Testing light 243 bullets

[rickt300]

It rained pretty good saturday night so my dirt pile had a reasonable texture to see how bullets perform in soft dirt. Tested were the 3 75 grain hollow points from Hornady, Sierra and Speer5. Also tested was the 80 grain Remington PSP. All bullets were loaded on top of 44.2 grains oh H414 in Remington cases fired from my 22 inch barreled 243. MAX load in my rifle. Shot at 25 yards  all three HP's fragmented with the largest piece of bullet found being the round base. The remington PSP held together and gave penetration almost  twice as deep retaining 60% of it's weight. Hole diameters were only slightly wider for the hollowpoints but they threw more dirt back toward me. This informal shooting only proves that the hollow points are truly designed for varmints and low bullet bounce potential. The PSP which performed perfectly on one deer I took last year may have been designed with a broader spectrum of use in mind. I ordered more of the 80 grain PSP and will fill my doe tags again this year with it to gain a better understanding of it's capabilities.

[victorcharlie]

I've shot and reloaded for the .243 for a lot of years......but I've never tried anything below 80 grain bullets......I see there are some bullets as low as 55 grains........

Have you tried any of the lighter weight bullets, and how's the accuracy of the 70 grain?

I've always had great accuracy with 85 grain sierra's BTHP in my heavy barrel Ruger, and they just vaporize a crow.....and I've killed quite a few deer with the same bullet......I haven't started reloading for the Ruger ultra lite .243....but was thinking about trying some of the super lite bullets........and was thinking that with the 20" barrel, and the lighter bullets, I need a medium speed powder.....and was thinking IMR3031 would be a good place to start......

I'd really like to shoot the very explosive bullets that have less chance of richochette......

I haven't really tested....but you've confirmed what I thought.....

Keep us informed....please.....VC

[shaleetoo]

i  have  had  good  results  with the  85  bt  hp sierras  in 243  an  d 25 cal   i shot  many  mule deer  and  antelope   also  whitetails 1  long  shot  w- 243 425  yds .  they  worked  for me  .  also   on  fox  and  coyotes tx  lee

[rickt300]

I have seldom used the lighter bullets. In 1981 I had a 6mm Remington model 788 that I used for Mule deer and Antelope. For the Mulie I used the 105 grain Speer spitzer, perfect bullet and for the Antelope I used the 85 grain Sierra BTHP. I remember thinking that bullet made the 6MM too much gun for antelope. Up till recently I have generally used the varoious 100 grain bullets in my 6's but am back to using lighter bullets. At least in the 243. My 6MM remington is getting the 100 grain workout this year. The problem I have in hunting with the 6MM cartridges is that the lease I hunt on has so many over 300 pound feral hogs and I like to have at least my 7x57 for the odd shot on them.

[Selmer]

rickt300
If you haven't tried it yet, I think the Nosler Partition sounds like the best of all worlds for you.  Low meat damage on goats, plenty of bullet for mule deer or whitetails, and I can attest from personal experience running a 100 gr. partition into the quartering towards shoulder on a 5x5 big mule deer buck (200+ dressed weight) and not finding the bullet because it exited the opposite side hindquarter, which leads me to believe it would be plenty tough for big hogs, but I have no experience in the hog department.  We use the 100 gr. exclusively for deer and goats and have had nothing but perfect performance from them as long as we do our part.  They're a little pricier, but we target shoot with 100 Speer flat bases, and they shoot into the same 1" groups with the Partitions out of our .243 788's, so we just switch to Partitions for the field.
selmer

[T.R.]

Sierra 80 grain Pro Hunter has knocked over many many 'lopes for me and my brother.  Up close it comes apart.  But way out there after it has slowed a bit, this bullet behaves like a good big game bullet.  That is, the jacket and core remain together as one mushroomed bullet.  

That being said, I switched to 95 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips a couple years back.  It shoots just as flat and is a tad nore accurate.  It topples 100-120 lb. 'lopes with ease.
TR

[rickt300]

I have experimented with Nosler's 100 grain partition bullet. Truthfully I prefer bullets that retain more of their weight and hold a wider frontal diameter. I just am not going to use a 6MM on large hogs unless I get a good neck or head shot on it. I have had good luck with the 100 grain Corelokts, Sierra's Hornady's and 105 grain Speers. The 105 grain Speer is an excellent bullet for larger deer. Last year the 80 grain Remington PSP worked just fine on a deer, a coon, a jackrabbit and 2 coyotes. The coyotes were killed this year though. I would have tested a Barnes TSX on a hog this past weekend but none offered themselves up for the test.

