I am looking for a good deer bullet for a 243, the bullet weight I am look to shoot is 85 grain for a 1:10 twist barrel. Any suggestions
243 hunting bullet
Fishfreak
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Speer makes an 85gr SPBT that every .243 I have used it in loves it. Depending on the rifle I have seen it go from .75MOA to 1.5MOA without much trial and error in loading. I use it to baseline a rifle for accuracy because it is so consistent.
It is one heck of a combo bullet as well. I have used it on 'yotes, groundhogs, and deer with good results. Since you asked about deer specifically, I will give you the impacts I have seen/had with this bullet.
Near Side Shoulder hits (2)- Both cores penetrated the blade and took out vitals. Quite a bit of mass loss on the shoulder itself though judging by the fragmentation. One went 5yds before falling, the other went down and didn't get back up.
Behind the shoulder hits (6)- Devastating damage to lungs and heart when hit. If the far side shoulder is hit, the bullet was found either in it or just beyond. If not quarter sized exit wound with great blood trail. These are my preferred shot, probably because I am a bowhunter as well. The deer do run but the farthest was 50yds before toppling over.
Frontal (1)- Bullet recovered near pelvis. No trailing required. Damage, fragments, and mess throughout body cavity. Glad My daughter shot that one and gutted it.
These shots were all under 400yds and most were under 250. I would have no problem recommending this pill driven at a decent speed for a deer round.
It is one heck of a combo bullet as well. I have used it on 'yotes, groundhogs, and deer with good results. Since you asked about deer specifically, I will give you the impacts I have seen/had with this bullet.
Near Side Shoulder hits (2)- Both cores penetrated the blade and took out vitals. Quite a bit of mass loss on the shoulder itself though judging by the fragmentation. One went 5yds before falling, the other went down and didn't get back up.
Behind the shoulder hits (6)- Devastating damage to lungs and heart when hit. If the far side shoulder is hit, the bullet was found either in it or just beyond. If not quarter sized exit wound with great blood trail. These are my preferred shot, probably because I am a bowhunter as well. The deer do run but the farthest was 50yds before toppling over.
Frontal (1)- Bullet recovered near pelvis. No trailing required. Damage, fragments, and mess throughout body cavity. Glad My daughter shot that one and gutted it.
These shots were all under 400yds and most were under 250. I would have no problem recommending this pill driven at a decent speed for a deer round.
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I have tried one box of 140gr Hot Core's, they didn't shoot well at all. Surprised me to as years ago I had good luck with them. The 120gr is just to light for me. If I was to use a 120gr bullet I'd use my 25-06. Mine handles that weight bullet really well.
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I've never tried anything else (for deer/elk) in my .243 except Speer's 85 grain SPBT (#1213) and found it to be more than adequate for big bodied Colorado muleys and Montana's Big Hole River bottom whitetails. The one bullet I have recovered still weighs 69 grains after hitting a rib (5th one from rear) perforating the heart, smashing another rib (4th from front? maybe 3rd) smashing the lower scapula (just above the socket) before finally lodging under the hide on the off side.
I've also taken one elk (two year old cow, guessing 350-400 pounds?) with these bullets and while the 85 grain did the job with a well placed shot (in her bed and she didn't get up) to the boiler room, I'd hesitate to use them on anything bigger, like say a rag horn or bigger bull. I didn't recover that bullet and I'm not sure why. Maybe because I had "help" when eviscerating and skinning. I'd maybe choose Speer's 100 grain SPBT bullet (#1220) or a 100 grain Corelokt for bigger elk, limiting shots to say 200 to 250 yards(?).
RJ
I've also taken one elk (two year old cow, guessing 350-400 pounds?) with these bullets and while the 85 grain did the job with a well placed shot (in her bed and she didn't get up) to the boiler room, I'd hesitate to use them on anything bigger, like say a rag horn or bigger bull. I didn't recover that bullet and I'm not sure why. Maybe because I had "help" when eviscerating and skinning. I'd maybe choose Speer's 100 grain SPBT bullet (#1220) or a 100 grain Corelokt for bigger elk, limiting shots to say 200 to 250 yards(?).
