Author Topic: .243 for whitetail (Read 1176 times)

bodab · « **on:** October 26, 2009, 02:23:38 PM »

I'm wanting to take my .243 encore out after deer, lets say shots under 200 yards and the deer run about 140-160 pounds. I would like to try some barnes TSX but i was just wondering what kind of load and bullet yall have had good luck with!

drdougrx · « **Reply #1 on:** October 26, 2009, 02:30:52 PM »

I'm a 95gr ballistic tip shooter and sometimes a partition. I've had good luck with both. I also use RL-22, max load. Just had my Ruger MkII rebarreled by ER Shaw and shot it on sunday....1" groups...will keep trying!!

flintlock · « **Reply #2 on:** October 26, 2009, 03:44:24 PM »

100gr CoreLokts work as well as any...If you want a longer range bullet, load up the 85gr Sierra GameKing HPBT...

Oldshooter · « **Reply #3 on:** October 26, 2009, 03:56:15 PM »

Dang fellas, whitetails just dont get too big for a 243 with a hundred grain sp! Its been proven for years!
I have a 6 mm Rem that thinks its a 270!

Gallahad · « **Reply #4 on:** October 26, 2009, 04:42:43 PM »

I was just looking for some 243 whitetail loads myself! Found a guy who posted a review on midway for a 100gr. partition. He used it for moose, elk, and a brownbear. all one shot kills. he was pushing it VERY fast in one of those 6mm jobbies. @3400fps. says something about the bullet though.

Heavy C · « **Reply #5 on:** October 26, 2009, 04:50:41 PM »

Quote from: Oldshooter on October 26, 2009, 03:56:15 PM

Dang fellas, whitetails just dont get too big for a 243 with a hundred grain sp! Its been proven for years!
I have a 6 mm Rem that thinks its a 270!

Same here. I shoot Federal Power-Shoks...100 gr soft points. Now I'm trying to duplicate that load.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #6 on:** October 27, 2009, 05:51:26 AM »

Well, when I was still trying to convince myself that the 243 was a suitable deer cartridge, only because I love the one rifle I have in that caliber so much, I found Sierra 100 gr BTSP's over a charge of RL22 for 2950 fps outa a 26 inch barrel to be the most accurate load.

I'm gonna play around with the 243 again, but only because my hunting buddy wants to get his Belgian Browning BAR back into the game. $:-\$ 'sides, I've got a lot of various 100 gr. .243 bullets I'll never use on deer again...

Now where did I put my flame retardant gear...

huntswithdogs · « **Reply #7 on:** October 27, 2009, 10:07:23 AM »

Hornady, Sierra, Nosler, Remington, Winchester or whatever 10ogr bullet you can find. Put it in front of a healthy dose of H4831 and let her rip! Deer ain't got a chance!

HWD

Atlaw, Fire retardent britches ain't needed. Some of us like the 243, others feel like they gotta ahve a howitzer. Ain't ya glad we're all different ?!?!

Dave in WV · « **Reply #8 on:** October 27, 2009, 11:30:39 AM »

My son and I use 100 gr. Core-Lokts.

wncchester · « **Reply #9 on:** October 27, 2009, 11:38:51 AM »

I've had fine luck with 100 gr bullets from Remington, Hornady and Sierra on deer. It's not my favorite deer cartridge but perhaps it should be, I've taken quite a few Southern whitetail with it and none required a second shot.

243dave · « **Reply #10 on:** October 27, 2009, 03:02:05 PM »

I settled on 100gr Speer Grandslams in front of a bunch of H-4831. It has proved to penetrate at most any angle even when shoulders are hit leaving nice size exit holes. It shoots .75 moa in my sporter-weight 700. Dave

Oldshooter · « **Reply #11 on:** October 27, 2009, 04:05:48 PM »

Fire retardant britches aside, The 243(6mm in my case) ain't my favorite deer rifle and it ain't my oldest rifle but it is the oldest rifle that "I" bought new. It has taken deer on the move, head on, in the neck, in the head, and broad side, and still will put three bullets in virtually the same hole at 100 yards. It would be my go to rifle to 300 yards on whitetail and smaller game, here in these United States.

AtlLaw Sir, you shoot em with what you like! i only shoot em with what has worked for me since the days when the ships were made outa wood and the men were made outa steel. Seems the bullets are gettin weaker and the deer tuffer in these, my autumn years.

