Tikka 243 ammo options

W

water doctor

Member
I just traded for a Tikka T3 243. I put a Burris 4.5-14x42 scope on that I had here.

Anybody have any suggestions for ammo to use? How does Fusion 95 grains shoot in these?

I'd be interested in hearing if anyone has any good handloads to recommend.
 
Ive had the same rifle (mines a t3 lite ss) for a couple months, shot it's first coyote today. I'm shooting 85gr Sierra GK hpbt over 36gr varget in mine, 2.6" oal.

This is one of the first loads I tried, it shot well enough I figured I'd use it for coyotes, pigs and deer.
 
For factory ammo, I have had good luck with federal gameking 85 gr bthp. And hornady custom 70 gr HP.

This is the load I am shooting now:
69 gr bergers
40.3 gr varget
2.745 oal(check oal in your gun)
Nosler brass
CCI primers
 
It's a Tikka. It should shoot most any load reasonably well. But if you're looking for consistent sub-moa groups you may have to do a little searching to see what your particular rifle likes best.
 
I own this exact rifle and have tested 17 different bullets and powder combinations, with bullet weights between 50 and 100 grains.

First, the amazing think about the Tikka 243 is there's nothing that it shoots poorly. I haven't found a bullet/powder combination that's "worse" than just slightly less than 1.5 (about 1.43 to be very exact) for a five shot group. That is astonishing accuracy across a 50 grain weight difference.

So in the 90 grain class, I load the purple tip Noslers on top of Varget and this is .73 for a five shot real group. Wow. Considering I can get almost exactly the same performance from a 50 grain bullet as well, it sets the 243 up to be an incredibly versatile rifle.

My father borrowed the rifle a few years ago and used a single shot to stack up a buck in his tracks with a 100 grain Hornady. He did not anticipate that kind of killing power from a "little" 243, the deer did not take even one step,it simply crumpled to the ground.

I think the 243 is under-appreciated in terms of versatility as there are many people who own 2-3 rifles to cover the ground that the 243 can easily cover with handloads.

Grouse
 
I got two boxes with it.... 100 grain Core Lokts and 80 grain Federal soft point (blue box)

The Core lokt gave me an 1 1/2" and the Federal gave me 2 1/2".

I just tried Federal Fusion though and got a 3 shot 3/4" group and a 5 shot 1" group. Good enough for a beginner deer rifle.
 
I have shot many deer with the 243 & so has others in my family. Sounds like you already have good groups. My old favorite load is 36.4 gr. of IMR 4064 with 100 gr. of lead, that works for me.
 
Originally Posted By: The Famous GrouseI own this exact rifle and have tested 17 different bullets and powder combinations, with bullet weights between 50 and 100 grains.

First, the amazing think about the Tikka 243 is there's nothing that it shoots poorly. I haven't found a bullet/powder combination that's "worse" than just slightly less than 1.5 (about 1.43 to be very exact) for a five shot group. That is astonishing accuracy across a 50 grain weight difference.

So in the 90 grain class, I load the purple tip Noslers on top of Varget and this is .73 for a five shot real group. Wow. Considering I can get almost exactly the same performance from a 50 grain bullet as well, it sets the 243 up to be an incredibly versatile rifle.

My father borrowed the rifle a few years ago and used a single shot to stack up a buck in his tracks with a 100 grain Hornady. He did not anticipate that kind of killing power from a "little" 243, the deer did not take even one step,it simply crumpled to the ground.

I think the 243 is under-appreciated in terms of versatility as there are many people who own 2-3 rifles to cover the ground that the 243 can easily cover with handloads.

Grouse

Yes the .243 is one of the most under rated Calibers for deer out there. But people seem to forget that the .243 is a .308 just necked down. And people don't have a problem shooting deer with a .308
 
I have been hunting with a 243 for alot of years. Stops whitetail DRT most of the time. The times it didn't, they didn't go very far.
 


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