Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 243 for deer

I just had my shoulder replaced and had to go with a lighter recoiling gun. I bought a Remington Model 7 in 243 with the 18.5" barrel and laminated stock. What load would be best for Michigan 150lb whitetails under 200 yards?

We kill a lot of whitetails that weigh over 150# every year with a plain Fed Orange box 100 Gr. SGK there are many factory loads that will work. if you reload there's a lot more options, 243 will kill way above it's weight class. Rio7

If you’re speaking of reloads, I’d start with 95gr BTips at about 3000

80 grain Barnes ttsx

I'm a fan of the 80gr Barnes TTSX. I've used the 95 Nosler BT and it works great but for me the top performer is the Barnes.

Consider me another 95 Ballistic Tip fan. Generally get good expansion and they dig way out of proportion to their size. Mine have been used on antelope
rather than deer but no reason they wouldn't do the same thing.

All the suggestions above are good. If your shoulder is real sensitive, I'd replace the recoil pad with a Sims LimbSaver and try the Hornady Custom Lites if your shots are inside 200 yds.

Another fan of the Nosler 95 grain Ballistic tip.

Under 200, I prefer something a little sturdier - 90 gr. Swift Scirocco, 90gr Accubond, 95/100 Partition or the 80 TTSX.

My experiment with the 95 Ballistic Tip stopped at three animals.

And another here...

100 gr Partitions work.

Nosler 95gn BT. Don't point that at any 150lb deer you don't want DRT

It works on hogs 100 pounds heavier than that too. It's a deer killer.

95gr Nosler BT is my choice.

The Sierra GameKing and Nosler Partition or Accubond would be good choices, too...

Find which Partition shoots the best and you will never need to look back.
In my gun, 100 grainers are the nuts. Open up enough to make straw berry jam
and hold together well enough to pass thru.

50 years ago, there were few, if any, good bullets in 243 for deer, IMHO. They either didn't expand or they expanded in a tremendous fashion. There probably were bullets that worked. I just got tired of trying. Today, it seems there are many options.

I always like partitions as they've never failed me. However, I think that most all of the bullets that were recommended would work.

I've had Gamekings fail by lack of penetration, but that was decades ago. Maybe they are OK now...

I have only owned a .243 since the mid 1990's, which is around 20 years +/-, but the old 100gr core-lock worked great. I do not know what was available before that. I think too many went to a lighter bullet looking for speed and got a bullet that did not work well. So, not the .243's fault but the hunter and the bullet. miles

My first deer rifle was a Savage 99 in 243. No accurate way to count the number of deer put down by myself and this rifle using the 100 gr Core-lokt bullets. Somewhere near 150 deer I'd wager. 2nd rifle was a 600 Mohawk in 243. Same bullets, same results. We were happy with minute-of-deer accuracy and rarely took shots over 250 yards.
I still have those two rifles (though the 600 is in my grandson's possession). And, I started reloading. For the two that I have now, I'm using the 90 gr Acubond and the 85 gr Partitions. They still kill deer. The 'new' rifle will put 4 in a group of less than a business card at 500 yards. Good enough for my needs.
As with any cartridge and hunting, if you put it in the right place (an argument for a different thread) it will do the job on any whitetail or mule deer in this country.

I have killed more deer with an 85 grain Sierra Varminter than any other bullet outta my 6mm and several 243s. Pass throughs are the norm even if a shoulder is caught.

Moved to a 95 grain Partition last fall and same results as the Sierra, DRT.

I have also shot them with 100 grain Sierra both Prohunter and Gameking, 87 grain Hornady BTHP, 100 Hornady BTSP as well as 100 grain Core Lokt bullets.

Cannot say the 100s work a lick better than that 85 Sierra Varminter though.

A lot of guys like the 85 grain Sierra BTHP GameKing but it was not for me, too many runners where with the other bullets DRT is the norm. YMMV.

I hope to try the 90 Accubond this fall.

Find a good shooting bullet anywhere from 85-100 grains and you will be fine.

"A lot of guys like the 85 grain Sierra BTHP GameKing but it was not for me, too many runners where with the other bullets DRT is the norm. YMMV."


10 guage, did the 85 BTHP exit on lung shots? Only deer I killed with one was a 60 yard lung shot. No exit but the deer didn't go very far before falling over. Lungs were mush but no bullet marks on opposite rib cage. No blood trail.

Used the 90 Accubond on one. Got a very small exit, no blood trail. Deer ran about 75 yards. Disconnecting the heart might account for lack of blood trail, no pump working.

Trying a Nosler 100 Partition this year.