Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Best factory .243 deer load.

Yes I know I should reload for it but I may spin a 7-08 barrel on it next year so not anxious to buy dies and components for that. It seems to shoot anything I feed it into what I call hunting suitable accuracy, 6" plate from field positions out to 300 yards. So federal premium partition, Barnes ttsx, federal fusion, or hornady gmx for premium loads or 100 grain Winchester PP, Remington coreloc or federal powershok?

If you are just shooting deer, from what Ive heard, it would be 100 gr. Federal fusion.

ingwe: FWIW: If their website is correct, the 243 Fusion deer load is 95 gr

In my experience it depends a lot on the size of the deer. I've shot a bunch of "average" deer with the .243 using various cup-and-core bullets in the 100-grain range, including the plain "blue box" Federal and Winchester Power Point 100-grain factory loads. The only "problem" ever encountered was with a 105-grain Speer Hot-Cor that left its jacket at the entrance hole on a small whitetail buck shot at around 200 yards--but the core kept on penetrating and dropped the buck.

After chronographing a bunch of .243 factory ammo over the years, I suspect one reason it works pretty well with 100-grain cup-and-cores is the muzzle velocity rarely exceeds 2900 fps from a typical 22-inch barrel, and is often around 2800 fps. Such velocities don't put much stress on a bullet.

If I was specifically hunting bigger deer with a .243, roughly defined as bucks weighing over 200 pounds on the hoof, then I'd opt for a stouter bullet. The Fusion would probably be OK, but despite fairly high retained weight I haven't been overly impressed with the penetration of Fusions, especially at closer ranges or when they hit bone more substantial than a rib, because they expand pretty wide.

The Fed Fusions are 95 gr. as I recall.. and moly coated for some reason.... Have heard the fusions work very well though.

After read MD's post I suspect the reason the fusions have worked well around here is we have very small deer in KS...

The moly thing is what has kept me from trying them...

Federal makes very good factory ammo IMO. I shoot Federal Vital-Shoks in .243 and .260 and have not been disappointed in performance on deer. Either the Fusion SP or Vital-Shok partitions or ballistic tips should serve you well. Barnes Vor-TX 80 TTSX are also great loads.

Another factory round to consider is the Winchester 95 grain Ballistic Silvertip. It's topped with a coated version of the Nosler 95 BT which is a really good deer bullet.

Yup, 95 grain Fusion ammo has been my go to the last 5 years with my .243. Not deer but its accounted for a truckload++ of antelope out to 350 yards. Good stuff & accurate IMHO.

I've watched the .243 kill deer since it first came out. It has an excellent rep for killing deer, sometimes even well beyond 300 yds. That includes an ex-wife who put an old Pronghorn buck down on the spot even the hit was too far back...
Back in the 60's and 70's regular contributor to Guns and Ammo, Les Bowman said it and the .244/6mm Remington had a better record on elk than did the .338 WM. His recommendation was the still very good Sierra 100 gr. spiter.
But if you insist on the very best, from what I've seen personally, the 95-100 Nosler Partition is the choice. Based on what I've seen the Barnes TSX/TTSX do, I would say they are right there as well. So, it's your call. E

If anybody is making a factory load with a 95 NBT it would be the shizz...

Federal Premium:

OAD NO. USE CALIBER BULLET WEIGHT
GRAINS
BULLET STYLE BALLISTIC COEFFICIENT BRAND
P243J
Medium Game 243 Win. (6.16x51mm) 95 Nosler® Ballistic Tip® 0.378 Vital-Shok®

My earlier post:

My son has been using the Winchester Deer Season XP 95 grain extreme point with great success from his Savage 99F in 243.

we have killed a pile of schit with 243/6mm. 100 grain fed. blue box, winchester power point, or hornady interlocks. all killed very very well

Travis's favorite load for the 243 is a 55 grain 22-250...

I've used the 100 grain blue box Federal, 100 grain core lokt, 100 grain power point and 95 grain Hornady SST with complete success. Broke the onside shoulder joint on a mid size buck as it quatered to me with the blue box Federal a couple years ago. Turned the shoulder joint to shrapnel, trashed the lungs and exited at the last rib on the other side. That said, the Hornady SST does the most internal damage by far and puts deer down fast with lung shots. It also penetrates better than most here would believe. I shot a huge old doe head on, square in the brisket from 30 yards with one a few years back. Blew the top of her heart off, turned her lungs to purple jelly, blew a silver dollar sized hole through her liver and was lost in the paunch.

