What deer bullets in .243 ?

[44 Man]

A friend of mine has just purchased a .243 for herself.  She went deer hunting last year with a borrowed .243 and enjoyed it so she got one for herself.  Now she has asked me to reload it for her and since I have never used the .243, I'm not familiar with the proper bullets suitable for Whitetail deer.  Any suggestions for me?   44 Man

[Deerhunter#1]

In my savage 100 grain hornady sp over 40.4 grain h4350 shoots dimes at 100. Still waiting for me 243to handi to come back from green but my last two never shot 100the grainers well so am going to try 85 grain sierra btsp

[hillbill]

ive killed at least 20+ deer with 100 grn rem core lokts. ive never seen them not perform well.the exspansion was good at 20 ft or 200 yrds. always a large bleeding exit wound. i once made a bad shot on a running qaurtering away buck in the elbow. the bullet did not hit the bone but made him so sick he went 40 yrds and stood with his head down till i spotted him again and dispatched him. i dont shoot at running deer anymore. try them and i think you will like them.

[gendoc]

roun here, when we use tha 24&3.... we use 70gr sierra blitzking's for head shots only on early season freezer fill'n sway-back & ol'gray faced doe's
maybe 2 weeks, then they go back ta varmit shooters

[barnjoer]

100 gr. Hornady sp, with eather 42 gr of  4831 or 34 gr of  IMR 3031. These loads are  close to the Remington 100 gr sp factory load

[Ranch13]

The Hornady interloc and Remington Corloc 100 gr bullets have been getting it done on everything from coyotes to elk for me over the last 50 years.
 Powder has been either maximum charges of 4350 or H414, with a big preference going to the H414.

[flintlock]

I've killed over 300 deer with mine here are a few of the bullets that have done the job...I killed at least 6-8 deer with each before forming my conclusions...
 
100gr Remington CoreLokts...My gun likes them, at least 125 killed with them...Started with them in 1980, went back to them a few years ago...
 
85gr Sierra GameKing HPBT in the Federal Premium loading...This is not a varmit round, it's a deer round and a dang good one, especially if shots run over 250 or so...Very fast and flat shooting...It's my bean field bullet...Sighted in 3 inches high at 100 yards my gun is 3 inches low at 300...I've killed about 50 with this one...
 
100gr Winchester PowerPoints, they work but aren't as hard as the CoreLokts...
 
100gr Federal Blue box, yep, the cheap Federals...I believe they have Speer HotCores in them...They work good...Harder than the PowerPoints and Sierra SPBT but not quite as hard as the CoreLokts...
 
100gr Nosler Partitions in the Federal Loading...They work, but in my opinion not worth the extra money inless black bears may be on the menu as well...I simply don't get the blood trails with them that I do with the CoreLokts....
 
100gr Sierra GameKing BTHP, I used the Federal Premium loading...They make a nasty hole but I didn't get consistant exits...Very similiar to the PowerPoints...

[hillbill]

id have to say im not afraid to tackle anything under 400 lbs with a 100 grn 243.that lives in the USA that is.id not be afraid to take it elk hunting either but i would pik my shots.all the bullets the guys mentioned here are good but 100 grn is my limit for body shots.i reload for every caliber i have but hunt with factory rem 243 core lokt, when i hunt with the 243.it just works to well to improve on for me.

[abolt-fan]

I've loaded the Hornady 100gr. SP with 4350 powders for both myself and my brother for over 15 years.  It has been consistently reliable.  It has been accurate and usually gives you exit holes.  We've never had one blow up.

This year I've tested Nosler 95gr. BT's and RL22 powder in my rifle.  Unbelievably accurate and by reputation it's a tough .243 bullet.  Will be using it on game this fall.

If I was buying factory ammo my first two choices would be Remington with the 100gr. CL or the Federal Fusion with it's 95gr. bullet.  If that Fusion bullet ever becomes available to the handloader I will be loading them in various calibers.

We have had great success with our .243's.  I believe your friend will enjoy hers.

[cwlongshot]

100Gr Hornady and IMR4350 here too!  Its been a good shooting recipe in a bunch of different 243 rifles.


I have also used a number of different 243 bullets on deer, the partitions are almost always good, but costly and IMHO not needed or a real advantage in this lil caliber.

First deer I ever killed with the 243 fell to a 90Gr Speer. Spotty preformance was the rule. Sometimes thru and thru other times a blowup. Good thing is I never lost a deer, but a couple times a second shot or the knife was need to finish the job.

Switching to the 100g Hornady stopped all issues with erratic preformance! Nice, big entrance/exit holes and quickly expering animals are the rule.

If I needed a long range loading, I would look hard at the 85gr Sierras loaded as hot and good accuracy allowed.

Good luck,
 CW

[omegahunter]

You might consider the 85 grain Hornady Interbond.  It is a bonded bullet so it will hold together on a close shot, but is still heavy enough and aerodynamically efficient enough for a long poke.

