243 bullet choice.

[Alderman]

I bought a 243 rifle last year and I am finding I am having better luck with 95 and 100 grain bullets than with the 90 grain bullets. Is this to be expected with this cartridge?


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[Thebear_78]

I used to do a lot of deer hunting with the 243 and my go to bullet was the 100gr Sierra Gameking SBT. I killed a lot of whitetails with that bullet and was never dissapointed from 30-350yards. I also used the 85gr Sierra gameking HPBT, it was also a very good bullet and worked well on the occasions that I had used it. Not a lot of case study but 5-6 dead whitetails at moderate range with good exit wounds.

 

[Silent Sam]

It's not the cartridge. It's the rifle.

 

[HeathSexton]

Mine has been accurate from 55-105gr bullets.


I hunt whitetails with the 80 TTSX and 80 GMX but I have some 95gr NBT's to test out also.

 

[DrMike]

I bought a 243 rifle last year and I am finding I am having better luck with 95 and 100 grain bullets than with the 90 grain bullets. Is this to be expected with this cartridge?


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What is the twist on your barrel?

 

[Bruce Mc]

Back when I first starting reloading ammo the 105gr Speed was the best in my old Rem ADL .243. I currently load it with 90gr accubonds but have used the 100 gr sierra SBT. They all seem to shoot about the same. The 90gr accubonds required a bit of tweeking in OAL and shot best further off the lands.

 

[hellrazor]

I exclusively use 100gr Hornady BTSP in my 243. They knock whitetail down better than anything else I tried.

Mine is a Smith & Wesson 1500 (Howa)

 

[BretN]

My Ruger No. 1 shoots 100 gr and 85 gr equally well. I guess if you are seeing better results with 95 and 100 grainers, use them and don't look back. Many very good bullets at those weights to choose from. I've had good results from Sierra, Nosler and Hornady. I've never tried Swifts or Barnes, but I'm sure they'd work well too. Good luck with it.

 

[sask boy]

My Son's first rifle was a BDL in the 243 and I loaded 95gr Nosler partitions they were a great bullet.
I for the life of me can not find my load data but I believe that I used IMR4350.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[JD338]

I had a M70 XTR in 243 Win that shot lights out with 70 gr, 87 gr, 95 gr and 100/105 gr bullets.
For the 70-87 vr bullets, IMR 4895 and 95-105 gr bullets, IMR4350.

JD338

 

[26NosFan]

My father and brother both took several whitetails with the 95gr BT, takes good shot placement but effective, most being bang flops. IMR4350 was the go to powder.

 

[Dr. Vette]

My girls' 243 shoots the Winchester PowerMax 100gr VERY well, and it performed better than expected last year. We will see how it does this year.
The ammo I tested was all similar weight; I never tried much lighter.