I have two Tikka T-3 Lites, 1 in .300 win mag and 1 in .243. Does anyone have any good loads for the 85 gr Triple Shock in the .243 Win? Will this load work well on even a large mule deer, or should I just stick to the .300?

Thanks,
Rick

I used a top load of IMR 4350 from a loading book, killed a nice hog at 240 yds from my 20" RSI 243 Ruger single shot last year, dropped in tracks.

4064 and 4320 might do well also. Don't overlook Varget as well. Had great luck long ago with 414 and 60 gr, not sure how it would do with 85's.

Good luck.

I use 38.5gr of IMR-4064 in my SPS with the 85gr TSX.

Just loaded 44.5 grs H4350 with 87 Hornadys, showed some promise from my test shots. Id say the Barnes should have no problem on deer, Hornady suggests using 87 HPBT bullets on them.

I would say that a 6 mm bullet is marginal in a large deer regardless of it being a TSX.

Why would you like to elect to not being able to take all shots possible with the 300 to just side shots behind the sholderblade?

It´s beyond me?


Use enough gun and hit what you aim for.

Best regards Chris.

It will do just fine if you put the bullet in the same place you would put any bullet. Mule deer are not hard to kill.

Perry

An awfull lot of very experenced hunters swear by the .243. I have never hunted with one, but I took a mulie with a 100 grain tsx from a .257 roberts.
Did a great job...tj3006

Drop Ty a e-mail at Barns he hunts with the .243 85gr TSX.

tyh@barnesbullets.com

DR B

Thanks - I just sent him an email.

I will "probably" use the .300 mag primarily, but I always take along a back-up rifle. I was going to take my .257 Wthby, but I am running out of time to develop a load.

Thanks for all the input.

One of the loads suggested to me was 45 grains of H414 with the 85 gr. TSX, I'm going to start at 43 grains and work up from there in the next two weeks.

The .243 is fine for deer, we shot a couple last year with my 6x45, and it's a lot less gun than the .243. It loses about 300-400 fps with every bullet compared to the .243.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jay Gorski:
Just loaded 44.5 grs H4350 with 87 Hornadys, showed some promise from my test shots. Id say the Barnes should have no problem on deer, Hornady suggests using 87 HPBT bullets on them.[/QUOTE

Thanks Jay for reminding me about the 87BTHP, a friend years ago said they were death on deer many times over for him and friends he loaded them for, I have experienced witnessing my son kill deer with 85BTHP Sierra-deadly results.

quote:

Originally posted by Calif. Hunter:
Thanks - I just sent him an email.

I will "probably" use the .300 mag primarily, but I always take along a back-up rifle. I was going to take my .257 Wthby, but I am running out of time to develop a load.

Thanks for all the input.

The 257WBY would be perfect for mulies I reckon with either the 110 Accubond or the 115TSX

Cali. Hunter,

Did Ty @ Barnes ever get back to you??
I'd be interested in his input on the 85 TSX.
I have a SAKO L579 in .243 that I'm concidering that bullet for. BT

Yes, Ty said that he uses it in his .243 on mulies out to 300 yards with no problems or reservations. I believe he said over 45 gr of H-414, but I'd have to check. That's a max load, I believe, so should be worked up to...

Excellent, thank you.

I've never been a real fan of the .243 on deer. I've not lost game because of it, but have been rather unimpressed with the way it puts deer on the ground. Also, I've recovered bullets from kills that I thought should have exited. It just pales next to my .270.
The TSX may be what I'm looking for. I'll have to give them a try. BT

45/4350 what I use with 85BTHP and should be the same load with the X bullets I loaded that killed my hog. 3100 mv (chrono 20", 240 yds) and it dropped like a rock when the gun went off.

That was enough to impress me, and picture perfect expansion. If that won't impress someone......seriously the Barnes, Sierra 85BTHP, Hornady 87's, and 105 Amax are good, the last being in my 6BR but not when alot of penetration is needed on closer shots, and this year I plan to try the 95 ballistic tips, tougher than the 105's, more energy than the lighter bullets downrange. May become my overall pic for a 6mm bullet, but the Barnes has alot to offer, I seriously would punch an elk w/o reservation w/in 200-250 yds on a broadside lung shot and expect to be eating steaks! I think when penetration is a priority with a good wound channel, this bullet may be one of the best, can only imagine perhaps a Swift Scirroco bonded doing close to this in media test but would have to run tests to confirm.

6mm's will get it done with shot placement and correct bullet. Not the best for ALL shots when you don't want to pass up any, but the Barnes should really penetrate and stand out against many other bullets in this caliber IMHO, based on my experience and others I have heard reported.

I wasn't able to use my chrony but shot the 85 TSX in my Savage 12FV up to 45 grains of H414 with no pressure signes at all. Accuracy was not really as good as I would like but they were only loaded to an oal of 2.650.

I'm going to try loading them a little longer OAL, up to 2.708 which is the longest my magazine will take. I've done this with my 75 gr. Nosler BT load and it's become my most accurate load for varmint shooting.

