Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 243...85gr trex vs 95NBT

Loading for the wifes .243 for elk. She will be limited to probably 200 yards and under. Which bullet would you choose?

I'd pick the mono-bullet, even for 200lb hogs, so I'd certainly go that way with an elk.

I've never killed an elk, but if I had to use a .243 to hunt them, I would use the 80 gr TTSX no question.

I would go Partition or Mono at either 95 or 100 grain. Chub Eastman who designed the 95 gr. BT for Nosler used it for a number of Elk including many trophy sized ones.

That is a pretty good endorsement so maybe the Partition is not needed. Still the 95 or 100 Partition would get the most out of a 6mm. But I have yet to catch a 95BT tip in a deer and that includes a couple near 200 lbs.

Gail Root Designed the 95 BT.
He used it on a bunch of elk. I think either bullet would be fine.

My mistake, the bullet I actually meant was the 80gr ttsx

MD? which is it Gail Root or Chub Eastman as the designer of the 6mm 95 BT? Or was it both of them?

I'd choose either the 80gr TTSX or 85gr TSX.

Pretty sure it was Roy Clarke.

Not MD...but it was Gail Root.

Its a near perfect deer bullet...I would opt for the Mono on elk personally. Or the aforementioned 100 gr. Partition ( which Ive actually killed elk with...easily.)

TTSX....all the way

Yep, Gail Root designed the 95 Ballistic Tip. He was the head bullet engineer/designer for Nosler for many years. Chub was their public relations guy who had to deal with writers.

Gail killed a number of BIG bulls with the 95 Ballistic Tip. In fact it may have been the first of the heavier-jacket BT's which may have inspired the 200-grain .338 Ballistic Tip.

I use these in grandkids 243’s. Don’t know about Elk, but they will break both of a 200 lb pigs shoulders and keep going.

Good enough, thanks guys I'll try to track some down tomorrow when I make a trip to the city

Thanks Ingwe and MD. I think Eastman did the write up for one of the Nosler manuals for the 6mm and mentioned his preference for the 95 BT.

Good choices,but I'd go with the Barnes...

I've used the older 85gr XBT going right at 2900fps in a little 6mm Wildcat, 6x47mm ( like a short barreled .243 might do) It worked fine on deer and up, but zipped through jackrabbits! You need heavier muscle/mass and speed for the Monos. "Myself", I would use the 85 TSX or TTSX. I admittedly don't know what an 80gr TTSX nor 95 NBT would do on elk. I know my dear friend out here uses the 95 "Partition" out of his 240 Weatherby on Mule Deer and elk with perfect results. Have a great time though!

80 TTSX is a wicked killer. I think she has nothing to worry about.
Good luck and have fun! Tom

Not an elk, but I used an 80 ttsx from my 243 win. on a moose last year during our winter season. We were looking for wolves on a different moose carcass that had been taken a few days prior, when we ran into a number of yarded up moose. One shot was all it took.