243 Ammunition

[Browning hunter]

I have been shooting a Ruger Hawkeye 243 for about 5 years, and switched to Winchesters Deer Season XP ammunition 95 grain and am looking for a different choice. Previously I was shooting Winchester 100 grain power point ammunition. (Historically I shot small deer and coyotes)

At 100 yards this year I shot a large WT Buck and the shell entered just behind the front shoulder and passed through the lungs and out the other side of the chest cavity the deer trotted of the field stopping at the tree line. I shot a second time hitting the deer in the front leg just below the shoulder in the big leg bone, the shell did not penetrate the chest cavity at 125 yards. The deer at that point fell over dead but had nothing to due with the second shot.

My expectation is that the shell should have entered the chest cavity. (Am I expecting Magnum results without the noise and recoil and being unrealistic, I switched to the 243 after developing very poor shooting habits from shooting a 7mm mag)

Question: Is there an off the shelf ammunition that is loaded with a tougher bullet that would have traveled into the chest cavity? I would also like to stay with a tipped shell as the power points tended to be damaged when ejecting an unfired shell.

Note: I am not a reloaded and due not want to start reloading, at best I shot a box of shells a year and most times a box lasts me two years.
Clayton

[obsessed1]

For the 243 i would stick with a premium bullet. Either a tough bullet like the 95-100 partition or even a accubond or a tough mono metal like the 90 gr etip or 80 gr Barnes. Cup and core work ok if shot placement is perfect. I prefer the higher grade projectiles in the lighter calibers. If your only shooting a 1/2 box a year cost shouldn't be too big of a concern.

[Dick284]

Accubond https://shop.nosler.com/trophy-grade...ammo-20ct.html
Partition https://www.federalpremium.com/rifle.../11-P243E.html
TSX https://www.federalpremium.com/rifle.../11-P243K.html
TTSX https://www.bullseyenorth.com/shop/b...-box-of-20-424

Are all brands of premium bullet you can use.

Go buy some and give them a whirl, and see what your rifle likes.

I also think you are expecting way more than a 6mm bullet can hope to deliver.
Leg shots give crappy results, chest shots aren’t usually bang flops either.

But if your heart is set on something different go give better bullets a try.

Here’s what a good for nothing 100gr. Sierra boattail(reload)
did out of my .243 this season, and that’s far from a skookum built bullet.
(150yds)

Entrance


Exit(Found lodged here)


Internal(1-1/2” of spine missing)(R-L travel)


Just lots of cup and some shards of core found at the off side.

[stob]

Vortex 80gr ttsx ...about 3400fps ..sight in for a 250yd zero and you are a dead on aim point out to 350yds...great results on deer and antelope so far...antelope was 420 I think and I held 1.5inches below the back and drt

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Accubond https://shop.nosler.com/trophy-grade...ammo-20ct.html
Partition https://www.federalpremium.com/rifle.../11-P243E.html
TSX https://www.federalpremium.com/rifle.../11-P243K.html
TTSX https://www.bullseyenorth.com/shop/b...-box-of-20-424

Are all brands of premium bullet you can use.

Go buy some and give them a whirl, and see what your rifle likes.

I also think you are expecting way more than a 6mm bullet can hope to deliver.
Leg shots give crappy results, chest shots aren’t usually bang flops either.

But if your heart is set on something different go give better bullets a try.

Here’s what a good for nothing 100gr. Sierra boattail(reload)
did out of my .243 this season, and that’s far from a skookum built bullet.
(150yds)

Entrance


Exit(Found lodged here)


Internal(1-1/2” of spine missing)(R-L travel)


Just lots of cup and some shards of core found at the off side.

No one said cup and cores are good for nothing. OP is looking for bone crushing DRT performance out of a small light caliber. That kind performance just doesn't happen with cup and cores in the 243. If you expect to take leg and shoulder shots use a proper bullet for the job

[BCSteel]

I switched to Federal Premium w/100 grain partitions in my .243 this year. 1 bear and 3 deer. Double lung pass through on bear and 1 deer, one head shot deer and one quartering away into off side shoulder w/no pass through. All dead within 50 yards, two straight down.

I changed over from Hornady Superformance 95 grain. Took a large bear and 2 deer two years previously with the Hornady. Same results as this year.

I took a deer last year double lung with a 7mm mag and 160 partition. Ran full speed for 100+ yards before falling over.

