Nosler .243 100 grain Solid Base

[rickt300]

I just traded for 300 of these bullets along with 200 150 grain .284 Ballistic Tips. I'll use the BT's for targets in my 7MM Remington mag but I just may use the 100 grain solid base bullets shot from my 6MM Remington to fill a tag or two.  Any good reports using this bullet?

[Drilling Man]

but I just may use the 100 grain solid base bullets shot from my 6MM Remington to fill a tag or two.  Any good reports using this bullet?

  I've shot some of them in my .243, and my dad shot a couple deer using them in his .243...  The partitions are so superior, that we never used the solid base design for big game again.  In my opinion 6mm's are border line for animials the size of deer, and the Nosler partition helps with that quite a bit, especially, if you don't get that "perfect" broadside shot.

  DM

[rickt300]

The 100 grain partition was the first "premium" bullet to show me so little in the way of performance it amazed me that so many tout it as a great bullet, at least in the 6MM bore size.Around the Millenium I bought 4 boxes of the 100 grain partition and loaded them up.  I used them on 4 deer and 3 or 4 feral hogs. I was used to seeing deer go down immediatly or pretty quick when hit with Sierra Boattails , Remington PSPCL and Hornady interloks but with the partitions I got a lot of tracking time in. Up till I used them I never had tracked a deer hit with either of my 6MM's more than 30 yards, that year I had one go 100 yards. I lost a feral hog to a river and another deer showed no reaction to a perfect ribcage shot but fell over at the second shot. If worship at the alter of the exit hole is your bag good for you but I like my deer to go down quicker. Interestingly the bullets that worked well for me generally gave exits too. The 150 grain Partition shot out of my 270 seems to work very well though.

[Brithunter]

In my opinion 6mm's are border line for animials the size of deer

    Oh dear we had better tell all those hundreds of folks who stalk Scottish Red Red using .243's and 6mm's that they just are not up to the job  .

     The .243 win is possibly the most popular deer cartridge used in the UK. partly because it's the Minimum required by the Police and the Police like that word minimum  Some police licensing departments cause much hassle is some one asks for say a .308 for deer and often it's outright refused. So as a result a lot of stalkers use the .243 and mainly with 100 gran bullets as that's the minimum weight required for all but Roe Deer in Scotland and quite a few confused folks think that this is also the case for the reast of the UK.

     The gamekeeper I sued to stalk with has used the .243 for many years and I doubt that many of us will get the chance to shoot half the deer he has with it this is a photo of his chimney breast and that big red was shot with the .243 win and Federal 100 grn ammo :-



   He has also used the .243 in Germany, Austria, and Italy. For Boar he prefers the 7x64 or 7x65R. Now whilst I am personally not that fond of the .243 and never owned on until recently and which I only brought becasue it has the BESA recoil reducer machined in the muzzle  saying that the .243 is border line for deer is quite laughable. Red deer are normally larger than the normal Whitetail.

[Drilling Man]

saying that the .243 is border line for deer is quite laughable. Red deer are normally larger than the normal Whitetail.

  I don't think it's laughable at all, if you like more penetration than 6mm's normally give, and i do.  I never said it wouldn't kill a deer, i'd say between dad and i, we've harvested around 50 deer with 243's...  And i did take a BIG blk bear with one.  I just believe something that will give more penetration is a better choise.

  Too many folks will shoot at a deer at "any angle", and 6mm's are really a "shoot them in the ribs" cal....  AND, no matter how many times you say "they are idiots" for doing so, they will keep on doing it!

  BTW, i broke the neck on that bear with a 100 NP at about 30 yards...

  DM

[Brithunter]

Too many folks will shoot at a deer at "any angle", and 6mm's are really a "shoot them in the ribs" cal....  AND, no matter how many times you say "they are idiots" for doing so, they will keep on doing it!

     Well although these idiots will take any shot, they will do that regardless of the cartridge that the rifle they are carrying is chambered for. So blaming the cartridge is not really correct. The .243 has plenty of power and performance for Deer providing like any cartridge a suitably constructed bullet is used and placed in the right place.

[Drilling Man]

Well although these idiots will take any shot, they will do that regardless of the cartridge that the rifle they are carrying is chambered for. So blaming the cartridge is not really correct.

  It is correct in at least the part that a bigger cartridge with decent bullets WILL easily shoot through a deer end to end, and NO i'm not talking about using "solids" either.  That means if the "idiot" does take "that" shot, at least he is assured of enough penetration...