RJ
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Nosler does not make an 80gr Partition bullet in 243 caliber, although they do make an 85gr Partition. Maybe they used to make an 80gr Partition?
Anyway, the 85gr Partition is what I load for my daughter to hunt deer with, but I use H4895 and don't drive them as hard as I could. I agree with you that they're a very good bullet for deer.
Anyway, the 85gr Partition is what I load for my daughter to hunt deer with, but I use H4895 and don't drive them as hard as I could. I agree with you that they're a very good bullet for deer.
How fast were you driving that Speer SPBT to get the perfect mushroom in the second pic?I've never tried anything else (for deer/elk) in my .243 except Speer's 85 grain SPBT (#1213) and found it to be more than adequate for big bodied Colorado muleys and Montana's Big Hole River bottom whitetails. The one bullet I have recovered still weighs 69 grains after hitting a rib (5th one from rear) perforating the heart, smashing another rib (4th from front? maybe 3rd) smashing the lower scapula (just above the socket) before finally lodging under the hide on the off side.
I've also taken one elk (two year old cow, guessing 350-400 pounds?) with these bullets and while the 85 grain did the job with a well placed shot (in her bed and she didn't get up) to the boiler room, I'd hesitate to use them on anything bigger, like say a rag horn or bigger bull. I didn't recover that bullet and I'm not sure why. Maybe because I had "help" when eviscerating and skinning. I'd maybe choose Speer's 100 grain SPBT bullet (#1220) or a 100 grain Corelokt for bigger elk, limiting shots to say 200 to 250 yards(?).
RJ
It appears everyone has their favorite including myself. For deer I'll use whatever I have handy. That's to say either a 100 grain or 105 grain bullet. Having lived and hunted in Alaska for several years I learned to shoot the heavier bullets for the caliber.
Anyway, the deer don't know the difference and MOA is near pointless on a deer sized object at less than 100 yards.
If I go after larger animals, I simply take my .338.
Good luck, ya can't go wrong with whatever bullet you pick for deer.
Anyway, the deer don't know the difference and MOA is near pointless on a deer sized object at less than 100 yards.
If I go after larger animals, I simply take my .338.
Good luck, ya can't go wrong with whatever bullet you pick for deer.
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I'm not a heavy bullet guy, but again, it has a lot to do with the type of shots that commonly present out here in the south west, shots often get unavoidably way out there, so velocity and accuracy has been an important aspect to our hunting bullets of choice.
I think it was last deer season, maybe 2 seasons ago, in which my DIL shot a couse WT with her Ruger American .243 win.. She was using a 90 gr. Hot Core loaded to max with H4831 I think, either way it was a screaming load and shot right around 1/2". She dropped that buck with a heart shot @ like 558 yards. Even at that distance it was a through and through with the Hot Core, about a golf ball sized exit wound. The only way I'd ever use a different bullet for antelope, deer, or elk is if I couldn't find Hot Cores in stock, and then I'd probably go with a Nosler Accubond.
If not for the fact that HP's expand so radically, I'd use them for big game, cause they shoot so accurately. I was shooting some Sierra 90 gr. HP's for my .270 win. in preparation for varmint hunting. I was pushing them @ about 3,600 fps with a max charge of IMR-4350, and at first glance I thought the second and third shot had missed the paper. It wasn't until I walked down range and upon closer inspection I saw that I had one very tight ragged hole in the paper.
I've tried the Barnes TSX's, but for some reason I've just been able to get them to shoot as accurately as a cup & core. I wish I could get super good accuracy from them, they're capable of significantly higher velocities due to the weight mass trade off, so they'd really meet my long shot hunting needs. And being that they're so expensive compared to my Hot Core's that I love so much, trying to develop a better shooting load gets rather expensive.
