Anyone used these for deer successfully or had bad experiences with them? Looks to be a good bullet and is extremely accurate with IMR4831 in both of my 243's. Load runs in the 2860-2880 range. I may try them a day or two and see how they do was just wondering how everyone else's experience with them ran.

I have. They will kill deer. My biggest blacktail buck fell to a 100gr Pro Hunter out of a 6mm Remington. I know many here on the fire bad mouth them but they've always worked for me. I say go for it because deer are not armor plated. Thank me later.

I hope they work. That's the bullet I'm using this year in a 243. MV is 2880. Load is 40.0 of H414. Paul Box at Sierra recommended the 85 BTHP over the 100 grain. But said they probably won't exit where the 100 probably will. He uses the 85 and has for many years. They are both very accurate in my two 243s.

Deer season starts tomorrow. Good luck.

I've never had a bad experience with a Pro Hunter in any caliber I've used one. Sierra's the one company that have left their product ALONE and haven't fallen for all the useless hype the others have. I seem to be reaching for a box of Sierra more and more. I think you will be pleased.

The Alliant website shows 3200fps with that bullet and RL26. I may have to try that with my RL26 that just arrived.

I've taken deer with that bullet with MVs as varied as 2000 fps at the Muzzle,
to 3250 fps at the Muzzle...

it worked perfectly, and dropped them where they stood each time...

I wouldn't doubt its ability at all...

I have used them and the 85 g. HPBT.. Both kill deer very well..

I've used them.

Found them to be very accurate, but not likely to fully penetrate on a close-in shot. After the velocity drops a little, they bore right through.

I prefer two holes, but the ones that only had one didn't get away.

The Nosler 95 BT is just as accurate and penetrates better, in my experience. But, that's just my preference for penetration.

If you have a load already put together and ready to use, I wouldn't think twice. They'll work.

Those 85 grain HPBT game kings have a thicker jacket than many other offerings and are deadly little suckers. I would not hesitate to hunt mule deer or elk with em.

They have smoked a good number of coyotes too.

I just got back from a west Texas whitetail hunt and shot a nice 7 point buck with a 95 gr ballistic tip from my 6mm Remington. MV was 3,100 fps, shot was 100 yds quartering towards me on the deer's left side, he took the bullet right behind the left shoulder mid body, it exited near the right hip, and the deer went about 50 yards. The 100 gr Sierra shot just as well from my rifle, but I opted for the Nosler with the higher MV. In a .243 MV 2,800-2900 fps MV, the Sierra may do as well.

Intentional?

Sample of one:

Adult doe at almost exactly 100 yards. Heart destroyed along with a lot of the lungs. No exit. No "bullet" recovered, just a few bits in the soup. Deer went about 20 yards after the hit in obvious distress.

Wouldn`t be my choice for big deer or Elmer's raking shots, but certainly up to the job on broadside shots. Bought 400 blems from Graf's, so I'm gonna do something with them! BTW, in one bag of the blems was an empty jacket. I sectioned it and, as advertised, it was tapered inside, actually quite thick towards the base.

This is good info. I have used the 90 and 95 gr NBT as well as the 80 gr TTSX. All worked extremely well I just like to try different stuff and this bullet shoots amazingly well. Thanks everyone!! BTW This is with a 1/10 twist barrel. The length is shorter than the 90 gr NBT. Sierra has gotten a bum rap over the years but for every complaint theres usually 500 or more success stories I figure.

The 85 grain Sierra BTHP Gamekings have always been very accurate in every 243 I've ever owned. My son has killed several deer with them, including a couple of big bucks. I prefer something along the lines of a 90-95 Nosler BT for my use in the 243 If I'm using it for deer. For some reason, I've never been able to get the accuracy out of the 100 grain bullets that I can with the lighter weights. My 243's are all Remington's with the 1-9.25 twist.

He looked perfectly broadside from my vantage point, but obviously wasn't unless the bullet changed direction inside the animal. It's hard to say. The bullet did hit where I was aiming, I had a pretty solid rest. I had thought to use a stouter bullet, having tried the 100 gr Partition, 90 gr E-Tip and 80 gr TTSX. I was told my longest shot would be 100 yards and with MV over 3,000 fps, thought the ballistic tip not ideal for less than a perfect body presentation.

Doeslayer,

The Nosler guy who developed the 6mm 95-grain Ballistic Tip, Gail Root, took several big bull elk with them, so the penetration you saw isn't surprising.

That said, I've taken plenty of animals with Sierras, even (gasp!) GameKings, both in North America and Africa. The Pro-Hunters often out-penetrate GameKings, but not always.

The reason I asked was the "hit them behind the shoulder" idea is so ingrained in some members of my camp that they go on autopilot and hit them behind the shoulder before they analyze the actual shot presentation. But if he looked broadside then he looked broadside. I've seen bullets take interesting paths and I've been fooled myself.

