I am looking for a 243 for coyote hunting and for my son to deer hunt with. I was really wanting to load a lower grain bullet like maybe 70 or lower. Has anyone tried this kind of load in any 243's. I have no experience with a 243. I am wanting a fairly light gun for ease of handling. Have looking at some Remington 700's like the Buckmaster and also the Sako A7. I was really leaning toward the A7 but read it didnt shoot well at all with a lower frain bullet. Anyone had any experience, I would be greatful for advice. I dont want any brand lowel remarks, but personal experience. Thanks alot
Wanting a 243...Have questions
- Thread starter magicroy
- Start date
I have a Remington 700 .243 Win. I bought back around 1978. I tried the factory loads, but I got the best results with an 80 grain Speer spitzer JSP hand-loaded with IMR 4064 powder. If I held my mouth just right I could shoot sub-1" groups at a hundred yards all day long. My best loads ran about 3100 fps mv, and every whitetail deer I ever shot with it dropped dead in it's tracks.
I think a .243 would be a great gun for a young hunter because recoil is almost negligible.
Walter
I think a .243 would be a great gun for a young hunter because recoil is almost negligible.
Walter
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Many varmint hunters use 55-grain bullets as well as the 70s. I got lazy and just use the Sierra 85-grain HPBT for everything bigger than prairie dogs. Federal now offers that bullet in one of its loadings, and it's as good for tight groups as are my handloads.
Most people use bullets of 95 to 105 grains for "deer bullets".
Most people use bullets of 95 to 105 grains for "deer bullets".
Saltydog235
New member
I have a Savage 10 Predator in .243 that's an awsome little gun. I can interchange my 70 and 90 grain loads very easily as the POI of each is within 1/2" of each other. Both BT loads with different powders pushing them. I shoot 90's for deer and 70's for vermin. Tack driving gun.
tahunua001
New member
my first hunting rifle was a remington 700 in .243 that I had inherited from my dad. it's killed it's fair share of deer. I've only shot 80 and 100 grain bullets out of mine but 100grs seem to do better, it'll depend on ammo brand and ammo, bullet weight, and barrel twist rate are your biggest factors. recoil is similar but slightly lighter than a 30-30, great gun for a kid just starting out.
I have a .243 in M70 Winchester. I have shot everything from 55gr Nosler Ballistic Tip hand loads, 58 gr Hornady Vmax,, 70gr Federal Premium Nosler Ballistic Tip and 100gr Remington Core Lokt. It seems to shoot all of them equally well. I have killed many deer with the 100gr Core Lokt, and many targets with the others. I have also used the 55gr handloads for shooting golf balls at 100yards. They make great targets.
L_Killkenny
New member
The bullet Art referenced is the classic combo deer/coyote bullet. You won't find a thread about combo .243 bullets on any site where half the responces don't list tha tbullet as a good option.
BTW, it's what I use in mine.
LK
BTW, it's what I use in mine.
LK
Prior to getting a 22/250, I used a 243 for deer and coyotes. The best yote load I found for my Rem 700 was a Sierra 70 HPBT match bullet using IMR 4895. For deer, I used the Hornady 87 spire point with the same powder.
I tried downloading the 243 for my older Son but had serious bullet failures with some bullets. My last(and successful) attempt at downloading for deer was with the now discontinued 80 grain single shot pistol bullets from Sierra and Hornady. Using those "softer" bullets, I was able to get the 243 recoil right down there close to the 223. Those bullets at full velocity make good coyote bullets.
I tried downloading the 243 for my older Son but had serious bullet failures with some bullets. My last(and successful) attempt at downloading for deer was with the now discontinued 80 grain single shot pistol bullets from Sierra and Hornady. Using those "softer" bullets, I was able to get the 243 recoil right down there close to the 223. Those bullets at full velocity make good coyote bullets.
I like the .243 and I was planning on getting one as my next bolt action, but something to consider is that .223 ammo is much cheaper and more plentiful. Plus if you ever get an AR(most people do) you'll only have to buy ammo for 1 caliber. I don't know what the hunting laws are where you live but it's just something to consider.
My brother-in-law went hunting for the first time in nearly 25 years and took a 150 lb 12 pt buck at 150 yards with a plain jane 100 grain Remington Core lock with a 20+ year old Ruger M77 in .243. Later than evening he got a 100+ lb sow at 100 yards with the same combination.
I think the .243 is the Perfect big game hunting cartridge for most of North America. It is nearly as flat shooting as the famous Winchester .270 and has a trajectory flatter than the famous 30'06. On the plus side it does not recoil much, and you will never outgrown it.
The only animals unsuitable in North America would be Elk, Bison, Moose, and Brown Bears.
