Zrex best deer round .243
 

The Ultimate Deer Cartridges - Best Caliber Rifle for Hunting Whitetail Deer -
Best Cartridge for Hunting White tail Deer[align=center][/align]



By Test: The Best Drop Whitetail deer Dead in their Tracks Deer Caliber, Cartridge, & Bullet Combinations.


In some relatively involved deer shooting testing the .243 Winchester and 6 mm Remington cartridges loaded with 85 grain Sierra GameKing Hollow Point Boat Tail bullets were as good as the best and better than the rest! This included rifles of all the major caliber's and cartridge/loads, including 7 mm magnums and 30 caliber magnum cartridges. See, September 1999, Vol. 5 No. 8, SHOOTERS NEWS, "THE ULTIMATE Deer Hunting Cartridge," by Bill Truitt. This Magazine for Hunters and Shooters is great reading.

I personally am in need of more proof, --as I am still concerned about bullet surface blow-up on deer at close range, nerve centers hits such as the spinal column from the head to the shoulders should drop them in their tracks, ---even at very close range. The new 100 grain Remington Core-Lokt Ultra or Nosler Partition will do the job. See the performance of the new ultra bullet at 25 yards.

243 Winchester 100 grain Remington Core-Lokt Ultra bullet performance - scans of bullet at 25 yard impact.
You can view those scans on other 243 ballistic pages.

The shock created by the explosive hydraulic shocking power of the higher velocity bullets is what generates the instant nerve shock paralyzes and therefore instant knockdown kills. Insufficient velocity or improperly constructed bullets that fail to produce the explosive expansion shock that is needed, won't get the job done.

If you don't hand load, Federal is loading Sierra's 85 grain HPBT for the .243 Winchester.

The Sierra Bullet Smiths sent me an email stating that my 243-06 wildcat had too much velocity with the 85 grain BTHP at ranges closer than 200 yards. Therefore, I have decided not to use that bullet in my 243-06 wildcat. I used the 100 grain Sierra BTSP during the 2000 deer season, and at 100 yards broke a running doe's neck, it was the only shot at deer that I got all season. I used the 100 grain Hornady Interlock #2450 this deer season and never got a shot at one all season. I had a lot of problems with the pickup this 2001 deer season and didn't hunt the way I should have, wait till next year!

The lightest bullet I use in my 243/06 is the 85 grain Sierra HPBT bullet for coyotes. I now prefer the 87 grain Hornady V-Max for coyotes, I want a bullet that will blowup when it hits the frozen ground.

A Sierra Rep. told me the 85 grain HPBT was very popular in the 243 Win. and the 6 mm Rem. on deer, but due to the higher velocity of my 243/06 I should only use it at 200 or more yards on deer. Therefore, I am using the heavier 100 grain bullets in my 243/06 Wildcat. This rifle has been perfect for me!.

I would love to hear your experiences with different load combinations especially in the .243 or 6 mm caliber, including wildcats.
Quick Kill Deer Cartridge Load Combinations for some of the larger diameter Caliber's
In the 7 mm & 7 mm Remington Magnums use the 120 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets for deer. Stay away from the 120 grain Sierra PSP, it won't expand rapidly enough. The 90 grain Sierra HP or 130 grain Nosler ballistic tips work well in the .270 Winchester.

The .257 Roberts and the .25/06 worked well with 75 grain Sierra bullets [varmint class bullet?] and Nosler's 85 grain Ballistic Tips and 90 grain Sierra Hollow Points. The 100 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip works well in the .264, 6.5x55 Swedish. [His testing, not mine!]

Let us hear from you!
What has your experience been?
Help us determine the actual terminal performance of specific bullets at various ranges on deer.

Rick Jamison writer for Petersen's Hunting Magazine, July 2002, p- 20, Guns & Loads Article Long Rangers, - http://www.huntingmag.com says in essence that for deer sized game you need a minimum of 1000 ft/lbs of energy and 2000 ft/sec velocity at the impact range for adequate bullet expansion. The bullet needs a sectional density between .215 to .265 and a high ballistic coefficient for long range shots. This is a great Hunting Magazine, I subscribe through the local school magazine drives.
---------------------------------

Whisky Chamberlain of Idaho took 15 consecutive big bull elk, all one shot kills, with a straight .243 Winchester.

