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Post by jimstc on Nov 27, 2018 14:11:07 GMT -5
Just my thinking. There is no universally correct answer to 243 vs any other caliber. It is a personal decision for each hunter. If you want more kinetic energy go for it. Personally, I don't need it and that is why I hunt with a 243. But then again my new Bushmaster 450 has been fun to lug around this season. LOL. But once the newness wears off I will go back to my 243. Where I hunt I have never taken a shot over 50 yards for full disclosure's sake. I have other options: 270 Weatherby magnum. 260 Rem and 6.8 SPC but I will go back to my 243.
Edit to add: Boman your knowledge and comments are impressive. Thanks for the insight
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Post by psearcher on Nov 27, 2018 14:16:13 GMT -5
deer season xp 243 and 308. massive trauma and holes
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Post by esshup on Nov 27, 2018 17:10:44 GMT -5
The reason I like the Barnes for Whitetail deer hunting is that I have no idea at what range the deer will be from me. 10 yds or 150 yds. I've had a .25 caliber 115 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip not exit a doe at 80 yds. The entrance was high in the lungs and with no exit there was no blood for the first 90 yds, only the last 10 yds was there blood. I watched her fall, but if she was in thick cover I might not have recovered the deer. That's why I want the monolithic bullet construction - I want an exit hole to help with the blood trail at all distances. Now, if I would have hit that doe at 200 yds with that bullet in that same place, the bullet most likely would have exited. At the impact velocity it hit her, it acted more like like a varmint bullet. As for the barnes not expanding, I thought the same too, until I looked at impact velocities, and WHAT the bullet was impacting. Shoot them into sand or a material that doesn't have much liquid in it and they act like a solid - very little expansion. Shoot them into something that has liquid (like flesh), and they expand very well, but the shank stays together to get full penetration. I've found petals sheared off and retained in the deer while the shank exited. I'll see if I can find a chart on how the barnes expand according to impact velocities. As you can see from this, impact velocity has a direct correlation on how far they expand. At the distances we are shooting here in Indiana, I'm more concerned with too violent of an expansion than not expanding enough. With a muzzle velocity of 3200 fps, at 200 yds the impact velocity of the 85g TTSX will still be between 2600 and 2700 fps. I know the picture is of a .277" bullet but that's the best I could find to illustrate the expansion vs. fps.
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Post by budd on Nov 27, 2018 17:14:56 GMT -5
Buck my brother in law shot last night only left blood from his mouth, quartering shot behind last rib, laying under hide behind opposite shoulder. 243 100gr Remington Cor Lokt, 100 yard shot, never touched a rib. If it was not for the snow I'm not sure we would have found him, he ran 100 yards through willow swamp. After 60 yards I had my doubts, no blood. Ive always been a fan of smaller rounds 243, 6mm, 25-06, after seeing several deer and bear shot with leaving little blood with the 243 I have sold all my 243's and will be sticking with the 25-06. Also a big fan of the 260rem. I will say that bear cannot take the energy of a little 95gr 243 bullet, have seen many drop in their tracks with a lung shot, but if they run don't expect much blood. A old fella up here that bountied bear when he was younger also said the 243 with lighter bullets was good medicine for bear, he killed bear in the thousands and swore by the 243.
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Post by esshup on Nov 27, 2018 17:24:09 GMT -5
Hunting in Wi., the caliber of choice was .30, specifically 30-06. the majority of us shot Rem 742's. The only reason that I'm not using that now is rifle weight. I am carrying a Browning A-Bolt Mountain Ti that fully loaded, scoped (Leupold 3-9x40), "The Claw" sling and with a full magazine tips the scales at a hair over 6 pounds.
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Post by jjas on Nov 27, 2018 17:32:37 GMT -5
I just wanted to say how much I've learned from this thread. I hunted for years with slug guns and then pcrs but hprs are pretty new to me and reading this thread has been very enlightening.
Thanks to all that have posted!
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Post by tynimiller on Nov 27, 2018 17:56:20 GMT -5
I just wanted to say how much I've learned from this thread. I hunted for years with slug guns and then pcrs but hprs are pretty new to me and reading this thread has been very enlightening. Thanks to all that have posted! 100% percent, it is a whole new world here as well.
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Post by parson on Nov 27, 2018 18:03:03 GMT -5
I love my .243. It's an old Savage 110 that I purchased in the 1980's. They had awful triggers back then but it has always been an accurate rifle- shoots moa or better with several different loads.
Mine prefers 100 grain bullets, boat-tail spire points shoot best. Being a reloader I've loaded Remington, Sierra and Hornady, all of which have performed very well on deer.
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Post by psearcher on Nov 27, 2018 20:17:29 GMT -5
Last year shot buck with Hornady full boar 80 gr gmx. Nasty
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Post by psearcher on Nov 27, 2018 20:19:22 GMT -5
Off topic sorry but I’ve seen more bear killed with 44 mag than could shake a stick at
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Post by bullseye on Nov 27, 2018 22:37:53 GMT -5
Last one I shot with a 30-06 went 100 yards without a drop of blood. Brother shot one with a .243 that left a wide blood trail. What does this mean ...... you can't judge a caliber by a bloodtrail.
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Post by tynimiller on Nov 30, 2018 9:40:50 GMT -5
Thanks everyone...picking up gun Saturday and will go about testing some selected bullets. I am hoping it likes the Barnes discussed as that is the one I've struggled to find negative reviews on anywhere.
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