  DM

[rickt300]

Actually I have taken 12 or a few more deer with various 6MM cartridges. I have never had one travel far with the exception of my limited use of the 100 grain partition.  Still out of those deer the farthest one traveled was less than 100 yards. All others fell right when hit or easily within sight. My guess is that the 100 grain Solid Base will provide good performance also. At least half of my hits are close to the shoulder neck or spine hits, the rest are usually halfway up the chest just behind the shoulder. Could just be bullet placement but the 6's have always given me quick kills.

[trotterlg]

Those deer have sure toughened up in the past 40 years, when I was young a 25-20 would put down a nice deer, now they just run off when you shoot them with a .243.  Just goes to show the power of the advertisers in the hunting Mags.  Larry

[rickt300]

I  have tried a lot of different rifles on deer and havent found one that wouldn't do the job yet.  For a comparison with a much heralded cartridge, the 30-30 I found the 6MM Remington to be much more destructive inside deer. In fact I often wonder just where the stories come from saying deer are hard to kill.

[nomosendero]

I  have tried a lot of different rifles on deer and havent found one that wouldn't do the job yet.  For a comparison with a much heralded cartridge, the 30-30 I found the 6MM Remington to be much more destructive inside deer. In fact I often wonder just where the stories come from saying deer are hard to kill.

They come from E-Z chairs all over America.

[Dave in WV]

Deer aren't hard to kill. At times it's just about impossible to force them to understand they're dead.  They refuse to read the script or ballistics charts. 

[Jim n Iowa]

I shoot 70 to 85 gr bullets that vary accurately in my 243. I admit never on a white tail, coyotes to antelope will work at 150+ yds depending on whether they are moving. 100 gr bullets will group for me at the bench at = or - 2" which is not accessible. rifle has a 1:10 twist.
Jim

[huntswithdogs]

Rick,
The 100gr bullets will work just fine on deer. I've found H4831 and H414 to be the best for my heavy bullet loads. My most accurate loads, with either powder, is usually right at the max listed by Hogdon. I've used most all makes of bullets over the last 25 years of loading for the 243. All but 2 of the deer I've killed with it were with 1 shot. Most fell within 75 yds. Go ahead and use 'em. If ya don't want them, let me know.

HWD

[351 power]

this is all very interesting to me cause a 6mm rem is my only deer sized rifle. my understanding of partitions is they are meant to penetrate deeper than normal for a given caliber. so they should give you an edge for larger, tougher game. so if a normal 6mm,100gr bullet works on thin skined deer then the partitions should be used for bl bear or small moose.

[rickt300]

From the experience I had with the 100 grain Partition in the 6MM Remington, if I need a premium bullet in it I would rather use a bigger gun.  Or a bigger gun with partitions if really necessary. I felt the partition in 6MM gave a narrow wound channel, longer but still narrow.

[Drilling Man]

  I always figured partitions in 6mm helped make up for that "less than perfect" shot angle everyone gets at times...  The nose blows off to give a good starting wound channel, and the base drives in deep for better penetration.

  DM

[rickt300]

The nose blowing off part is true enough but it is only 50 grains or less. This only gives you a starting wound channel comparable to what a 222 would make with a 50 grain bullet then you get a small diameter full metal jacket effect.  As for taking less than perfect shot angles the 6MM is just not the cartridge for that. And truthfully the 6MM's are blessed with enough penetration and destructive capabilities for reasonable hits with good standard bullet designs.

[Drilling Man]

As for taking less than perfect shot angles the 6MM is just not the cartridge for that.

  Agreed, but it happens all the time!!  This is why i always recommend something a little bigger than 6mm for deer.

  Anyone who says that the "majority" of "hunters ?" doesn't take any shot that presents itself, is full of it...

  DM

[rickt300]

We agree then that taking any shot that comes to you is more than the 6MM's are up using any bullet, partitions or not.  I guess then that I am not one of the majority hunters as I tend to take shot angles that are within the capabilities of the rifle I am carrying.

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

     Well I am still playing with my 6mm and slowly finding bullets and loads it likes. Brought the rifle used for a very good price. One reason for the good price is that 6mm remington is not common here!

     Anyway I just brought a box of 100 grain Nosler partitions, didn't realise they were partitions till later, have been trying 95 grain bullets and found it shoots quite well with ballistic tips but the Hornady 95 Grain SST's have prooved troublesome until yesterday when despite the wind I put 9 shots into a very usable group. However due to the very high winds it was strung out horizonatlly so I will repeat the test on a more suitable day.

      Now I am not overlly keen on 6mm or .243 but the rifle was the right model and the price was almost a stel so I took it and as I now have it I might as well try it out! Since than I also acquired a .243 Win chambered rifle, again it was nott eh cartridge but the rifle I wanted, however this one is not for shooting as it's on my licence for Collection only.

