243 bullet

[deerslayer223]

I was wondering if anyoen could recomend a good 243 bullet that they have had good results on deer sized game with! Thank you. Also what does everyone think of the Sierra 100 grain Spitzer Boat tail?

[Vapodog]

for deer in the .243 I like the Hornady 100 grain interlock flatbase. Drive it at 3,000'/sec and deer die like majik.

I believe Nosler also makes a partician in this weight and caliber and I wouldn't hesitate to use it either.

[elkaddict]

I am not a fan of 243s on deer size game. Yes, they will certainly kill deer and larger animals and do so cleanly every year provided you take care to limit yourself to broadside shots. Having said that, I've seen to many instances of inadequate penetration when anything but a heavy premium bullet is used. In addition, when a big buck shows itself unexpectedly, many hunters lack the judgment to wait for the perfect standing broad side shot. I would suggest 100g nosler partitions, or if your gun will shoot them, barnes X. I don't have personal experiece with the sierra bullet you mention in 243. I have had mixed results with sierra bullets in 308 and 338 diameters (both under and overexpansion). Some people I know who have shot the heavier 243 bullets were dissapointed with the killing performance because they felt they lost some of the explosive bullet performance that kills very quickly on broadside lung shots. The heavier controlled expansin bullets kill very reliably--just not as dramatically as when you turn the lungs into mush with a high velocity varmint bullet. If you shoot light bullets out of a 243 under typical hunting conditions long enough, the day will come when you have a problem. Good luck.

You can't beat the Sierras for accuracy in my opinion. But for a 243, I would be looking for something tougher, since the sierras tend to pancake out alot. I use a gameking for my 270win with good results at 130gr. The partition might be what you are looking for. I can't get the partitions to shoot as good as the sierras, but they shoot good enough for me.

[Mykey]

105gr Speer Spitzer or 100gr Nosler Partition, both are excellent bullets and work great on deer.

[DM]

Years ago, when i was hunting a lot with my 243 and 240 wby i found out quite quick that they worked a LOT BETTER on deer once i started useing 100 grain Nosler partition bullets!!!

Personally, i feel the 6mm's are a bit small for deer sized animials for "most hunters"!!

Drilling Man

[.358]

The .243 was the only rifle I had for over 15 yrs and I used it for everything I hunted,deer, antelope,wild boar,mule deer, varmits. You will get a lot of answers as what is best, in my search for the all round(deer bullet) I ended up using Nosler 85 grn solid base or partition. 45 grns of imr 4350 makes it whiz out of a 22" bbl. I also used the 85 grn speer. For me it worked fine, never wounded,tracked or lost an animal and I shot some antelope at ranges no one would believe. It's not a giant killer but neither is it inadequate for deer sized game. Just put the bullet in the right place.

[bronko22000]

deerslayer, The Sierra is a fine choice. As I mentioned in your other 243 post I also prefer the Hornady 100 gr SP in front of 40.5 gr of IMR4350. This combo has taken a fair number of whitetails for me with outstanding results.
As for the premium bullets I would have to agree with Wayne van Zwoll in his article "What to Believe about Bullets" in NA Hunter June/July 2003. This is a very good article. If I were you, I would try to get my hands on a copy of this edition. I know that writers have to make money through there published articles and I read them with an open mind. But this article makes a lot of sense.
You don't really want a bullet that blows completely through an animal. You are not utilizing all its potential energy. I, would rather my bullet do its thing inside the animal's boiler room, ideally stopping just under the skin on the opposite side.