.243

[fishinglink]

recently purchased a .243 with a box of fusions for sight in and just curious if there is a factory load that will offer me a good multipurpose round for deer coyote and chuck. but if a fox walks by doesn't destroy the pelt. any suggestions please.

[CL-Lewiston]

I am not familiar with Fusions but a fox is pretty small/tender. May be big hole o offside-coyote not so bad??

[Cobra]

Probably would go straight thru a fox. Fusion, supposedly, is a controlled expansion Deer size bullet but honestly never tried them. Friend shot 100gr PSPs for years at deer. 'chucks and 'yotes were no problem and not overly destructive. Find the most accurate deer size brand and have at it.

[griffondog]

For a deer, yote and fox round you could try the barnes 85 grain tsx bullet. Federal and cor- bon sell loaded ammo. For chucks I would shoot a bullet that wouldn't hold together like the barnes tsx.


Griffondog

[brad arnett]

Nope, a 243 is not a fur friendly round for yotes. Nothing you shoot out of it will be friendly on fox.

[Huntsman27]

wont expand but will pass clean through. Hornady offers them as components [bullets] youd have to load them yourself. The only other option is shooting 55gr-70gr ballistic tip or HPs which come apart and dont leave an exit wound. Thats a 50/50 proposition as mentioned previously fox are small and bullets tend to exit with huge holes.

[griffondog]

The Barnes tsx bullet won't open up on fox but will give you expansion on deer. I've shot a few yotes with a 300 win mag and they didn't expand much. Sewing up fur wasn't bad at all.


Griffondog

[PA BUCK 2]

I well constructed bullet like described above should punch right through a fox and not expand much- leaving a smaller exit hole.... If you get a bullet that is designed to expand quickly I think that is where you will get large exit holes...

We handload hornady 100 grainers for deer and they have worked well for us. My neice and two nephews all started hunting with a .243 before opting to move to different calibers.

[Firefighter]

there isnt really an all purpose round without drawbacks. 100 grains blow chucks apart. (alright if you dont eat em, but they are suprisingly tasty) 55 grain bullets are perfect for varmints, but too light for deer. its best to use the right round for the job. the inconvience of sighting in twice is a small price to pay for piece of mind.

[FISH]

i'm not saying this is the BEST way. but i know of people that use 22-250's for deer with 50 grain bullets, and they are just as deadly as your shot placement. now, you could use the .243 with 55's and go for headshot's on deer. just know your limitations. a miss on a headshot can mean 2 things, clea miss, or a drawnout death.. jmho.

[Huntsman27]

i'm not saying this is the BEST way. but i know of people that use 22-250's for deer with 50 grain bullets, and they are just as deadly as your shot placement. now, you could use the .243 with 55's and go for headshot's on deer. just know your limitations. a miss on a headshot can mean 2 things, clea miss, or a drawnout death.. jmho.
The bullets arent meant for anything larger than predators. A head shot? yeah that isnt too smart because the bullet construction isnt meant to plow through bone. The bullets fragment on flesh and skin with miniaml penetration [which isnt needed for varmints] now, applying the bullets application to blow through bone [skull] isnt what its intended for.
Indeed it can be done, but any hunter with any brains isnt going to use marginal ammo.
Plenty of correct bullets for deer or varmints. Its a great caliber, just to many folks make the wrong bullet choice.

[Slug Gunner]

:yeahthat::yeahthat: Huntsman hit the nail on the head.

[rzdrmh]

there is no good bullet for .243 and fox.

compromises can be made for coyote, but hide hunters looking for sales probably will forego the .243 for coyote as well.

it is hard enough to find a CALIBER that suits multiple game. it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find a bullet within a given caliber that's suited for multiple types of game.

[FISH]

huntsman,
i wasn't condone the use of the 55 grain ballistic tips for deer, but there has been countless deer that've been killed by .22 lr. i'm just saying it's it's a choice, it'd be my last choice though. and if you wanted to use the same round for deer and not blow apart yotes, i would opt for the 95 grain fusion factory loads. your right, i should have stated that the fragile little B-tips are a poor choice for deer. if you handload a FMJ or a 100-115 grain quality constructed bullet would be able to do double duty adequatley. but to gain something there will always be a downside.