[cjrjck]

My pet load for my son (and now mine) utilizes the 85 grain Barnes TSX with a mild load pushing it about 3000 fps. Little recoil. Stabilizes well in a Handi which can sometimes be an issue with the longer bullets. Shot deer and hogs with it. So far, 100% effective and have yet to recover a bullet.

[wileynet]

for mule deer i like 85 gr nosler partition,  antelope i use the 90 gr ballistic tip, both loads in my daughters handi using 36 gr of imr 4895

[parson48]

Another believer in good 100 gr. bullets and IMR 4350. I've tried other combos, but I always come back to this.

[44 Man]

Thanks to all you for your information!  Unfortunately she didn't take my advice to buy a Handi, but the first letter of her rifle starts with an 'R' and I know all of us 'Handi people' are shooters and reloaders and I knew you'd be the one's to help me.  Thanks again.  Sounds like 100 grainers and 4350 (I have H) is the way to go.  I'll look and see what Midway has on some bulk Coreloks and go from there.  Happy shooting!  44 Man

[cwlongshot]

for mule deer i like 85 gr nosler partition,  antelope i use the 90 gr ballistic tip, both loads in my daughters handi using 36 gr of imr 4895

I "inherited" 3-4 boxes of "old" 85 partitions from a friend who sold off a 6x47 contender barrel. IIRC the guy who bought it from my friend was a bit of a ass so instead of including all the "extras" with the barrel he sold it barrel only and gave them to me!! I think I also have some 95's...

I always thought I would use them for a recoil sensative shooter on deer... But my extra maxi has pulled that duty has couple years.

Do they shoot good for you?

CW

[wileynet]

i have had good luck with the partitions in my handi, tried some of the 70 grain ballistic tips for whatever reason my handi doesn't like them

[DaGris]

my handi in .243 like the Federal 100gr

[hillbill]

Thanks to all you for your information!  Unfortunately she didn't take my advice to buy a Handi, but the first letter of her rifle starts with an 'R' and I know all of us 'Handi people' are shooters and reloaders and I knew you'd be the one's to help me.  Thanks again.  Sounds like 100 grainers and 4350 (I have H) is the way to go.  I'll look and see what Midway has on some bulk Coreloks and go from there.  Happy shooting!  44 Man

id really be surprised if 4350 and 100 grn bullets did not produce good groups. especially out of a R brand rifle.they mite not be the best yu can git but id be surprised if they not pretty good. 4350 is a reliable powder and one of my go tos for calibers like that.

[cwlongshot]

i have had good luck with the partitions in my handi, tried some of the 70 grain ballistic tips for whatever reason my handi doesn't like them

Way back my first 243 was a Winchester LWT. When those 70G Ballistic tips came out I just had to try them... They did shoot some tiny groups...

I haven't tried them in a H&R. If I was gonna build a lite bullet loading, I think I would go with the 85g Sierra HP's. But if I needed a light bullet loading in this caliber, it would be specailized. Otherwise, I would simply shoot a "lighter" caliber...

CW

[Larry L]

No tellin how many deer have fallen to the Speer 90gr bullets from my 243. I've never had one take a step yet, they just fold up and drop. Yardages from close to 400+. We don't have BIG deer here, most are suitcase deer. Gut 'em and tie the legs together and walk off with it like a suitcase. Most don't weigh a 100 lbs. My brother still has some of the old Sierra 87 gr soft point boattails that he has had good luck with. I also hunt with a 6mm and the Remington 80 gr Cor loks have worked great in it. Lots of choices out there and most are good bullets. I'd pick a bullet weight you think she'd like or need and go with something cheap enough for her to shoot a lot. Remingtons probably fit that bill the best.

[ratdog]

i have been using 87 grn bthp's for years on deer nice mules but i would use 100 grainer's on elk my son has shoot a lot of big elk with his 25-06 100 grn bullets. he used to shoot the 243 too but now its the 25-06 he has a 338 he hardly shoots.to each his own that does the job.

[zacharoo]

100 grain Remington PSPCL and 41 grains of IMR 4350 kills them dead dead dead in the Louisiana Marsh!!!
Zacharoo

[BKS]

85gr Sierra GameKing HPBT in the Federal Premium loading...This is not a varmit round, it's a deer round and a dang good one, especially if shots run over 250 or so...Very fast and flat shooting...It's my bean field bullet...Sighted in 3 inches high at 100 yards my gun is 3 inches low at 300...I've killed about 50 with this one..."
 
 
  I aint killed 50 but the ones that I have seen shot with this were awesome..

[backwoodshunter]

My two oldest sons (15 & 13) have had alot of success on KY whitetails with a handi .243.  When my oldest was 8, I bought the gun and started him out with 95 grain Winchester Ballistic Silvertips.  They were expensive, but I bought them on the gunstore owner's recommendation.  We later switched to 100 grain Federal Powershocks because they were much cheaper and grouped just as well as the Silvertips.  We have yet to have a deer go more than 30 yards with either load, but all shots have been thru the ribs to the heart/lung area.  I don't know how well either would do on a direct hit to the shoulder.  Hope this helps.
 

