Favorite 243 win bullet and powder

When I put together my 243 I wanted to run one load that would cover anything I wanted. Deer,coyotes, chucks. I decided on the 95 gr berger vld hunting bullet. Kills stuff dead. Loaded over h4350. Great on deer, but a bit much for yotes. Bucks the wind like nobody's business too.
 
Originally Posted By: dan brothersMan O Man... it is hard to beat the 243 for it's versatility of bullets and powder ranges... what an Awesome caliber.


You are so right. I have always been a little skeptical of the 243 as a good caliber for deer. That's because my experience goes back 50 years. I've seen more deer shot and lost with the 243, than any other caliber. Now, a lot of that has to do with the 243's popularity, no doubt about it. But, I think it's also because the 243 is often the first choice for those shooters who are recoil shy, and inexperienced. They often just don't make a good shot, and that results in a wounded deer. If the shooter does his job, and uses bullets made for deer, the 243 works just fine. Years ago, there were 2 guys in my part of the world who were very well known deer killers, and notice I said killers, because these fellows didn't pay any attention to seasons or limits. Both men used the 243, and were good shots. One of them though, believed in picking his shots, and as a result he always killed what he shot at.....always. The other guy was one of these that would shot at a deer no matter what the range, and lost some good bucks because he made a poor hit at a long range. The heaviest buck I ever saw was killed with a 243, it field dressed at 247 pounds. The longest shot I ever witnessed was made with a 243, my Remington 788 243, used by my brother, 485 steps. Since I have had shoulder surgery and all these arthritis aches and pains, I've started using the 243 myself, and kind of like it. By the way, it will flat kill coyotes. Although I'm a huge fan of the 223 for coyote hunting, I also shoot a couple of 243's and those 58 grain VMax's, 65 grain Bergers, and 85 grain Sierra's will kill a coyote at ranges the 223 begins to wane. Yep, it is a pretty amazing caliber.
 
Originally Posted By: cowpokesierra 80 grain btsp blitz pushed by IMR 4064 ... I have some imr 4166 to try in it at some time.
Let us know how the 4166 works out.. tia..
 
The .243 is definitely an effective deer slayer at any yardage, even @1,000yds with my favorite 105 Amax-Imr4831. A good hunter can harvest deer w-a .223 shooting a 40gr V-max, one shot one kill.
 
It seems only hairy chested Bwana types have trouble killing deer with the .243. Many tens of thousands of children and women quietly and with unassuming innocence kill train car loads of venison yearly with no muss or fuss. Guess they just don't know any better...
 
60g Sierra hp-46.5-48.5g of Win 760: Fed 210

70g what evers-44.0-44.5g of Win 760, fed 210

80g Sierra Blitz-41-42g of IMR 4064, fed 210

95g Nosler Partition-43.0g of Imr 4350, Win primer

If anyone is skeptical about the 243 Winchester killing 250 lb deer and 450 lb cow elk, the 95g Partition with the above load will remove all doubts in spades.

I shot a 85g Tripple shock with 44.5g of R#19 and a Win primer with a couple of deer, no issues with that load either, but it has not stood the test of time over hundreds of kills.
 
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I have one shot numerous deer at 600+ yards every year with the 90 grain NBT while my counterparts use 7 mags and 30-06s to blow off legs and gut shoot theirs at 100 yards.

Seems the worse shot the guy is the bigger gun he thinks he needs.

This year I am going old school on them and using a 223 shooting discontinued 60 grain Nolser solid base bullets. Deadly at the same ranges in the boiler room.
 
