My .243 doesn't shoot 90 grain bullets (or heavier) well. It just loves 70 to 85 grain bullets, but most bullets in that range are target or varmint bullets. What are some lighter bullets that are made for deer size game? I don't generally hunt deer with my .243, but my grandson uses it. We have used a Speer 80 grain with some success, but was wondering about other options. (It doesn't shoot the solid copper bullets well either, although lighter, they are too long.)

I don't know how plentiful they are any more, but I have seen Nosler Solid Bases in both 70 and 85 grain weights, as well as the Nosler Partition at 85 grains.

Welcome to the real world of the .243... That cartridge was originally developed to shoot varmints, but a lot of folks won't admit it. If you want to have some fun, start that thread/discussion on the small bore forum!

Hey Red, Good to see you back - and alive!

I agree with Doubtless, Nosler used to make an 85gr Partition. I tried them on a couple of dozen Deer. They did OK, but as usual for a 0.243" Bullet, the innards often plug both holes - little to no blood trail.

The Carolina Heart Shot(low through both shoulders) gets all the steering gear and the heart which generally means a short Tracking job anyhow.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills.

Yo Red,

When I've used a .243 Winchester for Deer; which is every time I go to the UK, so Fallow, Red, Roe, CWD & Muntjac can be on the Menu; I've always used 85 grainers and had success with several bullets.

For me the pick of the litter is the 85 gr. Nosler Patition - works excellently both accurate & at the arriving end.

Also used the 85 gr. Sierra Game King HPBT's; shot several Fallow Deer one trip with them; all in the bread basket - outstanding results.

Bringing up last place but certainly no slouch in this Triumverate are the 85 gr. Speer SPBT's. I shot a lot of Stateside Deer with this bullet, too.

Lot of good choices...

80 and 90 grain ballistic tips
87 grain Hornady SP and HP..
85 geain Sierra HP
85 grain Barnes
80 gr Barnes TTSX..

and if the deer are antelope sized like most Oregon blacktails...the 75 grain HP from Speer, Sierra nd Hornady actually work quite well if the MV is kept to 2700 fps or so...and the distance is say within 250 yds...

with the 243, it is all about shot placement.. but it will work just fine also in the hands of a good shot..

quote:

What are some lighter bullets that are made for deer size game?

Check out the Barnes bullets.

If the 85 grain partitions are no longer made, I have a box I might be willing to part with.

I have a 244AI that has used 87 grain Hornady spire points on deer for 40 or 50 years.The 1-12 twist wont allow heavier bullets.

I used the Sierra Gameking 85 grain Hollow Point Boat Tail in my .243 to excellent effect on two North Central Texas does last year. With on exception, anything less than 70 grains or more than 85 grains just doesn't shoot in my Browning A Bolt Stalker. These bullets with a max charge of IMR 3031 consistently do .7-.8" three shot groups.

Following are the pictures of the entrance and exit wounds from my two kills. Both were broadside shots. The first about 100 yards; the second about 130 yards. The internal damage was impressive, there was a little bloodshot meat, and the exit wounds about quarter size.





The second one:

Entrance:



Exit:



Exit skinned:



I want to try these on pigs but haven't had the chance.

LWD

I didn't know if the Sierra Gamekings would hold up on deer. My gun shoots them well. But the above photos are pretty dramatic.

Sierra makes several hollow point boattail Gamekings. They say they are harder than the soft point version. I have been impressed with the performance on deer especially since I'm launching them at 3250 fps.

LWD

I've used the 85 grain Partition for small deer and antelope with one shot success on everyone of them.

quote:

I didn't know if the Sierra Gamekings would hold up on deer.

Absolutley no issue.

For Deer as large as Fallow & Red Deer Hinds which are comparable to representative US sized Whitetail Deer.

The 85gr Sierra HPBT is all we load in my kids 6m/m Rem, one shot, one deer. And extremely accurate in several rifles.

Stepchild

There also seems to be enough fragmentation that I would probably try the 85 gr Sierra HPBT Gameking on a coyote.

LWD

If you are going to shoot Sierras, my recommendation is to not go over 3K muzzle velocity. Period. I have a good friend that talked to Sierra a couple of years ago at the SHOT show and asked about my repeated failures with Sierra ProHunters and GameKings: they simply blew up... He was told point blank that Sierras are not made to be shot at over 3K, and will most likely disintegrate if that is done.

This from a Sierra rep! Thanks, but no thanks. I will shoot something else...

In my Winchester 88 in 243 I only use the Speer or Nosler 85grainers whichever is cheaper at the time, 48.0gr Reloader22 3300fps perfect medicine for pigs, goats and the smaller deer not including Samba. Don't need to shoot 'em twice.

In both my son and daughters 243's ( pre 64 M70 fwts) I load up barnes 80 grain TTSX's, very fast and they sure worked well on my 11 year olds 5 pt. Mn whitetail last year...I was amazed at what that little bullet can do.

Doubless,
It sounds like the receptionist took that call(grin). I shoot Sierra bullets almost exclusively and have never had one blow up.
My go to deer rifle is a 22/250AI that goes 3,998 over the Oehler and the bullet of choice is Sierra's 55gr spitzer and they kill deer with authority with no blow ups.
In fact the only rifle I own that doesn't exceed 3,000 is a 6.5 Swede.
That rep is misinformed.

Stepchild

quote:

That rep is misinformed.

Yes, especially since the hollow point versions of the Gameking are made "harder" than the softpoint ones.

LWD

I've used my .243 Rem CDL on some smaller mule deer bucks here in Idaho. I hunt on area where the deer have to have a 2 point on at least one side.

I've used some Nosler BT 55 grains under a lot of Varget for a velocity of 4050 fps through my chronograph. Accuracy is very good; I've used this set up on long range rockchucks with great success. Performance on the deer has been devastating with a DRT performance. Very Very flat shooting which makes the longer shots on these deer much easier.

quote:

Originally posted by TEANCUM:
I've used ...Nosler BT 55 grains ... for a velocity of 4050 ... on ...deer ....

I do not doubt that at all.

My dad built a 243 over 10 years ago and has had mixed success as well. I loaded up 95 NBT for a deadly accurate load and he has killed a few deer with it with similar results as the photos above. He has also had good hits at longer than 200 yards that did not perform as well. The deer died but ran a considerable distance before expiring. I think that it is a matter of steam and the 243 runs out of it. I think that it is still a viable sub 200 yard gun and not recommended for greater than 200 yards. This caliber does not live up to its trajectory, so to speak, when it comes to deer sized critters.