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.

Where you live deer can get huge, so go with a tougher bullet.

95g Hornady SST is tougher than the 95g Ballistic tip, but my preference is with two other bullets that will get the job done in spades

100g Hornady spbt
95g NOler partition

We have taken a lot of deer over 200 lbs with both of these bullets and the partition will penetrate and break bones on quartering shots, with no fear!

We shot a hot load of IMR 4831 with a 9 1/2 primer with the 95's, but today I would start off with R#26 with a cci 250 or fed 215 primer.

Those Kansas and Nebraska Bucks we hunted were all over 200 lbs, with shots running 300-400 yards. No flies on the 100g Hornady, flat base or btsp version!

I've used most "big game" bullets in the .243 & they have all worked.

Currently using 95gr Hornady SST & love it.

I'm a meat hunter, so shots are always at stationary, unwary animals & always behind the shoulder & above the heart (if I can help it), deer go 0 to 30 yards tops.

Yes, a dime to nickle sized exit, same size through lungs. Sample of half dozen or so deer and 1 coyote. Bone may help them expand or maybe I had a fluke box of tough bullets.

No deer were lost but had a couple go 100+ yards. Blood trails were decent.

I just know with the 85s I load or the 100 grain bullets if a deer doesn't go down at the shot they might cover 25 yards at best.

Like I say a ton of guys like them just not my cup of tea.

They were still erratic probably 10 years ago when I finally quit gamekings.. I"ll use matchkings without a worry though..

Thanks everyone. I ordered the 95gr BTs.

My experiment ended with two this year. I had heard so much good I decided to try them. No more for me. I will go back to the Sierra 85gr HPBT which has always worked without question for me. The TTSX would also be a good one to try.

I too have had great success with 95 grain Hornady SSTs. From 30 to 200 yards, it drops whitetails like they got hit with lightning.

I'm not a fan either in .243. I too have had better success with the Sierra 85 gr HPBT.

Unless you have a grunge against the front end, I'd encourage you stay off the shoulders.

Scott: I trust your opinion, and your experience, but Im wondering about this...Ive had three instances where Ive shot shoulders with this bullet and got good penetration and performance each time on critters from 100 to 275 pounds....granted, its only a sample of three.....

Tom,
In my experience, it kill's 'em deader'n a doornail - it's the aftermath on the cutting table with copious amounts of strawberry jello / waste.

I may have got a bad box. They were some I had for a few years. I shot them out of the 6x47L. One fairly close and one at distance. I shot them behind the shoulder in the boiler room. Pretty much exploded on the surface puncturing a lung. Had to finish both off with another shot. Actually a friend finished one off after it got up after tracking it a quarter mile. His old corelok 243 worked great. Bad box or not, it soured me.

The 95 gr. Nos BT kills Whitetails as does the 105 gr. Scenar We use them in .243 STD and .243 A.I. results of 2 1/2 days hunting in Dec. 2017

THAT I will agree with that, but have experienced it with a few bullets in the .243...

The NBT has 'evolved' and gone through a number of upgrades as it were. If it was a number of years ago, try them again..

I swore off them shortly after their introduction till JB talked me into trying them again. BIG difference!

How so, Kemo?

Was just pondering those for a 6mm Rem noting the BC...

Not sure how old mine are but know they have some age. Were your early vintage results indicating they were not as tough a bullet as the current production?

I don't see a lot of difference in destructiveness between most .243 bullets, and consider the 100 partition to be as destructive as the rest. That front end is wicked. I only shoot maybe a couple of deer a year, on average, so FWIW...

Accuracy and performance, my top 3 picks are the 85 bthp, the speer 90, and the BT95...

While some bullets tend to aggravate meat damage more than others, about any bullet will cause some destruction, when game is shot in the front shoulders. I’ve even seen Barnes TTSXs cause a great deal of meat damage on front shoulder hits.

If you want to minimize meat damage, don’t shoot them in the meat.

Exactly....

After he got over his magnum phase, my father hunted a good bit with a barreled 308 Winchester, a full stock Steyr carbine. In that rifle he used 150 grain Interlocks and the Ballistic tips of the day which came in 100 count boxes. It was clear that those early BT's were softer. Fast forward about thirty years and it's me hunting with a 308 and 150 grain Interlocks and Ballistic Tips. I've found the current issue BT to be as good a penetrator, if not better.