I have used Federals with the Sierra 85-gr HPBT to good effect on coyotes to deer. It seems to be counter intuitive but this hollow point seems to be pretty tough.

I don't read your posts anymore.

you are dead to me.

I thought that was his fave 7-08 load....

If i was going to use factory in my 243 Win for deer it would be the 100 gr Remington Corelokt

I have used the Winchester, Remington and Federal 100gr cartridges and all have worked just fine on deer and smaller animals. I can take all of those mix 'em in a bucket and fire 'em in random order and they will all go into 1 1/4 group at 100yds. But, my gun DOES NOT like the 100gr
federal Premiums.
Get a box of whatever 100gr; shoot em for accuracy/POA/POI and go kill some deer.

Winchester 95gr Ballistic Silver Tip.

Sounds like I should just stick a new 2-7 scope on it and keep shooting corelockts until I get the urge to turn it into a 7mm-08. It shoots them very well.

Sorry shrapnel no .22-250's but there is a stock Stevens 200 .223 Remington that kills deer and the occasional nuisance bear. Typically with 64 grain power points although its currently being fed 55 grain hornady sp with cannelure.
Wait I guess it isn't exactly stock. I stuck a leupold VX-1 on it.

Over the years when I was young, and before I learned to reload, I used 80 WW soft points, 100 WW power points, and then 100 Rem Corelokt.

Never had a single issue other than the 80s being way to destructive.

Now that I'm a reloader and barnes man, I believe factory comes in 85 tsx or ttsx... thats the way I'd roll for sure. I can't recall firing more than one round on a deer in quite some time. I practice with a 22 most of the year or 223, and hence few 243 rounds fired ever. Just enough to verify drops to 500 and zero ever year I use it.

While I have larger rounds, I just don't think that on deer under 200 pounds that it takes much to kill them.

That said I had a lot of jacket/core seperations until I went to the 105s that John mentions. I never saw that with them, but likely didn't ever shoot more than about 200 of them over some years of testing/ and finally hunting.

Hornady Custom line with a 100g BTSP is a very accurate round, loaded with H4350, and the bullet his hard to beat for a cup and core bullet, better than a core loct in my opinion.

I would also look to barnes factory ammo with a 85g tripple shock or a 80g tipped tripple shock, they are awesome performers.

Federal loads the 95 NBT in their Premium line. And I can testify that it works well on deer.

I've also used Federal Fusion and Hornady's 100 grain American Whitetail ammo and they worked well on deer and hogs.

Zing!!

When not shooting reloads,the .243Win I have (the Wifes) just loves Rem Cor-Loct's 100gr.No problems with our Wa mulies...ScottyO.

I'm of the opinion that for deer, any 95-100gr bullet will work fine. Of course, the lighter Partitions and Barnes will do as well. They're all designed to shoot deer out of a .243. As a kid, I took deer and javelina with the old Federal red box Hi-Shoks. I never really tried for shoulder shots with the load or any hard angles. I did hit a javelina square in the neck once. I was 15 and it was 250 yards out at a very slow trot, and broadside, the lungs and neck run pretty much in a straight line and are right next to each other. The bullet did come apart on that neck, which is pretty solid on those little stinkers, but that animal dropped right there. Also, I took a mule deer angling toward me at about 60 yards. The bullet missed the point of the shoulder, but took out the heart, then traveled through the length of the deer and exited just in front of the opposite hind quarter. The hole coming out was about the size of a nickel. So, even with a close shot, that tells me it expanded well, but held together too. The deer staggered, ran for about 40 yards, then piled up.

Our little savage youth M11 in .243 has accounted for many, many deer, with most of the mentioned factory fodder.

100gr blue box federal
100gr Winchester PP
95gr Federal Fusion
85gr TSX Barnes Vor-tx

I know some people hate on 'em with a passion, but it's current diet is Hornady Superformance 95gr SST, & we're loving the results !

Never had one go more than 250 yards & that doe was hit to far back in liver & was pushed too early. Most the standard 30 - 60 yards.

