Well, I shot two Ga bucks last night with the .243 AI 95 gr BT. Both bucks under 200 lbs, both broadside, behind the shoulder shots and NO EXIT. actually there were 3 or 4 ribs broken(gone) on the entrance side, and not a scratch on the inside of the opposing ribs. I had faith in the 95 gr BT from past experience, but now me and ballistic tips are DIVORCED for hunting big game, period. The 132" buck I shot 30 min before dark and couldn't find any blood. I had to let him lay until the next morning. I found him, but the meat spoiled. Bummer. If I would have had an exit I would have found him that night. If you like em fine, I've already divorced the 140 gr BT from my 7-08s, but now I'll never use another, period.

With that said I conteplating a copper bullet and can't warm up to the rings on the TSX. has anybody had any experience with the 90 gr e-tip? Please, don't let this turn into a BT discussion. I could care less about them. Tell me about them e-tips, please. Thanks

-Wes

If you are serious about wanting exits and blood trails, then you need to move away from the .243 AI and up to a larger bore and a heavier projectile. And if you do get an exit with the E-tip, TSX or whatever in your .243 AI, chances are it will be small and not bleed much anyway.

The bullets are not to blame here. They obviously did the job as you have dead deer.

By the way, I've shot dozens of hogs with the .30 caliber, 150 grain BT at 2780 fps MV and got exits a large percentage of the time. And, I am somewhat surprised by your results as the 95 grain BT generally pushes all the way through a broadside deer. But if you really want exits and blod trails, do as I said earlier and move up in bore size.

Wes-

Forgot to say congrats on the bucks. How about some photos?

Thanks Bobby. I'm really fond of this particular rifle is why I hunt with it. It's a semi-custom M700 ADL worked over by Herb Reilly. I also really like the soft recoil and flat trajectory of the 6mms. I may move to my 7-08s w/ 140 gr partition for all of my deer / hog hunting though. Just looking for info on the e-tip. I think it was just released in the 90 gr 6mm flavor

I have had good luck with 85gr Barnes TSX. Mostly DRT but exit hole have been big enough to put down a blood trail. I would think E-tip would do the same.

quote:

Originally posted by hardin284:
--- Both bucks under 200 lbs, both broadside, behind the shoulder shots and NO EXIT. actually there were 3 or 4 ribs broken(gone) on the entrance side, and not a scratch on the inside of the opposing ribs. --- I

-Wes

Well if you'd use the high shoulder shot, which takes out the spine --
then following becomes a moot point

yeh, yeh, yeh....I only had a split second to shoot the big one before he dissappeared into some canes at 50 yds. Saw deer, leveled crosshairs, safety off, found shoulder, boom!

Back at the ranch....I guess the 90 gr etip is so new there is little experience out there with it

Go to Nosler.com and check out the forums. You'll find some users of that bullet there in both the reloading and hunting sections.

quote:

Originally posted by hardin284:

yeh, yeh, yeh....I only had a split second to shoot the big one before he dissappeared into some canes at 50 yds. Saw deer, leveled crosshairs, safety off, found shoulder, boom!

Proper hunting! We may make plans to take tremendous care with our 243s and clinicaly squeeze a shot behind the shoulder but real life doesn't work like that.

I like the bullet and the fact that it doesn't exit on some shots but my situation is different. In truth using a 243 for this type of hunting does need a lot of care. The lack of recoil comes at a price. An absolute requirement for exits and a need to find a deer in the dark coupled with the flexibility to take fleeting shots at shoulders near cover is not classic 243 territory whatever the bullet used!

quote:

Originally posted by hardin284:
yeh, yeh, yeh....I only had a split second to shoot the big one before he dissappeared into some canes at 50 yds. Saw deer, leveled crosshairs, safety off, found shoulder, boom!

Back at the ranch....I guess the 90 gr etip is so new there is little experience out there with it

Sorry, sometimes I have to be bad--
it was largely in jest,
(there is a history on the high shoudler POI discussions, you may not be aware of)

And ,although the 243 has been called
"THE Deer rifle of Texas) ,
I personally prefer larger calibres for the very reason you mentioned--no exit--
or at least something like an A-Frame or Partition--
Their integrity and penetration IMO are an added + , esp.when choosing smaller projectiles

My fav 6mm bullets are....85 TSX, 90 Swift, and 95 BT....I'd use the first two if worried about a blood trail.

