KYBucgrunter

I need a good whitetail load for my wife's 243. Shots will range from 50 to 270 yards. I would like to use a 95 to 107gr. bullet any ideas would be extremely helpful...

deerslayer223

go to www.reloadersnet.com that should give you some idea's to get u started. I am also looking for a 243 whitetail load.

colablanca160

I just got a Savage model 10 in .243, and I used Speer's 105 gr. bullet with 42.8 gr. of IMR 4350 behind it. I took an Axis buck and 2 feral hogs with it already. The Axis was about 150 field dressed, shot him at 165 yds, he ran 20 yds and piled up, the other two pigs( 100 and 65 lbs respectively) dropped like a ton of bricks. Velocity is mild along with the recoil.(2920 fps, 22" bbl) But Speer's Hot Cor has great SD @ .253 and good bc @ .443, 2" high @ 100 yds is only 8 1/2 " low @ 300.

Carpmaster

I have had great luck with a speer grand slam 100 gr. at one of the hotter loads(sorry no data, I am at college right now). The GS's are accurate, penetrate well, and expand good on deer.

marty1028

I think the Hornady 100 grain SST would be a good round or the Nosler ballistic tip 95 grain.

.358

I've shot a bunch of deer an antelope with the .243 Use 45 grn imr 5350 and speer 85 grn spitzer. Just put it n the ribs, no tracking required.

James B

Do yourself a favor and load Nosler Partitions. Either the 95 grain or the 100 grain. There are many good bullets for the 243 but the Partition is by far the best IMO. The Barnes X bullet would also be great I think. I however have not personally used them in the 243. I have used the Partition though and after I found that one I would flat not even think of using anything else from now on.

bronko22000

KYBucgrunter, Colablanca's loads sounds pretty good. Maybe a bit hot, I'd work up to that one. In my younger years, I took about 10 or so whitetail buck and a 200 lb black bear with a .243 loaded with 40.5 gr of IMR4350 behind a Hornady 100 gr Spire Pt.
My experience is that unless your whitetails are the big northern brutes like in Maine or Wisconsin, etc. you don't need to use the premium bullets like Nosler, Barnes, etc.
Also, a 250 yd shot with the .243 stretching its limitations. I'd try to keep them shots inside 200 yds.

Atrox

My load for a .243 for deer

Viht N560 44.5 (Nosler re-loading manual)
CCI 200 primer
100 grain Nosler Part.
Cart OA 2.710
2980 fps

Atrox

DM

I'm with James B, use 100 grain Nosler Partitions!!! Once i stated useing NP's in my 243 i FINALLY got fairly good penentration on bigger deer!!!

Drilling Man