My son has killed several deer now with his Model 700 Youth .243. They all seem to work the same for us, and all have been plenty accurate.

A couple with blue box federal 100gr.
8 or 10 with 95gr federal fusions.
and a couple with Hornady 100gr btsp.

Recovered two Fusions and one Hornady on hard angled shots. All found under the skin on the off side.

Hornady, deer only made about 20 yards before a second shot anchored him.


Bob.

Fusions.
The one on the left went through a shoulder and was found just in front of the off rear leg. The one on the right was a more broadside shot slightly quartering away at closer range and was lodged in the off side scapula (it shows the wider opening that Mule Deer referenced). Both deer only went 20-30 yards after being shot.

Can't go wrong with 100gr powerpoints!

^^^This^^^

I've killed truck loads of deer and hogs at the Ranch over the years with that exact load. Also, with that same bullet in my 6mm Remington 700 Classic.

Used Winchester Supreme for years. One fine downright deadly deer dumper.

Well, I don't use factory ammo, but I copy a factory load, and the results are spectacular. 80 grain TTSX. Hits hard, never have had one stay in a deer, even with shoulder and neck shots, and the blood trails are great, if needed.

It's hard to go wrong with a .243Win load for deer, since most 6mm bullets between 80-100 grains are built with the .243Win velocity window in mind. A lot of good advice on here, I would only add that factory loads often fall short in the advertised velocity department. For this reason I sick with the under 100gr factory loads for my own rifles.

I am as others fond of the 95gr Federal Fusion load. Also I like the Federal 95gr Nosler Ballistic tip (if you can find them)

The next one I really want to try is the Nosler Custom 90gr Accubond. That looks like a sweet spot for the .243Win on deer in my eyes.

Stay away from the bullets designed for Varmints and you will be just fine.

mg

The vortex 2-7z32 is a great little scope for the $.

Since not going to reload grab a box of Barnes Vor-tx and see how it does at the range.

If you like the 243, you will probably really like the 7mm08.

Which line of vortex? Locally the easiest 2-7 scopes I can get my hand's on are Redfield, Burris fullfield and nikon prostaff any faults with those?

I figured the scope question would generate more discussion by now.

I like the VX1 2-7x33 better than all those mentioned. Second choice would be the Redfield......

As for 243 bullets ( I don't use factory loads), just to stick to the Corelokts if they shoot well for you.

As for cheaper factory deer bullets, I like Power Points best. They just plain work on deer, and hold together better than the RCL, IMO.

I have used mostly SGKs and TSXs in my 243s lately.

Hell, they all kill deer......

Vortex Crossfire II 2-7 x 32mm Rifle Scope Dead Hold BDC Reticle CF2-31003 Is the small compact scope I like.
Can find them shipped for under $120.

Non of the Vortex I have bought have disappointed me especially for the price.

Sorry to go off topic but has anyone used 100gr Federal Blue Box on Black Bear?

If it will kill whitetail deer, it will kill black bear.

Here ya go, https://www.midwayusa.com/product/4...-gameking-soft-point-boat-tail-box-of-20

Wont have many runners at all with these, best bullet for whitetails in my opinion. Small animals under #250 don't require much bullet. Usually DRT.

Me too.

Agreed. The 100 SGK is a superb deer bullet IME. I have owned at least a half dozen 243s and loaded for a few more. Have yet to find one that won't shoot this bullet very accurately. It has produced some lightning fast kills....

I like Federal premium 100gr NPT.

Nosler partitions are great, I load them for grandkids.

my old mossberg 800 shoots the 80 grain corelokt PSP's into tiny little groups so i bought a bunch at Dicks years ago when they were like 8 bucks a box. i've gotten 2 whitetails with them and they flattened them.

I shoot 308 165s and 243 95gr Federal Fusion. No where, on the box or Federal site, can I find that the Fusions are moly coated.

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/brands/fusion.aspx

The blue box federal 100 grn soft pnt loads work well. I would stay away from a load with boat tailed bullets.

The older .243 95 grain Fusion is different than the newer ammo unless they changed it again??? I used to shoot the old stuff, bought around 30 boxes of it 5-6 years ago because they shot great out of my favorite rifle. The newer stuff though says right on the box "coated bullet". Not sure its moly though, think its something else. And the newer bullets are either shorter overall or seated deeper??