# .243 loads for whitetail



## ruger1

OK guys. I picked up a Remington Model 700 in .243. I want to get some sweet loads worked up for it. My fiance will be shooting whitetail with it.

I've been hearing guys say they'll use 85 grain Hornady Interbonds at 3100ft/sec. I'm not so sure about such a light bullet. I've been looking into the ballistics. I can load a 100 grain Hornady BTSP at 3000ft/sec and achieve 100ft/lbs more energy at 300 yards with just a little more bullet arch.

What are your experiences with this gun and loads? What have you guys seen with recovered bullets? What is the caliber's effective range on whitetail? Thanks in advance.


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## Kelly Hannan

Hornady 100gr sp, 35 gr 4895. I personally do not recommend the 85's for Deer. The load above has killed many deer for me out to 300yards. I set my scope 1 inch high @ 100yards. That puts me in the money at 250, just a little low @ 300.

I use Sierra 85 sp Varminter, 35 gr 4895 for Coyote very deadly, and easy on hides.


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## Wyomingpredator

I recommned 100 gr bullets but for what its worth I use 87 gr in a 250/3000's savage and I have yet to see a deer run more than 50 yards with it. My grndma shot over 15 elk with a 243 and 100 gr bullets out to 200 yards. as she put it, Its not necesarrily the weight of the bullet its where you put the bullet. A gut shot deer runs just as far with a 180 gr 30 cal as a 100 gr 243.


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## SDHandgunner

I used 100gr. Bullets in the .243 Winchester & 6mm Remington for years. That is until I discovered the 95gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip. In a Ruger .243 I used to have I loaded 95gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips with H-4350 Powder in Remington Brass with Wincheser Large Rifle Primers. Accuracy was amazing in that Ruger with most 3 shot groups at 100 yards going 1/2" (with some going less than that).

I shot a half dozen or so Whitetails with that bullet / load and bullet performance was great. The farthest anyone of those Whitetails ran (if they didn't drop in their tracks that is) was one large doe shot at 250 yards. At the shot she ran in about a 30 yard circle, made one lap and tipped over stone dead. All of the others either dropped in their tracks or took one leap and were done.

Larry


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## MossyMO

In .243 I use a 95 gr. Hornady SST (very similar to Nosler BT), with 43 gr. of IMR4350. These shoot a very tight group for me and travel @ 3097 FPS.


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## NDTerminator

The 243 doesn't give you much room for error on medium game. I've killed my fair share of deer & goats with it, and just gave up on it as there are so many calibers that do a better & more reliable job.

IMO if you are going to point a 243 at medium game, you owe it to the critter to understand it's limitiations. Use 100 grain bullets and hold your shots to under 250 yards (under 200 is better).

The rub is despite what the ammo boxes say, I've never yet come up with a load, factory or mine, which reached an honest 3,000FPS with a 100 grain bullet. Best to use either the 100 grain Nosler Partition or as a distant second choice, the 95 grain Ballistic Tip.

Bear in mind neither the 100 grain Partition or 95 grain BT comes close to breaking a BC of .400. That means they shed velocity quickly and also have relatively poor wind bucking ability (although unquestionably the best of all the "varmint" calibers"). If Nosler ever comes up with a 100 grain Accubond in 6MM, that will be the way to go. I use it in a number of calibers with superb results.

As far as I'm concerned the 243 is possibly the best coyote round available and that's all I use mine for, with 70 grain BT handloads...


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## ruger1

NDTerminator said:


> The 243 doesn't give you much room for error on medium game. I've killed my fair share of deer & goats with it, and just gave up on it as there are so many calibers that do a better & more reliable job.
> 
> IMO if you are going to point a 243 at medium game, you owe it to the critter to understand it's limitiations. Use 100 grain bullets and hold your shots to under 250 yards (under 200 is better).
> 
> The rub is despite what the ammo boxes say, I've never yet come up with a load, factory or mine, which reached an honest 3,000FPS with a 100 grain bullet. Best to use either the 100 grain Nosler Partition or as a distant second choice, the 95 grain Ballistic Tip.
> 
> Bear in mind neither the 100 grain Partition or 95 grain BT comes close to breaking a BC of .400. That means they shed velocity quickly and also have relatively poor wind bucking ability (although unquestionably the best of all the "varmint" calibers"). If Nosler ever comes up with a 100 grain Accubond in 6MM, that will be the way to go. I use it in a number of calibers with superb results.
> 
> As far as I'm concerned the 243 is possibly the best coyote round available and that's all I use mine for, with 70 grain BT handloads...


