them to be the most accurate factory round i have ever found for that little rifle.
How accurate??
Well i could place a three shot 100 yard group that could be completely covered with a dime!!
So i decided to use it deer hunting.
Shot a buck at 90 yards broadside and found him very dead about 50 yards away.
A complete pass through and of course the lungs were jello.
Since they shoot so well i ordered a case that was on sale at Midway.

On hogs using both the 243 and 6mm head shots of course drop them dead right away.
Body shots are a hit or a miss because at times they drop right away or they run like a scalded cat.
The corelockts usually fully penetrate where as the Federal 100 grain BTSP usually dont.
I killed two hogs with the 243 a couple of weeks ago using the 100 gr. Power Shocks.
Both hogs were around 60-80 pounds and were shot at near pitch dark.
Both dropped in their tracks and both were complete penetrations.
Shots were at  55 yards and 80 yards.
As far as the ballistic tips i have heard too many horror stories of bullet performance with them to try them.
Although a couple of people i know swear by them but they are using .308's.
If a guy can shoot right an expensive premium bullet in the 243 or 6mm just isnt needed.
Hope this helps.