Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 243 bullet for double shoulder shots?

Recently picked up a little marlin xs7 for shooting coyotes and I like it so much I think I'm going to load something for western Kentucky white tail. Looking for suggestions on bullets that are capable of making a double shoulder shot on a big buck should one step out, but still perform on regular sized white tail out to 300 yards.

I'm considering the following.

1. 100gr nosler partitions.

2. 85gr Barnes tsx

Any other bullets meet these needs? What about factory loads?

Both of those will work, as will a 100 grain Hornady flat base.

I'd love to line up a double shoulder shot with the 95 BT I load.

Is that an Interlock or interbond?

80 grain TTSX. Why a double shoulder shot? Heavy cover? Put one of those behind the shoulders and you are guaranteed a good blood trail. But if you do accidentally hit both shoulders, it will come out the other side. Just might lose meat. The bullet holds together, but at 3300 fps, there will be damage from bone fragments, etc. when that little buzzsaw goes through.

Interlock. Unfortunately, the flat base is not shown in the '15 catalog or on the website. Only the BTSP in 100 gr. is shown.

So the 80 grain isn't too light then? They really penetrate as advertised?

I just want to be able to anchor one with authority should the need arise. If I can't make such a shot maybe I'll just bring more gun and leave this one for the coyotes.

I know lots of places where following a blood trail means crawling on your hands and knees thru cactus and thorns, with a decent chance of coming nose to nose with a coiled rattler. Sometimes you want them to go straight down.

Even without rattlers it's kinda handy to anchor them sometimes. The TSX's and the Nosler Partition will do the job, even on a big northern buck. My wife has double-shoulder a few big Montana whitetails with them over the years.

My son dropped a small buck with a lightly loaded 80 TTSX out of his 243 youth - it only busted one shoulder but I have no doubt it would have busted both if the buck would have been standing broadside. Muzzle velocity was probably around 3,000 fps.

I'll probably be hunting my buddies waterfowl property which is swamp, lake, and more swamp. Not exactly ideal tracking conditions, but lots of big deer and not much hunting pressure.

Front, or rear?

The 95gr Nosler Ballistic Tips will double shoulder them

THIS

. 85gr Barnes tsx AND THIS

Im gonna try to double shoulder an Axis with that bullet in a couple months....

Whttail,

Ah, yes, the old "rear shoulders" shot! I believe Swampman 700 specializes in those, especially from a moving golf cart.

The Speer bonded 90gr deep curl or hot core, if you can find them, will absolutely break both shoulders to at least 270, and exit. Nosler BTs, partitions, and other non-solids, will as well....if you don't want a mono.

I've seen the 100 gr. Partition penetrate whitetails from every angle and haven't recovered more than a couple. I've double shouldered a few and seem them go DRT. I'm sure the Barnes will do just as well. Let the rifle tell you which one it likes.

Yep, proprietary...

Swampy owns that one...

DF

We used the 90 gr. Accubond from both the .243 Win. and 6mm Rem. this year and I was very happy with the performance. Son got his first deer with an 85 yard shot using a reduced recoil load (25.5 grs. of SR4759), yet it still broke the near side front leg/shoulder and dropped the buck in just 10-15 yards. I took a nice buck the next morning with the 6mm at 255 yards with complete penetration. Shot was just behind the shoulder and the deer took three steps and fell over.

Will definitely be using them again next year.