SMOA
I think it was last deer season, maybe 2 seasons ago, in which my DIL shot a couse WT with her Ruger American .243 win.. She was using a 90 gr. Hot Core loaded to max with H4831 I think, either way it was a screaming load and shot right around 1/2". She dropped that buck with a heart shot @ like 558 yards. Even at that distance it was a through and through with the Hot Core, about a golf ball sized exit wound. The only way I'd ever use a different bullet for antelope, deer, or elk is if I couldn't find Hot Cores in stock, and then I'd probably go with a Nosler Accubond.
If not for the fact that HP's expand so radically, I'd use them for big game, cause they shoot so accurately. I was shooting some Sierra 90 gr. HP's for my .270 win. in preparation for varmint hunting. I was pushing them @ about 3,600 fps with a max charge of IMR-4350, and at first glance I thought the second and third shot had missed the paper. It wasn't until I walked down range and upon closer inspection I saw that I had one very tight ragged hole in the paper.
I've tried the Barnes TSX's, but for some reason I've just been able to get them to shoot as accurately as a cup & core. I wish I could get super good accuracy from them, they're capable of significantly higher velocities due to the weight mass trade off, so they'd really meet my long shot hunting needs. And being that they're so expensive compared to my Hot Core's that I love so much, trying to develop a better shooting load gets rather expensive.
SMOA
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I have had excellent results with a .243 SAKO carbine with the 90 Grain Speer "Deep Curl" bullet over IMR 4350 giving about 2800 FPS (book number/not chrono). Speer no longer offers this bullet as a component but it is still available as pulled seconds from Rocky Mountain Reloading. With any reasonable shot placement on antelope, mule deer or northern whitetails none moved more than 50 yards after the shot.
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This has been an interesting and informative discussion, formerly I would have guessed I was nearly alone in my preference of bullets lighter than 100 grain. I selected the 87 grain Hornady because the 18" barrel of my Ruger RSI could still boost that weight to 3000 fps and I thought an approximation of the original 250-3000 Savage load would put me in good company.
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Agreed the Speer Deep Curl was the way to go if you were carefull in your load development process. The bullet caused some obtrubation issues because of its different construction. You can still get it in factory loading as the Federal Fusion line. An excellent bullet!
For 85gr, the Barnes Triple Shock X BT does everything you could expect it too, but is expensive and can be problematic finding the sweet seating depth.
For 85gr, the Barnes Triple Shock X BT does everything you could expect it too, but is expensive and can be problematic finding the sweet seating depth.
1. the bullet your rifle shoots the most accurately.
2. In one of my 243, the 85 gr Partition and the 90 Gr Accubond shoot to the same point of aim/impact out to 250 yards. Past that, the AB rules the roost.
3. Both have taken whitetail out to 250. The AB took one last year at 400.
#1 above is the most important one though. Every rifle is different. Every shot is different.
2. In one of my 243, the 85 gr Partition and the 90 Gr Accubond shoot to the same point of aim/impact out to 250 yards. Past that, the AB rules the roost.
3. Both have taken whitetail out to 250. The AB took one last year at 400.
#1 above is the most important one though. Every rifle is different. Every shot is different.
Friend of mine just used the Nosler BT 90gr to take a wihitetail. The shot was only 50-60 yrds but the bullet showed perfect mushroom and weight retention. Entered the near side, broke the shoulder, destroyed both lungs and stopped under the skin on the off side. Big wound channel and I was surprised it performed so well at that close of a distance. He sent me a picture of the bullet and it looked just like Recoil Junkies picture in #43
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95 gr. Partition. Hands down. JMHO
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The fact it stopped under the far skin meant it failed in my opinion. A Barnes TTSX would have punched through leaving a good bleed hole just in case that deer did a runner as so many do, even though they are dead on their feet. IF ..yes IF, I was ever forced to use a 243 Win for deer then I would turn to the Barnes TTSX to do the job as in my experience those bullets shoot above their weight. I have a set of Silver Medal wild boar tusks hanging on the wall infront of me which proves that beyond doubt.
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