Some deer are tougher than others.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by obsessed1

No one said cup and cores are good for nothing. OP is looking for bone crushing DRT performance out of a small light caliber. That kind performance just doesn't happen with cup and cores in the 243. If you expect to take leg and shoulder shots use a proper bullet for the job

My reference to “good for nothing”
was pure satire.

How can a run of the mill, cup core bullet smash out 1-1/2” of spine, bust a rib on the way out, and still drop a deer in its tracks? Wasn’t trying a spine shot btw.

But, I guess that was lost to some.

6mm’s bullets and bone crushing performance and bang flops, is certainly asking a bit much, sure better bullets help but there’s something to be said about momentum in this equation too, and let’s face it 2950fps and a 100 grain bullets doesn’t have a lot lot of momentum or gobs of energy(This is fault plagued I know) sure they take game, just like a .410 will take a goose down, all subject to a bunch of “IF’s“

If you wanna hunt with a .243 or similar recognize that if you slip one through the ribs, a critter is not gonna bang flop, hit a major bone, and hope the bullet will straight line penetrate your just asking for an issue sooner or later.

Responsible and practical come to mind in these situations.

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by Dick284

My reference to “good for nothing”
was pure satire.

How can a run of the mill, cup core bullet smash out 1-1/2” of spine, bust a rib on the way out, and still drop a deer in its tracks? Wasn’t trying a spine shot btw.

But, I guess that was lost to some.

6mm’s bullets and bone crushing performance and bang flops, is certainly asking a bit much, sure better bullets help but there’s something to be said about momentum in this equation too, and let’s face it 2950fps and a 100 grain bullets doesn’t have a lot lot of momentum or gobs of energy(This is fault plagued I know) sure they take game, just like a .410 will take a goose down, all subject to a bunch of “IF’s“

If you wanna hunt with a .243 or similar recognize that if you slip one through the ribs, a critter is not gonna bang flop, hit a major bone, and hope the bullet will straight line penetrate your just asking for an issue sooner or later.

Responsible and practical come to mind in these situations.

Ah read in too much I guess lol
your assertions are on the money

[6.5 shooter]

6mm (.243) = 100 gr. Nosler Partition bullets, Big game
85 gr. Sierra HPBT for varmints.
Pretty hard to beat these two choices.

[byronick87]

My wife used to shoot nosler 95gr ballistic tips. It shot really well in her tikka but the terminal performance was sub par in our books.
If you didn't make a text book full broad side behind the shoulder shot, the bullet would grenade before it reached vitals.
She made all types of shots.
Quartering to\away
Full frontal
Neck shot
Etc.
Though we never lost an animal and most were bang flops, ( which I know doesn't sound like a bad thing) it just seemed a little over the top for us.

We moved over to barnes ttsx bullets - shoots just as good.
These are the way
85 gr solids
One and done at all ranges so far - 60 yards to 200 yards
Performance is same at all distances tried
At 60 yards, I found a petal in the off side of the hide
Entrance is dime sized and exit is golf ball.

[Jayhad]

Regardless of grains or bullet construction just remember bullets can do some weird things when they hit bone, a magnum MAY NOT HAVE entered the chest cavity as the 243 did but it is probably more likely.

I am sure there are more than a few here that have seen bullets hit bone and turn 90° in another direction.

[byronick87]

To add,
Your expectation of a bullet travelling through leg bone and reaching vitals is a bit unrealistic, but there are ways of increasing the possibility.

I would safely say that all soft point bullets, if shooting leg bone, will start to expand upon impact. How much the bullet expands, and how much weight is retained after the leg bone is completely up to the hunting gods and the bullet construction itself.
The bullets you mentioned in the original post are high expanding, low weight retention l.
Take these scenarios with a grain of salt
Say you're shooting a 100gr 243 win at reasonable velocity (3000fps - 20000fps) at a white tail front shoulder.
9\10 times, A nosler partition or swift a-frame or similar will expand on impact but will retain the back half of the bullet, break through leg bone, and reach vitals. The bullet may not be as violent since the expanding section has already been spent on the leg. Bullet may exit, but most likely won't.
9\10, a hornady sst, nosler ballistic tip, winchester deer season xp bullet, or anything constructed similarly will expand on the leg, and if you are lucky, the bullet will retain enough weight to make it to the vitals and extremely lucky if the bullet exits.


