Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles .243 WINCHESTER AND THE WHITETAIL DEER

The 6mm Remington, now you are talking a mans rifle. I get at least 35 fps more with that rifle than any 243!

I get 3400 fps with 80 gr ttsx out of my marlin 243, with .75 moa groups. I am fairly sure it will kill any deer I point it at to farther distances than I will be able to shoot on my place.

My 'first' gun was a Savage 99 in .243. Took a pile of deer with that rifle and still have it. It was 'replaced' by a Model 600 in 243 that continued stacking meat. The 600 will go to my Grandson as soon as he's old enough to handle it (he's 4.5 now).

Favorite load is with IMR 4064 and 95 NBT or CTBT. 5-shot group out of the 600 =

I have had several .243s, and have rarely been without one since the mid '70s. I finally settled on THE one about 25, or more,years ago. It has one flaw, which I choose to ignore. It is a Browning Safari on the small ring Mauser action (long action-the flaw) with the pencil barrel. It is accurate. Many years ago, I had a thin jacket bullet come apart. Back then the only real answer was Nosler Partition, so I went with the 100 grain near 3000 fps for deer and pigs. I went with a 70 grain at about 3450 for coyotes and such. I have never had reason to change.

My rifle, zeroed at 100 with the 70 grain, throws the 100 exactly three inches higher and on the same vertical plane. I zero 100s and hold under for the lightweights, so I don't screw with the turrets. a LRD or B&C reticle would be ideal. I'm cheap and have not needed a new scope lately. Seems like coyote, fox, and bobcats are more targets of opportunity while loaded with 100s, so I do not use many 70S.

In the years since my "bad bullet" there have been lots of improvements in bullet technology and there are lots of good strong bullets out there now. Even the 100 NP is more streamlined than it once was.

I'm too old to climb mountains anymore. Mule deer, whitetails, pigs and varmints of opportunity are likely the menu. My .243 returns to the top of my bolt gun list this year. BTW, if you run into a nice 99F Savage (the lightweight model) they are known to be good shooters.

Best wishes,

jack

I can vouch for that factory offering as well. I will say I've yet to shoot a deer with a .243 past 150 yrds. generally most have been right at 100 yrds with a couple a lot closer and a couple near the 150 mark. it works and I have had complete pass through on all of them.

I've killed 3 with a 243 all pretty much dead within 5-10 yds of impact. Longest shot was right at 200 yds from my 77RSI. It is the only bullet I have ever recovered, a rem. 100gr corelokt thru both shoulders & a perfect mushroom under the hide on the off side. It looked just like the magazine ads. I believe it weighed right at 80 gr + or -.

At one point in time I was reloading for five or six .243 bolt rifles in the family. 95gr Nosler Partition over a middling load of Varget gave good accuracy (MOA +/-) in all of the rifles. Between myself, daughter, son, son-in-law, grand kids, killed several dozen KY White Tails with the .243. Didn't a single one bounce off. Don't recall that we ever caught one.

Killed dozens of deer with a .243 in the old days. Fave bullet was the Hornady 100 grainer ( flat base) Nowadays the campfire guys have talked me into the 95 NBT, so I'll be giving it a try this fall, and next spring on Axis.

I don't think Hornady makes that flat base bullet anymore. What made it better than the BTSP?

I have a sako a7 being ai punched as we speak and will be loading 95gr classic bergers for deer. It's my wife's gun but I sure enjoy carrying the light little package.

.243 and Whitetail deer are like biscuits and gravy� made for each other� not to mention the fact that the .243 has enabled a lot of the same over the years..

I like flat base bullets as I really don't have a lot of opportunities at extended ranges where the boat tail might offer advantage and it seems to me that boat tails tend to shed their jackets more than the flat bases.

Never really considered the ass having much to do with jacket shedding, but the either works fine to 300, in the .243. Heck, good bullets turn a .223 into good deer medicine. They turn a .243 into a 30-06, with the POS bullets often used 30 years ago...and nobody complained.

Lots of good advice - had kills from 70 TNT varmint bullets thru 100 Partitions. My #1 fave is 95 ballistic tip. Second is 80/85 Barnes.

All work but best w bullets that expand controlled n retain weight n hold together.
That ensures max wound channel THRU vitals.

Bullets like a TNT can splatter or say a 105 Amax ESP at close range and/or heavy bone.
Careful shot placement on head/neck or lungs will result in quick death. Botched placement can wound.

Not used yet but a 90 Swift Scirocco should be a great all around slug too.

243s have light recoil n blast, and tend to be very accurate n flat - maximizing shot placement.

Bad experiences tend to come from a poor bullet choice and/or sloppy shooting.

Here in the deep south, deer can't stand the .243..

I just started using the 243 this deer season which started a month ago here in S.C. Have taken four deer so far with the 95bt. Two dropped on the spot, one ran 20 yards and one ran 45. The one that ran the furthest I had to shoot left handed and shot him mid ribs. It's a fun gun to shoot. I've not seen any blood on the runners so far and that worries me but I'll keep using it to see if it becomes a problem in the very thick areas I hunt. I think it kills as well as any caliber but might not leave as much blood.

I worried about that, at first. However, the .243 has caused some of the most gruesome bleedouts I've ever seen, also. Fact is, higher than midline, from a low/flat angle, and I've seen sparse blood with everything you can think of, even supermags and 45-70s. High angles, below the midline, and pass throughs bleed, no matter what.

My old "Veteran" Uncles from both sides have been killing deer and pigs with the 243 Winchester and 6MM Remington since I was a pup, and exclusively using the 100 gr Partitions at 2900 fps for the last 25+ years.

Not one single complaint I've heard.

what bullet were u using when u say there wasnt much blood. i had great blood trails with the 80gr powerpoints. deer never went out of sight but i remember there was a good bit of blood

I was using the 95bt from Nosler; it kills well. I just did not see a bloodtrails on the two that ran. One bullet did not exit, the rest did. Hope to have some more results this weekend.

i used the 130gr nbt in my 270 2 seasons ago. killed 3 bucks that year and no blood trails at all. i always get blood trails with the soft points tho