35REM180grFP

i just ordered another gun in the 243win. whats a good bullet for deer for shots ranging 15yds out?
i am guessing a good premium bullet that will take hitting shoulder up close and not seperate. i have always used sierra gamekings. or some type of hornady.

anyone think the SST would be good or break up to quick on a close shot?

7MMXBOLT

Myself, I avoid hitting the shoulder on any game animal. Waist of good meat when you do so.

Take a look at this video and you decide what you need for a bullet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6uo0...eature=related

Everybody has their own choices in bullets to use depending on the game animal they are hunting. I have a few I prefer base on experience in the field and these have never failed me.

35REM180grFP

i just like to be well versed on any caliber i reload for and find out aswell what other people use and results. kinda of like reading a book on a subject i get one author's opinion and bases it on anothers in the same subject then i make my decision on the two. thats all

7MMXBOLT

I don't think I would call it "over evaluating" just simply trying to understand what would be the right bullet choice for a given situation. A fair question to ask, wouldn't you say? Nothing wrong with having a good selection of bullets to choose from before you start your load developement and if your not sure the best way to find out is to ask the question.

On the SST bullet, I personally haven't had good luck with it on whitetails terminally however, as far as accuracy is concerned they shot well for me. The two times I shot deer with it, both times I lost either a shoulder or a rear quarter with a shot placement in the vitals. Both bullets I found in the animal and both bullets didn't expand. One shot was at 35 yards and the other at around 50 yards. Maybe they would do better a little further out but I stopped using them after that. But remember that was with my equipment and your results could be different. You need to find out which bullet works best for your possible situation and equipment but you won't know unless you try.

cjohnson3006

In my .243, the 95 gr. SST's have performed flawlessly at close range. My 300 Win mag is another story. Bullets seem to blow apart anywhere less than 250 yards. CJ

jerry d

I remember reading on this site guys liked Sierra Gamekings in 85g just dont remember what powder they were using

nchawkeye

A .243 has been my only centerfire since 1980 and I've killed over 200 deer with her...About 10 years ago I started killing 5-6 deer with each factory loading that my gun liked so I could compare the differences...

Frankly, the 100 gr CoreLokts killed just as well as any bullet out there...If you want a long range bullet, load up some 85gr Sierra GameKings HPBT...These bullets are actually made a little harder than the 100gr Sierra GameKing SPBT so you get more pass throughs...

While some like premium bullets in their rifles, I found the standard cup and core bullets gave faster kills on center lung shots...

homers brother

+1

I use the .243 almost exclusively for deer and pronghorn and at ranges from 25 to 200 yards. RR's advice is spot-on. Years ago, convinced that "premium" bullets had to be better in every case than Wal-Mart Green and Silver box stuff, I reloaded quite a variety of ammunition. I loaded GKs, I loaded Hornadys, I loaded Noslers. In the end, I found a dead deer on the other end, just as I had with the cheap factory stuff. And, as a matter of discussion, I found in EVERY case that the GKs didn't reliably hold onto their jackets. Not at short range, not at long range. Not in 6mm, not in .308, and not in .375. Not in pronghorn, not in deer, and not in elk. Great for target shooting, but I won't load them again for game. I still haven't used up the six boxes of CoreLokts I bought almost 20 years ago, but that's my ammo of choice now for deer and pronghorns.


When surveying your quarry, and particularly when it's up close, one must consider the target three-dimensionally. Animals get a vote, too. They won't always present themselves in manner where destroying a large amount of tissue in an off-shoulder or ham can be avoided. You have a choice - you don't have to shoot in those cases. Troublesome are shots from either rear quarter (hitting the heart/lungs may necessitate a gut-shot). Not good - and a sure candidate to pass up. Same goes for guys hunting up high. What does the bullet have to angle through to hit a vital?

I've had more DRT shots with the .243 (including elk) than I've had with any other caliber. Ammunition selection's important, but it's secondary to the shot itself. If you want to overthink something, focus on the shot and game anatomy, not the bullets.

Pawildman

I shoot the Sierra HPBT 85 gr. in my .243's. They seem to like IMR 4350 powder the best.

hunter5325

90gr Scirocco II.....VERY tough little bullet with a good BC