It is almost sacrilege to say anything derogatory about the Ballistic Tip here on the 'Fire but hear me out. I first used one, a 140 in a 7mm08, in about 1996. It left a large surface wound and disintegrated with a few small pieces exiting. The whitetail deer, did not go far with that lung shot but I wasn't happy with the integrity of the bullet. Next was a 130 out of a 270 (gay) that made an even more horrible surface wound. Yup, I got the deer. Luckily, it was a lung shot and not a shoulder. Next, still in the 90s, was a 95 BT from a 243. That one exited on the 95 yard lung shot, deer went about 75 yards and went down. Not as good as the usual 40-50 yard travel when using a 7mm08 with Sierra 120s or 140s or a 308 with Sierra 150s.

I have read many times here and elsewhere that Nosler made the bullets tougher at some point but we are left to figure out when that was. Also, the 7mm 120 is supposedly tougher than the 140. How are we supposed to know that? What kind of sense does that make?

The 95 BT 6mm was supposedly designed by Gail Root to the a tough bullet from the get go and he even used them on elk! So why then have people using that bullet experienced blow ups? Were these toughened up too? When?

It's all too confusing to me to determine which ones are good and which ones aren't.

Am I the only one who feels this way? I wish I was one of the happy BT users but due to past disappointments, am reluctant to try them again. The only reason I used them in the first place was because the Solid Base was discontinued. That was a good bullet in the 270 and 708.

It's relatively easy, just buy new ones.

I should say for deer I have no problem at all with standard weight Sierras in mid speed rounds like 7mm08 and 308 Win to name two.

I f you go to the store and purchase new ballistic tips you can rest assured they are the updated tougher version.

I've used 100 grain core-lokt's, interlocks, power points and power shoks. Have also used the 85 gr sierra bthp and 95 gr. SST. The 95 SST's and 85 gr BTHP are the quickest killers of the bunch with lung shots no question.

Yep, just look for the Jeff-O proof boxes, and the bullets will be the recent version.

I believe there has been a packaging change since then. Jeff could get into the new ones.

Hope all the glowing reports on the 95gr BTs are true, I've got a couple hundred blems landing here tomorrow.

I hedged my bet with 100 85gr Partitions though......

Case in point, I posted a picture this morning of about 30 WhiteTails, that were killed with the bullets aka 95 gr. NOS BT and 105 gr. Scenars, 100 gr. SMK's note the bullet wounds, very little destroyed or blood shot meat, that was the point of the picture, we kill a lot of deer every year we wouldn't use these bullets if they didn't work or made a big mess out of the deer.

I don't care what you use or why you use it, but a sample of 1 or 2 deer a year does not give you much to go on when talking bullets and their performance.

Rio,
There can be no debate with your sample size.
Perhaps I got a bad batch (bullets were new stock BTW) but even on one hit in the broadside boiler, I hadn't seen that sort of mess since the last time I used 130 BT's (.270) back around 1986.

If you're looking for factory ammo, Federal Fusion (95 grain), Hornady Whitetail (100 grain interlock), Federal Premiums with the 95 ballistic tip or any of the partiions. They all work.

If you reload and your barrel will spin them, the 105 HPBT works well.

There are a ton of options.

I took my buddy's kid a couple of years ago to kill this big mule deer. He did in fact use a .243 and 95 BT combo and made a nice 150 yard shot. The buck folded like a lawn chair. Of course, a partition is never a bad choice.

SKane, Every once in awhile we will have a bullet make a hell of a mess out of a critter, and I don't know why?? I have had bullets that have hit a limb or tree between the shooter and the deer but very close to the deer that turned into a hand grenade and made a hell of a mess of the deer. anything is possible, remember Murphy's Law.

Rio7

Rio, loved that hangin' deer pic. You guys were busy!

Grandkids have killed bunches of pigs with Ballistic tips.

I'm not seeing a lot of lung shot deer in your picture. Where do you shoot them?

JGRaider,It pleases me to see you and others taking young people hunting,Good on Ya!

AnsonRodgers, I wait till I have the shot I want and usually head shoot when culling,if I don't or can't get the shot I want I heart lung shoot or pass that shot my culling buddy and I have a saying for when we don't take a shot for what ever reason, it is " God Wanted That Critter To Live Another Day" That covers misses also. Rio7

Thank you. I wondered about your shot placement. Pretty much any bullet should work for a head shot. I use the lung shot to minimize meat loss, plus our deer are probably larger.

