.243 bullet 300 and under on deer & Barnes TSX question

[55stone]

Good morning, im looking for a bullet for a .243 that will likely be shot at 300 yards and under. This is a rifle for my wife that she hunted with last year. We deer hunt in Indiana mostly and we would be hard pressed to get a shot longer than that at the woods we hunt. Last year i loaded up some Barnes 85gr. TSX and got pretty good accuracy out of them and them seem to perform well when we tested them on milk jugs. we recovered a bullet that had almost 100% weight retention. Anyways she shot a buck last year at probably 75 yards and it ran off. it bled out alot but did not die we tracked it for awhile and saw it run into the neighboring fields corn that was still standing. I did not see the shot so im unsure if the shot was bad or if anything like that happened but my question is is the TSX not expanding on the fairly thin skinned deer at that close of range? If you guys dont think that was what happened i will probably continue to load the TSX or if you guys have a better suggestion im more than open to trying something else. Thanks for any info

 

[BEEMAN]

Look into the Hammer bullet line if you want to shoot copper. Lots of great reviews on them. Wish I could get them in Canada.

 

[MarkA]

Good morning, im looking for a bullet for a .243 that will likely be shot at 300 yards and under. This is a rifle for my wife that she hunted with last year. We deer hunt in Indiana mostly and we would be hard pressed to get a shot longer than that at the woods we hunt. Last year i loaded up some Barnes 85gr. TSX and got pretty good accuracy out of them and them seem to perform well when we tested them on milk jugs. we recovered a bullet that had almost 100% weight retention. Anyways she shot a buck last year at probably 75 yards and it ran off. it bled out alot but did not die we tracked it for awhile and saw it run into the neighboring fields corn that was still standing. I did not see the shot so im unsure if the shot was bad or if anything like that happened but my question is is the TSX not expanding on the fairly thin skinned deer at that close of range? If you guys dont think that was what happened i will probably continue to load the TSX or if you guys have a better suggestion im more than open to trying something else. Thanks for any info

Had the exact same in my daughters .243....... hammer bullets will correct that problem for you.

 

[d11r529]

Between my son and I we have shot 5 or 6 deer with the Barnes 85gr TSX and have had no real problems with them. All the shots were under 200 yards, none made it more than 50 yards after being hit, 2 DRT and all bullets went out the other side. I haven't tried hammer bullets so don't know anything about them but would use the Barns again. I'm still using a 243 to hunt deer but using bullets in the 105gr class.

 

[55stone]

Thanks d11r529 thats the kind of info i was looking for. what bullet are you using in the 105 class if you dont mind me asking

 

[d11r529]

For deer I like the Hornady 105gr HPBT out to 600 yards or so and if it's beyond that 105gr Amax. The deer in my avatar was taken with a 105gr Amax at 1032 yards. The Amax is just to nasty (excessive meat loss) at closer ranges. Coyotes I've shot out to 450 with the Amax left little for the fur buyer. I have 1X8 twist barrels on my Remington 700's

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

We shoot a number of deer every year with 22/ and 6mm cartridges. I have in the past been a big fan of barnes bullets. In the past few years I have had 2 instances where the bullet penciled through--we finally killed the deer--but saw where the barnes did not expand. The old X bullets always pelted game and opened--dont know if the new bullets it is new manufacturing techniques or what.

I have used a few of the cutting edge bullets with good luck. the MHT work good so do the raptor. I have been wanting to try the hammer bullets--just have not got my hands on any. We have shot the Serria gameking bullets for years--and while not new and sexy--they get the job done. Even the old remington Core-loc do really well at 243 velocity.

Hey truly not trying to be in the peanut gallery but shooting a 6mm and below at deer game (especially "big bodied" deer) is really "super" dependent on shot placement. I started my kids on a 300 blackout with 110-130 grain barnes bullets--and now moving them to 6,5 creed moor and 7-08. believe me I'm not picking things apart--but really 22s and 6mms should be left for guys and gals that are really comfortable taking and placing shots--bullet diameter and weight are your friend when shooting game over 200lbs. We have some friends that brought their 9 year old to hunt a deer last year on our place--they armed him with a 223 with a 55 grain TSX bullet--and more than likely would have done fine--but since I was "the guide" on this hunt--I gave him my little short TC Encore in 6.5 grendel with a 129 accubond...80 yards--dead deer...Believe me--I'm not trying to be the "Elmer Keith" and say you need a 338 for deer--but just saying when your at a minimum you must be well practiced in shot placement.

