Just wondering how thin the jackets are on Hornady's 6mm 87gr HPBT? In other words, is it a true varmint bullet where the jacket and core of the bullet come apart very rapidly, or could one use it on deer, not that I would, but in a pinch....

What are your experiences with this bullet, and did you find the accuracy to be acceptable? Acceptable is under 3/4moa out to 300 or so yards. Thanks, Jay

Jay,

I can vouch for the accuracy out to 300 yds plus....
I especially like H 414 powder!

It is more accurate than the 87 grain SP Hornady....

I'd find the bullet acceptable for deer and antelope....or the 87 grain SP also... the HP is just more accurate.....

The 87 grain V max does a nice job for accuracy also.....blows up prairie dogs just fine!

cheers
seafire

Seafire, Thanks for the reply. I just might do a water penetration test on milk jugs at100yds and see what the bullet looks like after it goes through all that water.

BTW, I've loaded these bullets with 46.5, 47, 47.5 and 48grs. of RE19, 210M primers, Win. Brass. Once the weather cools down a bit(90plus today, 95 Sun.)we'll have to see what these bullets do at the range. I've mentioned before I tried IMR4831 with the 87VMs, and it shot really well, somewhere under 1/2" @100yds., so, since RE19 is close to that burn rate, I should get good results. Might try 760 if all else fails, got a load for that powder? Jay

Have taken quit a few deer with that bullet in a rem 243 classic.Have a friend that is all he shoots in a savage 99.I shot one in the throat a few years ago propped on my newphews shoulder at 287 yds (ranged) with 5 hunters watching to see if I hit it.It just fell over backwardes,( called a s--- shot)Just got lucky.
Seriously,haven't used the 243 in several years but that 87 gr hornady has accounted for a lot of deer between my buddy and me.One of the reasons I went to it was that it didn't blood shot as much meat if you shot it in or behind the shoulder.used a sierra 100 gr before that but it did a lot of damage.We shot 42.5 grs IMR 4350 w/fed 210 primers in both rifles.
Have been working on a 100 gr load for the 243 this summer and came up with a load that has shot more than one,one hole groups in 4 different rifles.2 rem,1-savage and a tikka.
It is 100 gr core-loc,H4831@46 grs,and fed210,wlr,or cci primers made no difference,and the long or short cut powder made no difference.If you try this load be sure and work up it is from and older reloading manual and the latest hodgen only goes up to 42 grs max.Didn't see any pressure signs in any of the 4 rifles
Below is a targert shot with my rem classic using a 85 bthp sierra (top) and the 100 gr core-loc (bottom) @300yds,it measured .478 in the 85 sierra diddn't do too well going to have to try some different powder.

I'd draw the line at coyotes personally... there are much better bullets for larger animals.

It's not so much the bullet weight as the hollow point design is what i'm referring to if you have deer in mind. I'd use a premium bullet if you're shooting that weight for deer or hogs.

Not arguing, but Hornady has "Varminting/Medium Game", under optimum and Performance Criteria, in their Bullet Information section of the Third edition.

Believe me, I know that a 6mm is really borderline for taking down deer when you have to go through a shoulder, been there, done that. Even then, when I shot my first deer with a 7400 6mm, it was an instantaneous event. 100gr. Core-Lokt Hit high in the shoulder and traversed at a 45degree angle and took out the spine, deer was done twitching by the time I got over to it. And, it wasn't much of a twitch, if I remember.
No, it would not be my first choice for a deer bullet, but if I had to take a shot of a lifetime.......All done! Jay

Here is a suggestion, load 95 grain Partitions for deer and 95 grain BTs for varmints. In my 243s and 6MMs, both bullets shoot to the same approximate POA. Certainly close enough for any coyote or deer that was large enough not to fit in the glove compartment of a '64 VW.

Jeff

85 gr Sierra HPBT has worked every time for me. 95 gr Nosler Prt work too.

Jay,

Any chance you are Judy Gorski's baby brother?? Sorry, but I had to ask!!

quote:

Originally posted by Lowrider 49:
85 gr Sierra HPBT has worked every time for me. 95 gr Nosler Prt work too.

