Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Federal Blue Box....243???

I shot some Federal Blue Box 243 80 gr. ammo out of 243 today. I pretty happy with the accuracy.

Anyone use this on deer.....Federal claims it is good for deer???

One of my hunting pards uses it out of his T3. It shoots into tiny holes and dynamites deer and lopes for him.

Dober

I'm sure it will let the air out of 'em, avoid hitting the meaty portions.

I had a new .300 win mag I wanted to shoot before working up a load and needed brass so I picked up a couple of boxes of 180 grain federal blue box with Speer Hot-Cor bullets for half off. I think I paid about $11 or $12 per box.

It pretty much shot as well as anything I was able to load up, under 1 MOA.

The only thing I shot with them other than paper were pigs shot out of a high rack in a hog reduction deal. Didn't go out and recover any of the hogs to check the performance of the actual bullet however.

My dad killed a nice pronghorn with blue box out of a .30-06.

317 yards, lasered.

Not apples to apples but a good outcome.

P

I'm interested in finding out also. My 243 loves them too but never shot anything alive with them

We have used the 100 grain blue box Federal on deer with great results.

My family has killed several with Federal blue box 100gr. Tight behind the shoulder,short run,dead deer. The only bullet we recovered was a straight down through the shoulder blade and almost out the oppisite leg. Bullet was just under the hide and a perfect mushroom. when Gander Mountain first opened here it was on sale real cheap, so we bought 10 or 15 boxes for the brass. We like it.

I hate that load...it is more accurate than any of my handloads. Terminal performance will be commensurate with shooting ability. Put it where it goes, get the knife out...

Started using the 80 grain loads last season in my 84M when I found that I couldn't get my 100 grain handloads to group worth anything. Shot 3 smaller bucks with them so far and all hit the ground fast (though my shots were all within 40 yards). Wish I could find some 80 grainers to load.

About twenty years ago, I bought a lightweight .308 small ring Mauser intending to re barrel it to .280. The problem was I bought one box of cheap Federal 150 grain bullets (it came in red boxes back then), went to the range and shot a rough measured 5/8" three shot group. I did it again and got a1/2". I forgot all about the re barrel, went back to the store and got all they had of that lot number. It still shoots that ammo into small groups and has performed admirably on deer from about 40 yards to just over 500. Good stuff! Jack

Only thing other than paper I shot with the Fed 80 gr was a stump of an ash tree I had just cut for firewood. From around 20 yards it penetrated the stump completely in a straight line. The stump was around 7 inch diameter. I remember thinking this would probably make an adequate deer load, but sold the 243 and never tried it on anything else.
Worth about 2 cents, not much more.

The little I have shot Fed. blue box ammo it is very accurate..Never shot any 80 gr. in the .243 at deer...

Have killed a few deer with it in 117gr .25-06, so a similarish cartridge. Performance has been good. Not a huge amount of meat damage, but breaks bones where needed. Shot a sika stag this year, quartering on. Bullet entered in front of the left shoulder, broke the neck where it dips into the chest, broke the offside shoulder and was recovered just under the hide on that shoulder. Jacket and core were together, although not integral, so probably about what you expect. It's also very accurate. Shoots about 3/4" in my Sako 75, consistently. It costs a lot more money here than over there, so for what it does cost, it's probably worth a few boxes to try. I'd certainly happily shoot at any deer with them.

Not a .243, but a .270

Some years back I pulled a good mule deer tag, and went looking for a premium factory load to use for possible long, 400+ yard shots.
I purchased a couple of boxes of well know and respected factory $40+ fodder with premium bullets, and 2 boxes of $13 Federal �blue box� stuff to use getting on paper and practicing off hand shooting.
Long story short, the high dollar stuff was disappointing, but the �cheap� Federal blue box stuff produced 400 yard group after group at 2 inches or less..
The buck stepped out at a lasered 403 yards, and I put one through his heart and out the other side.
Federal blue box is now my deer/antelope load. .

Blue Box 270. I have shot a lot of it and none of my hand loads ever give better groups. It always runs 3070 in my 22.75" tubes. Have shot impala, warthogs, waterbuck, and kudu. No issues. Should give up on the work of hand loads but still do it.

About to start to using 243/80 and will report. Never have had a 243. About to buy.

Ditto. Accurate as heck on paper

My Tikka T3 Lite likes Remington's version of this load. This is a 5-shot 100 yard group. Danged flyer!

Expat

I've never tried the 80 gr. Federals. The 100 gr. shoot 3/4" regularly out of my Tikka and kill deer stone dead.

I've shot blue boxes in my .300 WM, and .30-30, but neither rifle liked it. That being said, I picked up a box of 100 gr. .243 a couple weeks ago to try out. I usually use the 95 gr. partitions, but no one had it.