 

[55stone]

Aoudad i completely agree im moving her to a 6.5 CM but i dont think i will have money or time to buy it before hunting season with enough time to do load development. to many dam hobbies. its motocross season around our house right now atleast till bow season opens up lol. spending all my extra money on that right now.

 

[JohnnieB]

I would say stick with what you have, and move up in caliber later on. I'm in CA and have been shooting Barnes exclusively and only once had a bullet not open up and "pencil through" and I cannot explain why. Now that bullet "penciled through" both lungs and the hog ran for a while and dropped dead. I would suspect shot placement is was off on the deer you referenced.

A guide friend here shoots the 85gr .243 on hogs regularly, and its a very capable bullet.

 

[Calvin45]

I've found the speer 100 grain boat tail soft point to be tremendously accurate and easy to work with (and very affordable). It's on the opposite end of the toughness spectrum from your mono-metals. I think this is a good thing personally, much faster killing if you wait to take the classic broadside double lung shot, but if you're requiring exit wounds from any angle every time it may not be what you want.

 

[YZ-80]

I've found the speer 100 grain boat tail soft point to be tremendously accurate and easy to work with (and very affordable). It's on the opposite end of the toughness spectrum from your mono-metals. I think this is a good thing personally, much faster killing if you wait to take the classic broadside double lung shot, but if you're requiring exit wounds from any angle every time it may not be what you want.

I've knocked does completely over with that Speer bullet on 41.5 grains of IMR 4350. You are right, it's a good bullet. I also use 95 grain Nosler Ballistic tips, which perform well out to 300 yards and they are very economical.

 

[Poppadoer]

Try the Sierra Gameking 100gr.They have never failed to kill.Go in the size of pencil and come out size of quarter.

 

[sailorjim]

Good morning, im looking for a bullet for a .243 that will likely be shot at 300 yards and under. This is a rifle for my wife that she hunted with last year. We deer hunt in Indiana mostly and we would be hard pressed to get a shot longer than that at the woods we hunt. Last year i loaded up some Barnes 85gr. TSX and got pretty good accuracy out of them and them seem to perform well when we tested them on milk jugs. we recovered a bullet that had almost 100% weight retention. Anyways she shot a buck last year at probably 75 yards and it ran off. it bled out alot but did not die we tracked it for awhile and saw it run into the neighboring fields corn that was still standing. I did not see the shot so im unsure if the shot was bad or if anything like that happened but my question is is the TSX not expanding on the fairly thin skinned deer at that close of range? If you guys dont think that was what happened i will probably continue to load the TSX or if you guys have a better suggestion im more than open to trying something else. Thanks for any info

I've used Sierra 100 grain Game King and shot many deer and pigs with no problems in accuracy or terminal performance.

 

[six pack]

Good morning, im looking for a bullet for a .243 that will likely be shot at 300 yards and under. This is a rifle for my wife that she hunted with last year. We deer hunt in Indiana mostly and we would be hard pressed to get a shot longer than that at the woods we hunt. Last year i loaded up some Barnes 85gr. TSX and got pretty good accuracy out of them and them seem to perform well when we tested them on milk jugs. we recovered a bullet that had almost 100% weight retention. Anyways she shot a buck last year at probably 75 yards and it ran off. it bled out alot but did not die we tracked it for awhile and saw it run into the neighboring fields corn that was still standing. I did not see the shot so im unsure if the shot was bad or if anything like that happened but my question is is the TSX not expanding on the fairly thin skinned deer at that close of range? If you guys dont think that was what happened i will probably continue to load the TSX or if you guys have a better suggestion im more than open to trying something else. Thanks for any info

I've used the same bullet with no problems. However, the hollow points will occasionally clog with who knows what and they will not open as quickly as designed if at all. This is why I switched back to my old standby, the 100g Nosler Partition for .243. I have also stopped letting youngsters or new hunters use the caliber in favor of the 7-08.