Damage

[devilishdave]

I recently shot a roe buck with my .243 using 95grain SST. There seamed to be a lotr more damage than normal. the animal was well shot the liver and both shoulders were intact and the heart and lungs were destroyed.

 

What Cal/bullet combination do you find put the animals down quickly and convincingly but does the least damage.

 

What does every one else use in .243 and what results do you get with them?

 

Dave

[auquhollie]

I will await the incoming and the "use the correct tool etc etc" so here goes.

 

If your into home loading then give the V max's a try. Ive been shooting them for about 5 years now and someware in the region of 200 Deer shot using them. Never had a wounded deer with them, what i mean is if the Biest is hit square in the boiler room it normaly drops on the spot. The internal damage consists of an entry hole and thats it. The bullet goes in and destroys all internal organs and thats it.

 

Or

 

If you have the confidence and the accuracy to do it a neck/head shot with these tips is exposive (as is with most rounds actually).

 

JMHO (sure most will disagree)

 

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[devilishdave]

I have some 87 grain VMAX loaded up for fox so I might give them a whirl and see how they go on the roe.

 

Dave

[1967spud]

i agree with panther placement is every thing

 

example

 

a wooden stick through your eye and in to your head can kill you

 

but

 

being hit in the arse with a scaffold pole isn't going to be a certain kill i.e. wounded animal

 

 

 

any way i do believe the law states that for a .243 you must use a 100 g bullet minimum or has this changed since i last looked

 

 

thanks spud

[bruxie hill]

any way i do believe the law states that for a .243 you must use a 100 g bullet minimum or has this changed since i last looked

 

thanks spud

 

north of the border mate

 

but must agree with above shot placement crucial

shot about 20 roe now with the 22-250 and the 55grn vmax boiler neck and head shots very little meat damage always drops them on the spot

[Redfox]

North of the border the requirement is for energy and minimum velocity, Hence some use 22cf on roe deer.

The Vmax is definitely not a deer bullet it is intended for varmints and is too explosive for a deer round, hit a shoulder at a slight angle and you have a surface wounded deer going to die in agony ( I know Ads has shot many with it, doesnt make it right. Is it really Vmax or the 95gr SST which is a hunting bullet ?) a perfect shot will work though.

An accurate shot as Panther says from a rimmy will kill at shorter ranges ( I know someone who did it for years illegally).

Vapourising the insides definitely ensures a kill though.

You could try the Sierra 87gr gameking, I know a user of these and he gets good clean kills all the time.Also the nosler hunting ballistic tip 95gr with 42grs of H4350 and CCI BR primer is deadly and not destructive ( I used it for a long enough but didnt like the new prices for bullets!) I have had good kills at all ranges with that.

The 243 is a light high velocity round so some damage is likely. But I do like the 243 just try these other bullets ( also the Speer 85gr sp) and see how you get on.

Redfox

 

This is the ammo info for Scotland only

Deer Species Min Bullet Weight Min Muzzle Velocity Min Muzzle Energy

for all species 100grains (6.48grams) 2,450 ft/sec

(746.76 mtrs/sec) 1,750 foot pounds

(2,373 joules)

for Roe only 50grains (3.24grams) 2,450 ft/sec

(746.76 mtrs/sec) 1,000 foot pounds

(1,356 joules)

[devilishdave]

I think that perhaps I have not phrased the question properly. I was perfectly happy with the destroyed heart and lungs that was my aim. The damage was the 3 or so lbs of meet from the ribs that was just complete blamonge on both entry and exit side. shot placement isn't a problem I tend to shoot sub MOA and last time I shot the DSC test I got 60 of 60 (I might add it was the first time I have had 60 of 60 ) Although not totaly against it I dont routinely take head or neck shots for my own reasons. I have shot 4 Bucks in the last month with the SSTs 1 in the neck 2 in the Heart and lungs that both went to the game dealer and this andimal that I butcherd my self also shot in the heart and lungs. I have shot 45 or so Deer (Sika, Muntjack and Roe but mostly Roe) with Nosler Balistic Silver Tip and found them to be variable some with little damage and some quite heavily damaged but never have I had an animal as badly damaged as this one was with the SST.

 

So my question is this; from experiance what cal make weight and type of round have people found puts the animals down well and does little damage. Assuming in all cases the shot is well placed in the heart and lungs.

[Redfox]

The master rounds for what you ask are the 6.5x55, the 7mm 08 amd the old favourite the 308. All these are very accurate and with heavier bullets travelling a bit slower do less meat damage. From what you say I would guess it has hit a rib on the way in and that made it expand more than normal doing the damage, I have had that happen with the 270 as well which normally kills cleanly.

I have a 6.5 x 55 and have been very pleased with the kills and lack of damage using Hornady 140gr sps.

The other bullet worth a go in the 243 is the nosler 95gr partition, these are a few bob more but dont do the meat damage and normally retain a lot of the original weight.

Federal Premium ammo has a choice of bullets and I have found it to be pretty accurate as well.

Hope this helps, good luck with the shooting, looks like you have a bit to go at.

