.243 for whitetail

coolbrze0 · 11-18-2005, 03:53 AM

Will the .243 pass through a deer that's shot in the lungs? Does it leave a good blood trail?

johnl · 11-18-2005, 04:02 AM

243 is a perfect deer rifle if you can put the bullet where it needs to be

hoyt3 · 11-18-2005, 05:04 AM

I've had pass throughs. even when it doesn't, it is a good blood trail. that is the only gun I have that I completely trust (altho it is mostly because the trigger is more to my liking and I hunt with it most)

Rebel Hog · 11-18-2005, 06:09 AM

It sure will!

PaJack · 11-18-2005, 08:12 AM

With the right bullet...

jonesato · 11-18-2005, 08:16 AM

I use a .243 and love it. I've never had one run more than 60 yards with a majority only going about 20. It's super fast and accurate. Just make sure you have good shot placement, it's a light bullet and might deflect off of a shoulder.

nchawkeye · 11-18-2005, 08:48 AM

The best factory loads I have found for pass throughs in a .243 are the 100 gr Hornady Interlocks, the Federal Premium Nolser Partitions and the CoreLokts...
Choose whichever your gun likes....I have also had good luck with the 100 gr Federal Premium Sierra BTSP...it kills quickly but doesn't pass through as many times as the three mentioned above....On lung shots I never had a deer go over 60 yards with this bullet....most went down within 20....With the 3 "harder" bullets...I did have a few go 75-100 yards after a lung shot....

If you are hunting over fields, where you could have a 250-300 yard shot...the Federal Premium 85gr BTHP is also an excellent whitetail bullet...I get pass throughs with this bullet on lung shots as well...This bullet is a hollow point...but isn't as fragile as most hollow points...I switched to this bullet about 4 years ago...

Rebel Hog · 11-18-2005, 09:03 AM

Winchester .243/95gr Supreme Ballistic

georgia hard hunter · 11-18-2005, 02:06 PM

My son shot a 140 lb buck hitting on the front shoulder. 100 grain core loks passed thru. The buck went straight down

mainehunt · 11-18-2005, 02:33 PM

Yes it will.

5 out of the last 6 deer that I have tagged were killed with my .243 Savage 110. I used the same ammo on all of them. WInchester CXP 100 grain. (This is the silver box you can get at Wal-Mart for about $10-12) This ammo is very accurate with my gun. In fact it's so accurate that I don't bother to handload for this caliber.

3of those 5 were good pass-throughs with great blood trails.

Kev