Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Your Favorite 243 Win Factory Round

This got me thinking. After years of hoping to run into the perfect 6mm Remington, I finally succumbed to a .243, a 60s Sako Forester about 10 years ago. Gave that one away, and four others have since stayed here for a while, all purchased new. None of them has ever seen a single factory round, except probably the Sako in its former life. The new one seems like the most accurate of the bunch, and with all the components acquired for the others on hand, it'll never run dry.

Based solely on comments read here over the years, if forced into using factory stuff, I'd probably start with Fed blue box, which seems to be pretty popular, and cheap.

Federal Premium 95gr NBT

I've only shot two deer with the .243, and one of those was with the 100gr. Winchester Power Point. Deer died, what more could you want?

Hornady 100g factory

Hornady 95 SST

Win 95g Ballistic tip

I think from my own experience and that of friends I have factory 243 95-100gr loads for the 243 are all good.40 years back a coworker fell in love with a plain barrel 16 ga M37 Ithaca I had, he wanted to trade me for it. So I said what you got? I had just picked up a used M700 bdl in 243, he knew that. He said 200 rds of factory Remington 100 gr Corelokts, 200 (4 boxes) of 100 gr NPT's and $50 cash. Was all worth more than I had in that 16. So we traded. 40 years a go, still have some of the fac ammo and NPT's left, of course the cash disappears like water. Still killing whatever I shoot with it and all the handloads I've run thru that same bdl. A good friend swears by Federal Fusions and others can't find anything wrong with 100 gr fed blue box ammo. Don't know how you can do wrong with what's offered today , a bigger problem will be what's actually AVAILIBLE right now. MB

I think the .243 is one of the most underrated killer rounds out there. They just plain work.

100gr federal blue box. my grandkids have killed many, many whitetails with that round.

I have gotten some consistent, small groups with the 95 grain Federal Fusion.

Truth. I wouldnt hesitate taking a good broadside shot on a bull elk with a Hornaday interlock or NP.

Ain't that the truth.

Win 95 nbt silver tips. Always shot good for me and killed everything with ease.

100 core lokt always did just fine as well

I believe the 243 to be the Mike Tyson of the smaller calibers.

95BT are my go to, they just work and they are on sale right now on SPS!

Don't have one, if you ever get into handloading:

WW or RP cases
100gr Partition
48gr H-1000
CCI-BR2
COL 2.685"

Is a bughole shooting sombuck in my pre-64 featherweight, have only hit what had to be a 175lb giant doe deer and two football pigs, DRT's with complete penetration, buddy up in Alaska knows a guide/hunter up there that has used the 100gr partition on everything in Alaska, something to consider if you want to buy factory loaded ammunition with 100gr partitions.

I've had good luck with these, also. Cheap, accurate and effective.

Well picked up a box of Barnes TTSX BT 80gr that I'll group next week hopefully. Got a bud that upsets real easy if anything bigger than a possum is put down with the ole 243, big bore syndrome i believe.

243 plentiful in my area, stange how that works.

My Model 99 seems to like the plain ol' green box Remington 100 gr. loads. No complaints here.

I have several 24 count boxes of Federal Blue box 100grain from the 1990s (FIL gave them to me). He has stickers on them with date and price ($8 a box 😜). They shoot sub-MOA easily out of my T/C Icon 5r.

I have had great luck with Federal Fusion in three different .243's.

HeavyBarrel

80 grain Barnes