Best .243 round for deer

drumbum77

Banned
What is the best factory. 243 round? I've heard horrible stories about blood trails and the .243. Little worried as I recently purchased a .243 for my daughter's first deer hunt. Thanks
 

biggdogg

Senior Member
My son has been using Remington Core-lokt 100 gr psp for years and has only had to track one. And following the blood trail was not an issue. There is nothing lacking in the .243's performance on deer.
 

Robert28

Senior Member
I’m shooting Hornady American Whitetail 100gr this year. Haven’t shot a deer with them yet but my Savage 11 .243 LOVES them. I also have some 95gr Superformance but I’ll try the AW first.
 

tree cutter 08

Senior Member
Try the barnes out. You will get a pass through and a pass through usually will leave blood. Used the barnes last year and it took 4 deer, 2 bear and 6 or 7 hogs and nothing stopped that bullet. I've used the power points, hornady stt, and nosler partition and none compared to the barnes.
 

furtaker

Senior Member
I used the 100gr Core Lokts when I was a kid and never had a problem killing deer but I rarely got a pass thru. My dad has killed several with the 95gr Fusions and they have worked very well. They would be the first ones I would try. The 243 benefits from a fairly stout bullet to aid with penetration.
 

Jester896

Senior Clown
She was shooting 5 shot groups that we could cover with a penny at 100 yards with the 87 grain Hornady custom lite ammo. I was very impressed with the accuracy, but I've read several stories of individuals losing deer with these rounds.

how old, what size is she?
it sounds like her fundamentals are good...has she heard your concerns?
What were the conditions on how this loading failed that you read about?
Has she tried any full loads with that same success?
 

groundhawg

Senior Member
My son has been using Remington Core-lokt 100 gr psp for years and has only had to track one. And following the blood trail was not an issue. There is nothing lacking in the .243's performance on deer.

Been using this same ammo for years and both my son and I have killed many deer. Have never lost any.
 

biggdogg

Senior Member
Been using this same ammo for years and both my son and I have killed many deer. Have never lost any.

I really like my son's 243. Laser accurate, no recoil at all and it's really bad medicine on deer. But he won't ever let the old man hunt with it...
 

Fork Horn

Senior Member
I'm also a fan of the 100 grain Core Lokts. I reload a good bit of ammo but generally just stick with Core Lokts while deer hunting. Never have had a problem with their performance.
 

BriarPatch99

Senior Member
I really like the Barnes 80 grain TTS X ... however my old 700 will shoot the Federal Blue box Power Shock 100 grain much better ... and I can pick up loaded ammo cheap if I watch the sales ..

Zero problems killing deer with either ... My grand son made a perfect DRT shot at 150 yards last year with the Federal .... the big doe dropped in her tracks ... just one of many deer killed with that bullet ...
 

Jester896

Senior Clown
with those reduced recoil rounds running at 2800 fps you shouldn't have a problem killing a deer with it. Don't rattle her confidence by letting her hear your concerns. :) Keep working with her and accuracy. Limit your shot placement to a very high percentage kill zone and limit the distance somewhat and I'd bet she would be fine. She needs to learn how to track too :)
 
She was shooting 5 shot groups that we could cover with a penny at 100 yards with the 87 grain Hornady custom lite ammo. I was very impressed with the accuracy, but I've read several stories of individuals losing deer with these rounds.

At 11 my granddaughter could fire 100gr factory loads without issue. Yes, I understand that people feel recoil differently. Those two things said, I'd simply shoot the light recoil ammo yourself to see where it prints for you.

Then, I'd select your bullet/load of choice and sight it in to the same POI. I don't think that your daughter will feel anything different when she fires that load at a deer. Just sayin'.
 

GAHUNTER60

Senior Member
What 35 Whelen said, plus 1000!

The smaller the bore, the more the need to use tough, "premium" bullets. Partitions are the best at expending almost all their energy in the animal, yet creating an exit hole and corresponding blood trail. They also tend to be one of the more accurate premium bullets on the market.

I've used partitions on four continents and never had a bullet failure. I failed to do my part once or twice, but the bullet always performed perfectly
Federal Vital Shok with 100 grain Nosler Partition
 
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