And while the homogenous bullet designs do struggle at lower impact velocities, this bullet does work well out to ordinary hunting ranges and can be pushed to 2200fps, though best performance does occur at impact velocities above 2400fps. Boasting a BC of .330, the 75-grain V-Max is more aerodynamic than its lightweight counterparts, and yet it can be propelled much faster than the 87-grain variant. The .243 can handle bullet weights from 60 grains up to 105 grains, from hollow points to ballistic tips and can be used on most types of small to medium Australian game. Location: SW Montana. Not that you can’t hunt deer with a 90-grain bullet, but the hunting market is what it is, and the .244 fell far behind the .243, with Remington renaming its cartridge the 6mm Remington. The 243 Winchester tolerates a wide variety of bullet / propellant combinations, making it an easy cartridge to successfully reload. It’s just right. The Berger 80gr Varmint bullet is exceptionally accurate but doesn’t impact as explosively on target. necked down, can be handloaded with a variety of bullets and propellants that allow practice on targets and h… For instance, the most common 100 grain factory loads claim a muzzle velocity of 2960 f.p.s. This has a standard barrel, any thoughts bout the twist rate? All are top tier. Kachok, Aug 8, 2011 #3 This bullet is best suited to game weighing between 90lb (40kg) and 130lb (60kg) up to a maximum of around 180lb (80kg) and is perhaps the fastest killing and most consistent performer of all low priced conventional bullets available to .243 users. The potential problem with 243 barrels is some were confirmed to have 1:11" twist which would be marginal on longer 95-100gr bullets, IE boattail, flat base would be the better choice if you have one of these suspect barrels and choose 100gr bullets. It's a true blessing to have your life partner in the field with you. For example, a .243 in an 8.0-pound rifle with a 100-grain bullet at 2960 fps. You have discovered the site where you can buy the finest, most accurate, world-class precision 6mm (.243"), and 6.5mm (.264") custom bench rest, long range & varmint bullets on the market! The result is a bullet that has rapid, yet controlled, expansion with weight retention averaging 90 percent or more. Having shot more than a dozen deer with it from a .243 Win., 6 mm Rem., and 6 mm Int’l, seldom do deer travel far—if at all. Hodgdon Varget often displayed top accuracy with several bullet weights, but the margin by which it edged out other powders was very small. Keep both eyes open and make the first shot good. John says that, at least for a sling shooter, the .243 Win is hard to beat at long range. I do agree with using a sleek mid weight bullet my choice has been speer and sierra 85's boat tails for longer range varmit hunting and they do work in a pinch on muleys. Coupled with the secant ogive, the red, polymer tip improves ballistic efficiency and initiates expansion. I've sold of all but 5. About 50 hogs. The All copper TSX bullets seem to be popular with the small bore guys too if you don't mind paying for premium ammo. Everyone wants to shoot 100 gr bullets and you should be able to but they could also be more challenging to find the most accurate load. I would also start with Federal 210 match primers. Because the 100 grain is near the top end of what (most) .243 Win will handle, I suspect that twist rate might be part of the issue. I am with flags, make sure they shoot well in your rifle. Try these bullets and you won’t be disappointed. For small to medium-sized deer, Sierra recommends its 85gr HPBT GameKing for soft-tissue shots out to 200 yards. It was decided to test them in .243 calibre because, according to factory ammunition sales, this is the most popular calibre in Australia. I bought some 100 gr Remington Coreloks for sighting in. Come join the discussion about hunting, fishing, survival, archery gunsmithing, optics, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! With a small bullet in the 243 I like the bullet to stay together and not fragment like the ballistic tip. Internal damage was significant but not excessive, and tracking was unnecessary. Among the most popular centerfire cartridges to-date, the .243 Win. A all copper Barnes bullet would be the strongest but Sierra has a reputation of making a very tough bullet that is also accurate, this is why I pointed my cousin toward of 100gr Game King. #665555 - 03/19/07 08:58 AM Re: What is the most accurate bullet for 243. by Aaron Carter - 130 gr. Just look how many deer are fall to 223 soft point bullets. j_22250. E-mail your comments/questions about this site to: EmediaHunter@nrahq.org, For questions/comments about American Hunter magazine, please e-mail:Publications@nrahq.org, You can contact the NRA via phone at: NRA Member Programs1-800-672-3888, To advertise on American Hunter, visit nramediakit.com for more information. I have used the Barnes triple shock for years out of my 25-06. less than the .270 Winchester shooting a 130 grain bullet. Edit: oops. bullet. I'm adapting a Handi with a youth stock, Redfield scope and standard 243 Barrel for my wife. The hollowpoint design has been with us since the 19 th century, at first to reduce bullet weight—and thereby increase velocity—but more recently as a means of guaranteeing expansion. Very accurate IMO from my 20" RAR at 100 yards and appears to be very stable at 300. I had a good deal on some 100 gr Hornaday interlocks. Haven't used Varget, but have found that H414 can be used for most bullet weights in .243Win. This means it shoots about as flat as a .22-250, only its 80 grain spitzer bullet has a BC of .365, compared to the 55 grain .22 spitzer's BC of .255. VSS Well-Known Member. Good luck. The bullet has a tapered, gilding metal jacket that’s mechanically locked (i.e. Remington R-25 GII. Like its brethren, the 75-grain V-Max features a thin, fragile