Experienced fast twist users, what bullets do you use for your dedicated deer load? I'm hopeful to get my Rock 1-8 in the next couple weeks.

I have a couple .243 1-8" twist. Been using 95gr Berger VLD's- 40grains of imr4350.

How is terminal performance on em? I've mostly used 95 Nosler BT's for my 243s. The Bergers and Amax appeal to me assuming they kill as well.

I've shot more deer using 95gr BT's like yourself. Recently switched to the 95gr VLD due to the accuracy offer thru my .243's. I've shot alot of game w/155gr VLD's and have no doubt they will match the BT's in killing performance.

1/2 of these deer were killed using a 243win- 95gr BT's. Berger's will be flying this year.

That's a cool pic

Yeah I bet the wife loves it too....

Hey man, happy birthday!

I took a small mule deer buck last year with my 8 twist 243 and a 105 vld hunting. It worked well and I would use it again. I generally run the 105 amax in that gun on varmints but I wanted to try a vld on deer so I switched it up. I run the same load with both bullets.

Bb

Heck yeah Happy B Day, hope you got some shooting in!

Thanks fellas!

With a 1-8, the 105s would be perfect. Amax, Scenar, or VLD. I've killed deer with them all, and they all do great. I even hunt in mountainous terrain with them, where shot angles are often less than ideal. Hunt with confidence with the 105s.

The 105's are good, but since killing a few with our LR rifles and 115gr DTAC's I'm having a 1 in 7.5in twist barrel screwed on a Model 7. The 115's have performed very well so far.

Exit wounds?

What round/speed? Thanks.

OP - I would use above recommendations esp. on longer shots. Anything up to 400 or so yards a 95 BT will handle fine, depending on what round it can do the job further somewhat, but the 105s take over as the range grows and you have less worry about bullets coming apart as the slow down a bit.

FWIW - I vaporized an amax on a direct spine hit at 200 yds, but at 400 double lunged, it gave a golf ball sized exit. Only managed to go about 25 yds, but struggled to stay on it's feet after hit.

The 95 BT is my fav all around, as most of my shots are not extreme ranges. Next, I plan to try some 80 TTSX. They are not what you want for LR shots as they lose momentum faster and are 'harder' so may not expand great. But since most of my killing is done under 200 vs. over 400 it's not an issue for me.

I have had some 95 BTs do .2 - .3 moa in both 6BR 10 twist and 243 9t. Sure they will also do well as an option in your 243/8t if you have some hunting done up close and want to punch shoulders. I busted/exited said shot last yr at 100 yds.

243 Win. Muzzle velocity has been between 2,950 and just over 3,100 fps. From around 80 yards to right at 600. Impact speeds have been between 2,900 or so and 2,000 fps.



LOVE the 95gr NBT. It is THE bullet for medium game IME out of 6mm's out to 400 or so. The longest for us was 427 yards on a very big rutting buck.

Good to hear. I bought a 1,000 of them from Shooters Pro Shop when they had factory seconds available...

No doubt the 95 is a killer. Thanks for the info.

So the 115s working near and far, good to know. Love to see the factories mfg. 7.5 ROT rifles OEM, the 243 has plenty to drive them.

"LOVE the 95gr NBT. It is THE bullet for medium game IME out of 6mm's out to 400 or so."

Agree!

Dude, I would have loaned you a super-wide angle lens to capture the photo and saved you a lot of time taking them off the wall

Lol - Dave - Stoney just built a new house complete w/trophy room for those

Considering we hunt deer as a club and put on large scale deer drives, shots are generally inside of 150 yards. Sounds like smart money is to stick with my 95 NBT!

If that's the case you wasted your time with a 1-8" twist, use any bullet you want or a big stone.!!!!!!!

I'm sure most on this forum can relate to the sickness. I like to tinker.

Who cares if shots are 150 yards? Maybe he has a place to play around with longer shots just for fun? It don't suck shootin steel at 5-800 yards rather than throw darts or watch tv.

It's not like a 1-8 will go to waste on anything I intend to send down range. Figured it's a good do all twist with potential...

An 8 twist is NEVER wrong in a 6mm bore hunting rifle

I'd stick to 95s no problem, if you want be able to shoot thru tree limbs that jump in the way on deer driven by dogs, the Barnes will be 100% retention on impact, and after, so it's an option - not that you ever will need it.

