Ask any "expert" if the 243 will kill anything and they will probably tell you NO. I use to think that, until I used a 243, and contrary to "popular opinion" it worked just fine.

Of course that taught me it was shot placement.

So just don't tell the 243 that it is not capable of killing anything, and it will just go on doing so, if you do your part, until some 'expert' tells it that it can't kill anything,,anymore.

Know a bullets limitation, and it will do just fine. A ballistic tip will work just fine, but you have to put it in a more surgically placed shot, than say a partition. I usually am not a big fan of Barnes bullets because I just can't seem to get them to shoot very accurately. I know they will do a good job once they hit something in the right spot, but getting it there has been elusive to me, even on paper.

However, the gentleman that mentioned the Barnes' 85 grain XLC, I have to concur with that. It is by far the most effective bullet that I have seen in a 243. If I had to take a 243 elk hunting, I would feel that this bullet in a 6mm and pushed to 3400 fps or so would be up to the task. It has shown, at least to me, that it will do what a 180 grain slug in a 30/06 will do any day. ( this is a personal opinion and not an invitation, or criticizing ANYONE else's experiences, contrary or not).
I just have confidence in the little Bullet.

Cheers,
Seafire

I have an up coming hunt for large boar and deer for which I would normally take the 308 and be done with it. But this rifle will still be at the smiths so it's going to be up to little brother. I thought I would just use the 95gr nosler BT's that I bought but I have heard some conflicting opinions about these.

Some say they are fine but most people say that due to only 50% weight retention and very rapid expansion they are not reliable for one shot kills. Most of these guys swear by the partitions due to slower expansion and 60% retention. Then there's the ones who say the partitions are yesterdays bullet and the only thing to use are the CT partition gold�s. But alas, there is no partition gold in 6mm. I also have a box of sierra 'prohunter' 100gr, but have found that most reloaders frown upon sierra's as a game bullet.

So what do I do? Just go out there and shoot the bloody things? I have found BT's in 80gr to be good on goat and roo sized game and just assumed the 95's being heavier and slower would be the choice for deer. What about CT ballistic silvertips? SST's? Any others?

The rifle is a 700 ADL with 9 1/8 twist. Thanks for any help.

Partitions all the way....unless you take head shots only!

Pop,

Better amend that to neck, spine or heart lung shots with the 243. I agree the BT in 243 is not a hog bullet. The Partition sounds good to me.

I knew of a 243 (unknown factory round) that bounced off a hog's skull one time from about 10 feet.

We were deer hunting in a forested flood plane (pulp land)along the Red River, N and E from Greenville, Texas, and the landowner was trapping feral hogs to try to stop erosion. He told us if we saw one in the traps to shoot it and reset the trap, leaving the hog (or his guts) as bait.

This Irishman (said he was from Philadelphia, but ya can't fool me) was in the camp, had a Mannlicher-stocked 243. He came across a 200 lb boar in one of the 6x12 ft panel traps. He shot the hog between the eyes and the hog went down. He went into the trap to take the tushes and open the guts for bait. Well, the bullet had glanced off the sloping skull and the hog got back up, springing the trap and closing the door in the process. They went around the pen/trap several times before the Irishman finally was able to get his gun back up and kill the hog.

The funny thing was that this Irishmen had spent the previous evening giving me Hell for carrying a pistol. ("Who do you think you are -- Wyatt Earp?")

That night around the fire he was asking where he could get a .44!

After all this, I'd say a .243 would easily penetrate the skull if it wasn't a glancing shot. I've killed lots of hogs with a .22 longrifle, and was very envious of a kid who'd taken many nice javelina with his 243.

Since the .243 is a marginal deer round (JMHO) under good conditions, I would go for the partition or a Barnes if they will shoot in your rifle.

Most of the non-partition Noslers are solid based bullets. For many years I have used a Mod 600 6mm with 85 gr Nosler Zipedos (solid based bullets) on deer. Even if the weight retention of the forward section isn't there, the solid copper base keeps on penetrating.

Pigs aren't armor plated, so if you can kill them with a .22 LR, you can kill them with a .243. Just shoot them somewhere besides the forehead.

no reason not to use the new Barnes 85gr Tripple shocks.

I am not sure what kind of bullet Federal uses in their 100 grain 243, but my hunting buddy has been using them for years, and have cleanly taken hogs and deer with them, lots of them. He has 3 daughters and raised them on deer and hog meat from the red river area, and I personally have seen his 243 in action. I used to think it was too light for deer/hogs, but he just kills too darn many for it to be. As always, shot placement is key, but he kills and kills and kills with it. If you can't get any 100 grain slug grab a box or two of Federal 100 grainers and go hunting.
Good luck and good shooting,
Eterry

Ive been using Hornady 100gr spbt in my ,243 on seals up here in Iceland!
Shot one 850 lb, 8,5 ft monster last week and he didint complain!

I use the 100 grain Winchester bulk packed bullet(read cheap--not a premium bullet) available from Midway and have had no problem. Between my son in law,grandson and myself we have harvested a pretty fair number of Texas whitetail. I tried a 95 grain cast bullet ONCE---bad idea. I started my grandson shooting at age 7 and he got his first deer age 9. He started with .22 centerfires and moved up to .243. His first few deer were with various .22's. He got one with my .222 using the same(Winchester bulk packed)bullet--55 grainer.That deer was a classic example of my thoughts---you dont know what any of them will do until you pull the trigger. A few years before that,I had shot a deer of about same size,same spot with 30-06. That deer should not have moved. It got up and travelled further than the deer my grandson shot with .222. Neither of these two should have moved--but they did. Shot another one this year with the .243--about same size hit about same spot,this one had not been reading all the stories about .243 being too small and went down only.

