Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 243 Winchester 90 Scenar 'test'

This morning there was a weanling whitetail camped out by the silage pile. Rear leg was broken about a foot above the hoof, obviously hit by a car.

It trotted out about 150 yards away and when it stopped I shot it. Broadside lung/rib shot, dropped at the shot and died. Found the 'bullet' about an inch deep on the entrance side. Core must have made it into the vitals, it was cold and I was in a hurry so just took the backstraps and didn't do a complete autopsy.

Needless to say I don't plan on using this bullet for big game ever again.

What's left of the jacket weighs 15 grains. Pieces of fragged jacket were found close to the entry.

Just a heads up as I've had several PM's about using this bullet on deer.






And yes, the 100lb dink died so I guess the bullet did its job but I'm gonna keep the 90 Scenars for canine duty.

Interesting... Have you used any other bullets outta the 243 on deer?

6.5-06, no I haven't. In fact this was only the second deer I've shot with a 243, both 90 Scenars.

The other deer was a large bodied mule deer buck.

Couple years ago and I don't remember the exact details. 150-200 yard quartering shot, calm standing deer, dropped instantly and disappeared in tall sage brush. Very dead buck when I made it down to him 1/2 hour later. Never found the bullet but judging the wound it had way better penetration than the bullet from today.

That's discouraging to hear. I've never had any kind of bullet (or even bullet piece) fail to "only" penetrate an inch or so on a lung/rib shot.

I've seen elk shoulders stop entire bullets, but that's a totally different situation.

I don't guess I'd want to use one of those on whitetails anymore either, Sammo.

I'm a fan of the 95 grain Ballistic Tip and the 95 Grain Partition.

I don't mind slumming the 100 grain Hornady either.

Same here Sammo. I guess they quit making the 100 grain Hornady in a flat base, which is my fave....But i have a stash of them They have always behaved neck and neck with 100 grain Partitions.
Many members here that I actually trust and believe told me to use the 95 NBT and it has been uber....

Sam,

You sure it had a core to begin with?

T, I know what you mean, couldn't believe it either. Zero sign of entrance or exit on the outside, which isn't weird, but when I skinned each side of the deer I started thinking WTF?!

Thought for a second that the deer must have been facing the other way but there wasn't any hole on the other side. I even thought about it again, drove back to the deer and really looked a second time but no other hole in the hide.


I've seen a buck antelopes shoulder stop a 150 Partition out of a 300WSM but the bullet today basically broke up on hide, fat and a little meat.





CT and Poobs, I have 2 boxes of 95 Partitions on the shelf but they didn't match up POI with the Scenars.

Obviously a 270 is needed for these little ass deer....grin




Jordan, it had a core, pancake supreme jacket but the core must have slipped and kept going? Hell if I know.

Sammo, I haven't used the 243, but have loaded the 95 BTs and 85 TSX for others and have had good results.

Someday I will get a 243... to many others to test right now.

Sammo, with that experience I would say screw the POI of the Scenars and re-sight with the NBTs!



And just keep that .270 for grouse...it doesn't bounce off them...

6.5, those sound like 2 good choices.

Everyone seems to like the 95 BT's. I tried some in this particular rifle but the Scenars were more accurate.

Did shoot 1 coyote with the 95 BT's and he was very dead!

My rifle LOVES the 95 NBTs...


Yours must be a Kimber.....if its not shooting them well....

Poobs, it was no doubt a seating depth miscalculation...

Well, if you can, try to go back and rip open the offside lung cavity. I'd bet you find the core laying right on the inside of the ribs.

It'll be frozen by tomorrow so I could just take an ax and easily chop that place open. That way a damn eagle won't scarf it down either...

This whole incident speaks volumes!!! These deer are tough sumbitches!!! I remember Larry claiming only "x' s" would reliably kill deer..... cup n cores suck!!! Grin

I've shot enough critters with the 95gr. NBT to confirm that what you hear said about it is true. It's a killing mofo.

Not all guns will shoot them though, my M70 featherweight scatters them like a kid throwing gravel.

Yes I'm sure one of the most respected bullet manufacturers forgot to put a core in one of their bullets

Larry the cable guy?

I have killed over 100 white-tailed deer with the 100 Interlock out of a 6mm. I have never had a problem with that bullet. Ranges were close out to 400ish yards.

I don't like the new trend of using target bullets for hunting.