Therefore, I believe with the right bullet and will placed and proper ranged shots the 243/06 Wildcat ought to be adequate on elk.

I don't want to buy a new larger caliber rifle just to go elk hunting once or twice in my remaining lifetime.
---------------

During an elk hunting trip in western Colorado in about 1985, I attended a retirement party for a Department of Wildlife officer. I questioned 25 of the attending DOW officers as to the cartridge with which they hunted elk. The .243 Winchester cartridge was used by twenty-two (88%) of them, two of them used the 30-06 cartridge (8%), and one used the .270 cartridge (4%). While three Wyoming Wildlife officers were checking my license, I asked them what cartridge they carry for hunting elk. ALL three replied that they shoot the .243 Winchester cartridge (100%) and said they shoot it for every type of big game animal in Wyoming.

Just thought you wanted to know these facts. I shoot the 375 H&H cartridge most of the time, and I don't own a .243 Win. However, this does support my opinion that any modern cartridge with a bore of .243 or more and has velocity of 2500 fps or more is sufficient for harvesting an elk which is standing broadside at a distance of 300 yards or less. (200 yds would be the outside limit to stay within the 2500 fps cut-off. I say 150 yds. would be my limit Darrell U)

Billy Mitchell - Posted in rec.hunting (newsgroup) on 09/23/03
------------------------------------
The following reply was posted by Ranch 13 on OutdoorsBest Forums 03/03/2004:

Couldn't agree more with the use enough gun theory. With nearly 50 years experience using the 243 Winchester on things from ground squirrels to moose I haven't ever noticed it not being enough gun.

You can look at the various ballistic tables I have on the Net and determine the approximate outer range limit your cartridge and selected bullet will be capable of killing a deer with a well placed shot.
If you can't put the bullet in the vital kill zone don't take the shot no matter how capable the cartridge you're using is at that range.
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Posted 06/21/00; Updated: 02/08/05

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Federal's .243 Win 100gr. Sierra SBT SPITZER BOAT TAIL - Wind Drift - Ballistic Coefficient - BC: .430; SD: .242 - Deer Rifle - Lead Chart




Range

910

50yds

100yds

150yds

200yds

250yds

300yds

350yds

400yds

450yds

500yds


Vel fps

2962mv

2848

2736

2628

2523

2418

2316

2221

2126

2034

1946


Energy Ft/lbs

1947

1802

1663

1533

1412

12989

1191

1096

1004

919

841


flight Time

of /sec

.05

.105

.160

.217

.276

.336

.399

.464

.530

.60


7½mph/11fps

hrt/lungs

½'

1'

1.8'

2½'

3'

3.7'

4.4'

x

x

x

10mph/14.66fps

lead/lungs

.74'

1.5'

2.4'

3.2'

4'

5'

5.9'

x

x

x



15mph/22fps

hrt/lungs

1'

2½'

3½'

5'

6'

7.4'

8.8'

x

x

x


25mph/36.66 fps

hrt/lungs

2'

4'

6'

8'

10'

x

x

x

x

x


30mph/44fps

hrt/lungs

2.2'

4.6'

7'

9.3'

12'

x

x

x
x

x


35mph51.33fps

hrt/lungs

2½'

5½'

8'

11'

x

x

x

x

x

x


Drift@10mph

90°angle

.2"

.7"

1.7"

3"

4.8"

7.1"

9.7"

13"

16.8"

21.1"


Drift@10mph

322323°angle

.14"

.5"

1.2"

2.1"

3.4"

5"

6.8"

9.1"

11.6"

15.2"


250yd zero

-1.5"

1"

2.6"

3"

2.2"

Zero

-3.7"

-8.9"

-16"

-25"

-36"