IMHO, an 8 twist has no downsides, anything slower can leave one wanting if handloading.

Yep!

I agree and disagree, The 1-8" twist is great within certain parameter's.

Is at it's best with heavy bullet's of solid construction from 95gr to 107gr and the barrel having 4,5,or 6 grooves.

Has a big downside with 3groove barrel's and wimpy bullet's like the 105gr A-Max.
OP is O.K. he said his was a Rock so most likely a 5R.

Also if you are inclined to shoot the mid weight bullet's 70gr-80gr.....you can absolutely shoot better group's with a tad slower twist

Yeah the Rock tube is of the 5R variety and I'll never use anything other than the 95 NBT. I'll play with the Amax or Bergers eventually. Also we don't drive the deer with dogs and shots are generally unobstructed unless we are on the north side of the mountain where the mountain laurel is. Thick schit!

Knowing I'm only gonna use the 95 NBT and eventually the 105 Amax should I have the throat cut any particular way?

If you throat with the amax/vld type in mind you'll be fine with the 95nbt also. The nbt will reach the lands easier than the vld type due to it's shape and all.

Guess my Pac-Nor 3 groove was an exception, it was screwed on a Ruger #1, w/Kepplinger...shot a sub 1/2" group using 105 Amax's in my 6BR.

Oh, that was at 330 yds.

Yikes.

Enlighten me.....

He's full of it again.....

Guess you were not paying attention.....again !!!!!!, we are not talking about 6BR's DF.

A couple of year's ago me and a few of my shooting friends bought into the "HYPE" of the 3groove, we ordered a dozen barrel's all in 22cal. and 6mm.....we chambered them in many various option's from .222Rem to 6-284. with most of us using different gunsmith's and reamer's.............NEVER once did a 105 A-Max make it to target in a 6mm-284 (mine), my friend made a 6mmAI and the A-Max worked perfect for about 400 round's until they started blowing-up.
With the 243 you might get more but you wont get full barrel life shooting the 105gr A-Max in a 3groove with an 8 twist.......unless you are Kaleb that never shoot's and is just an internet theorist

Ha ha.......

Very intelligent post!

yes I agree !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Considering the same twist in a 243. I want to paper punch and shoot steel out to 600 with 105-107 grain pills but use 85-100 grain bullets during deer season. This will serve as a coyote slayer to 500 then for deer and hogs. I really like the idea of A-maxs and VLDs for steel so I am on the right track with the 8 twist? Could a 7 be too much of a good thing?

Go 8" you'll be on the right track!

No need to run anything tighter than 1:8 for the AMAX/VLD/SMK.

We killed a lot of large bucks in Nebraska and Kansas with the std loads of 43.0g of IMR 4350 with the 95g Partition and you will always get an exit, and at times, two exits. You can shoot them from any angle with this bullet.

More recently, we shot a lot of deer and hogs with the 100g Hornady 100g BTSP with a load of 42.3g of H4350 with a Win primer. This Hornady Bullet is a poor man's partition bullet as we proved on numverous hogs. We dumped 200+lb deer at 300-350 yards with a std Rem 700 with the above load.

We also tried the 85g Tripple shock with a load of 44.5g of R#19 with a Win primer and it is awesome on deer for guys that like shooting deer from front to rear or vise a versa with always an exit.

243 is a whale of a good killer, just place your shot or don't pull the trigger.

I never tried the 95g Nosler ballistic tip and with all the + feedback you read on this combo, it is no doubt a good killer. I and friends that I hunt with have taken so much game with the 95g partions, I swear that it is as good as any 30/06 load that I have shot on deer.

Animals are not hard to kill, just place your shot. For guys that love a blood trail, then the 95g partition with the load above is your huckleberry.

Around 1991, I was able to obtain a bunch of over lapped three groove SS Match barrels from a maker for free. I was curious as to how long they would hold up if they would shoot tight groups at all. So, I had two of them chambered in 6/250 AI as they were 1-11 twists, 30" unturned blanks. They shot very tiny groups with 70g Noslers at 3750 fps, they lasted 2000 rounds each of some of the hardest shooting you could imagine on p. dog towns where a guy dumps out a box of 50 loaded rounds and fires as fast as he can acquire targets and touch off a round.

At least with a 1-8 twist, you are politically correct on the internet, especially if you have a 22" barrel.