When I lived in TX and hunted Hill Country deer, I used a 243 a bunch, even with Sierra 60 grain HPs. Your deer in south TX are no doubt larger than those. They sure are up here.

I don't take marginal shots either.

AnsonRogers, Our deer a quit a bit bigger than the hill country deer, but not as big as the northern Whitetails, doe's average 125# some are 130# Bucks usually around 200# up to 235# bucks will loose 20# to 30# during the rut and the does will loose some weight also we weigh every deer and age them and score every buck, and collect the lower jaw of all deer killed, that way we know where we are, deer are a part of our over all ranch management program.

You went and ruined it for him. He may never shoot a bigger one. Bet you're on his Christmas card list for life though! Good on you.

I like Ballistic Tips for deer. Billy’s comment is exactly why I became a lung buster. I never eat the ribs and there isn’t much there to lose. They run a little, but I hadn’t lost one yet after the lungs are trashed.

The 130 NBT from a 270 has done some horrific shoulder damage up close. Oddly enough, that combo is also one of favorites for busting lungs. It puts them down fast, really fast!

I’m a big 243 fan too. Lots of good bullets mentioned. Pick anything above and fill your freezer.

I like the 80gr TTSX in my .243

So is the black 95 CT the same as a BT, except for the coating?

Yep, I shoot the coated ones out of my .243, they hammer deer.

White tails can’t be that tough can they? My Wife has killed a number of elk with her 243 and 100gr nosler partitions.

Yet I've not seen that once I went to barnes for the most part and never looked back....And I appreciate that fact so far too.

I could have killed at least 50% if likely almost all our whitetails with a 22lr...

I like the Speer 100 BTSP for deer out of 243 for generic, cheap bullets. Also hammers are the 95gr SST's from Hornady. Sure, 95 BT's and 95/100 Pt's work, as do every other premium. I've never seen a 243 bullet fail, actually, on deer. No need to push them hard if your shots will max out at 200. Figure out something in the mid- to upper- 2000's for speed and sight in for 175 yd zero. Bullets will perform at their best and and the brass will last longer.

I"ve shot a few with 80 ballistic tip varmint bullets and blue dot at about 1700 fps.... rib shots like normal or a head shot. Out to 200 so far or right at it IIRC, not beyond, no issues there either. I totally forgot about the mild quiet loads.

Have you tried the 107 grain Sierras? I had mixed results with SMK in other calibers and gave up on them. But I have a 6mm AI in the works that was built for the 105 & 107 grain bullets. Have plenty of 95 BT but would like to wring out the Scenar, Bergers and maybe the SMK and ELD-X.

Back to the original question. I know the OP already bought the 95 BT good choice. But an 85 or 87 will have slightly less recoil especially if held to around 3,000 fps. A past strap on shoulder pad could help too. Keep in mind if you screw up your shoulder it may hurt for the rest of your life or set you up for more surgery in the future. Take care.

For starters I am going to alternate between the 95BT and Partition to see which I like better. Probably be a difficult choice.

I have several of the 95 grain SST bullets.

I keep hearing how great they are, may give a few a try this fall.

I would pick one of the bullets recommended, and see how it groups! If they shoot good in your rifle, that's what I would use. If they don't shoot bug holes try another, until you find one that groups! Then your good. Every .243 I have owned has been a good shooter! My third favorite cartridge. Just behind the 30-06 and the 7 RM!

I load 100 grn Sierra prohunters behind 46 grns H4831. very accurate and fully penetrates bucks.

The easy answer is a 105 hornady BTHP assuming you reload and in my experience a 1-9.25” will stabilize em. Fret not their “match” label and square up a shoulder shot. They’re truly excellent in flight, price, and terminal performance.

If you don’t reload just buy anything. Deer aren’t hard to kill with a 243.

Took a doe at 237 yds last year with factory superformance/95g sst. Complete pass through
Broad side shot, broke L shoulder, passed through chest cavity and broke R upper leg bone(don't know the proper name)
Deer was dead before it hit the ground.

80gr TTSX over some H4350 and it'll tip em over like a truck hit em.

good ol 100gr corelokts handle business if you don't reload. Id pick my shots a little better though than with the barnes. Ive got some 100gr partitions but I haven't loaded them yet

Rio,would you mind sharing your plain 243 load for the 105 scenar. I have 2 new 243s to load for. For the first time we are going to have some 300 yard shots. Thanks

Texczech, the most accurate .243 load Iv'e come up with in all three of my .243s

105 Scenar
41.5 gr. H-4350
CCI-200
O.A.L. 2.795

For me this is a very good hunting load and It does very well on the range.

