A deer load for the .243 /field experience only not theory !

[Country Boy]

Would appreciate  knowing what deer loads you use, their accuracy and your experience. I've killed a lot of game with a 243 in the early 60's but I didn't keep any notes. Recently I shot a very heavy buck 253lbs with 45/1mr4350 and sierra BTHP game king.  the buck ran nearly 90 yds before pilling up. I could see him in the open. All my past ecperience was bang,flop on game. I even shot a 350 lb wild boar running througn the brush, at the shot he went head ovee heal died on the spot,the same with antelope and mule deer. I just can't remember the bullet I used. I think it was a 85 grn Nosler solid base HP. But Now I don't see any for sale. The have something with a tip on it. I just loaded one bullet for everything in my .243, varmits,game etc.

[Brithunter]

I do not have a .243 but my friend does and uses it all the time. he uses Federal premium 100grn ammunition and it just works. Accuracy ois  about MOA or just under from his Mannlicher Shoenauer, yes he had it converted to this chambering. this combination has stopped two charging Bulls yep Beef cattle that escaped from a slaughter house. Bang flop some yars apart I maight add :wink:

   He uses it one Deer from Muntjac to Red stag and has done for a long time.

[kenscot]

I've used nosler 95 grain ballistic tips on a couple of deer that dropped in their tracks. Lately I have been loading sierra 85 grain HPBT with varget. With this load I am getting consistent sub MOA groups

[Val]

I'm using the 100 grain Nosler Partition with 41.5 grains of IMR 4350. This load gives me a chronographed muzzle velocity of 2873 fps. My best three shot groups are right at .75".

[Lone Star]

If you expect every deer to drop in its tracks at the shot, you are doomed to dissappointment.  Even .270s and .30-06s will occasionally let the deer run off a distance, a fact that experienced hunters know well.  

I used the Sierra 85 HPBT one year and was underwelmed with its performance.  On lung shots it worked fine on smaller deer, but when asked to penetrate more it failed me twice.  I normally used the 95-grain Nosler Partition and got much more consistent terminal performance.  

The .243 is a pretty small caliber and the use of quality bullets enhances its performance.  Why handicap yourself with marginal, special-purpose bullets when there are much better options?  

[rickt300]

The 243 seems to kill the quickest with the fast expanding bullets. 90 yards seems like a long way but just how long did it take the deer to make that distance, seconds? If you try the more stiffly constructed "Premium" bullets you will get exit holes more often though they will be small and not necessarily provide much of a blood trail. They will provide more opportunity to hone your tracking skills though. The most underwhelming performance I have put up with was with the 100 grain Nosler partition.  The only bones I have hit other than ribs have been the shoulder on the far side of the deer and that was with a 100 grain corelokt. the result was a broken bone just under the shoulder blade, bullet under the hide and a dropped deer. The bullet looked just like the picture.  The Barnes Triple Shock is a much heralded bullet on this forum but I haven't used it yet.

[Dave in WV]

I've used 100gr Core-Lokts with 46gr of H450 for several years. All my shots were quick kills. My son used the same load but now uses IMR 4831 or IMR 4350 with the same results. All one shot kills were either bang flops or very short runs.

[Slamfire]

I've preferred the Hornady 87 grain spire point, while my Dad liked the 85 grain Sierra. We must have killed 35 or so deer with those bullets, and I can't say there were a dozen bang/flops.  :roll: We liked the 90 grain corelokt best but they quit makin' those when they relabled the .244 as the 6mm.

[Cobra7]

Have killed over 100 deer with 100gr Core-Lokts. Good exit wounds 100% of the time if shot broadside in the ribs. If shot it shoulder or in front of shoulder the Core-Lokts slammed them to the ground most of the time.  Sean

[rockbilly]

:roll: I have to agree with Lonestar, you can not expect every deer to drop in it's tracks. If the gun is zeroed and you make a good hit, you can only hope the bullet does it's job,  but I have seen deer run 75-100 yards after having their heart turned to jello by a 7mm Mag.

I mostly use a .243 while hunting here in Texas.  This has been my caliber of choice for well over 25 years, and has been responsible for many deer.  My load is light, but very accurate in my gun.  I shoot a 100gr Serria BT, load with 33 grs of IMR 3031.  The case is Federal and primed with a CCI 200 primer.  Off the bench at 100 yards I can maintain quarter sized groups.  I choose this load because it was the most accurat in my gun. :wink:

[superhornet]

I guess I am from the old school.  I like to load Round Nose bullets in every rifle caliber I have.  In the .243 there is no better bullet than the Hornady 100gr RN over a (worked up for your rifle) charge of Varget. Venison steak, smashed taters, bisquits, grits and gravy on time, every time.   Do a lot of hunting out of a climbing stand, and most shots less than 120 yards.