You need more back up rifles. That's a happy conclusion.



Just go out and buy a 30-06, load the 180 gr bullet and sight it in at 200 yds. Thats all you need to know.

Why is it every time someone asks a question they get told they should have a different caliber?

I would not use BT's in a 243 for anything but groundhogs, fox, etc. I would use a 100gr Hornady BTSP or a nosler partition any day for deer.

"Since the .243 is a marginal deer round (JMHO) under good conditions"

Amusing thought. Goes back to skill of the shooter.

I have taken many deer and antelope with the .243 Winchester. Don't let anyone tell you it is a marginal caliber for those animals. Bullet used is the Sierra 85 grain HPBT.

As for boar...never used the .243 for one of them, but I would imagine that the Sierra 100 grain Spitzer Boat Tail would be just fine...(I have done all my pig shooting with a .44 Magnum)

IEATROOS,

I'm a Nosler fan (and a fan of a 1 or 2 other brands of bullets, too), but I will not use Ballistic Tips for hunting. I have shot 2 elk, a mulie, and a antelope with the .270 150gr BT's, the bullet came apart in each case. As a sometime guide for several outfitters, I have probably seen at least another dozen deer and elk shot (and eventually killed) with BT's--but the bullet didn't perform well. This is in cartridges from 257Wthby to the 30 mags.

I would suggest using 100gr partitions, my second choice would be the 95gr partitions, or X bullets (if you can make them shoot), or Rem Corlokts, or then Sierra's (how's that for a run-on sentence?).

This past fall I killed two elk with a .243 with 100gr partitions (long story--it wasn't supposed to work out that way). One bull was a heavily quartering away shot at about 60yds. I put the bullet behind his last rib and found the bullet buried deep in his off shoulder. Just like all other partitions in every other caliber and cartridge I have seen--the front half of was "wiped off". The bull went about thirty yards and piled up--of course the bugger ROLLED about 90 yds down the side of the canyon--sheesh.

I wouldn't hunt Brown bear with a .243, but otherwise a person is never undergunned with a .243 and decent bullets when after deer sized critters--out to any range one is comfortable with. And this is from an unabashed .270 fan--no Jack O'Conner jokes, please!

Casey

partition in either 95 or 100 grain. There are several bullets that I wouldnt hesitate to throw at medium sized hogs but if saw a big one I would feel more confident with a partition. Hornady SST 95 grain shoot pretty well out of my 243 but they wont hold together quite as well as the partition I suppose, since the partition is like twice the cost...

Partitions or Barnes X's. Forget those plastic tipped, boat-tailed bullets(SST, Ballistic Tip, etc.) as they are marginal on deer at best in 6mm. I would not use a .243 Win. on large wild hogs anyway. Lawdog

No Hellrazor, it goes to best tool for the job @ hand. So many good choices, not marginal ones, for a deer caliber, that I wonder why guys choose a .243 when a 7-08 or .270 is just as easy to shoot but allows for the many variables that occur when hunting. You can drive nails fine, all day w/ the butt of a screwdriver or a rock but why not use a hammer? You know, Ford vs Chevy, everyone hunts w/ what they feel comfortable w/, for me it's not a .243 unless it's varmints, damn good coyote round.

The 243 with the 100 grain bullet will be plenty of rifle and bullet for each of the game that you mentioned. I have hunted off and on with a Rem. 700 .243 for years. If you don't have any brush to shoot through that might cause a problem then you have a great gun. I have taken deer and boar with mine, they might go a few steps when you shoot them but they are dead when the bullet hits them, it just takes some of them a minute or two to realize it. I also have used 7mm magnum, 30-06, .270, .300 mag. and many more. There is something about using the .243 that makes you know that you have to take the best shot placement and thus makes you a better hunter. Take the .243 and have a great hunt.

How about a 85 gr. Barnes XLC or TSX?? Should work well I'd think, penetrate at least as deep as a 100 gr. Partition.

For deer the heavyest BT's are fine. Light BT's are varmit bullets in 6mm. For big pigs I would start at the Partitions as a minimum in toughness/penetration ability (in any 6mm/.243 caliber).

The BT may not exit, (opinions vary widely as to the desirability of that) but will kill the deer with a decently placed shot. Big boars may have enough shoulder to stop a BT from a .243, so if you go with the, aim well!

Savage 99--your good.

Thanks for the opinions. I bought some partition 100's and some xlc 85's. I'll see how they go along with the bt's.

The 100gr Hornady spire point interlockts work great on deer.

Use non premium 100 grainers. Maybe even.....gag..........factory ammo. I do not like partitions in small calibers. You need all the expansion you can get. I have seen 6mm partitions pass through deer without doing enough damage to put them down. One spectacular mule deer comes to mind.



As for hogs, forget about shooting them in the chest with a 243. If you shoot a big one you will not get to anything important. They have a grissel plate that can be hard to penetrate. Shoot hogs behind the ear. It is a relatively easy target. Anywhere from the head back to shoulder will put them down quickly without destroying too much meat.