Range

372[color=#000099]373

50yds

100yds

150yds

200yds

250yds

300yds

350yds

400yds

450yds

500yds




All leads are in feet for your deer rifle or coyote rifle. There are many reasons why we should all improve our abilities to place shots in the kill zones on wounded running game such as deer, bear, elk, antelope, and other game including coyotes, etc. Being capable of anchoring wounded game on the run is a major plus. I have watched numerous easy close-in moving deer shots on TV hunting Dish satellite channels that were passed up and a trophy buck got away that could have been harvested. There should be moving deer and coyote targets at every rifle range. Close-up to 150 yards will be the limit for most shooter's. The shot must be safe; there are very few good opportunities for legitimate running shots!
Speaking of safe gun handling, this should be taught to everyone that handles a shotgun or rifle.
Whenever you raise the bolt handle straight-up move the safety to the safe position before you chamber the live round!
On a pump action shotgun or rifle, when the action is slide all the way back immediately set the safety!
A gun should never be loaded magazine or chamber unless you are in the immediate area of the game you are going to shoot.
For many reasons, you are much more apt to have an accidental resulting in shooting a person that is very near you in the field! Think about these scenarios! Wind drift: A 45-degree wind drift angle isn't half the drift of a 90º-angle, but is three-quarters the drift. It has around a 70% effect, even though the angle is only halfway between no drift effect and full drift effect. The drift effect is not proportional, due to the aerodynamic ballistics of a bullet in flight. Just remember that halfway between full and zero effect is nearly three-quarters the drift of 90-degrees. [/b]Memorize these aerodynamic ballistic realities. Multiply the [/b]90º figure by .7 for the 45 degree drift.[/b]
Rick Jamison says an (SD) Sectional Density of .140 is the minimum for coyotes, an a lower limit of .210-SD for deer! A 150-gr .308-Cal, SD is .225; 165-gr has a .248-SD. The construction of the bullet is most critical to terminal bullet performance. Don't buy Match purpose constructed bullets if you want ballistic tip performance on coyotes!
Sectional density is the same irrespective of bullet shape, here is a list of 6mm SD's: 70-gr .169; 75 .181; 80 .194; 87 .210; 90 .218; 95 .230; 100 .242. Here's the SD equation: SD is the ratio of bullet weight to the square of the bullets diameter.
Example: | .243 X's .243= .059049 (65-gr / 7000 grs per pound= .0092857 / .059049= .157-SD) Figure your own caliber/bullet SD.
The 6mm 55 grain Nosler bullet ( .133-SD) has a higher BC than the 55 grain bullet .224 bullet which has a higher .157-SD; the 60-gr .224 is .171-SD. I like my 243/06 wildcat for coyotes using the 87 grain V-Max bullet, SD .210, BC .400.
Rick Jamison writer for Petersen's Hunting Magazine, July 2002, p- 20, Guns & Loads Article Long Rangers, - http://www.huntingmag.com says in essence that for deer sized game you need a minimum of 1000 ft/lbs of energy and 2000 ft/sec velocity at the impact range for adequate bullet expansion. The bullet needs a sectional density between .210 to .265 and a high ballistic coefficient for long range shots. This is a great Hunting Magazine, I subscribe through the local school magazine drives.
You can look at the various ballistic tables I have on the Net and determine the approximate outer range limit your cartridge and selected bullet will be capable of killing a deer with a well placed shot. If you can't put the bullet in the vital kill zone don't take the shot no matter how capable the cartridge you're using is at that range.
Let me know how this NEW bullet performs: theRemington Premier Core-Lokt UltraAmmunition[View my test!]
The special bonded construction retains 90% of original weight and delivers controlled expansion "up to" 1.8 times the original diameter.


