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| From Left to Right - 55g Nos CT @ 3900FPS - 80g Horn GMX @ 3500FPS - 95g Nos AB @ 3350FPS Compared to 300 WIN MAG |
I spent the weekend working on some new hand loads for my .243 WIN( winchester). I love using this cartrige for deer hunting. Very little recoil, around 7 to 12 ft/lbs of free energy. That is nothing if you compare it to a 30-06 @ about 23 ft/lbs or a 300 WIN Mag at about 35 ft/lbs. The gun itself is lighter because it has a short action, and hiking around it seems like it’s not there.
I started Mule Deer hunting at the age of 12 years, like most of us. I used a 30-30 and was not about us use anything smaller. The next year I went to using the 30-06 springfield. This was and still is my dad's favorite round. I had heard several times over the years that .270's and .243's where for women. There was no way, even though I was small for my age that I was going to use something like that. Besides my dad had plenty of ot6's to use. I used that Ruger M77, for several years and harvested several animals. Never really had a reason to eat tag soup.
My Uncle Vic gave my wife a Ruger M77 in a .243 WIN( collectors Model - made 1976) a few year after we were married. So, of course I tried it out. I have taken several animals with it now and have grown to love using it for timbered hikes where closer range shots would be available. It originally had a 6x Leapold VX-2 on it, but has been replaced with a Leapold 3-9x VX-2. You can imagine why.
55g Nos CT | "Varmints only" | |||||
Range | Velocity | Impact | Drop | ToF | Energy | Drift |
0 | 3900 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1858 | 0 |
100 | 3362 | 3.13 | 1.43 | 0.09 | 1380 | 1.48 |
200 | 2897 | 3.66 | 5.96 | 0.18 | 1025 | 4.75 |
300 | 2478 | 0 | 14.68 | 0.29 | 750 | 10.71 |
400 | 2099 | -9.39 | 29.13 | 0.43 | 538 | 20.01 |
500 | 1756 | -26.79 | 51.59 | 0.58 | 377 | 33.52 |
600 | 1458 | -55.61 | 85.47 | 0.77 | 260 | 52.37 |
I stated looking at reloading manuals and noticed that like the 30-06 the .243 has quite a range of bullet weights to choose form. Also, I was amazed at the ability it had at longer ranges. Not very long or extremely long range, but in the 3 -500 range. I go by the abilities of the 30-30 because there is no doubt that it has a reputation of putting food on the table for generations. So, with that said; I use minimum of 500 ft/lbs for Deer and minimum of 1000 ft/lbs for Elk. This helps me determine if a Cartridge is lethal for this type of animal and at what distances. Bullet type also comes into play. Sure it is capable of killing an elk, but I have seen first-hand the sheer strength and determination of wounded Wapiti and would not take a .243 WIN on an Elk Hunt. The last thing I would want anybody to do is wound wild game, for several reasons. One shot one kill is the goal.
80g Horn GMX | "Thin Skinned Game Only" | |||||
Range | Velocity | Impact | Drop | ToF | Energy | Drift |
0 | 3500 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 | 2176 | 0 |
100 | 3157 | 3.45 | 1.7 | 0.09 | 1771 | 1.22 |
200 | 2847 | 3.88 | 6.92 | 0.19 | 1440 | 3.67 |
300 | 2558 | 0 | 16.45 | 0.3 | 1162 | 8 |
400 | 2289 | -9.24 | 31.34 | 0.43 | 931 | 14.51 |
500 | 2037 | -25.16 | 52.91 | 0.57 | 737 | 23.56 |
600 | 1802 | -49.51 | 82.91 | 0.72 | 577 | 35.61 |
I took a mule deer doe once with a 220 Swift. It had a 55g FMJ in it. Figured, I would use it for the noggin shot and not damage any meat. It didn't work out like I was hoping and ended up taking a deer at close range in the chest. The story is for another day, but I swore I would not use anything less than a 100g bullet for deer again. Funny thing is, I have lowered that to what I think is more realistic if you use the correct bullet type.
95g Nos AB | "Thin Skinned Game Only" | |||||
Range | Velocity | Impact | Drop | ToF | Energy | Drift |
0 | 3350 | -0.5 | 0 | 0 | 2367 | 0 |
100 | 3114 | 3.45 | 1.82 | 0.1 | 2046 | 1.01 |
200 | 2897 | 3.82 | 7.23 | 0.2 | 1770 | 2.77 |
300 | 2689 | 0 | 16.82 | 0.3 | 1525 | 5.82 |
400 | 2492 | -8.64 | 31.24 | 0.42 | 1310 | 10.3 |
500 | 2304 | -22.92 | 51.29 | 0.54 | 1120 | 16.36 |
600 | 2125 | -43.76 | 77.91 | 0.68 | 953 | 24.19 |
If you have noticed the high velocities, you are right. The load data I have provided thus far is not listed in any book and probably won't be. It is specific to my rifle and gaged for its specific tolerances. I am including some data that will perform well in most situations.
55g Nos CT - RL15 = 43g - CCI 250 primer = about 3600 FPS
80g Horn GMX- RL15 = 41g - CCI 250 primer = about 3400 FPS
95g Nos AB - RL22 = 48g - CCI 250 primer = about 3250 FPS
Max loads use with causion
I am not going to talk much about my bullet selection in this post, but will give each a review sometime soon.
To sum this all up; It is my opinion the .243 WIN is one of the best deer cartridges one the market, and readily available. In the south they are constantly talking about using large calibers and some of the new short or compact magnums to shoot deer at long range, like 400 yards. Unless you are dealing with some crazy elements, like strong, gusty winds. Then I would take a white tail easily with a .243 at 400 yards.
Your thoughts? - On to the next adventure.