[Larry Gibson]

Country Boy

"Would appreciate  knowing what deer loads you use, their accuracy and your experience."

My wife uses, in her M70, the Hornady 100 gr SPBT over 48gr H4831SC in W-W cases with WLR primers. Velocity is 3011 fps and shoots MOA or better to 300 yards (her limit for shooting).  Deadly on deer and antelope. However, as stated by most, do not expect them to "drop in their tracks" regardless of cartridge used. Put the bullet into the heart/lung and the deer will be yours.

Larry Gibson

[JJ79]

If you expect every deer to drop in its tracks at the shot, you are doomed to dissappointment.  Even .270s and .30-06s will occasionally let the deer run off a distance, a fact that experienced hunters know well.  

I used the Sierra 85 HPBT one year and was underwelmed with its performance.  On lung shots it worked fine on smaller deer, but when asked to penetrate more it failed me twice.  I normally used the 95-grain Nosler Partition and got much more consistent terminal performance.  

The .243 is a pretty small caliber and the use of quality bullets enhances its performance.  Why handicap yourself with marginal, special-purpose bullets when there are much better options?  

I agree with lone star...killed a buck with my .270 this season...used the new accubond 140 gr load from winchester...bullet made an exit wound the size of a 50 cent piece.  deer still ran about 60-70 yds, didn't drop...at least the bullet left a huge blood trail.

[Will_C]

I shot a 85lb. doe at 47 yards this year to fill a doe tag. I used a .30-06 with 150 Accubonds. Blew the top of the heart out, huge holes through both lungs , etc. The darned thing ran a measured 73 yards through a field, leaving a blood trail that was at places a yard wide. Made it to brush and toppled in front of me. No doubt, the same shot taken with my .243 would have produced the same result.
Will

[smokepolehall]

I use a Nosler 100gr.solid base spitzer with 46.0gr of H4831 has always put them on ground quickly. They quit making my bullet years ago and i just have one box left. I did see where Nosler was making some of them again.

[High Brass]

I use 41gr. of IMR 4350 and 100gr. Remington PSPs.  Only recovered two and both were almost totally "pancaked" and core-jacket held together.  Both times were on close range shots and alot of deer was hit.

[257 roberts]

I don't use a 243 win BUT I have seen many deer killed with a 243 win Mostly with the factory Win Power Point 100gr. load.
( Like carrying a 9mm for protection, if you do your job it will do its. ) :eek:

[Country Boy]

Most of all the game I've ever killed was with the OLD .85 nosler solid base hp I used 45 grns of imr4350 for a vel of 3340 out of my 22" bbl I killed a bunch of antelopw,nuledeer, whitetails, wild hog ect. Last Fall I killed a huge bodied by Mo. standards,190 lbs after being dressed. with an .85 grrn sierra game king bt hp. The buck didn't got down immediately llike all my other kills and it got me to doubting myself(perfect heart shot)
  At present I'm expermenting with 100 grn Hornady interlocks 43/1mr4350 for 3004 av. and 95 grain Nosler ballistic tips 44/grains/imr4350 32 50 av.  However I found some old loads in a Hornady book that pushes the 100 grn to 3100 and as soon as the weather clears I will test then. Groups run for 3/4 to 1 1/4 depending on the wind and how I'm feeling that day.
   I also called sierra yessterday about their .85 gr,. game king bthp and theyEmphatically recommed the bullet for deer !

[ScottD]

Based on considerable experience:

If you reload - 95 grain Swift Scirocco's over a healthy dose of your favorite powder.

If you don't reload - 95 grain Swift Scirocco's in Remington's premium factory ammo or 95 grain Fusions.

ScottD

[rickt300]

What is so special about the Scirroco? Price?

[statelinerut]

These deer were taken this last year with my Handi-Rifle .243 using the new Fusion 95 grain.

Got this big boy chasing a doe and noticed his rack all screwed up, so I took him out of the breeding chain. He was quartering away at 100 yards. Bullet entered just behind his back left rib and exited just inside his front right shoulder. He dropped in his tracks.

Got this doe and her yearling in the same spot 30 seconds apart. Shot the doe at 120 yards quartering away, bullet enterd just behind her right back rib and did not exit. She fell where she stood. Bullet used all its energy in this ole gal. Got her yearling still standing 50 yards behind her broadside. at about 170 yards. High shoulder shot and she fell in her tracks.

