Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .243 95 NBT vs 95 SST FB

In .243 hunting rifles. 1 in 9 and a 1 in 9.25 twist. Both shoot well. Which one for deer.

95 Ballistic Tip has killed a HUGE piles of bucks for us, along with the same in does. It is a giant for me. Lotsa respect for that bullet.

Everyone knows it’s the bullets BC that actually kills the animal.

Boat-tail NBT for the win vs that flat base SST.

IMO the Ballistic Tip is a tougher bullet than the SST. Have used it here on both Gemsbok and Blue Wildebeest to good effect.

the Nosler Ballistic Tip is as good as it gets in 6mm, super accurate & deadly.

My kids have killed a pile of western game with the 95NBT, tough little bullet

They've both been good on deer and pigs for my camp.

Hornie 105 HPBT,which will Smooch and nestle 700 OEM confines. They'll shoot Agg's in the realm of fhuqking STUPID,greedily cling to launch velocity,slip atmospherics handily and simply crush schit on arrival(near or far)...all for less jingle. Hint...........

This proves nothing but an illustration of in and out for 95 SST started out about 3365 out of a
6-284 at about 250 yds.


Shoots ok for a barley 7 lb gun as well

I don't like using tipped bullets with my 243. I find they do a lot more damage at velocities over 2800 fps but they do work extremely well as a hunting bullet at lower velocity. Higher velocity calibers I use the tipped bullets for target and varmints. The only plastic tipped bullets I use for hunting in 243 are Barnes TTSX

Anyone use the 90gr BT?

YUP... does well, and can be pushed a little faster of course...

ballistic tip for me

80 grain TTSX

Have some loaded for my 6mm. No game killed yet.

All of the talk about the 95 being tough steered me clear. I like somewhat soft bullet on deer.

I have a few 95 SST that were purchased in about '03. Those seemed tough as well. A button buck shot through the lungs took a few minutes to expire, stood around coughingand wheezing with no chance of a follow up shot. Not a ton of internal damage.

Had a doe same year make it farther than she should have, again, not a lot of internal damage. Have not gone down that road again either.

Any experience with the 85 grain boat tail Speer?

Not personally but 2 buddies have. No complaints from them. The 85 Sirrra BTHP gets high praise.

I like the 85 grain Sierra SP myself.

Wouldn't have an issue trying the Speer though.

Yup took a pretty good blacktail... 200 pounds, and a real nice 4 x 4 rack with one...

Load was 30 grains of 4198.... shot him at about 40 yds or so...

Bang flop.... what did concern me, even tho it dropped the deer on the spot, with a behind the shoulder shot,
when gutting him I did not find the bullet, and it didn't have an exit wound...

The Butch Shop found it,, pretty much used up... it only weighed about 20 grains..

Certainly did the job and I'm sure the shot placement didn't hurt the results...

But I would have hopped that it had retained more weight, and would give me further confidence in its abilities on later hunts...

but since then, I've been using the 90 grain Speer SP instead... suppose to be a tougher bullet.

You can kill any deer walking with a 95 NBT. I’ve never hunted with an SST. If it’s BC you are after however both the 95 NBT and 95 SST are pretty pathetic in that department for long range. For reasonable ranges the BC is good enough.
For years when I was younger I had one rifle and used the 95 NBT to kill a couple truckloads of deer. If you make a good shot you will either find the deer right there or within 50 yards or less of impact.

Nos BT here..........