Anyone use 90g nosler ballistic tips on deer?

Dultimatpredator

Dultimatpredator

Well-known member
I've been using. My 06 for decades and want to try out one of my 243's this year. I have a vls that now sits on a hs prescion stock and a 600. I'm going to use the little. 600 along with 90 grain BTs. I've used them on yotes ( the ones in my avatar and the vls) and Javalinas but nothing bigger. They've always exited on yotes...sometimes bullet sized exit holes to a good three inch exit depending on if I hit bone but the havalina the 90 grain BT didn't exit and made a bullet sized entrance. The hog shook, ran ten yards at most, and dropped. Ive tried BTs outta my 06 on deer with messy results. It's drops them but blows the insides apart and exits every time. From what I understand the little 90/95g 243 BTs normally don't exit and explodes inside deer size game for tremendous shock value. I've read thAt the 95 grain BTs are good stuff for trying to drop them in their tracks with correct shot placement... if there is such a DRT 243 round. I wanted to stick to the 90 grainers being I'm going to loose velocity with the short 18.5" barrel. My load is 44.5g of imr4831 which groups under a half inch in the 600 and the same load clover leaves in my vls. From what I've read for best results I need to keep my velocities above the 2650 mark for the best chance of the bullet opening and optimum energy transfer. Book says my 44.5 g load should have a muzzel velocity of 3250fps with a 24" barrel so I would assume I'll be 3000-3100fps out of the muzzel with the short barrel. My average shot 99% of the time is between 20-100 yards on a stationary broadside animal with a heart and or lung shot. I'm going to chrony them this week to check velocities. I have 100g partitions but think their going to slow down too much I might trade them for some 85's to pick up some speed for more shock value.
 
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I run the 95g NHBT in my 6x45, 6x6.8, 243, they are my go to for up to antelope/deer. Never have I had to do a second shot on antelope or deer from 80-344 yards Ive taken them at.
 
In Texas I wouldn't think twice about shooting deer with a 95 grain ballistic tip. I have seen a 18 wheeler load of deer shot with 55 grain ballistic tips. On those big wisconsin deer I think that a 165 bt at 2800fps would be a much better option. You have a better caliber so why not use it. A 243 kills them just fine but if they run I like a blood trail that a blind man can follow.
 
Originally Posted By: sandy hicksIn Texas I wouldn't think twice about shooting deer with a 95 grain ballistic tip. I have seen a 18 wheeler load of deer shot with 55 grain ballistic tips. On those big wisconsin deer I think that a 165 bt at 2800fps would be a much better option. You have a better caliber so why not use it. A 243 kills them just fine but if they run I like a blood trail that a blind man can follow. ,w


...I have been using my 06 for decades and have a couple of dozen different calibers. I just want to see for myself how the 243 dose on deer. I've read tons of good things and tons of bad. I want to find out first hand instead of reading all the internet posts of people took marginal or bad shots, or for that matter never even shot a deer with this exact bullet or caliber but still post their opinion. I won't be taking any shots other than a broadside right behind the front shoulder as I would bow hunting. Ive shots tons of deer with arrows in the boiler room and if I did my part right they run 30-45 yards stop n drop. I would think this bullet is going to do a heck of a lot more damage than an arrow I might wait and try my little experiment out in our anterless only hunt first, which is my plan. I've loaded partitions in several of my rifles in the past but those bullets don't like to group as well as others. I'd rather have a tight grouping load so I know where I put the bullet.
 
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I load the 95gr bt for my brother's 243 model 7 and they have worked great for him. They pass through the vitals but not always if he hits a shoulder. He's probably taken about 20 deer so far with them. I loaded the 90gr accubond for my 6mm rem. in model 7 and will be using it this year and see how it goes.
 
We shot many, many of those Kansas Huge bucks and Nebraska Corn fed Bucks with the 95g Partition, they always leave a good blood trail, penetrate completely on quartering shots, coming and going, breaking bones all the way. For some reason, the 95g partition has always grouped around 5/8" in our rifles while the 100s' did not fare so well.

Last Kansas buck weighed 240 lbs and was shot at 365 yards, came in from a long ways off from a grunt call, we were sitting in a bale blind. At the shot, he took one step and fell over, 95g Partition broke a shoulder on a quartering shot, then a rib on the off side exit, quartering facing shot. Does not get much better than that. The bullet penetrated 20" of meat, breaking some pretty big bones....243 Rem 700 SS, 43g of H4350, win primer, Rem brass, bullet seated just off the lands.

After killing Utah Mulies with this load, I sold my BAR in '06.
 
Sorry to offend you like that. Yes I have a 243 in a tc encore. Yes the 95 bt at 2900 qwill kill Texas whitetail. I have never personally had the bang flop experience with this load. My daughter has killed at least 2 per year with it since she was 9. Exit wounds 0. She has had 150 pound deer never quiver after she shot them. The ones that we have killed looks like they were hit by a car. Thenon side shoulder and rib cage is very blood shot and thenlungs jello. The 55 will kill them and the 75 blitz king will kill them and the 95 will too. As far as that goes a cci stinger behind 5he shoulder will kill all the meat that you can eat. Just dont expectt an exit even at broadside. A partition or bonded bullet will give better penetration for exits.

If you dont believe me about the stingers, get yourself an old fashioned head lamp, a 6 volt battery, install a pr13 bulb in the light and wait till dark. That pr13 bulb is not so bright that they turn their head and walk away. Just keep their eyes lit up and walk toward them slow. When youncan see the white hair inside their ear shoot them through the ribs, not the shoulder. Turn your light off and listen for a few minutes. Go collect your venison.
 
243 win 95gr NBT ... trucks load of deer, more exits than not and plenty of bang flops.


I've used 55, 70 and 95 NBT on deer, never tried 90's.
 
Originally Posted By: Tim Neitzke243 win 95gr NBT ... trucks load of deer, more exits than not and plenty of bang flops.


I've used 55, 70 and 95 NBT on deer, never tried 90's.

A bang flop load is what I'm after ...if it exists with a 243. I have a feeling it's going to look like jello inside the animal with a lot of trauma. I'll try the 85g partitions next year if the BTs don't impress me. I use 70 BTs on coyotes and they blow up a lot and make a mess. What do they do on deer?
 
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My 2 boys and my son-in-law have been using Silvertips in 95 grain for years. One shot one kill. I cannot say enough about them. They certainly do what they are designed for.
 
yes with awesome success shot them in 240 weatherby mag. Go in don't come out total devastation turning shoulders and inerds into jello!!!!
 
The problem with the 243 from your own investigation is they work VERY well or they DON'T.

If you have time for bullet placement, hunting over bait/food plot or stalking in open country where your shooting a standing deer and can visually follow a hit deer the 243 can be a nice light recoiling deer rifle.

If your still hunting or tracking in heavy cover and if you want to kill a deer, you have to take whatever shot is offered. A larger heavier bullet that will reach the vitals and exit leaving a good blood trail is more in order.

For stand hunting I use a little 25-204 and still hunting either a Sav 99 in 375 Win or a Drilling in 7x57R 173gr and a pair of Brenneke slugs.
 
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