For the deer hunting .243 WIN loaders

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35Wailin

CGN Regular
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Location
northern Ontario
I got a good deal on some Hornady 95gr SSTs. They shoot acceptably with the first recipe I've tried. My question really is performance on Whitetails. I will not get a shot past 150 yards where I hunt. I don't really have time this year for load development. Just going with this load if the bullets are good performers for this year. I'll tweak with powders and loads next summer.

I also have a limited supply of 80gr Speer Deep Curl bullets that are shooting tight enough for deer hunting at this range, but I feel they may be on the lighter side.

Thoughts/opinions?
 
Use a slower burning powder, like 4350 and build up a load until you are about max for your rifle.
Bolt action I presume, so load until there is a touch of bolt drag on opening, or other signs of full load, back off half a grain, or maybe 1 grain.
Load up your supply for deer hunting and sight it in. The ammunition will certainly be within good deer hunting accuracy, unless there is a problem with your rifle.
 
95 gr. SST's work great on deer, My son shot his first whitetail with a 243- 95 gr SST fueled by H 1000 . Shot was under 100 yards and the buck just piled up.
 
Your 80 gn DCs will work fine on deer. Try IMR 4350 and load like Bruce said and you will pile drive deer. I have used thousands of 80 gn bullets in my 243s and although I have not done much deer hunting as there are few in the Yukon, they are devastating on wolves up to 200 lbs and black bears up to about 300 from my experience. My kid even shot a moose with 62" antlers (in other words a big boy) with an 80 grn bullet from his 243..........he shot him behind the ear at about 80 mtrs, but he was still very dead.
 
I don't know what my powder charges are off hand, I'd have to check ,y records, but my powder of choice is IMR 4350.

Like. Mentioned, next year, I will do proper load development, but for now, I have two loads that give acceptable accuracy at hunting range for me.
 
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