I just bought a new savage 243 for the nephews to hunt with and don't know much about the round only what I have read sense I'am a 30 caliber fan. going to go wit the 100 grain for the thick woods around here in WV for Deer this fall and I need help deciding on what 100 grain factory load is best, you can read ballistics but actually talking to some one who has taken game with it is different especailly Deer. thanks for any info!!

Don't know about "best" but the potential good news is that the guys I've hunted with that use the .243 have all used the good old Rem Core Lokt green and yellow 100 grainer. All have had great results. Put the bullet in the right place and collect your dead deer. One guy we hunt with is a great field shot with a rifle and that's been his load of choice for a LONG time. Of course, he could also likely kill deer with almost any caliber given his field marksmanship.

Whatever you choose, best of luck in your hunt and enjoy that .243. My nephew started with his 2 years back and shot a doe opening day with the 100 gr Rem around 75 yards - she never took a step and he never noticed the recoil. Good kids combo as long as you get them the appropriate trigger time to practice and shoot well.

Lots of very good choices in standard (non-plastic tipped) 100 grain bullets. I have used Remington Corelokts, Federal Power Shocks (Speer Hotcore bullets) and Hornady Custom (interlock bullets). All of these have given excellent penetration and performance out of my 6mm. As good as these are, and even though I don't use them, I would say the best factory bullet in 100 grain factory offering is the Federal Vital Shock using the Nosler partition. I am thinking most will agree with this but would shoot whatever shot best of these, throw in the Winchester power points to boot, and not look back.

hornady interlocks work very well, and are sub-moa in my father's savage 99.

Another fan of the Hornaday 100 grn. interlocks. They shoot excellent in a rem. 700 of mine. I kilt many a deer wit'em.

BP...

I'm shooting the federal Fusion 95 grain in my wifes Montana this year, I think it should be close enough to 100!! Never taken a deer with it yet, but growning up I've taken plenty of our jackrabbit size whitetail using Remington 80 grain CL out of my Sake Forrester. I think the 95 grainers should lay some deer out!!

Black Hills Gold 95gr Hornady SSTs. First three shots is typical in my Savage. The forth shot was my fault. Haven't tried them on game yet, but I will in November.

How about settling on the load that shoots best in your rifle?

Me too. If I were looking at factory ammo.

RH

I second the 95 grain SST's it was the first load I tested in mt 243 and I coulda covered the hole with a dime at 100 yards. I haven't looked any further since. I'll try some of the 100 gr partitions before season, and keep them on back up but the SST's are where its at!

any

Also haven't found a Savage yet that didn't like anything in the Winchester Supreme line. The BSTs are deadly.

Remington green and yellow box express 100 gr core-lokts. I load them and so does my son. We've never used another bullet for deer in our .243's. Never had a failure,never needed a second shot.

I have seen the 95 gr Fusion in action, it would be my first choice if it shot well in my gun.

My daughter would say go with the Core-lokts. Her first deer dropped so quick she didn't see where it went. I've had similar luck with them for 35 years in my plain wrapper 788 in 6mm.

' Nother vote for Hornady Interlocks...

Ingwe

This guy got Core-Lokt syndrome in the Carolina pines. I've seen hill and hollow deer in WV become victims of the same illness with equal results.

I know a bunch of people who shoot 243's and they all shoot factory Remington 100g Core-lokt's.

Dale

I LIKE that....

Can we just refer to it as "CLS" in the future...or has that been used???

Ingwe

winchester power points

No sir, feel free to use.

Opinions are like butt holes, and we all have one. For what it is worth, I would stay away from tipped bullets for deer size game in a 243. I have owned several 243's over the years just traded for another a couple of weeks ago. I am loading 85 gr Partitions in mine. If I were to shoot factory fodder, I would buy Rem Corelokts.

I actually carried a couple of friends to the range yesterday to sight in their guns, and both used Corelokts in their 243's and got good accuracy. One was shooting a Rem 700 and the other was shooting his son's Rem 7.

Having killed many deer with both my 243 and 6mm i would have to say that you should shell out nearly $100.00 and buy a box of Corelockts,Winchester Power Points,and perhaps a box of Federal Power Shocks or Fusions and see which one shoots the very best in your particular rifle.
With luck all will shoot really good and maybe two of the brands will shoot to practically the same point of impact.
At that point sight in your rifle with what appears to be the most accurate and go hunting.

Federal makes, or at least used to make, a 100gr Nosler Partition load in 243. I've shot several deer with that load and it worked great. Dead deer and all passed right through.

-Dan

I have used the factory loaded 100 gr. Core-Lokt with perfect results many times. I have handloaded the Hornady Interlock and Nosler Partition 100 grain bullets even more and have also had perfect results from both of those as well. I would expect any factory 100 gr. load to work very well if the shooter does their part. Find a good accurate load, sight in carefully, practice well, and go hunting with confidence.

i have used the federal power shoks and the federal fussions in my .243. my two friends shoot the rem core-lokts. all have performed very well, if i had to choose one that under the worse conditions would be less likely to fail, i would have to lean towards the fussions based on a few very close range shots i have done with them through shoulders. complete pass through with no aparent signs of fragmentation. all that said i would not fret a second if i went out with any of the other above mentioned rounds.

I got the 243 down I believe, going to go with the 100 core locks and I still think I need a 25-06 so going to pick one up and shot the 120 grain core lockts in it. I thought about a 200 stevens or a NEF???

The 25-06 will put the smack on deer. Two very experienced deer hunters I know consider the .243, 6mm Rem, and 25-06 to be the deadliest cartridges in WV woods.

I agree Dave, one I know who's a big guy carries a 243, he's about 300 pounds if not more and people use to make fun of him because him being a big guy and carrying a small gun, I learned you don't need a 30-06 and up, good grief I know guys who use short mags, 300's and 7 mags. it doesn't take much to take a Deer with one good placed shot from a 243, 25-06, 6mm or 257 roberts or 7 mm08 without all that recoil!! And that big guy has taken truck loads of Deer without 1 getting away from him!!

Definitely the Stevens. My two are born killers.
My NEF went down the road.


stumpy

Speer Nitrex pocket packs.

Who knows, with the prices of ammo going up, maybe I need to get a reloader and start working up a good load for all my rifles!!

100g Hornady "Custom" ammo in the BTSP is unreal in my Rem and Win!

We shot several large bucks in Kansas, one was 200 lbs at 320 yards.

My wife, one daughter and two sons have been shooting deer with .243's sincethe 70's. They have killed deer with factory 100 grain Core Lokts, Winchester Power Points, Hornady Interlocks, Speer Nitrex,and Federal Hi-Power. I beleive Power Points may be the best but the sample is pretty small. I have shat four deer with the .243 myself but all with Hornady handloads.

All their .243's have 18.5 to 20" barrels FWIW.

I load bulk Core-Lokts and Hornady Interlocks. I have some Partitions but haven't loaded them yet.

The best might be the Remington 100 grain Core Lokt Ultra. I wouldn't know as I have never used it.

Thanks Bear for the info!!!

I bought 200 rounds of Norma Oryx, 100 grain (bonded core) for close to the price of the brass alone.
When they're gone i've got quality brass to reload.

Nosler partition is what I load for grandkids to deer hunting.

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