# 243 Federal Fusion Results (SKINNED PICTURES!)



## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Here are some pictures from a coyote I shot today with Federal Fusions (95 grain) out of my 243. I should have had a few more specimens to compare results with (I will explain that later in another post :******: ).

This male was shot at about 25 yards running straight at me. Entry would was about quarter size (it looks bigger because I spread out the fur). No exit hole! All in all I am happy with that but I need to see what this does with a broadside hit.

[siteimg]6127[/siteimg]

[siteimg]6126[/siteimg]


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## LeviM (Dec 3, 2006)

wow, that is one serious hole!! That bullet really opened up for you. I am thinking a broadside shot hole might even be bigger because the bullet might take rib bone with it through the hole. maybe you want to go to a lighter grain? Just a suggestion, Thats going to big hole to sew up. At least you got one, I have been waiting for this weather to straighten up so I can head out for the week.


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## Bore.224 (Mar 23, 2005)

Super results on that coyote,but would think twice before I used it on deer sized game. I am suprized a 95 grain bullet did that, I would have guessed you hit him tith a 45 grn 22-250 Guess that showes what I know


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Bore.224 said:


> Super results on that coyote,but would think twice before I used it on deer sized game.


The Fusion was designed specifically for deer. A 243 works fine for whitetail deer. You just need to take decent shots.


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## NYhunter (Jan 1, 2007)

Hey all I just broke out the rem 700 BDL 243 to call a few coyotes in I seen were they had a 55 grain bullet on the msrket (don`t reload) this web site also has me goose hunting again!!!!!!!!!!! had a pretty funny story about this 243 new years eve wife got home about an hour before dark so I wandered out back ( 300 acres of woods and a mile long corn field) was sitting there just enjoying everything thought maybe Id get a shot at something about 25 minutes of sitting and decided to set up a target, gun was at perents for 10 years hardly shot, so paced off a hundred yards, marked it with a pale that was in woods, walked back to were I was sitting, and turned to make sure I could see the pale and there was a coyote coming out of the wood about 400 yards away, so I sat back on this dirt pile and hes coming right at me and I got a 100 yard marker right out there!at 150 yrads he starts for the other woods giving me a broadside shot, so I settled the crosshairs right on his shoulder and sqeezed the trigger, and nothing!!!!!!! the gun goes off while I`m triing to decide to chamber another round or not.put a new round in and the same thing but doesn`t go off finally the coyote runs out of the field I fired two more rounds and it worked fine,also tore gun down tonight and cleaned and oiled trigger mec. and bolt removed the firing pin and checked all fine...so whats the odds of coyote coming back???!!! LOL thanks first post sorry so long
:withstupid: :sniper:


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## Mose (Jan 2, 2007)

.243 is a great gun. I would say it is more than powerful enough for coyotes and deer. I have personally killed 2 deer with my .243 and both have had exit wounds both times. I shot one in the right shoulder and it came out the left ham. Neither deer went more than 25 yards after I shot them, so IMO it is a very effective gun.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

I got my 243 3 years ago. I have taken with it so far 6 deer, 4 coyotes, a fox, and a number of jackrabbits. I love the rifle.


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## SDHandgunner (Jun 22, 2004)

WOW Fallguy I guess I wouldn't have expected an entrance hole that large. However the most important point (at least as far as I am concerned) is that I am betting that Coyote was DRT !I am willing to sacrifice pelt damage to ensure the Coyotes stay down for the count.

I regards to the .243 I think it is a very under-rated cartridge. With the .243 it is simple, put the right bullet in the right place and you have a cleanly harvested critter. With the .243 and the array of bullet weights, styles and velocities that are available it is fairly simple to match the proper load to the game hunted. I think for critters up to the size of Whitetail Deer, with the proper bullets for the task at hand the .243 is never a bad choice.

