Bullet performance 2025?

[Bushcraft]

My kid shot a 2 point blacktail last weekend.  80 gn ttsx from his 243 at about 10-15 yards.  Tiny entrance, 1inch exit and blood shot in the rib meat, both shoulders, and neck.  Blood shot stopped at the membrane cover the backstraps but was bloody between the hide and backstraps.  Clipped both shoulders but didn't hit any bone. 

It was a mess!

Clipping both shoulders will be a mess with nearly any bullet.   Running excessive velocity can be a real terminal bummer when it comes to meat loss.  With small framed animals, large and slow can be a great combination...otherwise you're going to have a prairie dog detonation situation.

Hopefully the kiddo learned a valuable lesson on shot placement. Congrats though!

[jrebel]

My kid shot a 2 point blacktail last weekend.  80 gn ttsx from his 243 at about 10-15 yards.  Tiny entrance, 1inch exit and blood shot in the rib meat, both shoulders, and neck.  Blood shot stopped at the membrane cover the backstraps but was bloody between the hide and backstraps.  Clipped both shoulders but didn't hit any bone. 

It was a mess!

Clipping both shoulders will be a mess with nearly any bullet.   Running excessive velocity can be a real terminal bummer when it comes to meat loss.  With small framed animals, large and slow can be a great combination...otherwise you're going to have a prairie dog detonation situation.

Hopefully the kiddo learned a valuable lesson on shot placement. Congrats though!

Speed is not always bad......especially if you are shooting the right bullet.  Shot placement is key though.  Mono's need speed to stabilize as they lack the sectional density of a similar weight cup and core bullet.  Speed and spin rate / rotation will increase straight line penetration with monos.  I think where most go wrong with mono's (in my opinion) is they go to heavy for caliber.  I personally try to balance weight and speed....but when in doubt, go light for caliber.  I'm pushing a 101 grain bullet in a 7-08 and wouldn't hesitate killing deer, elk or bear with it.  I also have 6.5 creed and PRC shooting the 124 grain bullet and it is a proven killer.  We also get very little meat damage with the bullets we are shooting. 

I do agree that big and slow works well....but with cup and core.   45/70 is a classic example of this. 

[Sneaky]

I’ve fully converted to the 143 ELD-X in 6.5 CM and 147 ELD-M in 6.5 PRC. 5 Mule deer, 3 whitetail, a blacktail, and a Cow Elk. Shots ranged from 90 yards to 500 yards, none required a follow-up shot, and have died in sight. Stay off the shoulder, shoot them in the lungs, and they either stand there and die, or run about 30-40 yards before tipping over.

https://www.hornadyle.com/rifle-ammunition/147-gr-eld-match-tap-precision#!/

great bullet choices. Staying off the shoulder helps with the meat loss but lots of good data on these style of bullets carrying plenty of penetration for big game. Check out the gelatin results from hornady for the 147 eld-m with over 12.5" of penetration after encountering auto glass. I got to witness a 147 eld-m from 6.5CM at 2450 ish impact speed vs whitetail this year and the terminal performance was impressive to say the least...way more trauma than a deer taken at similar distance with a 7mm rem mag and barnes TTSX.

Yeah, sorry, wasn’t trying to imply that they couldn’t go through a shoulder, but was strictly talking from a meat loss perspective. 👍🏻

No apologies you are spot on! I had read about 147 eld-m for years and was surprised how lethal it was. I have a bunch of 178 eld-m for the .300 win and I am rethinking ever shooting that at game after seeing the creedmoor performance. I think it would be too much

[Kingofthemountain83]

I mostly use a 243 for deer and bear... A lot of other bullets work... But since I started using Hornady monolithic... The 80 grain Hornady GMX now CX is devistating... I've only found one bullet in a blackie I shot facing me at 51 yards... In his rear leg... Over 4 feet of penetration... Went through brisket, one lung, stomach, liver, hit the hip bone, stopped in the ham of the rear leg opposite of impact... Was impressed... Broadside or slightly angled they zip right through muley, bear, blackies, and a cougar... Nice wound channel...   

[highcountry_hunter]

95 grain STT and 108 grain eld-murder. Stuff dies quickly out of a .243

[Sneaky]

95 grain STT and 108 grain eld-murder. Stuff dies quickly out of a .243

I've got a tikka .243 that is hammering with factory 95gr SST can't wait to see what it does terminally.

[highcountry_hunter]

95 grain STT and 108 grain eld-murder. Stuff dies quickly out of a .243

I've got a tikka .243 that is hammering with factory 95gr SST can't wait to see what it does terminally.

You won’t have to worry about whittling meat off the front shoulder of a deer if you put one through it

[high_hunter]

243s been a deer killer for us this year. My dad took a big bodied mulie using factory Hornady 90gn eldx at 160yds out of a vanguard with 24" barrel.  Quartering away shot it pulverized half the liver, lots of hydroshock, and he dropped after one lunge. Some bloodshot but minimal meat damage overall once cleaned up. We found the nicely mushroomed bullet trapped in far hide just behind the opposite leg.

Next day my wife dropped a 3x3 BT in his tracks using the Federal/Berger 95gn hybrid hunter at ~75yds slightly quartering from a m77 with 22" barrel. Broke a rib going in, clipped top of both lungs, nicked spine with its upward trajectory as she was in a kneeling position and sighted for mpbr. Not much left of the bullet and didn't exit the far side. Next to no meat loss other than a 2" diameter. area on each side of the ribcage.

Her first deer 2 years ago was similar distance, hit, & result with the 90gn eldx in the m77. A few years before 1 shot DRT using the nosler 90gn ballistic tip in the vanguard at 130yds high double lung but with a bit more loss.

All have been killed almost instantly but a small entrance hole and no exit may have made for difficult tracking had it been necessary with a poorly placed shot.  But like others have said, doesn't matter if you don't have to track them. I'll probably stick with the ELDXs going forward in this caliber and am excited to use them in my .30s as well.

[Rigby416]

This years action was harvesting a bear at 40 yards with a .358 Winchester using Hornady 200 grain Interlocks.  It was a double lung shot through and through, went about 20 yards and tipped over.  My deer was taken with at about 115 yards with a .338 Federal using Nosler 210 grain Partitions.  It also was a double lung shot through and through, also went about 20 yards although it was downhill and he may have just fell down that far.  I usually don't shoot farther than 250 yards, so these bullets have worked well for me through the years.