[Selmer]

rickt, I won't go down the "undying support and you horribly insulted my favorite bullet" road.  What I will say is this, yes, the Partition sheds its front end regularly, which you will only discover IF you recover it.  I've shot literally dozens of deer with this bullet, some at less than ideal angles, and the bullet just plows through the deer, and thats what I like about it.  You don't wonder if the 6mm bullet has hit a part of the anatomy that has destroyed it before reaching vitals, which is what I and many others have experienced with lesser bullets.  I'm sure the Barnes TSX would also be a fine choice, as would any other premium bullet, but I do custom loading for a few people that know me well, and they ask for something that will "expand fast and drop them on the spot"  They receive that answer that NO gun will do that guaranteed, no matter what you put in it.  My highest recommendation is a premium bullet, usually a Partition.  BTW, this recommendation is limited to 6mm, .30 cal and up I am willing to go along with personal preferences.  Mine happens to be the 165 gr. Ballistic Tip in .30 cal, but for our 6mm's, the only thing that runs down deer is a Partition, it's guaranteed not to come apart, and I have found it to be very accurate in the guns I've run it through.
selmer

[Selmer]

One other question.  I've never hunted hogs, killed plenty in the feedlot, but why are you holding out for a head or neck shot?  If it's for meat preserving reasons I understand, but if it's because you view them as a deadlier shot, you and I would probably disagree... Just curious.
Selmer

[mjbgalt]

i am using the Sierra 60-grain hollowpoint in my .243. it's cheap but works great on varmints according to a lot of people. i finished working up a load with it and have it under a half inch in my Browning.

maybe give that one a try...i could not be happier.

-Matt

[Selmer]

Sorry, but I think anyone taking after hogs with a 6mm 60 gr. HP is a little nuts.  Any poor shot placement will be rewarded with one ticked off swine.  All of us can claim "I'll just shoot them in the eyeball with it", but how many of us can do that on a regular basis on a live, moving, unpredictable critter?
selmer

[Selmer]

Sorry guys, I'm outta here, I just realized I hate it when people try to give advice about something they've never done.  I've never hunted hogs, so I'll leave this to those of you that have.  Good luck and I hope you find something that meets your needs.
selmer

[mjbgalt]

i wasn't saying the 60 grain ones would be good on hogs...just that as a lighter .243 bullet, that one is accurate for me.

-Matt

[rickt300]

I used the 100 grain partition on several deer and a large feral hog that got away. The hog probably went down pretty quick but he got into the river that was at flood stage and that was it for him. If I had taken a neck or head shot he would have been right there. Had I not been depending on the partitions excellent penetration and taken the shot I normally would have there would be pictures of him in my album. As far as deer go I just don't need any more penetration than the bullets (I listed offer and I like their wide wound channels that go plenty deep enough for the shots I take. They more often than not exit leaving larger exit holes than the partitions do. Though I have had good results from all the bullets listed I would still choose the 105 grain Speer Hotcor over the rest.
 On the lighter bullets. I don't use the under 75 grain bullets because I feel they are hard on barrel steel and I load the 75 grain bullets to less than max velocities as Jackrabbits don't require the fast speeds.

[nofun1]

You might try the Barnes trple shock its a 85gr, in front of 44.5 gr H4350 it comes aout about 3500fps and they will blossom exactly like the pictures with a ussual 99% retention even through bone. I think they are deffinately worth a look.

[RWH24]

This is an exellent bullet for varmit and vermin:
Sierra Bullet
.243 dia. (6mm) 80 gr. SBT Blitz 
I load with IMR 4064 and it will un-zip a coyote length wise

[rickt300]

Tried some of the TSX's in my 243 saturday at the range. They shot pretty good and the barrel stayed clean. My view is that if I need a solid copper bullet to do the job in a small caliber I would be better served with a bigger gun. weekend before last I got a shot at a running coyote in some wild plum thickets. Missed him. Saw numerous eating size feral hogs but had work to do. It was so hot I would have had to immediatly take the hog to a locker so I stuck to my chores. Got the windmill running though.