48.0 gr. of Retumbo shoots almost exactly the same for me.


side note all my .243s are 1x8 twist... Rio7

Thanks Rio
I'll give them a try.

I've killed deer using 6BR and 243, from 70gr TNT thru 105 Amax (BR at 400 yds).

Personally the 95 NBT is my fave, all around from near to far distances. Will blow thru both shoulders of a mature buck, plenty damage but no excess meat loss.

The 85 Barnes are wicked killers, but I would reserve for distances to 300 yds or under, for expansion of the mono. The TNTs, 85/87 Cup/Core, Amax and similar are best for necks and lungs.

Consider this:
Soft bullets - for soft targets
Hard bullets like Barnes hitting bone is not an issue.

Not used E-Tips or ABs but personally prefer the 95 BT to either. You WANT Expansion with the small diameter 6mm bullets, but you need integrity for penetration thru muscle and bone if not going for lung shots/or able to pick your shot. The Amax will blow up on close shots...200 yds on a spine they disintegrate from a BR at 2850, but at 400 they exit both lungs broadside, golf-ball sized. I'd expect a few Berger and Scenar to duplicate.

100 PTs work, but I prefer the 95 NBT, for any distance, any game, just me. Same for the 85. PTs are never a bad choice.

Too many needlessly worry about the 95 BT - it flat works, and I've had 1/2" groups at 200 yds from a 6BR.......

Place your shot, carry a sharp knife. Remember, soft bullets - save for necks or lungs, no shoulders unless shots are really long.

The 95 NBT is a outstanding bullet. Reliable enough to square up a high shoulder shot on a mature deer and “splashy” enough to make good ground hog shots. If only it had a BC of 0.531....

Huge sweet spot makes it a great choice, IMO. At that range I would reduce the load quite a bit and shoot the 95BT, or any decent soft point. Recoil will evaporate.

Hey, good information here, although the weight of UP, bucks is what makes them special, not so much in rack size, the average distance I shoot bucks up here is about 75 yards, or closer,,,, with that said, the 243 is just fine,,,,, good bullet and shot placement, using a gun your comfortable with, will transmit into a gun your confident with....
I hunt Iron, Baraga, ............................... good luck

Too bad they don't make the heavy round nose bullets any more. Wouldn't mind trying a 105 RN for woods distances.

How would a 105 RN would be better than the 80/85 Barnes, 95/100 Nosler or the 105 Hornady BTHP?



I'm not being a smart ass I'm just asking.



I've killed with RN, PSP and poly tipped bullets and I can tell no difference.

I'm loading these at a mild 3180 fps for my daughter and I've been very impressed with 6 kills between us so far. Recoil is very, very low. I would expect if you pushed them to 3300-3400 (easily doable with a 24" barrel), it would be even better.

Shooting to break bone or in the lungs??

My sons load is 3290 out of a 20”bbl
And yes we try to aim for shoulders.

Either. I've been trying to teach her to break shoulders, but several have been shot right behind the shoulder, through lungs and they ran 40 yards and fell dead with great blood trails.

Good deal as I am a shoulder shooter and had no doubt they would get through but just wondered how they did if bone wasn't encountered.

100 grain Hornady Interlocks. work very well, you can expect complete penetration on broadside shots

Still work well.
I shot a doe with a 6x45 last year at 60 yds, missed her shoulder and put it just behind her shoulder.
She ran maybe 55-60 yds and tipped over.
Bullet blew through and left plenty of blood.
80 grain ttsx at what velo I cant remember.
My notebook is in storage.

These would be from a vanilla 6mm Remington, as near to max velocity as accuracy allows.

From my dealings with Barnes the more velocity the better so the 6mm should sing a happy tune with them whether you hit bone or not.

Yup.
Like I said earlier my sons .243 is getting 3290 and he’s killed a couple, not all are shoulder shots.
His last buck was hard quartering entering just in front of the rear ham, traveling on to the opposite front shoulder.
We managed to find the slug under the skin.
It dropped right there.

This. My daughter took a nice 10 pt white tail at 200 yards in Missouri this past season with exactly this load. R-17 was the powder.

Great buck. And happy young lady ,