     Now buddies in the US and Alaska really rate the 6mm Rem and both claim the 100 grain Nosler partition a very effective bullet, one is alway telling me I should come a visit him in MO and sell him my rifle, it's a P-H 1200V heavy barrel, but that would be problematic legally and just now the expense of such a trip is out of the question regretefully as the invitation to hunt this season is there.

  Now although we do have idiots who will take any shot at any beast that show itself !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! stalkers here seem to be more responsable. Perhaps it's the licensing system? once you getyour FAC (Firearms Certificate) issued by the Police then to go Deer Stalking you need a variation on it which brings with it conditions and restrictions on where you can stalk and you will have to be accompanied for a while until the Police are satisfied that you are safe then you can apply and be granted an "Open Certificate" which allows stalking on any land over which you have the owners constent to hunt. there is no "Public land" on which hunting can be carried out on.

    Now to Americans it will sound like a lot of red tape, and it is, however the accident rate when shooting is very low here in the UK, lower than that on the Continent where compulsory training and hunting certificates are required. So perhaps it's the people and not the system?

    Oh and shotguns are not legal for Deer shooting except under very strict crop damage control situations and then I believe it's only the direct land owner who can do so, the legal implications are too dodgy to get involved in that so the rifle is nearly alway used. bearing in mind the small size of the UK compared to the US and the higher population densitiy, it makes one wonder about the need for the American Shotgun only zones?

[drdougrx]

Hello,

This is an excerpt from my post with pics in the Exotics section:

"I used the 243 on the fallow which dressed at 158lbs (a real butterball).  A 95gr NosBT / 43.5gr H414 at 3040fps.  Wouldn't do it again I don't think.  The bullet performed well.  First shot broke the shoulders at about 50yds.  Took a second shot at about the same distance from above (we were on a hill side and the deer was below us).  Interestingly enough...the 2nd bullet entered where the shoulder and the neck meets and exited just behind the sternum.  A real sharp angle was that shot.  The 3rd shot was a finisher.  Postmortem shows the 1st shot broke both shoulders and the deer ambled away, didn't run.  The second shot (a top to bottom shot) deflated the lungs and the 3rd took out the heart (actually, it came out in three pieces).  The bullet performed well, but, I'd like more shock that I think a larger diameter bullet would give. "

All in all, I've used the 95 and 100gr noslers on three fallow and two sheep.  I kinda feel the 243 is lite for deer though I have successfully taken a few.  I could use some advise I think of this caliber and its limitations.

[flintlock]

I'm not that keen on a Nosler Partition in a .243, I used it for 7-8 deer, they all died, non went over 100 yards, but there are bullets that drop deer quicker with center lung shots and are still hard enough to break shoulders, if needed...The problem with the partition is that it doesn't expand as well as say a 100gr CoreLokt, Hornady InterLokt, Sierra GameKing or the Sierra 85gr HPBT....Sounds like that's what you found out on that fallow deer, would have loved to have seen what would have happened with any of the above bullets...A bullet can give too much penetration, in any caliber....The only bullet I tested worse than the Partition was the discontinued Remington Premier 100gr BTSP, I killed 4 deer with that before I stopped using, on lung shot deer the exit hole was about the size of a nickle, whereas a standard CoreLokt gives about an  inch and a half size hole...

[T.R.]

I've taken many large mulies with .243 and plain ammo.  Very accurate and good expansion ammo comes from South Africa named PMP.  Bullet path which destroys both lungs will topple even a big 300 lb mulie quickly.

I've had very good luck with 95 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip as loaded by Black Hills Ammo.  Shots of 275 yards or farther hit hard and deadly.  I'm not sure what to predict at less than 100 yards.  My shots at antelope tend to be long. 

Hunting in the forest or foothills where shots are likely to be less than 150 yards is not where this speedy cartridge does its best work.   

TR

[deltecs]

I primarily use a .243 Win with 100 gr Sierra gameking bullets for deer in Alaska.  Admittedly these deer are not overly large, averaging about 110#'s field dressed.  The Nosler solid base bullets would work just fine on these animals.  I've not used them, though have used Speer 100 gr solid base and see no difference in the killing power.  The Sierra's are a bit more accurate in my rifle so I use them.  I have shot over 25 caribou with a .243 Win and these were shot with 100 gr partitions.  None of them traveled over 250'.  All but one were one shot kills and the second shot was just a mercy kill.  None were shot farther than 200 yds so penetration was excellent, and all left exit holes.  Shots were at various angles and wound channels obvious.  I think the partitions are just too good for the size deer we shoot around here, though.  The Sierra Gameking is about right.  They definitely are not right for larger game in 6mm bore.