Favorite 243 Deer Hunting Loads

[Dave1]

I am curious to see, what are your favorite 243 deer hunting loads?

I load using 46-47 grains of H4831, Win lrg rifle primer, Sierra 100 grain boat tail soft point.  My Remington Mod 700 BDL does very well with this load.  Longest kill, 299 yards on a 155lb 8 point.

One of the older manuals I have lists a max load of H4831 powder at 48 grains at about 3140 fps.  The newer manuals lists a significantly reduced load as the max.

Dave

 

[zacharoo]

100 grain Remington PCPCL with CCi Primers Remington Brass and 41 Grains IMR 4350. In a Remington Model 700. Kills them dead dead dead!
Zacharoo

[Steve P]

45gr H4831 - RP brass - CCI 200 primer - 85 grain speer bullet for a Ruger 77.  This was my first load back in about 1979-80 when I started reloading on my own.  I had several targets that had cloverleafs or grape bunch shaped single holes at 100 yards with this load.  Took many deer, coyote, rock chuck, etc with this gun.  I still have several boxes of this ammo loaded and have not had occasion to change, yet.....I did pick up several other .243 bored guns in the last couple of years so do have new brass and bullets to try.  I did not go for a hot load, I went for an accurate load and stopped when I got there. 

Steve

[cwlongshot]

I really like IMR4350 and Hornadys excellent 100gr round nose bullet!! My second favorite is the sierra 100BTSP or if you can find them the Speer 105's. I don't use my 243 for really ling range. But this RN bullet has worked time and time again out to just over 200 yards. If I knew my shots would be long I would go for the spitzer or spitzer BT.

As for the actual load, sorry I don't like to post actual loadings. That's what a loading manual is for. I'm not being "smart". I would really hate to miss quote and have someone get hurt because of my posting the wrong loading. My loads are safe and have been worked up to in my rifles. They may not be safe in yours.

CW

[mjbgalt]

my .243's have liked a 95-grain nosler ballistic tip. the load was with Varget.

-Matt

[cajun]

I use IMR4350 for both my 243's.  In my H&R Ultra Varmint, I load a 100 grain Hornady Interlock boattail.  I've been using this bullet for several seasons and have had good results but don't always get a pass thru.  In my Savage Model 16, I load a 100 grain Nosler Partition.  This is the first season I use this bullet.

I have taken deer with each this year.  With the H&R, I got a nice doe at 40 yards with a neck shot.  With the Savage, I got a fat spike at 180 yards with a broadside shot right behind the shoulder.  Got a nice pass thru with a silver dollar sized exit hole.  Deer traveled about 5 yards after the shot.

[BEN243]

46.5 grs of IMR4831 / 85 gr Sierra HPBT/ CCI primers/ Win cases  ... it works

Ben

[huntswithdogs]

H4831 and 100 gr bullets.

CW, it's nice to see someone else that likes the RN Hornadys. Those things'll knock the crap out of a deer! Love that SMOCK! sound they make when ya hit a deer behind the shoulder. Ya know that there's gonna be backstrap on the grill, real soon!


HWD

[cwlongshot]

H4831 and 100 gr bullets.

CW, it's nice to see someone else that likes the RN Hornadys. Those thing's will knock the crap out of a deer! Love that SMOCK! sound they make when ya hit a deer behind the shoulder. Ya know that there's gonna be backstrap on the grill, real soon!


HWD

For the life of me I don't know why hunters shy away from them!!!  Here in the North east all you hear are my deer was shot @ 40yards, 30 yards, 75 yards, 125 yards. Truth be told there is little to no difference with the RN from the popular deer calibers! When these yardages are taken into account!! I'll even venture that the RN is SUPERIOR!!!! More frontal diameter, easier to get expanding. So a bit better "knock down" power.

I LOVE the 117RN in the wife's 257 Roberts. Probably shot 20 deer with the 154's in my 7mm-08. ( Load them for the 280 as well, but she is a virgin!!) The 170's shoot inside 1" @ 100 in my 8MM Mauser. Last but not least, the tremendous knock down /penetration power of the 35 cal, 250's in my 358 Winchester and 35 Whelen. Yup, I LOVE Hornadys excellent line of interlock RN bullets!!!

 With Obama-nation pending, guess what I bought for bullets to "stock up" with?  You guessed it, Hornady Rn's.