Two years ago, I was having a lucky streak with my 6mmBR on deer, yotes, bobcats and more.

One deer came out at 45 yds, at DARK THIRTY, could make out she was a doe, but concerned about trailing, ESP. as I was using an explosive bullet, the 105 Amax. She was broadside looking my way, so I immediately put one thru here head and DRT. No trailing. In the woods you can get close shots. A few years before, I had a doe and buck come out, same field, same time, the BR spoke twice, the buck spined as I knew at 200 yds I would get no penetration and he was facing away from me, I was elevated some in a stand, so put the bullet down into back, blew on contact, but DRT.

2nd deer, 400 yds, broadside, put thru BOTH lungs, exited golf ball size, and deer down w/in 20 yds of impact.

If I wanted a solid bloodtrail, an 85 TSX will give you that I believe, but if you want a BIGGER hole, a 358 Win/350RM/338F and the like will do that for you, no doubt about it.

Good luck.

I tried the ETips in a Howa .243 that shot very well with other ammo.I went through the box I had without getting a load, but I started .050 back like with Barnes.

Oddly, I tried 85 grain TSXs in the same gun at .010 off and the shot itty-bitty groups. Maybe The Etips would have worked at .010 off too.

I have shot deer with 85 grains TSXs they work like gang busters. Run them through the chest and Bambi dies. I have seen > 30 inches of penetration from them. In my case, I have not seen decent blood trails because they have so severely damaged everything in the chest that blood pressure went to zero almost instantly. That is also my experience with 130 grain TSXs/TTSXs out of 308s and 30-06s though. The last one was a broadside shot at 140 yards with a TTSX 130 at 3150 MV. Tucked up tight right behind the leg. Took out the heart and lungs completely. Two jumps and down. Not much blood outside Bambi. Quarter sized entrance hole in the hid and like on the exit side. Chest full of red soup heart loose in the chest.

That's exactly the same situation that the longest run came from too. lungs gone completely heart loose in the chest. Deer made it maybe 50 yards. Mostly though they just go straight down.

I have used the 95 gr. Ballistic Tips a lot and generally get exits. My strategy might be a bit different than yours. If I know my shots will be inside 200 yards which they will be where I hunt I load this bullet to 2700 fps out of my 6MM Remington. If I am taking the rifle antelope or mule deer hunting I load it as fast as I can and still get good accuracy.

The 85 grain TSX puts 6mm rifles into a whole different league. If you want exits, it's the bullet to use.

Pete

Nosler is my premium 'go to ' company...

but as a hunter, I ask myself....why do we need to being paying so much for these overpriced bullets?

its 'Eco Friendly' so that naturally justifies a much higher cost?

I personally think the sport shooting industry is riding the wave with the lefties... because it ends up padding their wallets more..

much like the 2 summers I worked in No Georgia back in college..

everyone selling Moonshine, supported all the Baptist Church go'ers in making the county Dry..
of course as soon as you crossed the county line.. within 300 yds there were about 5 liquor stores...

the almighty dollar bill can make some strange bed fellows..

quote:

Originally posted by hardin284:
Well, I shot two Ga bucks last night with the .243 AI 95 gr BT. Both bucks under 200 lbs, both broadside, behind the shoulder shots and NO EXIT. actually there were 3 or 4 ribs broken(gone) on the entrance side, and not a scratch on the inside of the opposing ribs. I had faith in the 95 gr BT from past experience, but now me and ballistic tips are DIVORCED for hunting big game, period. The 132" buck I shot 30 min before dark and couldn't find any blood. I had to let him lay until the next morning. I found him, but the meat spoiled. Bummer. If I would have had an exit I would have found him that night. If you like em fine, I've already divorced the 140 gr BT from my 7-08s, but now I'll never use another, period.

With that said I conteplating a copper bullet and can't warm up to the rings on the TSX. has anybody had any experience with the 90 gr e-tip? Please, don't let this turn into a BT discussion. I could care less about them. Tell me about them e-tips, please. Thanks

-Wes

Have you tried Nosler partitions or accubonds go to www.bivwak.com and bid on some nosler seconds.I've used accubond seconds on a cow elk.My friends buy nosler seconds for elk ,mule deer,black bear,whitetails,etc.