big al hunter
New member
The price of a box of factory ammo is very close to the price of a die set. Problem solved.
Load what you want.
.243 for whitetail
- Thread starter BoogieMan
- Start date
The price of a box of factory ammo is very close to the price of a die set. Problem solved.
Load what you want.Yes it's definitely super for whitetails, and I handload 100 grain Sierra Gamekings for my daughters rifles (she has two .243 winchesters) and they love that bullet.... She's taken a nice mature eight-pointer at 80 yds frontal chest shot, right through the heart with super penetration... Its a keeper for whitetails.
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
Many may not know. But Hornady prior to all these plastic tipped bullets hitting the market place. They labeled a few of their bullets as having a dual purpose. Hunting & Varmint abilities. Their 24-cal 75 gr HP was so labeled that way for many years. OP consider this:
75gr. HP traveling 3500-fps has about 1950 foot pounds of energy at 100 yrds.
100 gr. (whatever) at best 3100-fps"" 2134 foot pounds of energy at 100 yrds.
Both energy listing are more than adequate to knock a deer down. Where the difference is. Are their speeds. That 75 HP hardly ever exists the body cavity. So it dumps its entire energy factor inside the animal>where as the 100 gr. more than likely will exit the deer and most of its energy factor will be exiting with its bullet as well.
I can in all honestly say of all the deer I ever harvested with my 243 were only shot once. (maybe 15 or so animals) either in the center of its white patch seen on their necks just below their lower jaw. Or into their rib cage.
If you choose to use the heavier weight bullets. And find yourself having to shoot repetitive shots occasionally to stop the animal. Can't say I didn't tell you so. As my comment is nothing more than my experience concerning the 75/80 gr. bullets verses the 100 gr. PSP and its disappointing results. But in the end its your rifle, your hunt. You use what ever bullet weight you desire Sir.
S/S
75gr. HP traveling 3500-fps has about 1950 foot pounds of energy at 100 yrds.
100 gr. (whatever) at best 3100-fps"" 2134 foot pounds of energy at 100 yrds.
Both energy listing are more than adequate to knock a deer down. Where the difference is. Are their speeds. That 75 HP hardly ever exists the body cavity. So it dumps its entire energy factor inside the animal>where as the 100 gr. more than likely will exit the deer and most of its energy factor will be exiting with its bullet as well.
I can in all honestly say of all the deer I ever harvested with my 243 were only shot once. (maybe 15 or so animals) either in the center of its white patch seen on their necks just below their lower jaw. Or into their rib cage.
If you choose to use the heavier weight bullets. And find yourself having to shoot repetitive shots occasionally to stop the animal. Can't say I didn't tell you so. As my comment is nothing more than my experience concerning the 75/80 gr. bullets verses the 100 gr. PSP and its disappointing results. But in the end its your rifle, your hunt. You use what ever bullet weight you desire Sir.
S/S
I would probably go with the Barnes bullets for increased penetration. Not quite sure whether any 243 bullet is effective {besides a spinal or femoral hit} on a last chance tail end shot, on a large wounded, running whitetail buck. Soon as the kid is able...I would suggest graduating the youngster to a larger caliber bullet.
reynolds357
New member
A .243 Barnes bullet in any weight wreaks havoc on whitetails.
bamaranger
New member
FAN
I used to be a .243 basher, but no more.
I came up in the .30 cal/180 gr and up school for deer, and the mantra of the clan was that the .243 was a "ground hog rifle."
Ironically,my dad, who was an elder in the basher community, in his later years, bought a .243, for ground hog shooting. He found it kicked little and shot it well, so he loaded it with 100 gr slugs, and started hitting and killing deer consistently.
After his death, the rifle came to me, and bamaboy and I have killed several with it. The boy took his first buck at a lasered 260 yds with his grandad's rifle. And I have seen more dynamic DRT kills with that rifle than any other.
I liked the caliber so much that I sprung for an odd old mannlicher stocked Mossberg 810M .243 and have killed a couple more , including a nifty 80 yd neck shot last winter on a 7 pt.
After we shot up Dad's supply of 100 gr Remingtons, I started loading 100 gr Partitions. Dad's Savage shoots them well, the Mossberg not so much, but all still practical deer loads.
You won't regret a .243 on deer with the right ammo.
I used to be a .243 basher, but no more.
I came up in the .30 cal/180 gr and up school for deer, and the mantra of the clan was that the .243 was a "ground hog rifle."
Ironically,my dad, who was an elder in the basher community, in his later years, bought a .243, for ground hog shooting. He found it kicked little and shot it well, so he loaded it with 100 gr slugs, and started hitting and killing deer consistently.
After his death, the rifle came to me, and bamaboy and I have killed several with it. The boy took his first buck at a lasered 260 yds with his grandad's rifle. And I have seen more dynamic DRT kills with that rifle than any other.
I liked the caliber so much that I sprung for an odd old mannlicher stocked Mossberg 810M .243 and have killed a couple more , including a nifty 80 yd neck shot last winter on a 7 pt.
After we shot up Dad's supply of 100 gr Remingtons, I started loading 100 gr Partitions. Dad's Savage shoots them well, the Mossberg not so much, but all still practical deer loads.
You won't regret a .243 on deer with the right ammo.