CW

[j104wd]

used to be a 95gr ballistic tip with varget, but have changed to hybrid 100v powder more velocity with same accuracy that I could get with the varget.

[243dave]

Winchester brass and primers, H-4831 under Speer Grand-Slams. Shoots small groups and penetrates at extreme angles leaving big exit wounds. 

[Autorim]

40 grains of 4350 and the 100 grain Nosler Partition. I used this load until I shot the barrel out of my 1963 vintage model 700. It now has a Wiseman 7mm-08 barrel.

[Duckbill]

40gr of H-4350 behind a 95gr Nosler Partition.  I load this for my nephew who is carrying my old Rem 700.  He has killed several deer with it in Georgia.  I only shot paper with it when I had it, but it shot tiny little bugholes at 100yds.

[Larry Gibson]

Hornady 100 gr SPBT over 48 gr H4831SC in WW cases with WLR primers. Runs 3015 fps out of M70 with 22" barrel at 3/4 moa for 5 shots.  Deadly on deed and coyotes. 

Larry Gibson

[Syncerus]

I ready a study a few years ago which showed that round nosed bullets of conventional design deformed less on impact than spitzer bullets of the same manufacture. They also retained a higher percentage of bullet weight.

If you're shooting at less than 150 yards, I think the decision is a no-brainer.

[Dave1]

One thing I do not like about the spire point style bullets is the soft lead tip of the cartridges in the magazine will flatten out a bit when the gun is fired.  I assume the gun is recoiling backwards when fired and the soft lead nose of the bullet is impacting the front end of the magazine thus flattening the tip.  Anyone else experience this problem?

I am wondering if a stronger magazine spring would reduce that cartridge movement and eliminate the flat tip problem???

I will not use those flat tip rounds as my loaded in the barrel cartridge to hunt with but will keep them in the magazine to be used as follow up shots if needed.

I have been thinking of trying the 85 grain HPBT, Nosler Ballistic tip, or other bullet to avoid that flat tip issue.  Anyone use the 85 HPBT Sierra bullet on deer?

Dave

 

[spinafish]

check out the reviews at Midwayusa.com concerning that bullet..about 15 folks had nothing but good things to say about it.

[cwlongshot]

Many people like that bullet. I have no experience with it.

 Personally, in .243, I do not consider anything under 90Gr's suitable for big game. Sans the 85GR Partition and Barnes solid copper bullets. In many states the .243 is smallest legal caliber, why push it by using lightly constructed bullets.
 The 85 HPBT is a hollow point. Hollow points are used to allow faster expansion. Faster expansion in an already too light bullet screams under penetration and over expansion with bullet blow ups likely. Slip that bullet between the ribs and you may well see lightning strike kills. But hit a rib and you may just shred the hide causing a huge wound that will likely still kill, but you also likely will not recovered game. In my humble opinion, we owe far more than that to the game we hunt. Use the appropriate bullet. Its generally accepted that all bullets under 90Gr's are varmint bullets. There are exceptions, but like I said why push it.

CW

[Autorim]

Dave,

Flattened bullet tips in the magazine is a common occurrence and has no consequence on the performance of the bullet on game. It does decrease the ballistic coefficient but it will not be an issue except at long ranges. I did not have good experience with the 85 grain HPBT bullet in my .243 and would not recommend it. I still recommend the Nosler Partition although the Accubond may do just as well or better and the tip should not deform in the magazine. I found the Ballistic Tip to be a fast expanding bullet.

I have no experience with them yet, but I would look real hard at Barnes and the Swift Scirocco.

[jhalcott]

  I have used the Sierra 85HPBT on a lot of deer in the 6mm and 6mmAI. It seemed to kill deer QUICKER than the 100 grain bullets. At least they didnt run as far, usually dropping within  afew yards oh the hit.

[Dave1]

The Nosler Partitian is just like the Sierra SPBT that I use now.  It has a soft pointed lead tip that would seem to flatten out.  The Nosler Accubond has a plastic tip and should be an improvement in the magazine.  Nosler says these bullets will expand down to 1800 fps.

The Balistic Tip bullets are advertised to be varmint bullets so I am not sure why we would be using them on larger game.  I have heard and read both good and bad about the Balistic Tip bullets.  Some say they expanded well, others said they did not expand at all and only punched a tiny hole all the way thru the animal.  I suspect bullet expansion performance depends alot on the exact hit location, tissue/bone encountered, angle, etc.