Side view - base- left side (25 yds 100 gr retained 84.8 gr new Core- Lokt Ultra 243 Win.) nose view
Serious performance from point blank range "out to 500 yards. "Forget about shooting deer at 500 yards with any bullet with a standard 243 Winchester cartridge, 400 yards is the limit, --follow Rick Jamison's advice in the paragraph above!
Cabelas.com will have the NEW .243 Winchester 100 grain cartridges available by the end of August 2003. I want to reload that bullet asap in my 243/06 Wildcat! Where can we get them, and when?
Lead from the heart/lung area. I rounded off the lead figures in feet, 100 yards is about the limit of most shooter's ability to make killing shots on running deer. Safety first, shooting at running game can be a lot more dangerous, make sure there are no hunters in the area and that there is adequate background to stop the bullet!
The leads beyond 150 yards are for illustration purposes only. Unless you have practiced on a moving target similar to a deer and are proficient enough to know you can make a clean kill shot, forget about running shots. Friendly running deer target shooting should be conducted on every shooting range, it's a blast. Six shooters shoot all day long on the Potosi, WI target the first Sunday in October.
Look up the link on this site. From a rest, lately 10/18/02, 300 yards appears far enough on standing deer. The new 95 grain Hornady SST bullet seems to group better in my .243/06 Wildcat than in my .243 Win.
In many southeastern states in the U.S., deer are hunted with trail hounds and running shots are the norm. Those Southeastern states include: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia. They post themselves at clearings where the hounds will push them through so they can get a quick shot at them in full flight! They use both rifles and shot guns with buckshot, quick shots in clearings at running deer is the rule. For clean kills the proper leads are required with both weapons. (This information is needed by a lot of deer hunters, so bear with me my friends.)
I got one shot during the entire 2000 Wisconsin deer season and dropped a nice doe running full throttle broadside at 100 yards. I admit, I lead from her head instead of from the heart/lung area, so the 100 grain Sierra BT/SP bullet broke her neck, she fell in a pile and never moved. I felt very comfortable and confident taking the shot in an open field, --had I passed that running shot up my entire deer hunting season would have been a total wipe out. It is always better to over lead and miss than to under lead!
Position yourself instantly in relationship to the direction the game is running. Find a rest to shoot from ahead of time or drop to one knee if you can, or sit down if possible. You need to be in as stable a shooting position as possible but that allows you a smooth swing ahead of the big game. Since I usually shoot right handed I have more stability with my left side facing the path of the deer or coyote. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet and do the swinging by slowly pivoting your entire body while keeping the horizontal cross-hairs level as the vertical reticule maintains the desired lead for an instant when you squeeze the trigger and follow through with your eyes and body after the shot.
Always swing through from behind the game so you will be following any vertical angle of ascent or descent of the moving target.
We need running deer and coyote targets on most of our rifle ranges to foster some friendly competition. Back around the late 1950's and early 1960's they rigged up a pretty good running deer target near Glen Haven, WI. I loved those competitive events, --we need more of them today! The winner of each group 6 shooter's got (I believe) a frozen turkey or turkey breast.
This is the way they set it up at Potosi, WI. I had not shot my rifles for 28 odd years as I was working in a couple of cities and left my rifles back on the farm which was many hundreds of miles away. I shot the last ground offhand with my 243 and an old K4 weaver scope on it and scored a 2 inch hit at 9 o'clock from the center of the bulls-eye on the deer, which won that 6 shooter round by a good margin. They had some great shooters and they keep blazing away at the running deer target all day long. They only hold that shoot once a year and it is the first Sunday of of October. There was one big fellow shooting a 416 mag all day long and scoring well with it too! I'll stick with my 243 Winchester.
In this age of technology advancements we need to have moving targets at every rifle range! Lets get it done, some commercial enterprise could make a ton of money designing and selling workable moving rifle target systems.
MOA is .25" per click at 100 yards, with the inches per click at various yardage's shown on the row below Range in yards. Animals at 300 yards or more will usually give you time to zero at those yardage's. You have to decide at what yardage you feel you need to adjust for drop or windage. If you see any errors on my chart, let me know!
An Illuminated Mil Dot reticule is the best for accurate judging of ranges and providing hold on increments with which to adjust for drop and windage without using manual clicks. These scopes should greatly improve your ultra long range scoring abilities and facilitate dawn and dusk hits on coyotes and other varmints.
All I have at present are 3 old scopes: K4; K6, and a K10 Weaver scopes with plain rather fine crosshairs. I need to find out how much area these crosshairs cover at extended yardage's. If you know, e-mail me, otherwise I will have to find out for myself as it could help me determine the range on coyotes, deer, etc.
Hornady's New 6mm SST Bullet is on sale now, August 2002 | B.C., may be .355 ?| 95 gr. SST BT tip with a flat-base to provide the needed stability. In 1 in 10" twist barrels at .243 Win. Velocities with a boat-tail the bullet hit target sideways at 200 yds. I'm going to start shooting more flat-based bullets in my 6MM's, the claim is that they are not as hard on barrel's and tend to be more accurate.
I filled an empty gallon plastic milk jug with water and shot it with the new 95 grain SST bullet. It appeared to be the most explosive bullet I have tested in my .243 Winchester. The hydraulic shock of this bullet ought to be devastating.
On 10/17/04, I filled 3 one gallon plastic milk jugs with water lined in a row at 15 yards and shot them using my Remington 722 with a 22" BBL, in 243 Winchester using the Hornady 95 grain SST bullet and 44 grains of RL 19. It blew the first two up big time and went through the third one gallon jug of water. This should be a very good terminal performance bullet on deer in the 243 Winchester caliber cartridge.---------
Related Pages
Shooting Running Coyotes - Shooting Wounded Running Deer the Ballistics
Split-Screen Site - Your rifle's ballistic chart with actual lead figures, Wind Drift, Trajectory, etc.
http://www.udarrell.com/leadingrunninggamerifle.html
http://www.udarrell.com/ultimate_deer_cartridge.htm
http://www.udarrell.com/wisconsin_coyote_hunting.html
------
A Page full of my links
http://www.udarrell.com/my_pages2.htm
The Real Political Issues and People Empowerment
Empowerment Communications
Darrell Udelhoven - udarrell
Posted: 09/06/01; Date of Last Modification: 02/28/05

