Blacktail specific .243 load development

[raydog]

Hey all, this year was my first year dabbling into the reloading game. Very addicting! I managed to create a load that my 300wsm shot really well. However, my 300wsm is a little much for these blacktail IMO. So I’m looking to see what’s worked well for some of you guys who reloaded .243 for deer sized game. I’m a big fan of Barnes bullets, but it appears they only have 80 grain bullets. That’s probably plenty for a blacktail, but definitely feels to be on the light side. EDIT: I see that they make a 95 grain LRX..

I’ll be reloading for my ruger American that I picked up. The cheap little bugger seems like a decent shooter with box ammo.

[h20hunter]

My last two bt fell to a berger. Drt.

[C-Money]

We use 100gr Hornaday Interlocks...Boat tail or flat base shoot the same for us. We use IMR4350, following the Nosler manual. We are a grain or two under max load. CCI 200 primer. Lights out...has dumped its fair share of E WA and Oregon muleys and whitetails. Good medicine. I'm sure a 100gr Sierra or Nosler bullet would work just as good.

[raydog]

My last two bt fell to a berger. Drt.

I’ll take a look into Berger. Thanks h20

[h20hunter]

Also....I do agree 80g is a little light but push em fast, safely,  and barnes are devastating and hold nearly 100% weight retention in my experience in the 130g 270 range.

[raydog]

We use 100gr Hornaday Interlocks...Boat tail or flat base shoot the same for us. We use IMR4350, following the Nosler manual. We are a grain or two under max load. CCI 200 primer. Lights out...has dumped its fair share of E WA and Oregon muleys and whitetails. Good medicine. I'm sure a 100gr Sierra or Nosler bullet would work just as good.

Well, I happen to have imr 4350, cci 200 and two boxes of interlocks. Looks like I have my first load to try out!

[Stein]

I'm a Barnes fan but the .243s never worked for me.  I don't know if it was the smaller diameter, size of the neck or what, but they would be regularly loose after loading.  I've never had that problem with any other bullet or caliber.

I did get good loads with Nosler Ballistic Tip, but I really dislike those for hunting, way too much meat loss and slow kills from our limited experience.

We shoot factory for now until I can get stuff without trouble or crazy prices.  Winchester Deer Season XP has impressed me on one deer, we'll hopefully shoot a couple more here later this month to verify.

[Jingles]

Probably going to get a lot of disagreeing opinions on this but saying this from personal experiences. Caliber and bullet weigh is not as critical as shot placement. Have personnaly killed White tail and Mule deer with a 55 grain bullet. White tail from a 222 dropped where it stood,  and mule deer from a 22-250 went less than 20 feet. Killed a 350 pound black bear with a 70 grain from a 243 went less than 30 yards.
No not necessarily recommending that everyone or anyone copy that but it can and has been done as long as shot placement is good.

[jrebel]

Before getting out of the .243 world…..I loaded 100 grain partitions that were very effective on game.   I would think at black tail ranges 1-300 yards it would be the perfect bullet. 

[Mtnwalker]

Before getting out of the .243 world…..I loaded 100 grain partitions that were very effective on game.   I would think at black tail ranges 1-300 yards it would be the perfect bullet.

  Probably the 1 situation I'd still shoot a partition type bullet. or a 90gr accubond.

[carpsniperg2]

  Great choice.

Also the 90 grain accubond is another and what I’m loading in the 243 for deer/lope.

[buckfvr]

I would not rule out Sierra 100gr Tipped Game King bullets as we have had nothing but great luck in 3 calibers with these (tipped game king) bullets.  I use the tipped match kings for 6.5 and tipped game kings, 2 different purpose rifles, and have been very pleased with them.  Im sure they would do great in 100gr .243.

[Damnimissed]

40gr of Varget behind an 80gr Barnes TTSX is super accurate in my daughters youth model rem 700. Haven’t killed anything with it yet, though.

[Okanagan]

Fortunately we have a number of excellent bullets from which to choose.  My choice in .243 has been the 95 grain Nosler Partition.  I shot a pile of game over the past 30 years with the 95 grain Nosler Partition in 6mm and in then in .243.  When I bought a .243 I stayed with the same bullet because it worked so well and I had it on hand.  That bullet shoots MOA or under in my rifles and gives consistent deep penetration with a good wound channel, without blowing up.   

That 95 grain NP bullet has fetched several black bears, whitetails, blacktails, mulies including my PB massive Canadian buck, and a bull elk when it was the rifle in hand.  It is my calling rifle/bullet for lions and has killed lynx, coyotes and bobcats, though it is too much for bobcats if you are fur hunting. 

FWIW, .243/6mm is smaller diameter than I prefer for deer, so I usually hunt deer with an 06.  IMO the 6.5 and 7mm medium loads with penetrating bullets are perfect for deer. 

I bought a box of 80 grain Hornady GMX (or was it 85?) but never got around to working up a load and swapped them to a friend. 

[hunter399]

I've loaded 243 with h4831,hybrid v, and h1000, before.
I've also have used,
90gr hot cor bullets
100 gr hornady interlocks
Sierra game changer.

243 is a great round to load for.
The game changer bullets are a little picky on seating depth,and if your twist rate will stabilize them.