I watched this deer for awhile and waited until he was more or less standing sideways to me. I like to aim for the center of the chest if presented because it provides me with the most margin for error if my shot isn't perfectly placed. Later that evening, I shot a doe with my .260 loaded with 125 gr partitions. She was also broadside @ about 100 yards. My rest wasn't as stable and thought I aimed center of chest, it ended up lower to the left and I luckily took out her heart. Entry and exit holes were much bigger than the 95 gr NBT and there was lots of blood to follow.

Haven't used the 243 ,but, have used the 100 gr 257 pro hunter. The wife and each have a 250 savage. We have sho a dozen or so deer with that bullet at around 2850. Range has been 40 to 125 yards. All broadsides were pass throughs. Nearly straight on shots ended up at the back of the ribs and weighed about 70 gr.

Some years ago a good friend used a .243 a lot and was not happy with the performance on deer. Suspecting that it was probably more a question of his not knowing enough to choose the right factory load/bullet for the job than anything I worked up a load for him with 100 grain Sierra Pro Hunters. First time he used it was a bang flop and he was tickled pink. Next time he used it he killed a big old buck, biggest he'd shot at that point, maybe still. He was happy for a lot of years with that, but has since gone to bigger rifles. I wouldn't hesitate to use it if I were going to use something bigger than a .223 for deer.

I've used the Pro Hunter in other calibers to take Dall Sheep, Mountain Caribou, Mule Deer, ( Remington 280),Coues Whitetail, Pronghorn and Javelina (257 Roberts). I would have ceased using them after the Dall Sheep hunt if they had not performed well. I have also found them to be very accurate. I assume you would see similar results in a 243.

I have also had more profuse blood trails with the larger calibers. Sparse trails are something I've come to accept with using a .243, and part of the reason I like two holes. You mentioned earlier about the bullet possibly taking an odd path, and again is something I've had happen with a .243, but cannot remember exactly which bullet it was. I do know it was a factory 100 grain load, possibly Winchester, but I'm not really sure.

But, I've never had a .243 let me down. And they are so pleasant to shoot.

We gave shot a barn full of deer with that bullet. Look no further.

I know you asked for 243 but I use the 100gr pro hunter in my kids 250-3000. Anyhow I had a friend who’s daughter drew a caribou tag. So he has her shooting I think a 270 and it’s thumping her pretty good. I told him have the perfect rifle for her to use. This 250 savage on a pieced together Mexican Mauser with a pacnor barrel screwed on it sitting in a piece of crab apple wood. Anyhow his daughter shot a nice caribou with it using those 100gr sierras. My friend bugged for days wanting to buy it. He said it was the perfect kids rifle..

I always had very good luck with 95 grain Nosler Part. in the 243

My granddaughter wanted to deer hunt this year, after a few years of not going. She is shooting a 20 inch barreled Model 700 Youth in the 243. I wanted to load something I felt would kill the best, so having quite a few 100 grain Core Locts on hand, that's what I loaded up for her to use. 75 yards, double lung shot, bullet left a big enough exit wound that the 20 yards the deer went after being shot, left a blood trail a blind man could have followed. I have found that my 243's shoot the lighter weight bullets more accurately than they do the heavier ones. But, a good 100 grain bullet in a 243 will kill just as good as anything else. Providing, of course, it's put in the right spot.

One deer with the Sierra PH 100gr out of the 243 Win. The bullet lost it's jacket on the far side and the core punched A small hole out. A lot like all the other standard bullets I have used out of the 243 Win. Till I started using the Nosler 95 BT which seems to have the right stuff for explosive meanness and penetration.

Shot a nice 8 pt buck last evening with the Sierra 100 Pro Hunter from a 243. Shot was at 60 yards, almost broadside. Aimed right behind left leg. Deer turned and ran down a trail in the woods at full speed. He disappeared from sight after about 50 yards. With the help of my tracker wife and our neighbor, we finally found the deer. He had gone about 150 yards leaving no blood trail. Bullet did not exit. I had brought our dog down to track, which she did, but the neighbor saw the white of the deer's belly about the same time that the dog was dragging my wife in that direction.

I know all of the Nosler BT users will be along to say that's the bullet I should have used and you may be right. But the time I used the 95BT, the deer went about 75 yards, in sight the whole time. Bullet did exit but very small hole. That was a 100 yard shot. Shot one with a 90 Accubond at about 50 yards and it went about 75 yards with very little if any blood. Very small exit hole. The heart was disconnected so that may account for lack of blood.

I will be using my 7mm08 or 308 next year. The 243 will be for coyotes.

Flame away!

