Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Explosive varmint bullet for .243 Win

I am late for the party, but here is a load that has worked for me on chucks. It absolutely blows them in half if shot in the body. It is a 75 grain Hornady HP at 3350 using 47 grains of 4350 powder. One grain above and one grain below, and it shoots an inch. With this load, I have shot many 200 yard groups less than 3/4" with a HB Sako 243. My favorite longer range chuck gun.

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Have used alot of different varmint bullets in the 243 over the years looking for that magic bullet. I liked the 58 grain VMAX over the 55 grain Ballastic Tip, shot a ton of 70 grain Ballistic Tips, a great varmint bullet. The most economical and accurate, for me, is the 70 grain Speer TNT, hard to find lately so I've replaced it with the 65 grain VMAX which I have only shot several hundred of but am coming to like very much. I think this will be my go to varmint load with Varget and Rem 9 1/2 primers.

Just an update,.... shot some more chucks since the last post and 70gr BTs worked great. Almost turned one chuck inside out. I also noticed that rifle was walking groups around so the initial hit might have bounced into the chucks and not been direct hits. As I shot the rifle more the misses became more noticeable so I shot the rifle on paper to confirm the problem. Since this is the second time this has happened to me with a different Mauser but same brand stock I concluded that the stock cannot stand up to the amount of pressure I place upon it while shooting sitting/ prone slung. Since then I have gone to shooting the AR I built and made a fairly lucky shot with it at 391 yds this past weekend.

The most explosive 6mm varmint bullet is the 62 grain Barnes Varmint Grenade - period. They need a twist in the 1:10 range, because they are as long as 80-87 grain offerings. Most .243's should work. I haven't used them on yotes, but the advertisements say they enter with a tiny hole then explode inside without exiting.

Here is a photo of the destruction caused by the closest Varmint Grenade I have pictures for, the 50 grain .224 on a ground squirrel. The yellow arrow points to the remaining ear.



The rest of the squirrel vanished. If you really want explosive expansion the copper-tin powdered metal core of the Varmint Grenade will deliver.

Try some Barnes Varmint Grenades, I have good accuracy .675 3 shot 100 yd. groups, I think you will like the explosiveness.

I shoot 65 grain hornady V-max.

Just today I shot two Wood Chucks with a Ruger .243 shooting Federal Premium V Shok 70gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip Ammo. Both wood chucks were perfectly broadside through the shoulders. The carnage was amazing and the 70gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips literally blew the chucks into 2 pieces each. There were innards all over surround the wood chucks. I am not sure how much more explosive a .243 bullet can get.

Larry

I'll second 75 grain Hornady HPs.

I'm running them through an old factory Remington 700 with a trigger tuned to 2 1/2" and a new classic ADL factory stock yet the action was manufactured way back in 1963. The rifle now wears a 6x18 VXII. Mind you it only has a 20" barrel but with 45 grains of WW 760 my best groups are around .125 and my exits holes on chucks are usually 2-3".

I really can't ask for more.

Me too! I use the moly-coated 58 gr. V-Max factory load at 3760. Blows up little critters as well as a 22-250. Use the 30 gr. Berger in your .243 necked to .223 and you can push 5000 fps. (Look in AR reloading page for 22-243 Middlestead). That will blow up, gut, skin and cook your critters!

Got a buddy that's running 87 V-Max out of his AR-10 243 and i saw him nail a jackrabbit at 472 yds. on the second shot. It was very destructive at that range, and he's reported excellent terminal effect with it on prairie dogs beyond 400. What more could u ask for? I can't imagine a better varmint bullet for 600 yds. and under than that one--the highest BC varmint bullet made as has been mentioned above. Someday u'll be out there shooting chucks when the wind's blowing and u'll learn to appreciate the higher BC bullets.

I couldn't get it to shoot out of my 6AI for long-range coyotes but the 75 Horn. BTHP gave me <MOA all the way out to 800 yds. on the calm days.

SS-I couldn't get the 87 VM to shoot very well in my 6/06 either (neither could a couple of buds), but the 75 VM is a total terror and shoots lights out!

Dober