Thanks pretty much what I've read and thought. I simply couldn't pass it up as I've kind of wanted one for a while and I got this one for a song and a dance.

That's what I'll do. Get a load worked up with the 100 grain Hornady BTSP and see what she does. I'll shoot the ballistic gelitan at 100, 200, and 300 just to see what I think. I have a feeling I'll be limiting Nicole's shots to 200 yards anyhow. Thanks everyone.


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## spentwings

My beloved .243....disparaged once again for whitetail! I'm  !!!! :lol:


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## SDHandgunner

I obtained an honest 3071 FPS 10 feet from the muzzle of my RUger .243 with the 95gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips pushed by H-4350. 4350 (either IMR or H) seem like they were made for the .243 with bullets over 80grs. in weight.

Over the years I have used 100gr. Remington Core Lokts, 100gr. Hornady BTSP's, 100gr. Speer Spitzer Boat Tails, 100gr. Sierra Spitzer Boat Tails, 105gr. Speer Spitzers and some old 105gr. Herters PSP's. Of those I had the best on game performance with the 100gr. Hornady BTSP's followed by the 100gr. Speer Spitzer Boat Tails and the 100gr. Remington Core Lokt PSP's.

However I have obtained the absolute best results with the 95gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips. This bullet just plain knocks Whitetails down and they don't get back up.

I think your girlfriend will do fine with the 100gr. Hornady BTSP Interlocks if she puts the bullet where it needs to be.

Larry


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## People

Yup it does not take a belted mag or a super 338 LM to drop a deer. It is just way more fun (evil laugh)

I loaded up the hornady 95gr sst for my friend with some IMR 4895. He said the deer he shot were plenty dead. He got two this year the one he shot a couple times. He said it just would not die. Tracking it was very easy he said the blood trail was about one foot wide and about 200feet long thent he deer went an aditional 100 feet. He said when he gutted it the inside was dry just covered in blood. He said it was the oddest thing he has ever seen. The second shot was a neck shot and did plenty of damage.

Dead is dead. There is nuthing wrong with a 243 you do not have as much room for error. I shoot a doe at 425 with my 338lm from a sitting position and I was moving around a little bit and I ended up hitting it in the spine. The exit wound look like a baseball was in it and took off at 300 mph and did not slow down any. She dropped and flopped once.

I would not have tried that shot with my 308 but from prone I would have. Long story short I am sure you know work within your and your rifles ability and you will be fine.

It is scientifically impossible for Chuck Norris to have had a mortal father. The most popular theory is that he went back in time and fathered himself.


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## Robert A. Langager

SDHandgunner said:


> ... I have obtained the absolute best results with the 95gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips. This bullet just plain knocks Whitetails down and they don't get back up.


I second that. I have tried the heaver bullets (100 and up) and my rifle did not care for those. The 95 grain BSTs are the cats meow.


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## Fallguy

I took two whitetails with my new 243 reloads this weekend. I am shooting 87 grain Hornady BTHPs behind 39.2 grains of Win 760 powder. I haven't chronied them yet but I am guessing just under 3000 ft/sec. Both of my deer were broadside lung shots at 80-100 yards and both were DRT. They didn't take one step. Now I have to see how they do on fur. My hope is that they will work for a deer/coyote combo round.


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## Kelly Hannan

Fallguy, try 85 gr Sierra Varminters for dogs. Work good for me


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## Fallguy

Kelly

I loaded up some test rounds of 85 Grain Sierra BTHP and 85 Grain Sierra Spitzers. Is this the Varminter you are talking about? When I finish butchering deer I will get out and see if they group better than what I am shooting now. Thanks for the suggestion!


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## ruger1

Listening to the results from some of your loads. I think I'm going to look into the 85 grain Barnes TSX bullet and the Nosler 90 grain Nosler E-tip.


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## CHERRY CREEK CHUB

i have been using sierra SP BT in 100 gr w\IMR 4350 in my 6MM and 25-06 for a number of years.Its a great flat shooting open range combo. I use it for antelope, white tail, mules,coyotes.Accurracy is very good and groups are consistant.


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