you can push an 87 or 85 grain in a 243 to 3150 fps MV or a little more if you want it to be as hot as possible.
I only have experience with the 85 Sierra and the 87 Hornady BTHP, but I'd tend to run them at the 2800 fps MV...
Slowed down some I think I've gotten deeper penetration than at the higher MV. Both being HPs, they will give a hollower wound, at the faster velocity, wider but less penetration. no one ever seems to consider the resistance of the deer's meat.
Think about slamming your fist into water, while in the lake. Hit it real hard you feel the resistance of the water..
Hit it with your fist slower, and you feel little to no resistance....Same concept in soft material such as meat.
Seafire….care to share some of those reduced loads?
I’m thinking 4895 might be a good choice here??
I normally go with faster powder. A lot of my work, has been inspired via Boy Scouts. I work with a lot of 12 to 14 yr olds, that inherit Dad's or Granddad's 06 or 308, after completing the Rifle Shooting Merit Badge. Powders I use a lot of for these boys, and let them load them, with Dad's presence and my supervision is either 4198s ( I prefer IMR's ) or RL 7. 3031 is also a good source to use for youth loads.
I use a lot of these loads myself in the field, as I have the philosophy that I don't need a 1000 yd elk load to take some blacktail deer at 100 yds or less....or even at 199 yds or less. Most common load I use and recommend is 30 grains of 4198. This is from 243 up thru 30/06. It will duplicate velocity of a 30/30 or better in an 06 or 308. Lighter bullet equal a 300 Savage. This charge doesn't matter if the bullet is a 110 grain up to a 180 grain bullet. You are not over SAAMI spec pressure limits., yet it will easily take a deer to 250 yds, without any real "Kentucky windage".... ( I'll expand on that a little in a following post ).
The same charge will work with a 243, with any bullet weight, without exceeding SAAMI specs. from 55 grains to 105 grains. It will even allow a varmint bullet to be effective on any decent sized deer on down. On the other end, its not a good choice for a partition, but will work great with a Barnes X, TSX or TTSX. IN fact these will often penetrate further at the lower speed, than at higher velocity many times. Depends on the size of your animal of course...But they are more lethal at the slower speeds for a variety of reasons. Just don't use a bullet that is known for being really hard, and you'll be fine. A Sierra Game Changer is not recommended by me tho... there was a whole lynch mob on me over finding out that one didn't work well, as it was too hard.. It needs to be driven hard to maximize its design parameters.
Shorten up the distance you may want to take game, say 100 yds or so.. and these charges can be dropped to 20 or 25 grains of 4198 and they will work within most bullets design envelope.
Blue Dot, Alliant Steel and also even Unique can be used if done so in the right parameters. Even worked on some of these loads for women and younger gals to use... like 10 yr olds and even younger in a few instances. A 30/30 with 10 grains of Unique and a 110 gr SP/RN bullet ( normally for a M1 Carbine ) will work just fine for 100 to 125 yds....done this one for some young kids, "hunting" with Grandpa off the front porch, when either the kid or grandpa are handicapped.
anything from 243 to 06 and about any common cartridge in between, I've worked with folks with these loads for kids and women.. even dads and granddads seem to like them if they don't care for recoil, yet they still will bring home venison all day, within range parameters... which I set at 250 yds, and that takes in about the range 99% of most deer are taken within.
I can tell ya Holston, ANY of these will work within the area you live in.... for deer or bear. I may live in Oregon, but I am from where you are from.... for 17 generations.... was born in Bluefield. descended from some of the first people to settle in that corner of Virginia and what is now Southern WVa...
