factory 243 deer ammo

3macs1

3macs1

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I have to buy a couple of boxes of 243 ammo to site in a new rifle and for deer hunting so was wondering what you would recomend. If I see one it will be under 150 yards.
I have never owned or shot a 243 before so this is all new to me coming from a 3006.
 
Don't waste good ammo sighting your gun in!

Go buy a $20 box of federal soft points in the same grain to get it sighted in.

Now that ur dead on with that ammo you will only need a couple rounds of the higher end stuff to be dead on.

I agree that with the .243 you should be using some quality ammo, but don't waste a box getting a rifle set up. Get a box of the cheap stuff and put 20 rounds through her. Its actually fun when its not costing $2+ per round! :D
 
mlehtovaara said:
Don't waste good ammo sighting your gun in!

Go buy a $20 box of federal soft points in the same grain to get it sighted in.

Now that ur dead on with that ammo you will only need a couple rounds of the higher end stuff to be dead on.

I agree that with the .243 you should be using some quality ammo, but don't waste a box getting a rifle set up. Get a box of the cheap stuff and put 20 rounds through her. Its actually fun when its not costing $2+ per round! :D
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2X. Use cheap ones to get it on paper and 2-3 rounds of the premium ammo to align the POI.
 
My advice. Get 100 grain pointed soft point, Federal/Remington, etc. Sight in, then go hunting.
When the 243 was developed there was no so called premium loaded ammunition available. The 243 quickly eaned a very good reputation as a flat shooting rifle for deer and antelope.
Sight it in at the usual 2 to 3 inches high at 100 yards. If the deer is at 300, hold 3 to 4 inches higher than you want the bullet to hit and let fly.
 
I reloaded premium bullets, purchased premium ammo and found that my Remington 700 shot Winchester Factory 100gr PP the BEST. I have shot 4 deer with this combo and all were bang flops. Two were well over 325 yards. In all cases the bullet completely penetrated. I understand that premium ammo is better(?) but I am very happy with the performance of the factory standard ammo. I purchased the ammo on sale at the Co-op in Deloraine Manitoba for 15.00 a box that is a good deal. I agree with H4831. I also feel that his opinion based on his experience is very reliable.

Darryl
 
I would buy a box of Remington core lokts and one of the blue box Federal 100gr's and see witch one shoots best out of the gun. But if your only shooting out to 150 yards then I would go with the Remingtons. Sight in go hunting.

P.S.
Don't for get to send me pictures of the deer.....:)
 
I am a big fan of good 100 grain bullets in the .243. They will work on any deer and perhaps game even larger. The 95 grain bullet in the Federal Fusion line holds it own too. Handloaded 100 grain Nosler Partitions are my favorite though.
 
I have a 6mm, slightly bigger brother to 243. All I have ever used for deer were plain old 100gr soft points from Winchester or Federal. In a pinch I have used 80 gr soft ponts from winchester. All resulted in dead deer.
 
Wife has a .243 Savage 111 youth package. Shoots 100gn Federal PowerShok's (blue box) to 5/8" at 100yds. We have not tried any others. It also shoots handloaded 58gn Hornady V-Max moly's to 1/2" and cloverleafs.
She took two of her deer this year with neck shots. Deer were face-on, aimed just under the chin. Both dropped like a stone. One was 174yds, the other was 140.
You do not need these "Premium" bullets for everyday hunting. As H4831 has stated, just buy soft points and go hunting. You will not be disappointed. Just do your job and the gun/cartridge will always do its job.
I have a friend who has used 4 different rifles this season. Started with a T/C in '06, missed 3 standing shots at a large buck. Sold it for a .308 Mauser, didn't kill the deer at 250yds. Said he hit it but couldn't find any hair/blood/ or deer. Obviously the gun is not big enough to bag a deer. Sold it bought a .30-06. Same deal. Sold it, bought a .300WM. Finally killed a deer.
Each time he has shot 10rds MAX through it to zero and then off hunting he went. Wouldn't listen to anyone. Now he claims that you need a minimum .300WM to kill a deer, all the while, my wife is knocking them down with the .243.
 
I have used Remington, Federal and Winchester in my 243 over the years, if I do my bit the rifle and round do theirs. Great all-round round for prairie deer/antelope. Rem core-lokt or the Fed "blue box" in 100gr have worked well for me. Last year I spent more on some Winchester in a black box with nice nickle cartridges, black bullets with ballistic nylon tips - I couldn't tell the difference on a half dozen check shots and the deer sure couldn't. Perhaps this summer I'll try hard at the range to compare the rounds but in the field, out to 250m there is not much in it.
 
I'd try Nosler Custom 85gr Partition, Federal Premium 85gr TSX or 100gr Partition, Remington 90gr Scirocco, Hornady Superformance 80gr GMX
 
THERE IS NO NEED FOR PREMIUM BULLETS IN A .243!! How hard is this to get through to people? It proved itself long before there were "premium" bullets and it continues to do so. Today's factory ammo, even the cheap stuff is far better than we were getting in the 70's and still animals dropped.
It seems that today people always have to have the 3B's or you just can't get the job done. Instead of putting in the work required to do it, we'll just take a shortcut. Use a cannon and a $3 round on a deer. Next thing, you'll be using .338's on gophers, just to make sure they don't get back in their holes.
For heaven's sake, stop the insanity!!
 
I would only use barns or a partion I had the joys of using corelocks at 75 ft hit a rib going in didn't even make a mark on the other side bullet blowed up real fine Dead after 100 yard run but was disapointed
 
I never had issue to kill a deer with 100gr Federal Soft Point (Blue box, cheap stuff). They all drop right in their track. Anyway that's what grouped the best in my rifle. Now that I'm reloading, I'm using different bullet but this is just because I want to try all of them :) and deer won't notice the difference!

Crash2k
 
I hope I am not off topic here when I ask if the Barnes 85 grain TSX would be a good choice in a deer bullet for a hand loader. It's the only TSX in .243. I like the TSX in general, but would be interested in opinions in this application.
 
rookie wildcat said:
THERE IS NO NEED FOR PREMIUM BULLETS IN A .243!! How hard is this to get through to people? It proved itself long before there were "premium" bullets and it continues to do so. Today's factory ammo, even the cheap stuff is far better than we were getting in the 70's and still animals dropped.
It seems that today people always have to have the 3B's or you just can't get the job done. Instead of putting in the work required to do it, we'll just take a shortcut. Use a cannon and a $3 round on a deer. Next thing, you'll be using .338's on gophers, just to make sure they don't get back in their holes.
For heaven's sake, stop the insanity!!
Click to expand...

I load for 2 .243 right now, and have been present over the years when at least 35 deer were shot with a .243 and one kind of bullet or another. I load 100 grain Partitions for deer loads. I think premium bullets make the 6mm twins completely reliable on deer sized game from any angle.

No one is suggesting a .338 on gophers. I think you are getting just a little over the top about this.
 
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