With all of that said January 1st with about 15 minutes of legal shooting time left I harvested 2 Whitetail Does with a 15" T/C Encore Handgun chambered in .243. The bullet used was an 80gr. Speer Hot Core Spitzer handloaded to a muzzle velocity of 2920 FPS out of the 15" Handgun Barrel. This load will consistantly print 3/4" 5 shot groups from the bench at 100 yards.

The 1st doe was standing broadside at 200 yards. I settled the crosshairs mid way top to bottom right behind the front shoulder and touched the 2 pound trigger. The Encore roared and the Doe collapsed on the spot without ever taking a step.

I then turned my attention to the 2nd Doe. Just as I made ready for the shot she started walking. I placed the crosshairs in front of her shoulder mid way top to bottom and again touched the 2 pound trigger. I heard the bullet hit with a THWACK, but the Doe stayed on her feet and kept walking. I opened the action on the Encore only to find the rear 1/4" of the case had seperated when I opened the action and as such the Encore was rendered unusable until I could pick the remaining portion of the cartridge case out of the chamber.

The Doe was walking slowly and I reached for my Ruger .243 KM77RMP MKII. Just as I found the Doe in the scope she stopped broadside. Again I placed the crosshairs behind the front shoulder mid way top to bottom and touched the trigger. Again I heard the bullet THWACK and the Doe started walking again. I reloaded being totally confused whey she hadn't dropped in her tracks. Well after that shot the doe walked about 10 feet, stood for a few seconds and collapsed stone dead.

This second Doe is not typical of the reaction I have witnessed over the past 39 years of hunting with various .243/6mm Cartridges. In fact most of the time the Deer either drop in their tracks or sprint a short distance before collapsing when shot with a .243.

At any rate for all you na sayers yes the .243 can cleanly harvest Whitetails and not only from a Rifle but also from a Handgun. I think the most important this to realize with Fallguy's Coyote is that like I stated i am betting it was DRT.

Larry


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

He folded pretty hard. Going from running dead at me to tumbling to the ground. NO kicking or anything.


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## Bore.224 (Mar 23, 2005)

Fallguy you don't see the logic in what I said about thinking twice before using that bullet for Deer? No doubt the .243 is a super deer/coyote zapper but that fusion bullet seems to explode and did so on a little coyote. You might remember me when you are chasing a deer all over the place? :2cents:


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

Bore .224, you're asking a awful lot of a bullet to enter @ 25yds, hit a couple of good sized bones (wound channel looks like point of the shoulder blade and a couple of ribs) when the bullet is at or near 3000fps. The partition and Swift A-Frame could do it, but the front section of both would be nearly non-existant. The TSX could do it, but likely some or all of the petals would be spun off.

Move that same coyote out to 100yds and use the same rifle/load and the bullet passes through every time. Short of shooting a deer in the arse at 25yds, it's hard to think of an angle where the bullet doesn't make it to the vitals with authority while using a bonded 95gn .244. While I'm a big fan of the TSX I think a .244 95gn bonded bullet @ 3000ish could keep me happy for animals up to and including any whitetail or Mule-deer.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Here is a better look at the wound from the Fusion out of my 243. I was right in saying it was quarter sized. The bullet itself was lodged against the hide in the belly.

[siteimg]6209[/siteimg]

[siteimg]6210[/siteimg]


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## SDHandgunner (Jun 22, 2004)

Now that tells the story.

Looks like the bullet did exactly what it was supposed to do, mushroomed and continued on through the vitals.

Larry


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## LeviM (Dec 3, 2006)

thats a pretty sweet picture!! The hole in the pelt is not too big at all and should be easily closed shut with a need and thread.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

I measured the retrieved bullet. It was 4.8 grams. According to the info from Varmonter that equals 74.07 grains. Originally a 95 grain bullet that means about 78% weight retention if I did everything right.

This is the conversion amounts I got from a guy on Predator Masters. Do these seem accurate?

1 gram equals 15.432 grains.
1 grain equals .06479 grams


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