[Squib]

a deer brain is not the same as that of a man relative to overall head volume.  in a human there is sinus and throat in the front, the rest is brain.  deer have what is like a tiny burger patty (maybe a small wallet?) at the very top of their head (backed up by a pencil thin brain-stem) and the rest of the head is sinus and nasal passages.  you can pop one dead center in the head with perfect precision and hit nothing vital.  you must be hitting the head above the eyes.  I made the mistake last year of trying to pass through the lower eyelid and blowing out the center of the head where brain/brainstem/sinus/throat all converge and I was wrong.  IT DOESN'T WORK ON DEER !!!

[gendoc]

a deer brain is not the same as that of a man relative to overall head volume.  in a human there is sinus and throat in the front, the rest is brain.  deer have what is like a tiny burger patty (maybe a small wallet?) at the very top of their head (backed up by a pencil thin brain-stem) and the rest of the head is sinus and nasal passages.  you can pop one dead center in the head with perfect precision and hit nothing vital.  you must be hitting the head above the eyes.  I made the mistake last year of trying to pass through the lower eyelid and blowing out the center of the head where brain/brainstem/sinus/throat all converge and I was wrong.  IT DOESN'T WORK ON DEER !!!

if you put that bullet right between tha ears on tha back side of the head.
you have just shut-down tha motor control center !!! no more power to tha pumps
and instant fold-up....drt
thats my target when i can get it with tha 70gr blitzking.
like i said earlier, its takes more thana bullet for head shots...........
 
 

[ironglow]

  I can't claim experience withthe .243 on deer, but since i gave my Marlin 30/30 to my grandson last year..I'll be going to my .243 Handi ultra-light this year.
  By scouring the various forums and reviews by users, I settled on 2 bullets 1)  Hornady 100 gr interlock  2) Nosler Partition 100 gr.  I would have stayed with Speer 85 gr BTSP for deer alone, but deer and bear share the same season here..

[cwlongshot]

a deer brain is not the same as that of a man relative to overall head volume.  in a human there is sinus and throat in the front, the rest is brain.  deer have what is like a tiny burger patty (maybe a small wallet?) at the very top of their head (backed up by a pencil thin brain-stem) and the rest of the head is sinus and nasal passages.  you can pop one dead center in the head with perfect precision and hit nothing vital.  you must be hitting the head above the eyes.  I made the mistake last year of trying to pass through the lower eyelid and blowing out the center of the head where brain/brainstem/sinus/throat all converge and I was wrong.  IT DOESN'T WORK ON DEER !!!

A head/Brain shot is a hi precentage shot. I also do not like it. Its too easy for bad results, IMHO simply no reason to do it. Its not just accuracy, I'll go up against anyone with my shooting ability, its NOT that. IMHO we simply "owe" more to the game we hunt.

Looking back at some old hunting logs. I am remembering a season a good friend started deer hunting....

I have a friend and for years and years we duck hunted together. Then one day, after years of my suggestions, he asked to go deer hunting. He showed up at camp with a brand new rifle... a Remington 7600 in 6mm. Many of the guys are old school and to them anything less than a 308/30-06 is too small. I know better, The 243/6MM are FINE. (With apropraite bullets.) BUT he also had bought 60G bullets, NOT the 100's I suggested. He claimed it would be just fine as he was going to "head shoot" them as this rifle was "scary accurate"... We hunted together for that entire season. (I was teaching how to hunt deer.) I watched deer after deer walk away, because they did not offer the shot. BUT if he was shooting vitals, as he should have he would have filled his freezer many times over. He did get to watch me shoot two. (All the tags I had, both one shot, dead deer)
The next year he was back, same rifle, same ammo and claiming to have shoot a "case" of ammo practicing. He would not have them walk away this year. FIRST day he shoots what he said was a "good buck"... We chased that deer for the entire rest of that day and most of the next... One fo the neighbors shot it later that week... It had its lower jaw shot off... Two or three weekends later, another shot and same story... no deer. Near the end of the season, we did a couple pushes. I pushed about a dozen past him. Well he got his deer that day and he did head shoot it, but it was about 10 yards away!! At the shot a HUGE buck broke cover and he emptied the gun on him. TOTALLY forgetting he needed to "head shoot" them... When I got to him, he told the story and we started tracking. We ended up staying a extra day to look. About noon the following Monday we jumped the deer, I almost had a shot but as they do, he dissapeared. We backed out and got some "help" and went back in. Well the deer was recovered... and it was a nice buck. But we did not get it. We pushed it right to a neighbors boy who shot him dead, just as my friend should have the day before... He learned his lesson and relegated the 6mm to coyotes and wood chucks. I sold him a 30-06.

CW

[petemi]

I no longer own a .243 or 6mm.  I have better varmint and deer rifles.  The only "suitcase" deer we have here are fawns.  If you're deer hunting on Da U.P. or other places where 200 - 250 lb. deer are possible, I'd suggest a larger caliber.  I like to use calibers from the .308 up to the .45-70, including the  .35s, .44s and .45s.  You can't overkill a deer.  High shoulder, neck or boiler room shots are preferred.

Pete