.243 ammo preference
- Thread starter Lrhxr9
- Start date
bpitt
Active member
My youngest daughter is using Barnes Vor-TX, 80 grain tipped TSX BT. She's taken one antelope with one shot, at about 80 yards. She also shot one feral hog with it.
Brian in Montana
Well-known member
I've never handloaded for a .243, but I can tell you my family has stacked up a mountain of deer just using 100gn American Whitetail. Interlocks are not a bonded-core bullet, but I've never seen one perform less than admirably.
RaiderRich
Well-known member
I have a .243 that my step daughter shoots. Tried 85gr Federal Trophy Copper. Thing can't shoot worth beans with that ammo. I found some 80gr and 100gr cheap Federal blue box soft points. I will try those and see if I get something better. If I do will look into Nosler BTs or other. I don't shoot the .243 much as I prefer my 7mm-08, .308 and 30-06 but if I am going to get the step daughter out hunting have to find an ammo that rifle likes as she is pretty recoil sensitive
I've got a Winchester Model 70 youth in 243. Can't tell you the twist and neither can the 5 pronghorn doe nor 4 mule deer doe I've taken with the rifle with factory made Remington CoreLokt in . All have been 1 shot kills ranging from 40 to 175 yards and all but 1 have been broadside or slightly quartering. All shots have been pass throughs including the front shot that deflected out the side.
Most animals have run 10 to 30 yards even when shot through the heart and/or lungs. Blood trail was excellent with exit wounds about 1" diameter. Pass throughs included Ribs and upper forearm bone (humerus).
I like to wait for a broadside shot cause I like to eat what I kill and don't want to damage a quarter. I hunt large tracts of public land so the animal can run hundreds of yards in relatively open country before it would cross into private property. I rarely shoot over 200 yards because that's a distance I'm comfortable with and I like trying to close the distance on my quarry.
If you wish to shoot at longer distances and greater accuracy is required then another bullet might suit you better. It was always accurate enough and I always found the bullet to be tough enough at close range so I can't see how that would be an issue, but to be fair I never tried to destroy a shoulder to anchor an animal so it wouldn't run off.
Best of luck.
If you can find some, the Federal Fusion 95gr shoots very well out of my boys' 243 and has worked very well on over 1/2 dozen deer. Always exited and no deer has made it more than 40yds after the shot. The 80gr blue box shoots well also, but we've not put one in a deer yet.
RaiderRich
Well-known member
I use Federal Fusion in a few rifles. I have been looking for it for .243 but no luck so far. .243 ammo is harder to find than .308 and 30-06 for me.
