Bullet selection .243

[HTSmith]

No need to make this hard. The 100 Gr Hornady Interlocks will get the job done in fine fashion. That is what I loaded for my son with good results

 

[450BM]

Sierra 85gr HPBT with H4831. Light recoil and deadly bullet at the distances you mentioned.

I agree, I’ve killed deer with this bullet.

For the OP, get some 55 or 70 gr bullets and load them down for practice. That’s what I did with my son for his grandpa’s M70 243 with no recoil pad. He could shoot those loads all day long with no problems. For deer season, I got him a box of 90gr Sciroccos (sp?) for Christmas one year and that is the bullet he killed his first buck with.

 

[David Milisock]

Plan on taking my son this fall to shoot his first whitetail deer. I have a couple of .243 rifles I may let him use. An Ar10 and a Rem bolt. He has shot the .30-30 lever and .308 but they are a little much I believe for his size. They hurt his shoulder but he don't complain about it as I have to get it out of him to even admit it. The shots will more than likely be inside of 75yds. I have some 100gr interlocks as well as some very light nosler BT though I don't remember the weight. I also have a box of factory Winchester silver tips but I would like for him to assemble his own rounds and take a deer with one. Is there a best or better choice of bullet for this range?

The 100 grain Hornady Interlock will do well for whitetail.

 

[MAGNUM44270]

My preference is 85, 95 or 100g partitions.. out of your choices I'd go 100g Interlocks

 

[brokeasajoke]

My preference is 85, 95 or 100g partitions.. out of your choices I'd go 100g Interlocks

I'm up for anything. I don't have to use what I've got on hand.

 

[markT]

75 yards is close. Back off the powder / no need to kill on both ends. Use the bullets you can find. 85 Noslers will knock the shot out of a deer at that distance. A .223 will kill at 225’.

 

[Old Navy]

Looks like we have a clear winner.

 

[Bill Norris]

Don't overlook the Nosler 90 gr. Accu-bond. It kills clean DRT.

 

[MAGNUM44270]

I'm up for anything. I don't have to use what I've got on hand.

A 85 or 95g partition will but the hurt down on deer and elk

 

[Gman]

Standard .243 Win twist is 1:10 and that’s fine for 100 grain bullets.

I had a Sako 75 in .243 Win which was 1 in 10" twist & it would NOT stabilize 100 gr pills.

 

[Jeff Porter]

Berger 95 gr Classic Hunter groups well in a couple of 243 I shoot. Never shot fur with them only paper.

 

[sbranden]

There are a ton of good options for the 243. Mine is a 1in10 twist (Tikka T3 Lite) and it shot the 85 HPBT's very well... did some good long range ground-hog hunting with these and the Sierra 80SBT's which you would never want to use on deer (super thin jacket, very EXPLOSIVE! on chucks). But mine liked 95 Nosler Ballistic Tips the best with IMR-4350 powder. Then I got turned on to Nosler 95 grain "Combined Technology" bullets (look like the factory Winchester ballistic silver tip bullets) and these things have been GREAT with a stiff load of H4831sc. Never had any runners with these, which have become my nephew's main deer load now when he borrows the 243. Out of a short barrel they are only moving about 2900-2950, but I shot a big wild bore with this bullet also a couple years ago and it was DRT. Recovered the bullet too, and it was the perfect mushroom. So 95CT bullets is what I will be using from here on out, assuming I can find more when I need them!

 

[AckleymanII]

95g Hornady SST are good for the large deer in New Zealand that go 450 lbs.

 

[Hohn]

87VMAX. Incredible bullet. Less recoil than heavier options, stable in every saami .243 twist.

 

[dutch14]

With factory 100 gr bullets like core lok and super x, I ran into accuracy problems at 200 with my Howa 1-10 twist. No problems with 95 and lighter.

 

[mills braswell]

I would use the heaviest, most durably constructed bullet you could stabilize at a lower charge with your twist.

At the range you are speaking, I think really good penetration will be more important than "tack driving" performance on paper.

Young, unseasoned shooters have been known to get that ol "buck fever" when (and hopefully for your hunter) that buck of a lifetime presents itself. Maybe it's a classic, standing still, broadside shot. Cake for you, at 75 yards, but for the young one, that's adrenaline not yet experienced, and very hard to replicate when practicing at the bench.

And what if that buck of a lifetime presents itself, and the only option is a Texas heart shot. If so, you definitely need penetration on your side. Just sayin.

Whatever you find that works, I wish your young hunter the best of luck!

 

[moorepower]

That interlock has killed thousands and thousands of deer. As long as they are not wearing kevlar or plates, it is a great bullet. Load it to around 2700 for a reduced recoil. I always loaded it with RL19, but it's not really powder picky. On a side not, how did people ever kill a deer before premium bullets were made??

 

[C.E.Smith043]

Sierra 85gr HPBT with H4831. Light recoil and deadly bullet at the distances you mentioned.

^^^^ This. Or put it over H4350, or IMR 4350 and get very similar results

 

[riverside jeep]

Standard .243 Win twist is 1:10 and that’s fine for 100 grain bullets.

I'm in a lead free hunting state and have been working up some loads for my sons Remington 700 youth .243, I purchased a couple boxes of Hornady's new CX copper in 90 grain. Those things are LONG! anyway first two shots I couldn't hit the target at 100 so I moved it up to 25 yards to get on paper. At 25 yards they were entering the target sideways. Now I've bought 80 grain and am hoping they will stabilize.

 

[sooner4ever]

Been shooting the 243 Win for over 50 years now. There are a lot of excellent bullets these days for deer in this caliber.

My favorite is the 85 Sierra BTHP. In my experience, it does a better job of putting the deer down quickly than the various 100 grain offerings. The only caveat is avoiding shots on the shoulder, go for a broadside slightly behind the shoulder shot which you should anyway regardless of the bullet in this caliber.

Another bullet I found effective is the 90 Nosler BT with the same aforementioned shot placement.

However, at the distances you mentioned, the 100 grain should work just fine with proper shot placement which is the key to most successful hunting outcomes.

I would highly recommend that you have him practice in a field shooting position on a paper target as chose as possible to simulate a deer and teach him how to locate the vital area and place the shot there. To me, this more important than the bullet you select.

I use the 85 and 75 grain BTHPs as well, but mostly for feral pigs. We shoot them in the neck and they quickly lay down so there's no having to go look for them.