[Nick Adams]

It is hard enough to find a CALIBER that suits multiple game. it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find a bullet within a given caliber that's suited for multiple types of game.

I would agree if you had said "load" rather than "bullet".

The unspoken assumption here is that we push every bullet out the barrel about as fast as we possibly can.

You'd be surpised how versatile most bullets can be when loaded at velocities that fit the application. Even the highly frangible varmint bullets can offer a suprising amount of penetration when only pushed to muzzle velocities in the 1200-1800 fps range.

-na

[rzdrmh]

I would agree if you had said "load" rather than "bullet".

The unspoken assumption here is that we push every bullet out the barrel about as fast as we possibly can.

You'd be surpised how versatile most bullets can be when loaded at velocities that fit the application. Even the highly frangible varmint bullets can offer a suprising amount of penetration when only pushed to muzzle velocities in the 1200-1800 fps range.

-na

nick - you are absolutely correct. i assumed since he was mentioning factory ammo that he wasn't a reloader. but for the reloader i'd agree 100% with your assessment.

[Huntsman27]

there is no good bullet for .243 and fox.

compromises can be made for coyote, but hide hunters looking for sales probably will forego the .243 for coyote as well.

it is hard enough to find a CALIBER that suits multiple game. it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find a bullet within a given caliber that's suited for multiple types of game.
upon the hunters reason for hunting fox or coyote. I suspect were talking of keeping a fox of coyote hide. If one isnt keeping the hide, the exit wound the 243 makes has no bearing. To say there isnt a good bullet? many GREAT 6 mm bullets out there, but to someone who doesnt care if the holes the size of a bowling ball and just wants a clean kill?.
As I pointed out if hide consideration is the point the 55 gr BT and the Hornady FMJ are good slections. Fox are small, but having shot them with everything from 22 mags to 7mm Rem mag to clear out the pests all worked well. I really dont worry about the hole I shoot in them, much the same as the woodchucks I shoot.
Impossible you say? I guess thats the hunters own definition. I COULD shoot P-dogs all day, shoot fox and coyotes and deer with the 85-100gr. However, the same could be said for our 22-250s....the Federal loaded 60gr Nosler partition.....PDs, varmints and [where legal] deer. Then again, that gets kind of expensive.

[gamebird_guy]

I shot two bucks this year with 55 grain ballistic tip with no problem at all both went less than 20 yards and within two minutes of each other, granted these are hand loads and are just a touch over 4000 fps. But just about every .223 out there shoots a 55 grain bullet and plenty of people use them for deer, I have yet to shoot a yote with this load, but I did shoot a fox in the guts with just a pin hole in and out, like many have said they are soft. Both bucks had no exit hole one was at 200 yards and another at 30 yards. I think there is probably a factory load available in federal premium in 55 gr, maybe?

[fishinglink]

i have an 80 grain psp remington factory load, a 95 gr fusion and a box of hornady vmax 58 gr. for the fox and deer and yote i will be trying the fusion and the psp's, but the vmax is tried and true on the hogs. thanks for the input and all is read and aknowledged yes i am a reloader but i am currently too busy to experiment with loads this year. i will however be goping into mass production with my loaders by this time next year. i also found that federal, remington , and hornady all have ballistics programs downloadable to compare the loads they manufacture.

- cody

[rzdrmh]

upon the hunters reason for hunting fox or coyote. I suspect were talking of keeping a fox of coyote hide. If one isnt keeping the hide, the exit wound the 243 makes has no bearing. To say there isnt a good bullet? many GREAT 6 mm bullets out there, but to someone who doesnt care if the holes the size of a bowling ball and just wants a clean kill?.
As I pointed out if hide consideration is the point the 55 gr BT and the Hornady FMJ are good slections. Fox are small, but having shot them with everything from 22 mags to 7mm Rem mag to clear out the pests all worked well. I really dont worry about the hole I shoot in them, much the same as the woodchucks I shoot.
Impossible you say? I guess thats the hunters own definition. I COULD shoot P-dogs all day, shoot fox and coyotes and deer with the 85-100gr. However, the same could be said for our 22-250s....the Federal loaded 60gr Nosler partition.....PDs, varmints and [where legal] deer. Then again, that gets kind of expensive.

that's stretching it a little to make a point, huntsman... anyone that doesn't care what the wound looks like on a fox doesn't need to be here soliciting advice for bullet selection. pick anything and move on.