If some fellers can kill em with sharp sticks, feathers, and string, a good 243 cant be all that bad! Now where's my fire retardant britches!

BBF · « **Reply #12 on:** October 28, 2009, 09:54:01 AM »

If you feel 100 gr isn't enough, Speer still makes a 105 gr Spitzer that should stabilize with the common twist barrels.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #13 on:** October 28, 2009, 11:53:00 PM »

I have shot them with a couple different bullet weights. All worked, my preference is Hornady's 100Gr RN in front of IMR 4350 powder and a CCI LR primer. Results, 1" groups and meat in the freezer.

CW

Graybeard · « **Reply #14 on:** October 29, 2009, 01:25:58 AM »

I tried it once and that was a really bad experience. Load was factory Hornady 100 grain and it shot very accurately from my rifle a Browning Low Wall. The buck was at most 50-60 yards away when the trigger broke. It did take a step just as I fired but the sight picture told me the bullet should have caught lung or at worse liver even with the step at just the wrong time. Both should have put the deer down in sight of me from my experience with other rounds.

I found no evidence of blood at the spot the deer stood making be believe it failed to exit. I followed the path the deer took and still never found blood. I watched it for close to 200 yards as it ran away then lost sight of it. I searched far and wide all around from there with no success in finding blood.

I cannot be sure it was the same deer but the folks I hunted that area with found a buck of similar description a few days later by following buzzards to it. If it was the same buck I shot it had gone close to a half mile after the shot. I've sure never seen a deer hit in lungs or liver do such a thing before.

There was nothing but thin air between me and the deer and I had a solid rest so I just do not believe I missed nor do I believe the bullet missed the lungs and am 100% sure it couldn't have hit further back then front of liver which with the slight quartering away angle would likely have still hit one lung. I'll never know why I failed to recover that buck but it has made me leery of the .243 and I doubt I'll ever trust it again.

84Jim · « **Reply #15 on:** October 29, 2009, 02:48:52 AM »

Move that deer out to 200 yds. and he probably would have dropped on the spot.

I've heard essentially that same story told dozens of times over the years. For me, it was a 25-06. 243 and similar calibers just need a tougher bullet for close range shots. I started to use partitions, but I'm sure there are plenty of others that do the job as well. I gotta add that personal experience from my family and hunting buddies, a fair amount of bullet failures came from handloads with bullets that come in a green box.

Steve P · « **Reply #16 on:** October 29, 2009, 10:37:12 AM »

100 partition and max loads of H4831 for my .243 and my .243 WSSM. WSSM took two antelope in two days in WY earlier this year. Both dropped on impact. Have taken several black tail or mule deer with both. All dropped when hit.

I am working on 7mm-08 now since I am changing deer areas to area that is more prone to have black bear. Concern is light-fast bullet may blow up if hitting heavier bear bones. If no bear, would still be using one of the .243s on deer.

Steve

Autorim · « **Reply #17 on:** October 29, 2009, 03:18:08 PM »

/I bought a .243 - I think it was 1962 when the M700 was first introduced. It had a 20 inch barrel. I worked up loads for it and started shooting and hunting. At first, I used the Nosler 85 grain Partitions then 100 grain Sierras. I tried LOTS of bullets. When it was all over, I used 100 grain Partitions for hunting deer and 100 grain Sierras for everything else. I never lost a deer and neither did anyone else that borrowed the rifle.

I have shot through deer end to end with the 100 grain Nosler Partition. As to hitting a deer in the liver or far back in the lungs with anything I would expect a long trailing job. The only problem I had with other bullets was not killing, but excessive meat destruction and no exit hole. Lots of bullets disintegrated on deer. I had a friend back about 1957 who used a .243 to hunt deer with the 80 grain factory bullet. A broadside shot to the lungs would not exit.

It is a fine cartridge with proper bullets. I would use 100 grain bullets and IMR 4350 and not look for anything else in the way of powder. I eventually shot the barrel out and had Bill Wiseman install a 23 inch 7mm-08 match grade barrel. It really is a shooter now.