I made the statement in an earlier post that I've seen more deer shot and lost with the 243 than any other caliber. I'll try and clarify that. First off, the 243 is a very popular deer round, mostly owing to it's lack of recoil and it's ability to also be used as a varmint caliber. That means that there are a lot of people out there using the 243. In every instance of a lost deer that I witnessed, except for one, the shooter was an inexperienced hunter. The exception was a guy that tried an extremely long shot and made a bad hit. Now, these wounded and lost deer would have happened regardless of the caliber, and I'm not blaming the 243, I'm blaming the people who use it. I also suspect that in at least one of these cases, the shooter was using a bullet designed for varmints, not deer. I've killed a slew of deer myself with the 243, with zero problems, so I know what it will do. But, if you stick a 243, or any other caliber, in the hands of an inexperienced shooter, there's a good chance they will make a bad hit. Just because some peoples wives and kids never fail to make a one shot kill on a deer at 500 yards with the 243, doesn't mean that everyone's wife and kid can do it. I'll shut up by saying that I consider the 243 the smallest caliber that should be allowed for deer hunting. I know, somebody is going to say that they've shot hundreds, all one shot kils, with the 223. I've killed a few with 223, and once long ago killed a deer with a 22 LR, but that does not mean they are a good choice. So, what will I be using this deer season......a 243, loaded with 95 grain SST's, or 90 grain Noslers, haven't decided yet.
 
Originally Posted By: kymailman98I made the statement in an earlier post that I've seen more deer shot and lost with the 243 than any other caliber. I'll try and clarify that. First off, the 243 is a very popular deer round, mostly owing to it's lack of recoil and it's ability to also be used as a varmint caliber. That means that there are a lot of people out there using the 243. In every instance of a lost deer that I witnessed, except for one, the shooter was an inexperienced hunter. The exception was a guy that tried an extremely long shot and made a bad hit. Now, these wounded and lost deer would have happened regardless of the caliber, and I'm not blaming the 243, I'm blaming the people who use it. I also suspect that in at least one of these cases, the shooter was using a bullet designed for varmints, not deer. I've killed a slew of deer myself with the 243, with zero problems, so I know what it will do. But, if you stick a 243, or any other caliber, in the hands of an inexperienced shooter, there's a good chance they will make a bad hit. Just because some peoples wives and kids never fail to make a one shot kill on a deer at 500 yards with the 243, doesn't mean that everyone's wife and kid can do it. I'll shut up by saying that I consider the 243 the smallest caliber that should be allowed for deer hunting. I know, somebody is going to say that they've shot hundreds, all one shot kils, with the 223. I've killed a few with 223, and once long ago killed a deer with a 22 LR, but that does not mean they are a good choice. So, what will I be using this deer season......a 243, loaded with 95 grain SST's, or 90 grain Noslers, haven't decided yet.

I don't get it? You've talked a pretty good circle and reached no conclusion except young inexperienced hunters are bad shots with any cartridge so it's the .243's fault.
 
Originally Posted By: HidalgoOriginally Posted By: 3DHUSKER

Seems the worse shot the guy is the bigger gun he thinks he needs.



YEP.


Works that way around here too. A guy I know shot 1 spike 3 times with a 280 Rem so he bought a 30/06 for "more knock down power". He shot another spike 4 times with the /06 so he bought a 300 WM and then a 338 RCM.


When you can't shoot, you can't shoot. No amount of horsepower makes up for that.
 
Originally Posted By: GCOriginally Posted By: kymailman98I made the statement in an earlier post that I've seen more deer shot and lost with the 243 than any other caliber. I'll try and clarify that. First off, the 243 is a very popular deer round, mostly owing to it's lack of recoil and it's ability to also be used as a varmint caliber. That means that there are a lot of people out there using the 243. In every instance of a lost deer that I witnessed, except for one, the shooter was an inexperienced hunter. The exception was a guy that tried an extremely long shot and made a bad hit. Now, these wounded and lost deer would have happened regardless of the caliber, and I'm not blaming the 243, I'm blaming the people who use it. I also suspect that in at least one of these cases, the shooter was using a bullet designed for varmints, not deer. I've killed a slew of deer myself with the 243, with zero problems, so I know what it will do. But, if you stick a 243, or any other caliber, in the hands of an inexperienced shooter, there's a good chance they will make a bad hit. Just because some peoples wives and kids never fail to make a one shot kill on a deer at 500 yards with the 243, doesn't mean that everyone's wife and kid can do it. I'll shut up by saying that I consider the 243 the smallest caliber that should be allowed for deer hunting. I know, somebody is going to say that they've shot hundreds, all one shot kils, with the 223. I've killed a few with 223, and once long ago killed a deer with a 22 LR, but that does not mean they are a good choice. So, what will I be using this deer season......a 243, loaded with 95 grain SST's, or 90 grain Noslers, haven't decided yet.