Shot this doe at 35 yards broadside and she ran 50 yards and piled up.


I have shot deer with 30-06, 7mm, and .243. The .243 has out peformed the other two by far. Now I attribute alot to the fact that I concentrate more now on shot placement than ever before. Why, because I now shoot the Handi single shot and not a bolt with 4 in the magazine. Just something about making the shot count makes it more exciting :grin:

[Don Fischer]

I wasn't gonna say anything here but. Statelinenut, the 243 did not outpreform the 7mm or the 36-06. You preformed better with it.

[statelinerut]

Point taken Don, I totally agree. And I think the reasons for that are two-fold. One being as I mentioned in my previous reply. I really have to make sure the shot is right on with a single shot rifle. Now that is not to say that you dont have to make sure the shot is right on with other calibers, but when you only have one shot you have to make it count. Two, the recoil is no where near that of a the 30-06 and the 7mm and I can concentrate and watch the shot all the way thru better than before. Those two reasons are why I performed better than before.

Thanks Don for that clarification, I think it needed to be pointed out.  

[Darrell Davis]

Hey there 243 shooters,

This is just IMHO, but comes about from what I have personally seen.

Use a premium bullet, something on the order of the 100gr. Nosler Partition!

I have seen the partition perform in a number of calibers and it goes beyond the call of duty and many times with far less damage then expected with lesser bullets.

Keep em coming! :wink:

[Redhawk1]

Lat year my son took a nice Axis buck at 135 yards with one shot from my 243. I loaded up 87 gr. Hornady bullets. The accuracy is incredible in the Browning A-bolt 243. I would not hesitate to use it on any deer.  

[Darrell Davis]

Even'in shooters,

Yep, folk have taken deer and elk with the 220Swift and 22/250 back before the days of the heavy and premium bullets for those rifles.

However, it only takes one bad shot with a varmit bullet to ruin your day and cause a slow and wasteful death to a game animal.

If your bullet won't get into the boiler room and do it's job, even with a bad shot/angle, it should be used for what it was made for, varmits.

The smaller the caliber, the more you owe it to the game animals your hunting to use a premium quality bullet.

As per accuracy, if you haven't tried them, You'll find the premium bullets will do just fine. And they have been doing just that in my 243s for about 40 years.

Keep em coming! :wink:

[rickt300]

Define "Premium" bullet for us. If the definition is quick kills then their are many of them in a variety of weights.

[huntswithdogs]

I've had 1 243 rifle for close to 25 years now and have killed more deer with it than I can count. The vast majority of them have been killed with a 100gr bullet,whether it was a Hornady PSP or RN, Sierra Gameking or Corlokt didn't seem to matter. Before coming onto the 100 gr bullets,I had used 85-87 gr SPs. Choices in powder varied.
As stated by others here, I've had the BANG-FLOP effects and I've had some that took a while to find. Recently I shot a buck and got the Flop. When the does, that he'd been with, stopped,I picked out one and toched off another shot. She ran about 75 yds. Same sort of shot, close to the same placement.
I shot a doe this year with a 12ga slug and she ran about 80yds,slinging blood all over the place. She had a hole on one side(the exit side) that you could stick your fist in!  There's just no telling what's gonna happen when you pull the trigger on an animal.
If you're going to be hunting some larger deer,stick to the heavier bullets, whether they're the "premiums" or not. I believe the varmit weight bullets are just asking for problems with lost animals.

HWD

[statelinerut]

I've had 1 243 rifle for close to 25 years now and have killed more deer with it than I can count. The vast majority of them have been killed with a 100gr bullet,whether it was a Hornady PSP or RN, Sierra Gameking or Corlokt didn't seem to matter. Before coming onto the 100 gr bullets,I had used 85-87 gr SPs. Choices in powder varied.
As stated by others here, I've had the BANG-FLOP effects and I've had some that took a while to find. Recently I shot a buck and got the Flop. When the does, that he'd been with, stopped,I picked out one and toched off another shot. She ran about 75 yds. Same sort of shot, close to the same placement.
I shot a doe this year with a 12ga slug and she ran about 80yds,slinging blood all over the place. She had a hole on one side(the exit side) that you could stick your fist in!  There's just no telling what's gonna happen when you pull the trigger on an animal.
If you're going to be hunting some larger deer,stick to the heavier bullets, whether they're the "premiums" or not. I believe the varmit weight bullets are just asking for problems with lost animals.

HWD

Very well said

[huntswithdogs]

Thank you,sir.

HWD