Bullets do crazy things when they hit anything.
Twigs will deflect a 45-70.

[GMX]

I shoot a 80gr Hornady GMX with stellar results on moose elk and deer. I’ve only recovered 3 all of them were up against the hide on the far side of the elk. Great penetration and better weight retention. The results are as advertised.

[Nyksta]

Try Federal fusion 95gr

[CodyCousins]

I bought a 243 for my son and I've been hand loading 100gr Hornady BTSP (Boat tail soft points) for it with devastating results. He's kill 5 deer with it over the years, does and bucks and this year made a great shot at just over 300 yards and dropped his buck where it stood. Now lots of practice and shot placement is the key as always but those Hornady's sure do a number on a deer's shoulder. I've never tried anything else and likely never will with the results we are getting.

[honda610]

My nephews and I have used Hornady 100gr btsp interlocks in all of our .243. All 1 shot kills devastating performance on the chest cavity. All had pass through but 1. It is a great deer bullet. If you might go after the odd moose or want a bullet that would perform on even the heaviest of bone. Go with others have said. Partition, accubond,Gmx,barnes etc. Its very important to find what shoots accurately. The toughest bullet doesn't help when it dont hit the target.
Good luck

[catnthehat]

Browning Hunter I do not think anything strange happened with your kill.
I have seen a mule deer go the length of a 40 acre field , with one in the heart and lungs and total jelly inside from a 308 Norma Mag!

It has been said before many times but I will repeat it here.
"THERE IS NO PWRFECT BULLET!"- or cartridge for that matter!
If a person hunts long enough and kills enough animals they will come
across anomalies that cannot be explained.

One I remember is a 50 grain Speer TNT that took out 2" of rib on a coyote. That bullet is supposed to disintegrate inside dog causing catastrophic internal damage, and hundreds had before and since , but that one really had us scratching our heads.

Another were a few BarnesX ( not shot by me) that I have seen that did not expand at all, not supposed to happen but it did.
Another was a fella I know who shot a white tail with a 300 Savage and Partition and the bullet came apart completely - never heard of it before or since.

The last one was a 7mm 145 grain Speer BTSP out of a 280 that for some reason negative to what I have seen on countless others, came apart on a shot less than 150 yards and went into two pieces .
Stuff happens,, and a white tail running 125 yards before dying is anything but unusual IMO.

I would keep shooting that ammo, there is likely nothing wrong with it.
Cat

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by GMX

I shoot a 80gr Hornady GMX with stellar results on moose elk and deer. I’ve only recovered 3 all of them were up against the hide on the far side of the elk. Great penetration and better weight retention. The results are as advertised.

Impressive .. may have to trade in My Nosler Partitions,.
Just to clarify did you have to shoot the Elk 3 times? or was it 3 separate Elk?

[GMX]

Originally Posted by 6.5 shooter

Impressive .. may have to trade in My Nosler Partitions,.
Just to clarify did you have to shoot the Elk 3 times? or was it 3 separate Elk?

Lol Three separate elk the bullet on the left 79.6g was a big cow elk at 300 yards . It center punched the fifth on entry the third on exit and a piece of the leg bone. Made me a believer after that one.

78.9g was another big cow just over 200 yards hit rib on either side resting up against the skin.

77.4g was a younger cow broadside at 50 yards got a rib on the entry rib and shoulder blade on the exit.

Lots more never recovered due to complete pass throughs forget getting one back from a larger caliber. Same goes for the TTSX

[AB2506]

My daughters started hunting at 12 using Savage Youth Model 10 243s. We used a Federal load with 85gr Barnes TSX. Deer just died. Close, far and in between. IMO, that Barnes TSX or TTSX elevates the 243 to an elk capable cartridge. Sure works well on deer.

[Who Da Fisherman]

Federal 100gr BTSP for the last 35yrs. Never let me down.
WDF

[3blade]

Barnes VorTx 80gr TTSX has lead to 5 one shot deer kills for me, all in the ribs at 200 or less, all dead in 50 yards. They need to impact at 2000 FPS or higher to open.

Not what I’d use on an elk hunt, especially without snow, but some do. Small entrance holes and no exit makes for a very tough tracking job on big fast moving animals. Just about the perfect deer medicine, very little meat loss. Dunno if you’re skinning the coyotes but at close range they will be very dead but won’t be pretty.

