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.

Most Tikkas do.... I'm sure you'll be happy! Get a variety to test out and have fun with it!

Eric

Everything I've heard on the Fusion ammo has been good. Someone may be able to confirm but I believe they load Speer bullets in it. Any confirmation?

Remington has a Premier load with the 90gr Scirocco

Link: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/24...ain-swift-scirocco-polymer-tip-box-of-20



I've heard many reports that it's a Speer DeepCurl in the Federal Fusion ammo.

Deer killer? Try the Winchester 95 grain Ballistic Silvertip.

I spoke with a Federal Tech about the Fusion bullet last year. The bullet is made by Speer but with a proprietary newer technology. It's a boat tail design that has a pressure formed lead core with a molecularly-fused/bonded copper jacket to eliminate jacket core separation. It also has a skived tip to promote expansion. The original 243 fusion bullets were offered with Moly coating but Federal is now coating the Fusion bullets in 243 with Boron Nitride. I don't think any of the other cartridge Fusion bullets are being coated.

ttsx, tsx, Accubonds or the new federal trophy copper is what I like in the 243 in case bone enters into the equation. If money were tight, fusions or corelokts wouldn't be bad choices either. Many Tikka shooters here, including my 270, seem to have had very good accuracy with blue box Federals too.

This is what I use. It is rated for 3100 fps, but I've not run it over a chrono yet.

Expat

Slim shady,

Is that Federal Trophy Copper a Barnes bullet made for Federal?

Well I don't have a 243, but I been killing White Tails with 150 gr Federal Fusion since 2006 in a 7mm RM. Excellent ammo at a reasonable price. It shot so well out of a Blaser R-93 that I decided to keep the barrel rather than sell it for another chambering. I'm looking for a 243 myself- maybe later in the year- my work prospects have to improve some.

Eric, what did you do if anything to your T3?

Nice shooting.

I'd endorse the Fusion, but if me, and not reloading, I'd buy the WW 95 Silvertip Btip....it's what I handload and is deadly, and accurate. Hard to change what ain't broken for me..and I do have plenty of them.

Cliff, thanks. The .243, I just added a limbsaver, and Hinterland bolt shroud and bolt handle. That's it. I'm using DNZ one-piece Game Reaper mounts and a Swaro Z6 2-12x50 TDS. That group was the first three shots out of the rifle.

Eric

Great set up, fantastic shooter/shooting as well. Seems the norm from Finland

65BR,

Let me know if you wNt to sell some of those Winchesters- I'm just right down the road

I believe the parent company for Remington bought barnes. Thus, remington is coming out with ammo loaded with barnes bullets. Guess that forced federal to come out with a barnes clone...the trophy copper, which I believe is grooved like the barnes. Nosler did similar with e-tip, but I don't think it has grooves like the barnes. Hornady similar with the gmx bullet, but it's a 95/5 alloy and not all copper.

Those 85 grain Sierra Hollow Point Boat Tail Game Kings are excellent bullets. That is what I use in my 6mms, and when I had a .243, that is all I used for that rifle.

Coyotes to mule deer, it is my first choice for a .24 caliber projectile.

My .243 has not been hunting in ....way too long. Got to do something about that. I load 70 grain Sierra pointed soft points for coyote. For deer I use either 95 or 100 NP with complete confidence. Friends who use 85 Barnes TSX and TTSX are happy happy. Truthfully the 70s are a feel good project as I usually shoot coyote as a target of opportunity while hunting deer. A spring coyote and pig hunt to south Texas excepted.

Jack

Slidell - to clarify, I have Nosler 95 Ballistic Tips, which are the same bullets in that ammo, I handload them. Hanging on to what I have - sorry.

JT, speaking of yotes, saw a big "Dog" this am across the street, but not my land...sure was thinking...