Shot placement qestion for 243 shooters

P&Y

Member
I've had pretty good luck with not getting excessive fur damage with my 243 on coyotes (58 grain Hornady and Winchester factory ammo). I have been careful and have taken almost only broadside shots. I've passed on many facing shots and not knowing what to expect with head-on shots with the 243. Anyone have experience? Thank you
 
That bullet out of my 6mm-204 works just fine on head on shots goes in, kills them dead and stays in with no pelt damage. Most of mine are under 100 yards and I'm running the 58gr at 3600fps. My buddy shoots a 243 with the same bullet and if they are angled a little or if he isn't close to dead center it gets messy with big exits out through the shoulder or just behind it.
 
For facing shots, anything in the chest and above between the legs is good. It doesn't have to be a head shot. If you miss left or right and hit either shoulder, it is messy. This is the case with 243 or 22-250 which I shoot.
 
i shoot 85 grain sierra gameking and anything is the chest cavity you will be fine but get a little high in the throat area and it gets hard on pelts on the backside
 
Straight on shots are my favorite with all calibers. Lot more room for bullet to travel so usually not an exit. Also drops em in their tracks.
 
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I've shot them in the chest with 100gr softpoints and seen the same shot placement with 87 and 90 grain bullets. Never seen one pass completely through. They might sound like their stomach is full of water when you pick them up afterwards but they'll only have one hole in them.
 
After hearing all this I'm wishing I'd have taken some of those opportunities! This fall I won't be hesitant. Thanks everyone for the responses.
 
I try to wait for broadside shots as well. I’m shooting 70 grain NBTs loaded a little hot out a 26” barrel. If I hit bone bone it’s extremely destructive. I’ve shot a few coyotes head on, in the chest and exited out the ribs around 250 yards. I can’t see the holes till I start moving fur around to inspect where I hit them.
 
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I shoot a 6mm Remington with hand loaded 58 gr vmax chrono at 3950. I love this round on coyotes. No fur damage as of yet ( body shots). I started shooting this gun last year and has became a favorite for me.
 
Originally Posted By: P&YAfter hearing all this I'm wishing I'd have taken some of those opportunities! This fall I won't be hesitant. Thanks everyone for the responses. If the wind is light, go for it. If it is blowing like it seems to want to do in ND, the safer shot is when they turn so you have some room for wind drift. If they are inside 150 with a .243, it shouldn't matter. In the old days, when I was shooting .17 Rem, it had to be very really calm before I would take a frontal shot.
 
Had terrible luck with 55grn and 58grn .243 projectiles 2 years ago (4 outta 5 were runners in 1 weekend). I suggest you call some bullet manufacturers. Had video I sent to Nosler regarding the 55 NBT. You could see the jacket hit square in the chest on a dog under 120 yds and bounce off.

The gentlemen on the phone described 55grn .243 cal jacket thickness = to a .224 cal 40 grain jacket thickness. Nosler recommends the 55 NBT for Woodchucks and prairie dog sized game. I have since moved to their 70grn NBT and its anchored every dog it has contacted since even those shot in the rear hip while quartering away.

Also Nosler NBT's are solid Copper base Boat Tails, Vmax/Blitzking and Varmegedon are Cup and Draw bullets. Making the Nosler Ballistic Tip a more rigid construction for penetration vs the other 3.

The 70grn NBT load I am using now is 42.3 grn RL-15 3580fps for .243 win. And H335 @ 3300 fps for 6mmDTI.
 
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Originally Posted By: 06x6spdGTOHad terrible luck with 55grn and 58grn .243 projectiles 2 years ago (4 outta 5 were runners in 1 weekend). I suggest you call some bullet manufacturers. Had video I sent to Nosler regarding the 55 NBT. You could see the jacket hit square in the chest on a dog under 120 yds and bounce off.
Can you explain that please? Care to post the video? If you don't know how to publish on YouTube, there are a number of folks here who would be happy to do it for you.
 
Maybe that solid copper base is the part that bounced off.

I've never had that problem though. Have killed and seen killed hundreds of coyote with the 55 NBT. Kills the crap out of coyote out of my rifles.

No runners with the 55 NBT on this morning.

Dead%20Ones.jpg


- DAA
 
Originally Posted By: DiRTY DOGOriginally Posted By: 06x6spdGTOHad terrible luck with 55grn and 58grn .243 projectiles 2 years ago (4 outta 5 were runners in 1 weekend). I suggest you call some bullet manufacturers. Had video I sent to Nosler regarding the 55 NBT. You could see the jacket hit square in the chest on a dog under 120 yds and bounce off.
Can you explain that please? Care to post the video? If you don't know how to publish on YouTube, there are a number of folks here who would be happy to do it for you.

yeah, i want to see it also.
 
4 outta 5 with that bullet were runners, the one retrieved dislocated both front shoulders and looked like you ran a fillet knife down her chest. The bullet didn’t kill her. A swift swing with a tire iron did.

Run what you want. But I’ll never go back to any .243 cal bullet under 60grn for shooting song dogs. Since going to 70s I haven’t had a single runner in 2 years.
 
Feel free to call the manufacturer of your bullet and ask. Nosler was very straight forward in my case and gladly exchanged my boxes of 55 NBTs for 70 grain NBTs. So not trying to discredit the company.
 
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