Deer Load for .243

redeyeddawg

redeyeddawg

New member
I'm seriously considering a youth model .243 for my daughter. I'd like some opinions on the best factory loads for deer. Most shots would be inside 100 yards.
 
Is recoil an issue? That will have an impact on bullet weight selection, but you know that.

I've seen the plain vanilla softpoint 100 gr loads work quite well.

I have a brother that stacked up mounds of deer using the 85 gr sierra BTHP. He eventually had an enough bad experiences with that load that it caused him to swear off the 243 permanently. A bit extreme, I always thought.
I think that probably could have been avoided by using a better bullet construction in that same weight range.

I always loaded 95 gr partions for my kids to shoot. They made several one shot kills and killed some decent deer in that 100 yard ballpark.

I'd pick one of todays factory loads with a slightly tougher bullet construction if you want to drop down much from that 100 gr weight due to recoil.

Editted for spelling and to express wonder over whether I'll receive an award for the days' "ramblin-est" post......
 
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Anything in the 95 grain stuff should work very well. We took three mulies last year all using 243 and all loaded with the same Nosler 95gr. Ballistic Tip bullets two were one shot drops, only one was hit twice. The first round barely scratched his hide (near miss), the second one put him down. These were all nice sized bucks, first one was 150ish yards out the other two were 250-350 yards. The 243 the kid was using was a Remmy youth model with an 18" barrel and mine came out of an AR15 20" 243wssm the third rifle was a 24" barreled rig.
 
In the 60's I tried the 243 for deer and had very poor luck with it mainly due to the quality of factory bullets at the time and relegated it to a predator cartridge only. That said I've followed 243 threads on the net and have seen that the 243 has a great following and seems to have become an effective deer harvesting machine. The universaly recomended factory load is the 100gr Rem Corelock.

Good luck and have a great season with your daughter.

AWS
 
Dawg stated that the probable range was inside 100 yards. That is dangerous territory for a Ballistic Tip travelling at high speed. I think a stronger bullet would be a more sensible choice given the range and the experience of the shooter.

AWS picked a good one. The Rem 100 gr COrelokt.
 
I've killed deer with the 85 gr. Sierra BTHP with no troubles. However, I feel better when I have a decent 100 grainer in the chamber. The Hornady Interlock is an excellent bullet available in the Hornady factory load if you don't handload. I've also used the 100 gr. Remington Core-Lokt. I hear good things about the 100 gr. Winchester Power Point too. The 100 grain Nosler Partition would be a no-brainer can't loose choice.
 
Corelokt's are well constructed bullets, If your gun will shoot them with acceptable accuracy, They would get the job done.

Federal Premium loads a 95 partition in their ammo. I have found them to be accurate in most guns.
 
I shot my first deer last year with the 100 gr. corelokt. Took him in the neck at 180 yards bedded down, little entrance, tennis ball out.
 
I'm going to try Federal's Premium Vital-Shok .243 w/85 grain Barnes Triple Shock bullet in a fairly new Savage Weather Warrior w/brake. Intended use is deer/hog.

Shoots fine for me and doesn't beat you up...working my way DOWN from .30 cals due to old man's shoulder...may have to finish out w/ a Red Ryder...wait, that is where I got started.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I'm headed to the gun shop today to look at a practicly new traded in Model 7 Rem. Youth in .243. Been looking for a .260, but hard to find unless I order a new one. Nosed around Gander Mountain this morning and most available loads were of the 100 grain variety. My girl is about 100lbs. (12 years old.) and not especially recoil sensitive, but hasn't done much shooting. My two nieces have a .260 Model 7 and handle it fine. I can save quite a bit by going used and it would free up the cash for better glass to top it off with. This will be her first deer hunt, but she has tagged along with me for years for dove, ducks and turkey, and predator hunting at night the last few years really gets her going. She handles the light like a pro while I call and shoot. The farm we'll hunt will have a buddy stand set up within 50 yards of a hang on that I arrowed a 125" 8 point last year- only a fews days after youth day. I'm so pumped I can't sleep, and the big day isn't until Nov. 10th. Fingers are crossed for a west wind too. She'll have a good chance at seeing something exceptional.
 