Redfox

[Chris-NZ]

The master rounds for what you ask are the 6.5x55, the 7mm 08 amd the old favourite the 308. ...

The other bullet worth a go in the 243 is the nosler 95gr partition, these are a few bob more but dont do the meat damage and normally retain a lot of the original weight. ...

 

Don't know whether Accubonds are available in .243 but they'd be worth looking at, possibly a bit cheaper than Partitions too.

 

As I posted previously, changed from SSTs to Accubonds in my 7-08 due to the severe destruction on reds. Totally levelled them and when you saw the insides, you could understand why. The pro game butcher I use asked What the hell are you shooting them with- assumed it was some magnum. He's very familiar with bullet damage but was surprised it was only a 7-08.

 

So far, the Accubonds seem to be doing what I want- accurate, good expansion and penetration but not overly destructive.

 

Chris-NZ

[griffshrek]

DAVE

 

i have tried several types of 243 bullets on deer in the past , the best i have found for my needs is the Barnes TSX 85gr they leave good entry and exit holes and very little bruising . i have never recovered any part of these bullets from a deer ,even after shooting through both shoulders at longish range , the ones i have shot into test media look 100% like the Barnes dvert ....neil

[snap_shot]

As said above shot placemant is the key, AND i also stress no two bullets also will react the same due to placement, bone structure and density, i have shot fallow last year with the .243 with noslers 95 grain to great effect and once shot a fallow in the heart lung at 90 yards the bullet completely destroyed the heart lung area and blew a hole 18 inches in the far side of the animal.

completely destroying that side of the animal, first time i ever seen thios happen.........

i'm giving the 95 grain sst a go this year so should be intresting.

[devilishdave]

Several people have said shot placement is the Key! As I have said as far as I am concerned the shot placement was ok; heart lungs didnt touch the shoulders and didnt touch the liver. Am I missing somthing about shot placement?

 

I am aware that every shot will be slightly differant due to hitting bones and slightly differant angles etc. The info I am after is from experiance what rounds do people find on average do the job but dont cause to much dammage?

 

Dave

[Millwall Paul]

Several people have said shot placement is the Key! As I have said as far as I am concerned the shot placement was ok; heart lungs didnt touch the shoulders and didnt touch the liver. Am I missing somthing about shot placement?

 

I am aware that every shot will be slightly differant due to hitting bones and slightly differant angles etc. The info I am after is from experiance what rounds do people find on average do the job but dont cause to much dammage?

 

Dave

 

I always use a 6.5 x 55 with 140gn sierra gamkings, I've always been pleased with the results, even when I've shot a roe buck at 180yds through both shoulders there was little meat damage. It's always dropped the animal and shoots flat enough out to about 230 yds. - Only my opinion though.

[7mm08]

I use a 7mm08 with 140gr partition on all types of deer mostly roe and ive had a lot of people say that its a bit much and also quite expensive(deads dead and if you pay £30 for 50 heads use 5 for zeroing that leave you 45 minimal damaged deer).But if they saw how quick the beast goes down and how minimal the damage is they are sure to have a differant views,I also have 120gr vmax and 100gr hollow points with all 3 types of bullets going(more or less)through the same hole at 100yrds,ive shot deer with all and still got best results with the 140's and yes bullet placement is whats needed but I also think a little extra weight helps.

The furthest deer ive ever shot was with a 140gr partition at 256yrds(rangefinder)boiler room and to see it you'd have thought that someone had run out and chopped its legs of with a sword ,it went down so quick,entry was 7mm hole exit was no more than the size of a fifty pence piece and if i do blow my own trumpet a perfect shot with a perfect bullet with perfect results!!! What more can you ask for,It works for me. .

Karl.

[v-max]

Hello alot of its been said by diffrent users but as said no two bullets are the same really. You can get a certian amount of consistancy with some but you will get the odd time it looks like a cannon has shot the beast. You are better with the bigger slower cals ie 6.5x55/260/308 etc but even then you get the odd big exit. I quite often head/neck shoot as i keep/skin/process all my roe.

[DL.]

Cal/Bullet, is the idea not to have a large bullet traveling as slowly as possible? For example : .308 165gn, just deer legal muzzle velocity. On the other hand,if you use a light,fast bullet,along the varminting type of construction,then there's more potential for meat damage.

I'm not entirely sure what the origins of the .243 win are,but I can't imagine it was designed for large quarry.Like the others have said,bonded bullets are probably the best solution.

PS,before I start an uproar I know,everyone thinks their own calibre is the best!

[Trapper]

I recently shot a roe buck with my .243 using 95grain SST. There seamed to be a lotr more damage than normal. the animal was well shot the liver and both shoulders were intact and the heart and lungs were destroyed.

 

What Cal/bullet combination do you find put the animals down quickly and convincingly but does the least damage.

 

What does every one else use in .243 and what results do you get with them?

 

Dave

 

It might depend on whether the bullet strikes a rib or passes between. I have shot roe deer and found that splinters of bone have ended up in the farside shoulder when the bullet hit the rib square on and shattered it.