the 243 is a terrible fox gun with any bullet, plain and simple. to shoot a fox, you must have a fur harvester permit. that implies you want the hide. your infactuation with the 243/6mm is getting a little out of hand, isn't it? :lol:

btw, i'd also classify the 22-250 as a useless fox gun. fox are delicate - a 22 mag may be ideal except for the relatively short range. i use a 204, shooting a 35 grain berger for coyote, and that bullet seems to hold together well enough, but i've not shot a fox with it. it would have to be the right shot for me to pull the trigger on a fox with it. my hunting partner shot one fox this year with a 17 hmr at around 220 yards while it was sunning itself, and it hit in the base of the neck, just forward of the shoulder, nearly decapitating it. a real shame.

[M1Garand]

I shot two bucks this year with 55 grain ballistic tip with no problem at all both went less than 20 yards and within two minutes of each other, granted these are hand loads and are just a touch over 4000 fps. But just about every .223 out there shoots a 55 grain bullet and plenty of people use them for deer, I have yet to shoot a yote with this load, but I did shoot a fox in the guts with just a pin hole in and out, like many have said they are soft. Both bucks had no exit hole one was at 200 yards and another at 30 yards. I think there is probably a factory load available in federal premium in 55 gr, maybe?

In the 243, the 55 grain Nosler BT is NOT ok, nor a good bullet for deer. A deer (or any hunted animal) deserves a quick humane kill and using a 55 grain BT will not give you reliable penetration, esp if you are presented with an other than broadside shot. There is the potential for a horribly wounded animal, which I have no doubt will happen if you continue to use them. This weight bullet in that caliber is designed for varmints, not deer. They are designed for violent expansion on impact esp at the velocities the 243 will push them. The only BT's Nosler makes for deer in the 243 are the 90 and 95 grain, everything else up to the 80 grain is a varmint bullet. Directly from the Nosler website regarding their varmint bullets:

The Ballistic Tip® Varmint bullet's ultra thin jacket mouth assures violent expansion at either end of the velocity scale.

The uniform, gradual thickening of the jacket wall at the bullet's mid-section is designed to keep the Ballistic Tip® Varmint bullet together until impact at any velocity.

Comparing it to a 22 centerfire is apples to oranges. Those calibers are very popular in the south where deer are smaller and they also don't use varmint bullets in them, they use SP's or the 60 grain Nosler Partition.

Now I don't think there is a perfect all around bullet, just as there isn't a perfect all around caliber. But I think your best bet is using a tough bullet such as the Barnes or maybe the 100 grain Nosler Partition...but I still think it'll do quite a bit of damage to a fox.

[Huntsman27]

I know you werent IMPLYING I was violating!....:lol: Truthfully, I dont care about the hide. Its another form of hunting for me. If I should take fox and the like I turn in the hide for cash if Im inclined but again theyre just like chucks to me, VARMINTS!
Indeed, as you well know my like of the 243 Winchester! Much as I know of your passion for the venerable 30-30 MORTAR round! Truly, you should come with us to Montana and shoot PDs, I think youd get a handle on the virtures of the 243 over the 22 centerfires on windy days [most everyday].

That said, I have used many HV loads on many animals. We just have a difference of opin. Ill stay with my choice of the Hornady FMJ or the Nosler 55 BTs for fox if one is saving them, otherwise Ill take the 25-06,22-250 or whatever rifle I want that day! Really the consideration of pelts isnt of a cash concern to me. I dont shoot enough of them to worry about that.

[rzdrmh]

of course i wasn't implying that you'd violate - i was only implying that you love the 243 enough to find any reason to use it!!:lol:

most guys, including me, like to utilize the pelts, and probably spend too much time thinking about what gun/bullet/caliber to use!

[Huntsman27]

I would like to get a nice coyote or red fox made into a hat. For what reason? just to have one. The wife thinks its a waste of time, but nonetheless, if one appears in excellent shape, I may need some help with where one might take it to.
I know the banter is all in jest, and I am only ribbing you about the 30-30. If I didnt think much of it I wouldnt have dropped the money for a brand new 336-C Marlin [great wood]...if only I hadnt muffed the shot last Fall, Id have had a nice 4 pt with it. Maybe hes a bit bigger this Fall.