Ok, how many of you guys have killed deer with a 6mm pistol? What bullets were you using and at what kind of velocity? I am leaning towards 80 grain bullets, but some other posts have me wondering.

Come on guys. You can't tell me that noone is hunting wiith a 6mm TCU, a 6X47, a 6mm JDJ or a 6mm Bullberry.

I plan on trying 80 grain single shot pistol bullets to start.

First off, I don't have a handgun in .243 but I do in .308 so I can't help you on that. Second, I'm not a fan for Nosler BT's in rifles. But the Nosler BT's were made for Contenders etc. Think I would lean toward the heavy for caliber bullets. The 125gr. BT's work for mule deer (nothing over 250lbs.)in my .30 Herrett. Think a 90/100 BT should work just fine on Florida whitetails. FWIW

The Sierra 80 grain Single Shot Pistol bullet is the way to go here. I've taken several smaller Texas hill country deer along with some of the state's plentiful exotics with a 6mm-.223 (aka 6x45), and with a shot through the heart-lung area, it puts them down quickly and efficiently.

I done a ton of expansion testing over the years with 6mm bullets, and the Sierra SSP is by far the most reliable for the calibers you mentioned.

Thanks Bobby. I appreciate the input. I do indeed have some of those lined up for testing. This thread was sparked by Mike Bellms comments on using lighter bullets for deer.

Have you tried any other 80 grain bullets?

Cokdnloded, Some useful info from this earlier thread... http://www.serveroptions.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=35;t=000575
Gary T.

I used to hunt with a couple different 6mm-223 Handguns (Bullberry Contender Barrel & a Custom XP-100). I settled on the 80gr. Speer "Hot Core" Spitzer a long time ago, and it never once let me down. Adequate expansion and penetration. The velocities I obtained were in the 2600 FPS range.

Larry

Have killed several whitetail with a .243 Striker . I started out with the Hornaday 100 gr btsp . From the exit holes , it appeared expansion was minimal , so I decided that bullet may be a little stiff for handgun velocities . Last year I used the Speer 85 gr btsp . One buck was hit a little far back as he was apparently quartering away a little more than I thought . The range was about 150 yards and I was also higher than the deer . The bullet clipped the rear of the near side lung , went thru the liver and out the opposite flank leaving a about a 1 inch exit hole . The buck , around 200 lbs. ran about 100 yards and died . No blood trail until after he ran about fifty yards. Another buck , weight around 180 , was shot at about 40 yards slightly quartering towards me . The little Speer broke the shoulder and went thru both lungs and stopped under the far side hide . He than ran about thirty yards and jumped the pasture fence and turned again to look at me . I'm thinking I must have missed somehow and was about to take another poke when he tipped over deader than a doornail .

From that experience , I would think the 85 gr Speer would be about right in the smaller 6 mm cartridges . I may try just a little more bullet this year in the .243 .

What I don't like about the 6mm handgun is the lack of reaction to the shot and little in the way of a blood trail . It seems about like shooting them with a bow , no reaction to the hit and they just run aways until they bleed out .......

[ 09-19-2002, 07:18: Message edited by: sdgunslinger ]

I'M GONNA TRY THE SIERRA 80GR SSPB. THE SPEER 80GR BULLET IS SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD ALSO.

You can try the Remington 80gr this bullet works good out of a 16" BBL Contender and you can pick them up at a gunshow for about $8.00 a 100. This is the 80gr PSPCL not the HP

[ 10-12-2002, 10:05: Message edited by: Paul Dustin ]

Paul-The Remington is a decent bullet that always seems to exhibit excellent accuracy, but it is not a CL as you had noted. it is simply a soft point.

I have to agree with Dan in Wa, I also shoot a 308 Win Encore and love the 125 grain BT in it. I normally shoot 100 grain Nosler Partitions in my 243 Rifle but think I'm going to try the 95 grain BT's in my 15" Encore 243. The 125 gr BT's in my 308 is a real Whitetail Wacker, You shoot they hit the deer falls down like dropping a sack of feed.