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Wow - now I know everything I ever need to know. Thanks!

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

I have used Sierra 85gr BTHP for years with execelent results also,99% of the deer drop when shot...

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

rentfrow,

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

I seen that already, I actually posted links to that several times. I think I like the 100gr hornady's and the 100 gr sierra boat tails better, but I havent used the 85's eneough to make that judgment yet.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Hog, thats funny. This is not going to start another .243 war is it?

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Gun, everyone has the right (with-in the law) to use what he wants
to use. If some are using .243, so be it ! I have used .243 in the past
and have taken deer and hogs with it, but prefer the 6.5mm Swede.
To each his own.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Expansion and penetration
More important than initial bullet diameter is expanded bullet diameter. A bullet that does not expand generally imparts little shock to an animal's system, and disrupts little tissue. Bullet construction is very important to killing power, both for rapid expansion and for the penetration required to reach the vitals of large animals.
Bullet makers use various strategies to attain the terminal performance desired. Usually a combination of expansion and penetration is sought. The front part of the bullet should expand rapidly to approximately twice the bullet's original diameter, in order to cause as much tissue damage as possible as the bullet plows through the target. The rear portion of the bullet should remain intact, to retain as much weight as possible to aid penetration. If the design works perfectly, the bullet tears through the target's vitals fully mushroomed.
Velocity has a great impact on expansion. Generally, the higher the velocity, the more violent the expansion. Bullets are designed for a particular range of impact velocities. Bullets of conventional soft point, hollow point, and plastic tip design generally perform best in conventional calibers. Using the popular .30 caliber cartridges as an example, these would range from the .30-30 Winchester to the .30-06 Springfield. Big case magnum cartridges, from the .300 WSM on up, require tougher bullets to control expansion and prevent premature bullet break-up at impact velocities over 3000 fps. This is particularly true for the lighter bullets in any caliber.
A good bullet for medium size game should expand quickly and create a wide wound channel that destroys the maximum amount of tissue on its way through the animal's lungs. Ideally, a bullet should retain some of its core to aid penetration. However, a bullet that penetrates to the vitals and then fragments and scatters bits of lead and jacket material all through the animals heart/lung area will kill quicker than one which creates a long, narrow wound channel through the lungs and exits the far side. For light framed animals under 350 pounds, a quick expanding bullet that dumps the maximum amount of energy into a vital area gives the quickest kills.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

