Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Best 243 100 grain factory ammo for Deer?

No sir, feel free to use.

Opinions are like butt holes, and we all have one. For what it is worth, I would stay away from tipped bullets for deer size game in a 243. I have owned several 243's over the years just traded for another a couple of weeks ago. I am loading 85 gr Partitions in mine. If I were to shoot factory fodder, I would buy Rem Corelokts.

I actually carried a couple of friends to the range yesterday to sight in their guns, and both used Corelokts in their 243's and got good accuracy. One was shooting a Rem 700 and the other was shooting his son's Rem 7.

Having killed many deer with both my 243 and 6mm i would have to say that you should shell out nearly $100.00 and buy a box of Corelockts,Winchester Power Points,and perhaps a box of Federal Power Shocks or Fusions and see which one shoots the very best in your particular rifle.
With luck all will shoot really good and maybe two of the brands will shoot to practically the same point of impact.
At that point sight in your rifle with what appears to be the most accurate and go hunting.

Federal makes, or at least used to make, a 100gr Nosler Partition load in 243. I've shot several deer with that load and it worked great. Dead deer and all passed right through.

-Dan

I have used the factory loaded 100 gr. Core-Lokt with perfect results many times. I have handloaded the Hornady Interlock and Nosler Partition 100 grain bullets even more and have also had perfect results from both of those as well. I would expect any factory 100 gr. load to work very well if the shooter does their part. Find a good accurate load, sight in carefully, practice well, and go hunting with confidence.

i have used the federal power shoks and the federal fussions in my .243. my two friends shoot the rem core-lokts. all have performed very well, if i had to choose one that under the worse conditions would be less likely to fail, i would have to lean towards the fussions based on a few very close range shots i have done with them through shoulders. complete pass through with no aparent signs of fragmentation. all that said i would not fret a second if i went out with any of the other above mentioned rounds.

I got the 243 down I believe, going to go with the 100 core locks and I still think I need a 25-06 so going to pick one up and shot the 120 grain core lockts in it. I thought about a 200 stevens or a NEF???

The 25-06 will put the smack on deer. Two very experienced deer hunters I know consider the .243, 6mm Rem, and 25-06 to be the deadliest cartridges in WV woods.

I agree Dave, one I know who's a big guy carries a 243, he's about 300 pounds if not more and people use to make fun of him because him being a big guy and carrying a small gun, I learned you don't need a 30-06 and up, good grief I know guys who use short mags, 300's and 7 mags. it doesn't take much to take a Deer with one good placed shot from a 243, 25-06, 6mm or 257 roberts or 7 mm08 without all that recoil!! And that big guy has taken truck loads of Deer without 1 getting away from him!!

Definitely the Stevens. My two are born killers.
My NEF went down the road.


stumpy

Speer Nitrex pocket packs.

Who knows, with the prices of ammo going up, maybe I need to get a reloader and start working up a good load for all my rifles!!

100g Hornady "Custom" ammo in the BTSP is unreal in my Rem and Win!

We shot several large bucks in Kansas, one was 200 lbs at 320 yards.

My wife, one daughter and two sons have been shooting deer with .243's sincethe 70's. They have killed deer with factory 100 grain Core Lokts, Winchester Power Points, Hornady Interlocks, Speer Nitrex,and Federal Hi-Power. I beleive Power Points may be the best but the sample is pretty small. I have shat four deer with the .243 myself but all with Hornady handloads.

All their .243's have 18.5 to 20" barrels FWIW.

I load bulk Core-Lokts and Hornady Interlocks. I have some Partitions but haven't loaded them yet.

The best might be the Remington 100 grain Core Lokt Ultra. I wouldn't know as I have never used it.

Thanks Bear for the info!!!

I bought 200 rounds of Norma Oryx, 100 grain (bonded core) for close to the price of the brass alone.
When they're gone i've got quality brass to reload.

Nosler partition is what I load for grandkids to deer hunting.

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