Jay,

Any chance you are Judy Gorski's baby brother?? Sorry, but I had to ask!!

I've shot the 85 Sierra out of my 6mm, consistant 3/4moa out to 200yds. I'm thinking the Hornady 87HPBT and Sierras 85HPBT are built very much alike, since both can and have been used on medium sized game. Now, after more than 1000rounds through my 6mm, we'll see if the Hornady is more accurate. Jay

Ahhhh, No.

Anyone that claims that a 6mm is a borderline deer caliber, evidently can back it up with some story about a failure.....

I have failures with the 30/06 and 180 grain bullets and 300 Win Mag with 200 grain bullets.....So does that make them inadequate for deer? NOT hardly.....

I'll still bank on shot placement any day of the week.... and most guys can do that better with a 6mm or cartridge under 30 caliber than they can with a cartridge over 30 caliber.....

I have also seen guys become better shooters with a downloaded 30 Caliber because the recoil was taken away, or reduced enough to end their fear of it.....

For every 6mm failure on deer, no one hears about the 50 or 100 times in comparison that it worked... If it was such a failure, then people wouldn't keep buying 243s in such numbers....

But the critics of 6mm sort of forget to give any credence to that.....

Hey if it works for ya, use it...

If using something else makes you feel better than do so... but quite trying to influence others based on 'your' negative experiences ( statement for the public in general, not any particular individual)....

When a 6mm fails, it is the fault of the shooter, not the round....

I remember the surprise on an older Indian woman's face in Montana, when her grandson who worked at a sporting goods store brought her in to show her a new elk rifle he thought she should have... she was shocked we he told her that the 22.250 that she had been using on the reservation for the last 30 yrs was not an Elk cartridge.....
She takes several Elk a year with the 22.250 as she uses Elk as her main source of meat....

Guess instead of complaining about the inadequacy of the round, she just figures out "where to shoot them" to make it all work...

Bet she doesn't have many gun magazines hanging around on her coffee table at home either... Or try to make those 700 yard shots on Elk like Joe Schmoe with his 3000 Weatherby Magnum....

cheers
seafire

I've always been hesitant to fire hollowpoints at deer. I prefer the Hornady 95gr. SST for really good penetration or most of the 100gr. Spitzers. I want to anchor that deer, not give him a chance to run. This is just one mans opinion because I realize some of you swear by the 85gr. bullets.
Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Seafire,

Same story with .223 on deer, caribou, moose, seal, walrus and bear for native Alaskans that were never told that it wouldn't work. My Grandfather used to kill deer and everything else with a .32-20 in an old 92 Winchester with iron sights, just because he could.

IMHO, the gun mags and writers do us a great dis-service by pushing Ft Lbs and FPS over hunting skills and shot placement. We're being brain washed!! I know their job is to sell new and ever more powerful guns and ammo and magazines, but it is amazing how politically correct they have all become...I miss the old guys who told it like it was...or to use Elmer Keith's line..."Hell, I was there!!" I saw Jeff Cooper on TV a few weeks ago and he has become a grand old gentleman too...pretty soon they will all be gone and with them the wisdom of experience.

The Sierra 85 gr HPBT rules in the .243 and there are many others that work wonders too.

Where you shoot em, not what you use as a delivery system that counts...I prove that to myself a couple times a year with my bow, about 80 foot pounds of energy and a 2 blade cut on contact broadhead just like the old ones used!!

I have used a .243 in New Zealand for around 10 years now, I have successfully shot Tahr, chamios, red deer, Fallow deer, pigs and goats with a 87gr Hornady Spire Point.
I found the 87gr to be a far better killer than the 100gr projectile.
Tahr can be a notoriously hard to put down animal yet I had no trouble with the .243. I shot four bulls with four shots, my mate beside me had a 30-06 and had to shoot one three times to put it down.

In my opinion there is such a thing as having too much power.

Our Red deer are large, a decent stag is between 80-120kg, my .243 has taken these out to 300yds easily with one shot.

I imagine that the American Whitetail would be no bigger than our Red Deer.

A mate at work used to meat hunt with 87gr hollow points and he said they were the most efficient killer of deer that he had ever seen.

Long live the .243