Graybeard · « **Reply #18 on:** October 29, 2009, 05:49:09 PM »

So long as you put a bullet thru BOTH lungs regardless of where there is no reason a long tracking job should be the result. As to liver hits they bleed out just as quickly as they with lung hits. I've misplaced an arrow there twice and both tracking jobs were no different than had it hit the lungs as intended.

Since I failed to recover the deer I will never know the truth of what happened that day. Hell I might have missed tho how I have no clue. The deer sure gave no indication it was hit at the point of what should have been impact or anywhere along the 200 yards or so I saw it run. I just have no clue what happened. I do believe that had I hit it with any other rifle or handgun I own the deer would have come home with me. I'll never have any trust in the .243 again. And it might not even have been it as I said I might have just missed, I just dunno how.

rickt300 · « **Reply #19 on:** October 30, 2009, 05:33:10 AM »

I guess I'm lucky in never having had a deer go more than 40 yards after being hit with a 6MM. I have used a range of bullets from the 80 gr. Remington PSP to 105 grain Speers. Presently I have loaded the 95 gr. Ballistic Tips and 100 gr. Corelokts. I use the corelokts for under 100 yards and the Ballistic Tips for everything else. There is a young guy on our lease that has used nothing other than the 243 for 10 years and he cannot see why he would need more gun for deer, maybe some of the big feral hogs but not for deer. He shops for the cheapest on sale ammo every year, says the Federal Powershoks are deadly.

dakotashooter2 · « **Reply #20 on:** October 30, 2009, 09:43:08 AM »

I have not shot a lot of deer with the 243 but enough to know it can effectively get the job done if you do your part. I have used 95 gr partitions, 100 coreloks, 100gr rem PSPs and 95 gr balistic tips in that order of preference. I will never use a balistic tip in 6mm for big game again as they performed the worst of the bullets I have tried.

john keyes · « **Reply #21 on:** October 30, 2009, 11:42:10 AM »

I bought my kid a 6mm 788 and I have some ammo loaded and sighted in. IIRC its H 380 and for sure a corloct 80 gr bullet. I may have to try it myself on a deer.

Graybeard · « **Reply #22 on:** October 30, 2009, 01:52:26 PM »

If I get out and do any hunting this season (no longer a given for me sadly) I'll be using a .243 on steroids this time. It's called a .257 Wheatherby Magnum.

rickt300 · « **Reply #23 on:** October 30, 2009, 07:08:30 PM »

Quote from: Graybeard on October 30, 2009, 01:52:26 PM

If I get out and do any hunting this season (no longer a given for me sadly) I'll be using a .243 on steroids this time. It's called a .257 Wheatherby Magnum.

Hope ya get out, them steroidal 243's will get the job done.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #24 on:** October 31, 2009, 01:38:15 AM »

ive killed many deer with the 6mm rem. It was my first real deer rifle and it has never let me down. Ive used corelocks sierra and speer 100s and in my opinion for what its worth if you loose a deer shot with one you made a bad shot.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #25 on:** October 31, 2009, 06:23:18 AM »

Quote from: Lloyd Smale on October 31, 2009, 01:38:15 AM

ive killed many deer with the 6mm rem. It was my first real deer rifle and it has never let me down. Ive used corelocks sierra and speer 100s and in my opinion for what its worth if you loose a deer shot with one you made a bad shot.

I have had the same experience with my 700 Rem. in 6 mm. the 100gr. sp has always worked well for me on Whitetails of all sizes!

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #26 on:** October 31, 2009, 06:43:18 AM »

I know this JIMHO, but you can never go wrong with a premium bullet.

The ony deer I have had go for any distance was with one of the OLD Hornady cup an core bullets, probably close to 40 years ago.

That brought me to the Nosler Partition, which proforms simply great!

Guess I have had as many deer drop in their tracks with the 243 as have moved off, and I watched a deer run close to a 100yds. hit head on in the center of the chest with a 165gr Nosler Partition at over 3200fps (muzzle) with a 300win mag. Go figure.

Deer, like rifles are each a rule unto themselves.

With the lighter calibers, stack the odds in your favor, use premium bullets.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

ihookem · « **Reply #27 on:** October 31, 2009, 04:25:42 PM »

My kid has a 243 and was shooting Rem corelocs in it and at 50 yds one was perfectly sideways. I don't know why but it might just have been a bad bullet. This may explain it Graybeard. It could have been that one in a thousand bullets that are way off balance or something.