Has anyone killed a deer with a 243 out of a 15" Barrel?

[Fletcher D]

Hey guys...I have a 15" 243 barrel on my encore and I am trying to make sure that factory loads are lethal to medium-sized deer.  I realize that any round is lethal if placement is perfect, but I am really looking for some war stories and some advise.  Anybody have any experience with hunting with a 243 in the 15" barrel?  Any help would be appreciated.

I should note that I am using factory loads...figures 100gr would be the best.  Have shot Win Super X's and Hornady Light Mags.  Just got my encore a week ago

[b44mag]

i just picked up a frame last month. i have a 209x50 on the way. the next one is going to be a 243 also. from what ive read that little 15 '' 243 is a great deer gun. sight her in and dont look back. ive hunted for a long time with a 243 long gun so i realy dont have any war storys about the 15'' . but out of a 22'' its deadly. never had one go more than a few feet . i think i read some where that you loose 29 fps per inch of barrel cut off . the 243 is pretty fast to start with . so your looseing about 300 or so fps from a 26 inch barrel . it should still be able to do the job well. i had a 22 inch handie cut down to 16 1/4 it shot great but got rid of it to buy a encore frame . so i never got the chance to kill a deer with it.

[Fletcher D]

i just picked up a frame last month. i have a 209x50 on the way. the next one is going to be a 243 also. from what ive read that little 15 '' 243 is a great deer gun. sight her in and dont look back. ive hunted for a long time with a 243 long gun so i realy dont have any war storys about the 15'' . but out of a 22'' its deadly. never had one go more than a few feet . i think i read some where that you loose 29 fps per inch of barrel cut off . the 243 is pretty fast to start with . so your looseing about 300 or so fps from a 26 inch barrel . it should still be able to do the job well. i had a 22 inch handie cut down to 16 1/4 it shot great but got rid of it to buy a encore frame . so i never got the chance to kill a deer with it.

Great news...what gr bullet were you using in the 22"?

[Redhawk1]

Yes I have, with a Hornady 87gr. bullet from a 15 inch Encore barrel. Took out both lungs and passed through the deer. This was a medium range reload. With the factory loads, I don't see you having one problem.

[SD Handgunner]

A few years back a good friend of mine won a Stainles-Steel Encore and choose a 15" .243. He wanted a .243 so he could use it on Coyotes and Whitetails.

At any rate he picked up some Factory Ammo (80gr. Winchester PSP and 100gr. Federal Hi Shok PSP if I remember right). At any rate I could not get either one of those factory rounds to print under 2" at 100 yards. I then set out to work up a handload for my buddy. I tried 55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips, 80gr. Speer Hot Core Spitzers and 95gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips.

In the end we settled on the 80gr. Speer Hot Core Spitzers loaded with H-4895. Muzzle Velocity with the load we settled on averaged 2920 FPS, and 5 shot 100 yard groups from the bench averaged 3/4". I used this Handgun / Load on a Anterless Deer Hunt on Jan. 1st of 2007 and harvested two Whitetail Does at slightly over 200 yards and it worked great.

If you are not a handloader, Federal in their Power Shok Factory Ammo uses the 80gr. Speer Hot Core Spitzer Bullet. While I have not shot any of this ammo to know what the accuracy potential is or the muzzle velocity, I do know this bullet works well.

Larry

[blacknwhite]

Remember that factory loads are near max powder charge because they want to print high velocities on the side of the box. So, just find a factory load that is ~85 grains or heavier (preferably 100's) that shoots good and you wont have any problems. Velocities and energy out of your 15" barrel will be outstanding. I witnessed an antelope shot at 600 yards with a .243 rifle and it fell over like you hit it with the truck. You can bet at 600 yards velocity was down (therefore energy was as well). So just pick a solid bullet (not a varmint load) and shoot confidently because your .243 it going to kill em dead guaranteed.

[Fletcher D]

Remember that factory loads are near max powder charge because they want to print high velocities on the side of the box. So, just find a factory load that is ~85 grains or heavier (preferably 100's) that shoots good and you wont have any problems. Velocities and energy out of your 15" barrel will be outstanding. I witnessed an antelope shot at 600 yards with a .243 rifle and it fell over like you hit it with the truck. You can bet at 600 yards velocity was down (therefore energy was as well). So just pick a solid bullet (not a varmint load) and shoot confidently because your .243 it going to kill em dead guaranteed.

That's the kind of news I like to hear!!!  Getting pumped about this season and my 243!  Have been shooting with open sights, just got my scope and am ready to hit it hard down range now!!!

[b44mag]

i was shooting federal 100 core locks. worked fine for me. from what i read im going to have to pick up a 15'' 243 as soon as i can . got to get the 209x50 first and get it all sighted in then worry about the 5 or so more barrels hope to go all pistol soon wonder if you can get a 20 ga in 15'' boy i bet that would be a handful good luck with the 243
                                           b44mag

[b44mag]

you know what the core locks are rems not feds but the 100 classics worked good to.

[Tobiano]

    I would use the Hornady 95-gr. factory ammo before any of the available 100gr. bullets, even in handloads.

[Fletcher D]

    I would use the Hornady 95-gr. factory ammo before any of the available 100gr. bullets, even in handloads.

I appreciate the info...why, out of curiosity?