Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Just Picked up a Tikka .243.......

Just picked up a Tikka 243 off the fire here. I have had others but always chickened out of hunting with them in the past. I'm gonna do it this year!!

Question for you fellas: Lots of folks rave about the Sierra 85 grain HPBT as a deer killer, are these bullets loaded in any factory ammo? I am not reloading at the moment but probably will be within a year.

Dan

Federal used to load them.

I know, but I don't see them listed anymore. I guess nobody makes em.

My boy used the Hornady Whitetail line of ammo last year for his youth hunt buck in 243

100 grain Interlock BTSP

Absolutely turned that deer's lungs into a smoothie and exited. never hit bone, never found the bullet.

Recovery was about 70 yards. (I prefer to hit bone to anchor but it's his first deer and I think some nerves got in the way!)

Can see the entry in this pic and the blood that was pouring out the buck's mouth.



Don't know the twist of the Tikka but the Ruger stabilized them fine.

You might also consider the Fusion 95 grain factory ammo. EricM here in the fire has great accuracy with them in his T3. I've not shoot any deer with the Fusion but I've taken a truckload of antelope with them the last 3-4 years in my .243, always work great for me anyway.

Brother shoots Fusions in his -06

Doubt I could reload anything more accurate than those for him either. Been very happy with them quite a bit. I'm still using Core-lokts in mine.

+1 on the Federal 95gr Fusion. They're very accurate in both my 243's. I've shot a few hogs with the 95gr Fusion....puts em away quickly

Double lunged this sow at 100yds a few weeks ago with a 95gr fusion. She dropped on the spot, paddled for a few minutes and expired

Pick a factory load with a 100 grain slug and you are good to go.........

Gus

A buddy shoots the 95gr Fusion and has nothing but good things to say about it. He hasn't had to track many and those were short runs, he has never recovered a bullet either.

Cool, thanks for the tips.

Hornady 95 gr. SuperPerformance Ammo or Remington 100 gr. Corelock Factory ammo.

I've killed a truck load of deer & feral hogs with them in my .243 and both loads shoot sub MOA 5- shot groups @ 100 yards in my Guns.

Looks like federal dropped the 85g sierra and barnes 85g tsx. A factory load ive had good luck w/ is hornady custom 100g interlock btsp

My favorite load in the 243 Win for Deer is the Swift 90 GR Sirocco with IMR 4064

Bea,

Is the swift loaded in factory ammo?

+1

We tried to put together a better performing load than this and gave up. It's been great on about a half dozen deer and he & his son LOVE it.

Deer... Not so much...

For blasting ammo that Prvi Partisan is tough to beat. If you're looking for monometals the Hornady Superformance w/ 80 gr GMX looks like a winner.

When you get around to handloading, 95gr or 100gr Nosler Partitions over Varget. Done...

my tikka likes the 80 gr TTSX's

Oregonmuley turned me onto the Fusion 95s and they perform very well with my Tikka .243 Win. I took 2 deer last season at 185 and 300 yards with it. Give it a try. Not bad for factory ammo...

Eric

That is impressive Eric, hope mine shoots that well.