I have used the 243 and the 6mm Rem with good results,they had killed every deerI shot with them.
Here is my results.
1-Wt buck 60 yds runing 4 shots all hits,3 in vitals and 1 in neck(the first 2 would have killed him but he was running into a not hunt-zone-plus it was a 7400 in 243 and it was fun to just rattle rounds)
1 WT-Buck 125 yds standing broadside Rem 700 6mm 1 shot ran maybe 30 yds and piled up
1-Mulie doe 25 yds shot head on rem 700 VLS .243 travled lenght of body,droped on the spott.
1-mulie doe 400 yds broad side 1-shot stood in place for 15-20 seconds and then dropped.
1- Wt doe 1 shot broad side 100 yds 6mm Rem in Rem 788,ran 60 yds and piled up.
1-Mulie buck 5 shots 75 yds 2-in chest 1-in neck and 1-head to finish and 1 miss,ran 200 or more yds and laid down.
This all with 100 core-loks in both guns,my sister uses the 243 and has killed more deer than that with it.
I still like the 25-06 for deer,I have had more 1 shot drop on the spot kills with it and it seem to be a little better on more full bodied mulies than the 243 and 6mm.
But like Reble said each to their own use what you wan't and best of luck.
I have also only seen one deer lost with the 243 and it was aWT-buck shot at 50 yds and hit dead on the shoulder and it ran and was never found.
BBJ

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Hog, I never said the .243 was inadiquate for deer, or that it should not be used for deer. I do not own a .243, but if I did I would not hesitate to use it with the proper bullet for deer sized game. My father has two heriated disks in his upper back so he can't take a lot of recoil, but he does not want to give up hunting. I am goin to load him up some 60gr Partitions at about 3000fps for his .223. It is not the best caliber in the world for deer, but with the proper bullet and shot placement it will do just fine.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Gun, no I know you did'nt say that. If you compare the .243
with 6.5mm Swede, you'll see what I mean. Like I said before,
I used the .243 on deer and hog for a few years, but now prefer
the 6.5mmSwede.
I can takedeer to moose with it using Norma 156gr "Alaska"
ammo with very little recoil.Can the .243 do it?

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

.243's better than the bullet lobbing swede. You guys read to much, and take what pencil pushers publish, as gospel.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Rebel, I got a pict of one I killed with a 300RUM. Does that count?

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Zrex, I posted a picture of the moosethat I killed with 6.5mm.
Wheres your pictures of theone you killed with .243?

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

BC, I am comparing .243 to 6.5mm.
Of course .300 will do!

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Aint got no meese in texas.
If you think a .243 wont kill a moose, your wrong. It will do it better.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Zrexpilot, next time you bail out, use a parachute?

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Actually my guide up in Newfieland, all he uses is a 243. I was shocked. But its wide open land in the marshes.

I shot a cow moose with 150gr corelok years ago and all it did was act like it was bee stung. Then it back to feeding acting drunk, and finally fell over taking out some 6" trees.

I know I sure wouldn't go moose hunting with a 243. Not after paying 3K for a hunt. There's one thing to live in a an area and be out every day seeing hundreds of animals and another when you may see 10 animals one day and not see another one for the week. There has been times I have seen them and they got a whiff of us and ran thru stuff you couldn't get a tank thru. So I know they can get up and go if they want too. They made it 1000yards or more in in just a min or less. Thru Black Spruce.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

I sit in absolute amazement of this little round refered to as the .243, I dont know if it realizes the politics we involve it in. The posts here are soo contreversial I actually bought one this last weekend. It wasnt solley due to this site and its love/hate of the round, but I have definatly been influenced! Any reccomendations on the favorite factory rounds? EJ

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

ZX. I don't know what reading to much would have to do with being a supporter of the 6.5 Swede. There is seldom anything written about this 130 year old cartridge. Anything the 243 will do the 6.5x55 will do better. Its hardly a bullet lobber in modern rifles it will shoot the 120 grain Barnes X bullet at 3100 fps and the 100 grain at close to 3200 fps.Even in the military rifles like mine it will shoot the 140 grain bullet @ 2750 fps. I don't know how many of them you have but I have three now and have had two others including one in a 700 Remington. I think maybe you are the one who gets most of his info from a book or webb site. I have taken all the NA game with the 6.5x55 so I don't have to read about it. I think perhaps you knock a lot ofcalibers that you have no expierence with. Very childish indeed.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

James, I think you and I were shooting .243 and 6.5mm before
Zrex got his first BB gun.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

I think so too. I shot my first deer with a 6.5x55 in 1956. I don't think there were many 243's in the stores yet then.:D. Anyway for critters bigger than small deer, with bullets up to 160 grains, it will certainly handle bigger game. It will still also shoot a 100 grain bullet as fast as the 6MM's except for the 240 Weatherby. I am not knocking the 243 as I have one of those too. However the 6.5 caliber is just plenty more versitile when it comes to big game. This is very obvious to most.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Given the size of elk and moose, I am a little baffled as to why there aren't some rabid 35 Whelen and 338 fans on the board. Perhaps their is a bias towards velocity. I understand the popularity of the 243. But it would not be my first choice to tote up north where things stand on you and eat your pack. Or vice versa.:D

