What do you guys think? I have seen it perform well on antelope out of GeorgeS' 243 ackley, when he came here and we hunted antelope. However I am seeking more input as far as loads go and field performance.
This wll be a deer (hence the concern) and antelope load. Thanx
------------------ "Hope for the best.....Expect the worst!"
Posts: 3863 | Location: Cheyenne, WYOMING, USA | Registered: 13 June 2000
So far in my experience the lighter BTs' are to thin in the jacket for deer. They can work but they can and have also caused some problems. My father hung up his '06 and now uses a .243 with 100gr. Nosler Partitions with good success. He keeps his shots fairly short though. I personally don't care for the .243 much. Maybe my opinion isn't what you hoped for.
Probably shot about 50 deer with this bullet over the past 3 years. Size from 20lbs to 130lbs for the larder. Launch velocity somewhat down which equates to their 200yard performance.
Excellent balance of penetration and expansion for me. Will expand on a Roe and penetrate a fallow buck. I shoulder shot a big fallow buck at 80yards and the jacket ended up just under the skin on the far side. You might not like this but where I stalk there is an advantage of having a shot in your repetoire where penetration is not through and through. Chest shots fine penetration.
The key with ballistic tips and meat damage is velocity. Keep it to about 2,900fps and it's fine.
Posts: 2258 | Location: Bristol, England | Registered: 24 April 2001
Normally, when you say "deer" most people think of 125 pound whitetails. But if you are referring to big Wyoming muleys, which may run over 300 on the hoof, then the 95 grain Ballistic Tip becomes a little marginal. I'm a big Ballistic Tip fan and wouldn't hesitate to use a 130/270 on muleys, but the 95/6mm might be a little light on a big buck far away.
If I wanted to shoot my .243 at muleys, I'd jump up to a 100 grain Partition.
Posts: 13239 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001
Hi POP we proccess about 300~350 deer carcasses a year 75%roe,5% fallow,20%reds,so have seen just about every shot possible. on the lighter roe the ballistic tips cause to much meat damage! and on the other two species, it does not hold together at all. we have shot foxes with the 85gn CT.BT's and didn't get an exit wound! over priced and over rated! and as for Boyd advocating matchkings in these light calibers, they might work well in the larger calibers where velocity is somewhat reduced especially @ 1000yds but most light calibers are well above the 3000fps and if the likes of BT's don't hold together then what chance have matchkings which have a thinner jacket.
My BT's are in the bin with the Barnes X
Griff
Posts: 1179 | Location: scotland | Registered: 28 February 2001
I'm sure there are better bullets in the US but for me they're fine.
Have to say I allways wonder about this meat damage bit. I sell my deer to 2 gamedealers. Provided I haven't hit the shoulder or the spine then even if there are some big holes I get the same price and they don't complain.
What they (and presumably you) hate is bloodshot meat because with inspection like it is you can't afford to have blood etc on your block or knife. Any bullet through the shoulder at 2,900fps is going to cause some damage.
So stay off the shoulder and the bruising at 2,900fps doesn't normaly spread past the ribs.
A roe is a small target, when you put it a touch low and far back believe me you'll wish you had a ballistic tip. All the extra pounds of venison in the world won't make up for that ghastly feeling when you walk forward see hair a couple of drops of blood with green in it and no carcass in sight. I'm not saying that I'm an habitual wounder nor that they are magical merely that in 3 cases I can think of I am allmost certain they allowed me to recover deer which would not have been recovered with a standard soft point.
Posts: 2258 | Location: Bristol, England | Registered: 24 April 2001
i'm the 243's biggest fan but even i would want a heavier constructed bullet than a BT for anything that weighs more than 100lb and i would not hunt my local whitetails with anything less than a 100gr partion even though i have cleanly killed them with my 10mm handgun
quote:Originally posted by 1894: I'm sure there are better bullets in the US but for me they're fine.
Have to say I allways wonder about this meat damage bit. I sell my deer to 2 gamedealers. Provided I haven't hit the shoulder or the spine then even if there are some big holes I get the same price and they don't complain.
What they (and presumably you) hate is bloodshot meat because with inspection like it is you can't afford to have blood etc on your block or knife. Any bullet through the shoulder at 2,900fps is going to cause some damage.
So stay off the shoulder and the bruising at 2,900fps doesn't normaly spread past the ribs.
A roe is a small target, when you put it a touch low and/or back believe me you'll wish you had a ballistic tip. All the extra pounds of venison in the world won't make up for that ghastly feeling when you walk forward see hair a couple of drops of blood with green in it and no carcass in sight. I'm not saying that I'm an habitual wounder nor that they are magical merely that in 3 cases I can think of I am allmost certain they allowed me to recover deer which would not have been recovered with a standard soft point.
Posts: 2258 | Location: Bristol, England | Registered: 24 April 2001
POP I have tried the Nosler BT bullets 4 years ago and had big red patches of 3 inches show up on the outside of deer and coyotes, penetration was not deep at all. Since those days, I am told that Nosler has taken care of the problem. OK, I bought a box of 100 grain BT last month to try in my 25-06. I was told that these are the "Hunting BT Bullets" with a thicker jacket on them. I haven't shot anything as yet, so time will tell and I will get back to the forum to present my findings. School is out at the moment on that topic.
