243 Bullet Suggestions

[huntfish365]

I bought a Ruger American for cheap from a buddy and slapped on a 4-12x40 vortex diamondback. Looking for deer bullet suggestions out to around 400yds. Girlfriend shot a deer at 200yds with it this year shooting a 95grn nosler ballistic tip. Is there a better bullet? I reload so all bullets are in play.

[huntnphool]

 My family, grandmother-kids, have killed loads of big game with 100gr. Partitions from the same Ruger M77. Deer, antelope, elk and moose.

[carpsniperg2]

90 grain accubond a lot more solid bullet with better weight retention then the btip.
Deer/elk/bear all will fall to the accubond.

Me and phool posted at the same time so had to fix it looked like I was saying the accubond was better then the partition.
Both are awesome bullets and I have killed many animals with a 180 partition as well.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Im a.Partion guy so apples to oranges. 

[huntnphool]

My family, grandmother-kids, have killed loads of big game with 100gr. Partitions from the same Ruger M77. Deer, antelope, elk and moose.

 Example, my brother with a beast of a buck killed at about 300 yards with that Ruger M77 .243 and a 100gr. Partition, one shot.

 https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,243487.msg3276513.html#msg3276513

[WildW00d]

Have the .243 Rem. Model 700 and it may just be the rifle(it's an older model) but shot both Winchester 100gr. Soft points and more recently Federal Fusion 95gr that are Spitzer boat tails. I liked them both. Fusion I felt shot tighter groups, but I'd like to hear from more experienced guys out there so I'm tagging a long and giving my 2 cents

[dmoua]

I'm really liking the 90gr Sierra Gamechangers this year. Shoots tight groups and does damage to game.

[Dark2Dark]

Barnes TTSX 80 grn.

If the gun will stabilize it, they are accurate and lethal.

[CackleBird98]

Currently shooting 55 grain Vmaxs in mine, not really a deer bullet, they'd probably splat on the hide  . But if you ever want to turn it into a varmint gun, I will recommend.  I'm looking at close to 4000 fps, and half MOA groups

[Goshawk]

I've had, and have seen great success with the Speer 105gh in the 243. Having said that,  I would first see if the Barnes Copper bullets would work in your gun. I'm just getting fed up with  lead particles in the meat.

[h20hunter]

For deer I'm partial to bergers.....super accurate and deadly. Now yes they explode so yes you may get meat loss but its notva shoulder shot round.

[theleo]

In order for us to give you good recommendations we need to know what you don't like about the Ballistic Tip first. Some guys swear by those in a 243, but that's because they're looking for a specific kind of performance the bullet. Some guys hate them because they don't subscribe to the same school of thought as the others.

[elkboy]

I took a big-bodied Idaho whitetail last November with Federal Power-Shok Copper 85 gr in .243. Absolutely deadly, and it grouped under 5/8" at 100 yards.

[HntnFsh]

Seems to me like its stretching the legs of a 243 at 400 yards but I guess its all about shot placement and keeping it to deer etc.

[pbg]

My wife shoots the Ruger American 243 also, In the pass few years we have tried 3 different brands and weights of bullets all have done the job on Mule deer and Antelope . We started with the 100 gr, Partition killed deer out to 250 yards . The next was the Barnes 85gr. TSX with Deer and Antelope out to 325yard and the last was the Hornady ELD-X 103gr. dropped a big Mule deer at 120 yards. All three preformed well, but I have to say that in our case that the copper bullets have a slight advantage with not needing a follow up shot, I can't say that about the partition, I have had a little expansion trouble at times and with that bullet and not getting full pass through that being said the second shot did the trick on two occasions, Shot placement was fine maybe just a couple of tough animals.