Any fur friendly bullets for 243 WIN?

mt boy

mt boy

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I was wondering if any one has a fur friendly load or bullet for the 243 win.I was wanting to use my 243 some this winter but wanting to save some fur.Thanks
 
I just bought some hornady 58 grain vmax this year for my new howa axiom 243. I have yet to kill a yote yet. I hope to fix that once the season opens for me oct 15
 
I've shot coyotes with the 85g sierra game king, 85g barnes tsx and the 75g v-max. For me the 243 has been a bit hard to predict on fur damage. It seems that one coyote will have very little damage and the next will have a hole the size of volley ball with a comperable shot placement. I haven't tried bullets lighter than whats mentioned here though.
 
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I wondering about the smaller bullets like the 55 gr ball tip and the 58 gr vmax.I wonder if the are going to penetrate clear through.This is not a do or die thing I have a 204 also but I was just wanting to use this 243 a little this winter.
 
Originally Posted By: mt boyI wondering about the smaller bullets like the 55 gr ball tip and the 58 gr vmax.I wonder if the are going to penetrate clear through.This is not a do or die thing I have a 204 also but I was just wanting to use this 243 a little this winter.
Load down in velocity (3000fps-3200fps) and you should be fine using the 58g vmax. I know that at 3400fps it pretty much takes a coyote apart.
I use a 65g vmax at 3000fps and it drops em flat to 400yds without taking them apart.
 
I shoot the 87 VMAX at 3200 fps. The ballistics are great, terminal wise and exterior wise as well. I won't use anything else. I've shot prairie dogs to antelope with the same load. I launches prairie dogs with authority and makes for no-sew jobs on coyotes and such. I've had to sew up exactly one coyote in three years.
 
I've used Hornady 75gr HP's for a few years and they work. Shots have been as close as 30yds out to 200yds.

Give them a try in either factory ammo or as handloads.
 
I have some of the hornady 75 hp's I plan on trying, but the speer hot core 80grs from federal have been my preferred round because it has worked about flawlessly for me, but if you don't like using inexpensive ammo then you could try something else. You could try some 100grainers and try shooting them long ways(front or Texas heart shot).
 
I shoot 70gr sierra BK, push them hard and they will not make it out the other side of a coyote. But hit them in a bad spot(like a high angle toward or away) and its ugly.
 
42.3g of H4350 and win primer, very accurate and fast. Tiny hole in and out on yotes.

Cats and foxes are another story...

Good luck!
 
I like Sierra Blitz Varminters, or Matchkings.

To each his own
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Good old SP 85gr probably would do the trick and not tear up much hide.
I shoot 55gr. Nosler Ballistic tip (purple tip) and it takes care of deer, hogs, dogs, etc. Shot placement has a lot to do with the amount of destruction. Seems like if you hit bone the bullet explodes
 
I have tried a lot of different bullets in the .243 and as has been mentioned, it's going to be a crap shoot as far as fur friendly. One day they look good, the next they blow up. Personally, I stay away from the V-max line...too fragmentable and will blow up on entry and exit. I haven't tried the 87g V-max yet though. That one might hold together a bit better on entry.

I just read somewhere that the 80g bergers were holding together pretty well. Maybe too well...some runners.

For a descent factory load, look at the Remington 80g Power-Lokt line. I had pretty good luck with those in that they were both pretty accurate, and didn't do too much fur damage.

Reloading, I just switched over to the 75g Hornady FBHP and so far, so good. Shot my first one with a load of 39.9 of IMR-4064 with a full frontal. DRT and no exit...
 
During the 80's, I killed a lot of coyotes with the 60g Sierra with a hot load of Win 760 and also the 80g Berger HP with 39+g of IMR 4064. I do not remember large holes to sew up.

Remember, bones can become secondary projectiles along with stomach contents.
 
I have found on average with 58 grain V max's the faster to drive them the better chance to have of not having an exit.
in my remington 700 a 58 grain bullet at 3900 fps was a lazer out to 300 yards and wouldn't leave an exit under 200. Since I have started to shoot the 6x45 I have seen that even varmint frangible bullets stay together for deeper penetration the slower you run them.
 
On the "low tech" end of things, I've shot several with plain old Winchester .243 100 grain Power Points at distances from 30-300 yards. None of them looked any worse, and most actually looked better, than my usual results from .223 55 grain Silvertips. The 30 yarder looked good enough to mount.
 
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