I shot the 95 or 100 gr(cant remember someone correct me) nosler partitions in my ruger 243 for the 3 years i hunted deer with it only had 3 ever run off out of 25 or so i shot with it. I always shoot deer right in the shoulder that shot has always been good to me. Ive killed a pile of hogs with that load to granted they were all head and neck shots but i never had a failure to be DRT with it.

Its a good little cartridge your daughter will enjoy shooting it and come deer season all she has to do is put on in the right spot and yall will be havin deer samichs for supper /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Dawg, it sure does my heart some good to read your last post, you're in this for all the right reasons.

bama, I think they've made/have made both a 95 and a 100gr partition.
 
Redeyeddawg,

I love hunting just as much as the next guy but now that my son is old enough to hunt I get more excited setting HIM up with gear and all to be successful. My son is only ten but I also bought him a model 7 .243. I worked up some nice loads using 85 grain Barnes Triple Shock bullets. I was trying to keep recoil down but still get good bullet performance. They zipped through a nice Mule deer with considerable damage. Maybe those Federal Premiums that Unk suggested would be perfect.
 
GC's post is right on target. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

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I've killed deer with the 85 gr. Sierra BTHP with no troubles. However, I feel better when I have a decent 100 grainer in the chamber. The Hornady Interlock is an excellent bullet available in the Hornady factory load if you don't handload. I've also used the 100 gr. Remington Core-Lokt. I hear good things about the 100 gr. Winchester Power Point too. The 100 grain Nosler Partition would be a no-brainer can't loose choice.




I shoot a very light handload using Sierra's excellent 85 grain BTHP Gameking for coyotes. I have killed deer at close range easily with this load.

redeyeddawg - by that Model 7
 
I use Hornady #2450 interlock BTSP 100grn on deer (and coyotes, rabbits, birds....targets). Tight groups, puts the deer down, without ruining the meat!
 
I have a lot of .243 experience but little with factory ammo. Between myself, my son, and my best hunting buddy, we've probably killed 75 deer with the .243. Most killed with handloaded 95 or 100 grain Nosler partitions. With 34.5 of 3031 they are a death ray on Alabama whitetails.

Only failures we've had were with some S&W factory ammo back in the late 70s that was very thin jacketed. My buddy shot a big 8 pt. 11 times with these one morning - bullets practically blew up on impact. A behind-the-ear shot finally ended it.

For deer in most hunting conditions, I think the .243 is a very good choice for youngsters. I would choose a premium bullet load if available. They make a difference on marginal hits or bad angles.
 
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+1 for the Hornady 100 gr. Its good enough that Weatherby uses it in their 224 Weatherby factory load, last I heard. Another one that hasn't been mentioned, that has a very good track record, and won't break you to shoot, is the Speer 105 gr. spitzer. Excellent deer bullet.
 
Yes, I've had pretty good results with the Speer 105 as well. It wasn't particularly accurate in my rifle, but good enough (2" groups) and did kill well.

The Sierra 100 gr BTSP is super accurate, but seems a little thin jacketed (spectacular kills at times but often doesn't exit. I like an exit wound.)
 
I have killed 18 whitetails with the 243. 16 of those deer fell to the 100gr sierra SPBT Gameking bullet. I shot deer from 70-280 yards with this load, it clocked right at 2850fps out of my 22' barreled browning eurobolt. I also shot one deer with the winchester 100gr PP and the federal premium 85gr sierra HPBT Gameking bullet. They also performed very well. My all time favorite is the sierra 100gr SPBT either in the federal premium load or handloaded to duplicate this load. I have always had an exit even on double shoulder hits.

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