A repeat of my post from last year. "My son and I used the 85 grain TSX over 41.5 grains of IMR 4350 on Grants Gazelle and Impala in Tanzania last week. Worked very well on both. Broadside shot passed through the Grants. Quartering shot on the Impala entered the lower neck, passed through the body and ended up under the hide behind the far shoulder. The recovered bullet looked like it could be used for a Barnes ad. Four perfect petals folded back to the solid shank. This load gives me 2800 fps out of my 20" barrelled M70 compact and shoots MOA."

I have shot a number of deer with my 6x45 with 75 Gr. Barnes X, (dicontinued) at about 2900 FPS and it worked well enough..

The problem with any 6mm or 22, is sometimes you don't get a blood trail even with a good hit, and you will not get your deer, he will get away from you. I have seen this happen with a lot of .243 shooters, just a littlel bullet failure to open and all is lost most of the time. Unfortunatly it kills pretty well 90 percent of the time and people are tricked into trusting it, then it happens, no blood..

I know some won't agree with me, but sooner or later they will have it happen, then they will agree...

Atkinson,

Agreed. That's why I'm interested in the TSX. The .243 is a viable deer rifle but not the one I'd want in my hands 24/7.

It's hard to have your cake and eat it too. We want compleat penatration for blood trails and maximum tissue displacment - and we want good expantion, again for tissue distruction and quick kills.

I may give them a whirl, but still be cautious about where & when I hunt the .243... Just me. BT

I don't have my load data handy, but max published load of H-4350 grouped the best with the 85 tsx in my .243. I subesquently sold the gun and the new owner is having it punched out to the ackley chamber, so won't be taking any deer with it this season.

I wouldn't hesitate to take any deer with a .243 pushing an 85 tsx 3200-3300 fps. Almost no recoil and flat shooting, which leads to proper shot placement. And when you put a bullet where it belongs, it really isn't that hard to kill a deer.

Ray, I have had seen instances where there was a lack of blood trail, my buddy using 243 usure of factory ammo or weight, he has partition 100gr fed premium's, PMC, etc, so who knows what was in his chamber, that is the kind of guy he is with that rifle, also another guy long ago thought he missed, but went back looking and found his deer in a thicket around 100 yds, I do believe sometimes small calibers w/marginal bullets are more an experts gun, or experience shooters who place shots and know limitations.

That said, re: 3200-3300.....my 20" RSI clocked 85 BTHP, did not clock X bullets but use same load and expect it to be close, the bullet in mine FLATTENED a hog, 160 lb, looks much bigger, did ALL but go out the hide, stuck in it actually, DRT.

That said, I believe in the killing power, OH, she was 240 yds, so velocity was ? at impact, picture perfect expansion.

I would use the bullet again, but the deer here are not as tough in the hide or body as like sized hogs, so feel a lesser constructed bullet is appropriate. I would rather hit some meat/bone with that bullet, vs just a lung shot, for expansion enhancement, but a double lung shot should not let an animal go far.

Surely a 243/85 bullet has more KE than a 6x45 w/75 grain, though the 75x as you say is an adequate round w/in 200 yds from the 223 case.

I agree with Ray. I have had several failures with the .243. However, most have been with the partition in particular. I will use my .243 for varmints and reserve the big game hunting to larger bores. And yes, I have dropped Deer like lightning with a .243. But have seen them fail dismally when all is not just right. If you shoot enough Deer, eventually the .243 will let you down, then you will see both sides of the argument. Then it becomes a matter of whether you are willing to let a fine game animal suffer, or if you are a true sportsman, and use something large enough to dispatch the animal under all conditions. If you haven't had a .243 fail, you don't have enough experience in the matter. . . . yet.

I used to be a non believer in the 243 until my youngest son started hunting with one. Everything stated negatively about the 243, I frankly have seen happen with everything from 300 win mag on down. When things arent right, well, they arent right. Poor shot placement effects all calibers.
Now, having said all of that, I would prefer a 260 Rem any day over the 243 win.

quote:

Originally posted by Husqvarna M98:
I would say that a 6 mm bullet is marginal in a large deer regardless of it being a TSX.

I find that statement hard to believe.

Interested in some of the generalities. I use 243 for most of my deer hunting but they tend to be no more than 175lb weight.

More recently I have used it for Reds in our west country. I have bigger rifles but either there have been problems with them or with my shooting them so I have ended up taking the 243.

With either the 105gr speer or the 100gr partition (2,800fps for both) I have taken care and placed the shot. 2 hinds with a live weight of 250lbs were shot at 40yards and went no more than 50yards each. Both were aware of me.

I have passed on deer I would have shot with my 06 (quartering away in cover or 250yards across valley in strong changeable wind next to thick cover) but at the same time I have taken precision shots on bedded deer (roe) that I could not attempt with my 30-06 with the same amount of confidence.

Sierra nails it for me with their statement that hunters must understand the limitation of the 243 in that shot placement must be perfect for reliable results.

38gr varget in my Tikka T3 gives me cloverleaf groups occasionally with 85TSX.