Can someone explain the different type of bullet types,ieartitions,ballistic tips,softpoints ect....
What would you guys recommend {bullets,powder primers}for a .243 for deer.
Also what are good books or manuals to help me get started hand loading?
Lee, Nosler, Speer, Hornady and others have reloading manuals that have very general reloading info, as well as specific info relating to their products.
Bullet construction-soft point--ex. sierra Game King and Pro Hunter, speer sp, rem core-lokt--Good for thin skinned game, such as deer.
b-Tip- ex. nosler tip, hornady sst--basically a softpoint with with a plastic tip. maybe a better option at over 200 yds than the softpoint.
bonded/dual core-partition, bear-claw, barnes, etc.-designed for bigger heavier skinned animals such as elk and bear. Max penetration and weight retention. More expensive, not nessecary for deer, but work fine.
Don't confuse varmint ballistic tips (v-max, blitzking), with big game bullets (sst), with match grade bullets (a-max) even though they look the same.
For .243 I like 100 gr Sierra GK's with H414 and cci primers.
Location: S.W. Pa.-- Heart in North Central Pa. mountains-
Posts: 2,508
RE: bullet construction
I'd like to add the Lyman manual to the list, also. Manuals produced by bullet manufacturers (Nosler, Sierra, Hornady, etc.) only give load data for their own brand of bullet. The Lyman book generally gives load data for a variety of manufacturers. i.e.--if you have a Sierra Manual, you will not be able to find load data for Hornady bullets in it. Most all manuals do, however, explain the reloading process and why you do what you do and when to do it. I just perfer the Lyman best, and I own darn near all of the producer's manuals. JMHO....
Ok,thank-you for the education.I'm going to buy that lyman manual to start with.
Okgobbler,being that I'm only using the .243 for deer,which it basically is a deer cartridge,I guess it wouldn't make sense to load a partition bullet.Am I correct in assuming this?
Jerry...Over a 10 year period I tried about 10 different factory loadings for the .243 on deer...
I would shoot 8-10 deer with each and my criteria was to have a bullet that gave reliable exits
on broadside lung shot deer from 50-200 yards and was hard enough to break through the shoulder
blade and anchor a deer on the spot...In this situation, I didn't care if I had an exit as there would
be no trailing...
If I were to start reloading my short list of bullets to reload would include...
100gr...CoreLokt...I have killed about 85 deer with...
100gr Hornady InterLokt...
100gr Sierra GameKing SPBT...
85gr Sierra GameKing HPBT...
The 85gr is harder and penetrates deeper than most would believe it is at it's best where shots past 200 yards could be encountered because you can get 3300fps or so out of it...That being said, I have killed deer out to 300 yards with the plain jane CoreLokts...
I did shoot several deer very close (inside 50 yards) with the 85gr...I did have fragmentation, but no lost deer as non went over 25 yards or so...I have since reserved this bullet for hunting over fields and the CoreLokts for woods hunting...
Thanks nchawkeye,sat.was the 1st time I shot the gun.I sited in with Federal hi-shok 100gr,then I shot 100gr rem. corelok,ya know I got better groups w/ the rems. You're the 2nd one to recommend the sierra gamekings gonna have to try them.
Location: S.W. Pa.-- Heart in North Central Pa. mountains-
Posts: 2,508
RE: bullet construction
jerry d.... Since you have stated that you are new to the reloading process, I would highly recommend that if you haven't already, go back to the Reloading forum page, and click on the topmost post..."New to reloading ? Read this first". It was compiled some time ago by forum members here, and gives a BASIC needs list to get you started......should be of some help for you.....We all started sometime....Enjoy...
NChawkeye & Okgobbler,the sierra game king you are referring to are they the 100gr sbt{spitzer boattail}
That sounds like them, although I think it's SPBT (soft point, boat tail)...
It's the same as the Federal Premium Sierra GamdKing factory load...
That reminds me...I think a couple of years ago Federal quit putting the bullet that is loaded up on their boxes, I believe they are still listed on their site...Used to, you could look at the box and see exactly who't bullet they were using...
The cheaper Federal are Speer HotCores in 100gr, it's a flat based, soft point bullet...I killed a few with that as well, it worked just fine...
If your gun groups any of the above, no worries...
What I'm trying to say, is I basically stick with a soft point bullet...A flat base or boat tail makes no real difference to me as long as my rifle groups the bullet...
You will find that some mfgs soft points are "softer" than others, but as a whole, they will all work on deer...
bullet construction
artitions,ballistic tips,softpoints ect....