Dave

[Autorim]

Dave 1,

I beg to differ, but the Nosler Partition is not like the Sierra SP. The Partition is a premium bullet with a partiton separating a front and rear core. They both are soft point bullets and will both deform in the magazine. Both are very accurate, but the Nosler will most likely penetrate better than the Sierra. I have used both. I have only recovered one 100 grain Nosler Partition. The deer was shot from a tree stand at about 50 yards. The bullet hit at the base of the neck and was recovered under the skin in the paunch. I once jumped a wounded doe that had one front leg broken. I made a mercy shot as the deer was running dead away. I had complete penetration from one hip out the chest cavity with the 100 grain Nosler Partition in the .243. Many bullets will take a deer size animal in the .243, but IME the smaller the caliber, the greater the importance of a premium bullet that will guarantee penetration. I have fired thousands of the 100 grain Sierras and shot a few deer with them, but eventually I only used the 100 grain Nosler Partition for hunting and I was never disappointed.

[Dave1]

AR

I was making reference only to the fact that both the Sierra SPBT and the Nosler Partitian bullets have the pointed soft point that will likely flatten the tip in the magazine.

While I have never used the Partitian, I can certainly see where it would hold together better and likely have better/deeper penetration and/or complete pass thru on deer sized game.

Dave

[shotgunner]

I bought my wife and daughter rifles in 243 last year, they are both lefties and I got a Remington BDL and a Savage. I load IMR 4831 and Hornady interlock. I often go to a more expencive bullet for hunting with a small bore but after seeing what the Hornady bullet can do, I can't see spending the money. My wife shot a whitetail this fall, hit it in the shrot ribs and had a baseball sized exit through the far sholder. Close shot, maybe 50 yards, where a bullet might fail. The girls shoot these guns well and the results are positive. Shotgunner

[buckeye hunter]

I use IMR4350 for both my 243's.  In my H&R Ultra Varmint, I load a 100 grain Hornady Interlock boattail.  I've been using this bullet for several seasons and have had good results but don't always get a pass thru.  In my Savage Model 16, I load a 100 grain Nosler Partition.  This is the first season I use this bullet.

I have taken deer with each this year.  With the H&R, I got a nice doe at 40 yards with a neck shot.  With the Savage, I got a fat spike at 180 yards with a broadside shot right behind the shoulder.  Got a nice pass thru with a silver dollar sized exit hole.  Deer traveled about 5 yards after the shot.

I can only find a listing for .85 grain Hornady Interlocks, where did you find the 100 grain version?

[flintlock]

Many people like that bullet. I have no experience with it.

 Personally, in .243, I do not consider anything under 90Gr's suitable for big game. Sans the 85GR Partition and Barnes solid copper bullets. In many states the .243 is smallest legal caliber, why push it by using lightly constructed bullets.
 The 85 HPBT is a hollow point. Hollow points are used to allow faster expansion. Faster expansion in an already too light bullet screams under penetration and over expansion with bullet blow ups likely. Slip that bullet between the ribs and you may well see lightning strike kills. But hit a rib and you may just shred the hide causing a huge wound that will likely still kill, but you also likely will not recovered game. In my humble opinion, we owe far more than that to the game we hunt. Use the appropriate bullet. Its generally accepted that all bullets under 90Gr's are varmint bullets. There are exceptions, but like I said why push it.

CW

Actually this is not true...The Sierra GameKing 85gr HPBT is a deer bullet...It's core is harder than most and the jacket is thicker...This allows the bullet to penetrate into deer before it starts expanding...So, not all hollow points are designed to expand rapidly...Bullet design also comes into play...This is an excellent long range deer bullet and will actually give more reliable penetration than some of the 100gr soft point bullets...

[cajun]

buckeye hunter:

It is listed as item #2453 on the Hornady site.  BTSP IL

cajun

[buckeye hunter]

Thanks Cajun, I was reading "Interlock" and thinking "interbond".

[ButlerFord45]

100g Sierra GameKing over and adequate supply of IMR 4350.

[shotgunner]

My daughter took a large doe with her 243 on Saturday. A broadside shot at 60 yards. I found some jacket fragments in the exit hole, but there was an exit hole and the deer went down quickly. I guess I can not complain about that. Shot.....