I have tried all of the America's big three rifle makers Remington, Ruger, and Winchester and I can't say anything bad about any one. It all boils down to personal preference really.
I think the .243 is the Perfect big game hunting cartridge for most of North America. It is nearly as flat shooting as the famous Winchester .270 and has a trajectory flatter than the famous 30'06. On the plus side it does not recoil much, and you will never outgrown it.
The only animals unsuitable in North America would be Elk, Bison, Moose, and Brown Bears.
I have tried all of the America's big three rifle makers Remington, Ruger, and Winchester and I can't say anything bad about any one. It all boils down to personal preference really.
I have owned 5 different .243 Win. rifles over the years, starting with my first centerfire rifle, a Winchester Model 70 Westerner, with blind magazine up to my current .243's, a Sako A-7 and a Stevens 200. The Stevens shoots very well with all bullet weights, although does shoot best with the Nosler 70 gr Ballistic Tip (great coyote load) and the Speer 70 gr TNT. For deer we load either the 90 gr Speer Deep Shok or the Nosler 95 gr Ballistic Tip.
The Sako is very lightweight and quick handling. My only criticism is that the bolt lift is very heavy to cock the action. My son thinks there is a burr on the bolt that needs to be smoothed out. I have heard that some A-7's have this problem while others are better. One thing the Sako has going for it is that it can shoot the very short Nosler 55 gr SHOTS bullets into okay groups (1.25 to 1.5" for 5 shots at 100 yards from the bench.) The Stevens 200 is lucky to keep 5 shots on an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper! That bullet is extremely short, but the Sako handles it okay. The Sako's accuracy is acceptable, but I was expecting much better results, based on the reputation of the brand. Maybe I just haven't hit on the right load yet. It has shot some decent groups but hasn't shown the kind of consistency I expected. It does seem to prefer the heavier bullets, although it is probably capable of MOA in all bullet weights once I find the proper load. It has shot decent groups with Federal Blue Box ammo in both 80 gr and 100 gr bullet weights, so I am confident I will find a good combination. If you are looking at an A-7, pay close attention to the ease of bolt lift. With mine, I definitely have to take it off my shoulder to work the bolt for a follow up shot. I still like it and have no plans of getting rid of it. I just need to spend some more time working up loads and hopefully the use will help smooth out the bolt as well.
The Sako is very lightweight and quick handling. My only criticism is that the bolt lift is very heavy to cock the action. My son thinks there is a burr on the bolt that needs to be smoothed out. I have heard that some A-7's have this problem while others are better. One thing the Sako has going for it is that it can shoot the very short Nosler 55 gr SHOTS bullets into okay groups (1.25 to 1.5" for 5 shots at 100 yards from the bench.) The Stevens 200 is lucky to keep 5 shots on an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper! That bullet is extremely short, but the Sako handles it okay. The Sako's accuracy is acceptable, but I was expecting much better results, based on the reputation of the brand. Maybe I just haven't hit on the right load yet. It has shot some decent groups but hasn't shown the kind of consistency I expected. It does seem to prefer the heavier bullets, although it is probably capable of MOA in all bullet weights once I find the proper load. It has shot decent groups with Federal Blue Box ammo in both 80 gr and 100 gr bullet weights, so I am confident I will find a good combination. If you are looking at an A-7, pay close attention to the ease of bolt lift. With mine, I definitely have to take it off my shoulder to work the bolt for a follow up shot. I still like it and have no plans of getting rid of it. I just need to spend some more time working up loads and hopefully the use will help smooth out the bolt as well.
waterboy68
New member
I'll second what Mobuck says. My weatherby Vanguard seems to really like the 70gr Sierra HPBT match bullets, although I've been using Varget powder instead of the IMR he mentioned. Easily puts them under 1 inch at 100yds. Almost down to 1/2 inch groups. (That's pretty good considering the person pulling the trigger.
) Now having said that, I'm just punching paper. I can't comment on the effects it would have on live game or if it would damage the pelts.
) Now having said that, I'm just punching paper. I can't comment on the effects it would have on live game or if it would damage the pelts.magicroy said:
I was shooting softdrink bottletops of a fencepost from around 150 meters with a good friends Sako A7 in 243 with the 58 grain Superformance ammo a couple of weekends ago. It shoots everything Sub MOA he feeds in it from 55 to 100 grains not a problem. He has put alot of different brand and weight factory ammo through it and like 99% of all Sako's it's boringly accurate with EVERYTHING.
My next rifle will probably be the Sako A7 in 243 (as soon as I finish paying off the Sako 85 I have at my LGS) and I want it for dogs as well (Dingo's, Foxes and Feral/Wild Dogs). Go the A7 IMHO you can't go wrong with a Sako.