Over the years, I have switched back and forth on the 243 myself. I've seen a bunch of deer over the years that were shot with the 243, and either lost or had to be tracked. But then, after saying that, I think about the positives. The heaviest buck I ever saw was a one shot kill with a 243. The longest shot on a deer that I ever witnessed, a measured 495 yards, was made with a 243.....brother shot it, using my rifle. I killed a buck at a little over 300 yards with a 243, dropped in it's tracks. There were 2 local hunters who were somewhat famous for all the deer they killed, most of them illegally, and they both used a 243. So, to say that the 243 is not a good deer cartridge is not fair. It works.......period.

I think the thing that has often given the 243 a bum rap, is that is usually the cartridge of choice for young and inexperienced hunters. These hunters often cannot put that bullet in a spot that results in a quick kill, and often results in a wounded deer. Rather than telling it like it is......a bad shot, people often blame the cartridge or the bullet. But, then each shot on a deer is different, resulting in a different reaction from the deer. A shot that might drop one in it's tracks, might result in another deer running some distance before it dies. That happens with ALL cartridges, not just the 243.

In summary, what happened to you is just one of those unexplainable things that has happened to most of us. You might shoot a 100 deer the way you shot that one, and drop each one where it stands. You just never know. However, I know this.......I have a lot more faith in a 100 grain bullet in a 243 than I do with ANY bullet in a 223 or 22-250. You do make a good point though, the 243 is a great choice for coyotes.

I've shot several with them, they work fine

I have used it in the 243 with no complaints. Watched my Uncle over the years use that bullet in 243 on over 200 whitetails. No problems with it.
GreggH

Look at the bright side--there's guys on here who have problems killing a 140lb whitetail with 243 and a Partition............

I mean, I have a 243 that has killed 14 elk, and for half of them it was kids pulling the trigger.

This is good to see as I always have had superlative accuracy from Sierras but not always on game terminal performance. Sierras have been a good match for TSXs and NBT for a cheaper alternative. I will not relegate them to sight in and practice now and will ring them out on game I hope. Just that I have so many Noslers, Barnes and Hornadays to work through first.

After hunting this bullet I can say with complete confidence... Not only does it work... but it works damn well.

Loaded GameKings for granddaughter’s 243. She hasn’t lost a deer or pig yet.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I have only used 1 Pro Hunter so far but tons of Gamekings as has a bud of mine. ProHunters "should" be a better penetrator but I have never had these penetration "issues" that I see on the internet with a Gameking.

Here's a pic of last years buck, maybe a 60 yard shot. I intentionally aimed at the point of the shoulder where it and the spine meet for a DRT kill, didn't need him to run where he was headed towards, another deep ditch and another hill to drag him over. Did recover a little bit of bullet, jacket with some lead until I wiped it down a bit and the lead came out. Buck was maybe a 175# deer since he was pretty poor from the rut. (Notice the spine showing where he had thinned down).

Sierra 100 grain ProHunter. Actually the discontinued semi pointed bullet.

My favorite question to ask people who speak of bullet failure... "In what part of the animals death did the bullet failure occur?"

The part where the deer ran 150 yards or more leaving no blood trail and was almost lost. That part.

I didn't call my experience a failure but it sure wasn't the performance I was expecting. A perfect broadside lung shot where the bullet barely nicks a rib and still doesn't exit is not what I want.

To each, his own. I hope you have continued success with your 243.

I mostly use Sierra Pro Hunter bullets for deer hunting in all other calibers and have had excellent results. Just didn't happen this time.

I like them with my 6mm. For deer I like them better than the copper solids. The 100gr Pro Hunters do more internal damage and deer don't go so far if anywhere. (Heart shot, don't want to loose meat)

A good compromise is the famed Partition. At least with it you get that explosive Sierra PH wound channel and a decent size shank that usually exits. Kind of like a hybrid of the various solids and various CNCs available. I wish we could get Trophy Bonded Tips in 95g as a component....

I very much agree on the Partition as being one of the best 6mm choices, as I've never stopped one in a deer. The Trophy Bonded Tip design may indeed be a good combo of penetration and frontal diameter for the 6mm chamberings. I'd be glad to see that one be released on the market.

The 6mm partitions that I've used on deer were grenades. Not just an exit but usually 3, 4 or more exits. They have provided some of the quickest kills that I've seen with a .243.

And i haven't used every bullet in 6mm, but I learned long ago that the 85 bthp game king, and the speer 90 sp. were deadly on deer and coyotes. And spectacularly accurate in every rifle tried.

I'll be out of .243s when my Pac Nor barrel in .308 gets here, but I've had a few, and my favorite bullet for deer is the 95 grain Ballistic tip.

Generally the part where I have to chase them............

:-) Yes, that’s a good indicator.