I don't get it? You've talked a pretty good circle and reached no conclusion except young inexperienced hunters are bad shots with any cartridge so it's the .243's fault.


All I've said is that the 243 gets a bad rap from the young inexperienced hunters who are not good shots. But, I do think there are better choices in a deer caliber.
 
Ok... I won't argue "better choices" but I think if a hunter has trouble killing deer with a properly stoked .243 it isn't the cartridges fault. As has been stated those type hunters struggle with any hunting tool in their hands.

"It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian behind it."
 
Originally Posted By: Bearcat 74Originally Posted By: HidalgoOriginally Posted By: 3DHUSKER

Seems the worse shot the guy is the bigger gun he thinks he needs.



YEP.


Works that way around here too. A guy I know shot 1 spike 3 times with a 280 Rem so he bought a 30/06 for "more knock down power". He shot another spike 4 times with the /06 so he bought a 300 WM and then a 338 RCM.


When you can't shoot, you can't shoot. No amount of horsepower makes up for that.

I know a guy who had a new deer rifle almost every year. Before the season he would brag on his new rifle. During the season he would miss or wound a deer. After the season he would trade that rifle for another in a different caliber. The only constant over the years was the fact that he could not shoot.
 
Originally Posted By: lhitchcoxOriginally Posted By: Bearcat 74Originally Posted By: HidalgoOriginally Posted By: 3DHUSKER

Seems the worse shot the guy is the bigger gun he thinks he needs.



YEP.


Works that way around here too. A guy I know shot 1 spike 3 times with a 280 Rem so he bought a 30/06 for "more knock down power". He shot another spike 4 times with the /06 so he bought a 300 WM and then a 338 RCM.


When you can't shoot, you can't shoot. No amount of horsepower makes up for that.

I know a guy who had a new deer rifle almost every year. Before the season he would brag on his new rifle. During the season he would miss or wound a deer. After the season he would trade that rifle for another in a different caliber. The only constant over the years was the fact that he could not shoot.


His kin folk are all over my county......


I like the guys that get their new rifle bore sighted and hit the woods, cause you know, bore sighting is dead on and practice is overrated.
 
Originally Posted By: lhitchcoxOriginally Posted By: Bearcat 74Originally Posted By: HidalgoOriginally Posted By: 3DHUSKER

Seems the worse shot the guy is the bigger gun he thinks he needs.



YEP.


Works that way around here too. A guy I know shot 1 spike 3 times with a 280 Rem so he bought a 30/06 for "more knock down power". He shot another spike 4 times with the /06 so he bought a 300 WM and then a 338 RCM.


When you can't shoot, you can't shoot. No amount of horsepower makes up for that.

I know a guy who had a new deer rifle almost every year. Before the season he would brag on his new rifle. During the season he would miss or wound a deer. After the season he would trade that rifle for another in a different caliber. The only constant over the years was the fact that he could not shoot.

I worked with a guy like that way back in the late 1970's-early 80's time period. Every year he would tell me about the "perfect" deer rifle he had found. He wouldn't kill a deer with that one, so he would sell it or trade and get another the next season. He finally killed one with a 7 Mag, and proclaimed it the "perfect" rifle. He also deer hunted the neighboring army base, which was slugs only, and was always trading his shotguns off for the same reason as he did his deer rifles. I ended up getting a very nice 870 off of him, because he wanted a "better" slug gun.
 
A 243 is not enough for deer...Yeah right. A few years back my cousin gut shot a forked horn Blacktail with his Weatherby 300 mag. I was not there but according to him he had to track it for slightly over 1/2 a mile before he finally caught up to it, and even then it was not dead yet (it took him over 2 hours of tracking to find it). The animal died a slow agonizing death due to POOR SHOT PLACEMENT. The moral of the story is that even with a super high powered rifle, shot placement is still critical. A well aimed shot in the vitals with a 243 with the right bullet will give you a very dead deer that will result in a very short tracking job. On the other hand, a poorly placed shot with a large caliber magnum will likely result in a wounded animal that might be difficult to find and involve the animal to endure prolonged suffering. Just my opinion.
 
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