jacket and swaged lead core for dramatic fragmentation, while the polymer tip, ogive, and boattail base boost the ballistic coefficient (BC) for flatter trajectories and less wind deflection. The projectile has a heavy, tapered, gilding metal jacket that’s bonded to the lead core. Penetration is deep; in fact, when hunting Montana antelope with a Montana Rifle Co. rifle in 6XC, the Oryx completed penetrated the animal from 330 yds. Reply. The .243 is a very accurate caliber and it's worth taking the time to find the best loads. The .244 Rem. The 85 gr. I don't see anything on the barrel to indicate model, age or twist. For example, an 80 grain round can go as fast as 3000 feet per second. Join Date: Feb 2007. First things first, the bullet weight is measured in grains. Just this year his youngest daughter shot a doe and hit it solid in the shoulder and they lost the deer because they lost the blood trail. When loaded with the proper bullet, the .243 Win. I have three 243's and it works outstanding for all bullet weights 80 grain and above. Essentially a necked downed .308 cartridge introduced in 1955 by Winchester , the .243 remains a popular choice for sporting purposes that include hunting as … Over 90 grains in bullet weight is considered the minimum bullet weight for use on the larger game. The Speer TNT hollowpoint bullets are near explosive when they contact a target, and when it comes to varmints and predators, that’s a good thing. A .243 rifle mounted with a medium-power scope does not need the 3300 f.p.s. The range for a 100 grain .243 bullet. has, since its inception in 1955, faithfully fulfilled its intended purpose as a dual-purpose round. 85 gr. John Whidden of Whidden Gunworks used the .243 Winchester cartridge to win the 2017 NRA Long Range Championship, his fifth LR title at Camp Perry (and second in a row). Basicly this is done by reloading the components you wish to use with changing the powder weight by 3 tenths grain from minimum to maximum charge taken from a reloading guide for the .243. Freezer, here ya go: My .243 is a Superlight with a 1:9 twist. I took it out today and oh my gosh is it nice. This is an enormous difference and it explains why the .24's are so much better than the .22's on windy days. Don't assume one brand that shoots well in one bullet weight will be the same in another bullet weight. I started with 105 gr bullets when I bought my first .243 about 25 years ago. Hornady 95-grain SSTSuper Shock Tip (SST) bullets are purpose-built for big-game hunting, and the 95-grain, .24-caliber variant is no different. A friend uses it in the 270 for deer and swears by it. Its a very humane round, mostly drop right their in most cases 100 yards and farther. John selected the .243 Win because it offers excellent ballistics with manageable recoil. Start with lighter (shorter) bullets and work up. All of my favorite creatures have white bottoms. I'll be working on load work up next week. accurate and the BC of 0.400 is good for cheating a bit of wind. 2,825 fps. As a side bebefit, there's never a need to explain why the deer tracking took longer than expected, and that's why you're getting home so late when she's been with you the whole way thru! And absolutely devistating on small game. I have reloaded for 25+years, never did for the NEF. Nov 1, 2012 #9 My best accuracy has been with IMR 4350. Reactions: ukhunter2017. I bought this rifle about 20 years ago and at one time had 13 barrels. Just about any 243 bullet in the right place will kill deer just fine. Guy I used to hunt with about 20 yrs ago used a 243 BLR and shot multiple bucks over 200# dressed with it. For instance, most .243 Winchester loads top out at 100 grains and few .243 rifles have a twist rate (1:9″ and 1:10″ are very common) to stabilize bullets heavier than that. Posts: 550 I also agree with Flags. Originally designed for long-range varminting, the boattail-base, hollow-point, cup-and-core projectile nicely pulls double-duty for hunting deer-size game. The gun likes them but it's not a target rifle and charge is middle of the road stuff. Most .243 rounds will range from 80 grain to 100 grain. It will depend on how far you want the shot to go. Jump to Latest Follow 1 - 11 of 11 Posts. The main limitation being the .243 bore size restricts the maximum weight of hunting bullets to about 105 grains. Perhaps its because the .243, which is based on the .308 Win. However I am wondering what is some of the best factory loaded a cartridge choices for the .243 Winchester want bullet options (ONLY) in the 95 gr. Loaded with our 55, 70, or 80 grain Ballistic Tip® bullets, the 243 Winchester is a proven long range varminter. SSTs are factory loaded by Hornady and Black Hills Ammunition. HPBT and IMR-4350 as I have had good luck with this combination with every 243 I have owned. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .243 Winchester. My son's second deer, here in Nevada, on his own took a 200# mulie at 425, missed offhand and then sat down and braced the shot on his knee and held at the back line and bullet dropped into the heart. Sep 1, 2020 #15 Coddy said: Its RWS T Mantle i use on the .270. That is, the range at which the rifle will shoot a four inch group. For coyotes, the 80gr Nosler Ballistic Tip and Hornady 87gr V-Max both buck the wind pretty well and hit hard. Price is not a factor as I'll never use two boxes in the rest of my life. Perhaps if one was only shooting small game at short ranges, such as less than 250 yards, there might be a case for light bullets. What is the Best Grain Bullet for .243? Blackpowder Mortar & Cannon by Seacoast Artillery, Hand Loading Rifles & Handguns by Diamond K Brass, Bolt Action Rifles Sponsored by Camera Land, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. The government research determined the then-standard 62-grain bullet was most accurate when delivered from M16 test barrels with 1:9 rifling.