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Biscuit, I have a BLR .358 and A-bolt .338, I use to use in Colorado.
I have'nt beenback in11yrs. I posted some pictures of elk and mulies
I shot in 94 with a .270. I alsoposted a picture of the black bear I shot in
Alberta in 95 with a Win 30-30 carbine.
I have been hunting over 55yrs and I have mellowed down to smaller
calibers like the 6.5mm Swede and .243.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Me too. I use the 243 for long range varmits. I sold the last of my Magnums a couple years ago. The 45-70 is my only Magnum left:D. If the 45-70 won't kill it then I don't need it dead.;). I still have my Pump 30-06 which I have also used all over the world. I had the Browning 358 Winchester too. Also the Model 71 in 348 Win.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Good picture rebel where did you get my school pic. Seem to me all of you have mellow a lot the last thread on the .243 you guys ripped me and zrex for our choice of the .243 sound to me a lot of you use this gun just wont admit it. ? if you had to pick one would it be a 6mm rem. or a .243 peace guys

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

I wish I could find an M700 in 6.5x55...thats a buy on sight and do a dance gun. Im sure they are out there but I havent ever run across one yet.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Doe Dumper. The 700 Remington that I had was the 700 Classic. I don't remember what year they made that one as their special run. They may have chambered it many years ago but if so, I never saw one. A gun show would be the best bet. I wish I would have kept mine. My brother wanted to buy it and I sold it to him. He then traded it off later without letting me know.[:@]I still have one sporterized Military and another pertly sporterizedone. (still has military stock). Also one completely stock Model with the 29 inch barrel.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Show me where you can by a round for the swede thats shoots near 2900 fps.
Your talking handloads again, arent you ?
You 'ol timers are just stuck in the 30-30 era arent you.
bottom line, you cant buy a gun off the shelf and shoot factory loads and get the performance of the .243, unless it's the .243 !
Please quit talking bout 100 year old guns that require a handjob to perform.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Ha, Zrex is still using a BB gun - it's called a 243Win.!
(Sorry, just couldn't help myself - it was too easy.)

Anymore, I'd still limit the 243 to varmint use. My 270Win. & the 358Win. carbine will handle the deer, and bigger game.
Still mulling it over ref. 6.5x55 vs. 7x57.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Virginia, I think both are good choices! Like I mentioned
before I have taken deer and hogs with .243 for a few years,
but the 6.5mm does a better job. I have a Ruger .243 S/S with
lam/stock and did enjoy hunting with it. I also have a Ruger
in 6.5mm Swede that I have been using for a few years. The
6.5mm Swede with Norma ammo does a much better job than
the .243. Has a lot better SD and BC also than the .243...

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Zrex, Norma 6.5mm Swedefactory loads> 139grs@2800fps and
156grs@2500fps that hit harder,penertrate and retain energyat
longer yardage than the .243Win..

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Zerx,
Now come on and get of the stool.I'mlaughing so hard right now I think I just pissed my pants.
No realy you should look at the 25-06 vs 243 win,you can shoot small 85 grains to 120 grain bullets and still getmore preformance than any 243 Win built.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

ZX Of course I am talking about reloads. I reload everything. Why would I ever want to buy factory ammo when I have all the equipment to reload 30 calibers or so. Reloading makes every gun much more versitile. Tailor every load for what you want it to do. Since I reload, I couldn't care less whats available in factory fodder. I keep all my chronograph reading in a book to I can go back and duplicate a load if I wish. Since I have a record of all the rounds tested, I know what each will do. EXACTLY. I have data for 40 or more cartridges and the barrel lengths and weather condituions and wind direction and speed. Sure takes a lot of quess work out of the game.