All, and I mean ALL all ballistic calculations need to verified at the ranges they are calculated for, by you, with your rifle. Some of the stuff that gets regurgitated is downright nonsense.

[Deer_Hunter]

Originally Posted by CodyCousins

I bought a 243 for my son and I've been hand loading 100gr Hornady BTSP (Boat tail soft points) for it with devastating results. He's kill 5 deer with it over the years, does and bucks and this year made a great shot at just over 300 yards and dropped his buck where it stood. Now lots of practice and shot placement is the key as always but those Hornady's sure do a number on a deer's shoulder. I've never tried anything else and likely never will with the results we are getting.

Same here - oldest son started (and still shoots) with a .22, then migrated into a .243 for hunting.

Wanted some reduced recoil loads so this was a good excuse for me to begin learning about handloading. Used Hodgdon 4895 at about 60% of max load and then began to dial it up slowly until he was shooting hunting loads.

Mostly been using 80gr TTSX; tempted to try the GMX but he is pretty dialed in with the TTSX now.

As always shot placement is key and a premium bullet are your best bet at a certain level.

This being said I began hunting with corelokt and then went to Nosler partition which also worked well and always opened. Only abandoned them when I wanted to abandon leaded bullets.

The TSX and TTSX are great but they seem to need to have good velocity to ensure they open reliably. I have not had a problem with the TTSX opening, but have had two TSX not open for me on two separate Elk out of my 7mm RM - suspect the 160gr TSX just lacked the velocity even at close range, now shoot 140s.

Curious if the GMX open more reliably, might try them in time

[Browning hunter]

Thanks everyone for the information.

To add a little more information, I did not expect a bang flop from the first shot and what occurred to me is normal regardless of the caliber based on the shot placement. What I did not expect is that second shot that hit the leg bone did not penetrate the chest cavity.

Learned a valuable fact that the shooting into the front shoulder carries a significant amount of risk, when using the Winchester XP ammunition, and will only ever shoot behind the front shoulder as an acceptable shot for myself. (This is what I will choose to do by no means is this advice for anyone else) Ironically I watched the deer in the field for at least 10 minutes waiting for a broad side shot that I liked.

Currently I have started looking for the Federal Premium 100 grain Partition that Dick284 linked to. Thanks Dick284

Another recent post talked about the cost of ammunition and was correct what does it matter if a box of ammunition is $100 considering the other expenses involved in hunting. Likely ammunition is less than 2 or 3% of the hunting trip and I expect even less than that.

Clayton

[obsessed1]

Originally Posted by Browning hunter

Thanks everyone for the information.

To add a little more information, I did not expect a bang flop from the first shot and what occurred to me is normal regardless of the caliber based on the shot placement. What I did not expect is that second shot that hit the leg bone did not penetrate the chest cavity.

Learned a valuable fact that the shooting into the front shoulder carries a significant amount of risk, when using the Winchester XP ammunition, and will only ever shoot behind the front shoulder as an acceptable shot for myself. (This is what I will choose to do by no means is this advice for anyone else) Ironically I watched the deer in the field for at least 10 minutes waiting for a broad side shot that I liked.

Currently I have started looking for the Federal Premium 100 grain Partition that Dick284 linked to. Thanks Dick284

Another recent post talked about the cost of ammunition and was correct what does it matter if a box of ammunition is $100 considering the other expenses involved in hunting. Likely ammunition is less than 2 or 3% of the hunting trip and I expect even less than that.

Clayton

Cost can be directly related to how many rounds you shoot / year. No way I could survive if I.had to.shell out 100$/ 20 rounds. I'd be spending 600$+/month in ammo 8-/

[Browning hunter]

Hi obsessed1

My comments were directly related to hunting, shooting as a sport is a very different discussion.

This year I shot 5 shells at a target prior to my Whitetail trip and then 2 during the hunting season.

I do go through about 300 to 500 rounds of 22 rimfire a year

Clayton

[Faststeel]

Cabelas house brand called Herters has been well regarded in many calibers in this forum. You may want to test it in your 243. Plus i have seen VG results with Federal Fusion ammo in a few different calibers

[Steelhorse Cowboy]

Anything Federal makes on their premium line works great.
Add the Fusion ammo you got it all covered.
I've used Fusion for years and never lost an deer.
The Berger Hybrids look like a winner too.

gotta wait till next yr now