Reloading also allows me to load some of the more powerful cartridges DOWN to 243 performance levels. However I don't know why I would want to unless it would be for my grandkids to plink with. I have a 243 but right now I don't have a 30-30. I hope this does not exclude me from the 30-30 era, because I am proud to be in the company of those you look down on.;)

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

James, you and I are in the same league. I have die sets from .243
to 45-70, plus the hand gun die sets.
The last few years I have been buying Norma factory ammo for
the 6.5mm Swede. I have loading manuals from the 50's. I have a
Lyman "All American" turret press that was discontinued 25yrs ago.

Don't let Zrex get to you, he's a young guy that has a lot to learn yet.
You know, in order to learn how to castrate, you have to cut alot of nuts!

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Wow, I can't belive it! This artical doesn't list the .243 as a caliber in their 5 perfect whitetail rifles. Zrex you better let them know they are wrong.:D

Five Perfect Whitetail Rifles
Field & Stream writers pick their favorite all-purpose deer guns







These writers have been hunting deer for a long time. They've shot a lot of rifles doing it. Now they tell us what their favorite deer rifle is, and more importantly, why.

(1) Hunter: Mark Hicks
Model: Remington Model 7400 Synthetic
Caliber: .30/06 Springfield
Action: Autoloader MSRP: $520
Comments: "The 7400 is a classic big-woods gun that handles well, spits quick second shots, and is accurate enough to take almost anywhere. The 7400 Synthetic is the same rifle--only tougher. Why .30/06? It’s easy to find, and it puts deer down in their tracks."

(2) Hunter: Ray Sasser
Model: Remington Model Seven SS
Caliber: .260 Remington Action: Bolt MSRP: $729
Comments: "I originally bought it for my son--and fell in love with it. So far, it’s taken 20 or so whitetails--all one-shot kills. It points like a shotgun and is pleasant to shoot. All my other deer rifles are now backups. When my family hunts together, we take turns using the Model Seven."

(3) Hunter: Wayne van Zwoll
Model: Weatherby Mark V Super Predator Master
Caliber: 7mm/08 Remington Action: Bolt MSRP: $1,561
Comments: "This 61/2-pound bolt of lightning has a lightweight graphite-fiberglass stock, fluted stainless Krieger barrel, near-perfect balance, and a crisp, consistent trigger. The 7mm/08 is one of the most versatile cartridges ever made for thin-skinned big game."

(4) Hunter: Joe Doggett
Model: Winchester Model 70 Classic Sporter LT
Caliber: .30/06 Action: Bolt MSRP: $727
Comments: "There’s something to be said for tradition. My favorite remains the ‘rifleman’s rifle,’ chambered for another classic performer, the .30/06 Springfield. It’s a fine-looking rifle that weighs in at about 73/4 pounds for stable shooting and tolerable recoil."

(5) Hunter: Dave Hurteau
Model: Savage Model 116FSS Weather Warrior
Caliber: .270 Winchester Action: Bolt MSRP: $520
Comments: "Not the prettiest rifle, perhaps. But it’s every bit as accurate as many guns twice its price; it keeps its point of aim in the worst weather; it has me covered for as far as I care to shoot; and it’s a bargain. There’s no better all-purpose rifle at this price." [/align]

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

I started out using Norma Ammo until I had enough brass to start loading it. Man thats good brass. I am still using a lot of those first ones.

I started out with the Rock Chucker and am still using it. I use the Lee Turret press and the Lee 1000 for most of my pistol ammo. The 140 Grain Hornady has been the main bullet for me in the 6.5. However I have loaded the 160 grain RN Hornady for black bear tree stand hunting. Last time I was up North for Black bears, a big old moose walked right under my stand. NO Moose Tag.[:@]After I got back to camp the outfitter said DARN I wish I had told you to shoot a moose if one came by. He had a tag and no time to hunt.. He said he could have sold me the tag. I don't know how things work up there but that would not be legal in ND. Now That moose I could have killed with a 243. Or even a 223.. Range? About 3 1/2 yards.:D

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

Nope, 85 gr and 100 gr bullets in the -06 are varmint bullets, they dont have the SD nor the BC of the .243 in the same weight.

RE: Zrex best deer round .243
 

What I am getting at is you always compare reloaded ammo to factory loads in the .243. You have too, just to be in the same ball park.
now reload the .243 and compare. you can get around 3400fps out of a 100 gr handloaded in the .243. cant you ?