.243 bullets for fox? Deer not important.

[kent]

What bullets do you guys use for fox in your .243's? As much as I slate it as a deer round I think that as a foxing tool it probably takes some beating. I'm thinking of chopping in my .223 and getting one. No reason other than I fancy a change, but what I'm wondering is at what point the bullets start to become too light for calibre? You can get 55gr, but is that a little too light in the wind?

 

I sold a cut down .243 a while back and am now wishing I'd given it a longer try on the foxes. It only went because I was too tight to pay the £25 for my 7-08 variation!

At foxing ranges you wont be at much of a disadvantage with a 55 grn Nosler over other 6mm varmint bullets. It will totally kick butt compared with a 22-250 it drifts ever so slightly less than the .224 variant will but the difference is tiny. One of my favourites though I was once unsure about it due to the massive jump (it makes not a jot of difference). 70 grn Nosler BTip or 75 v-max are good although I have been using the 87 grn HPBT varmint from Hornaday of late.

You under rate the .243win as a deer gun, like I have said many times it needs careful bullet selection for purpose (not just its 100 grn so it will do).

[njc110381]

Perhaps I'll get some premium food for it and give it another try? What would you suggest? Barnes TSX? Nosler Partitions? I guess something that will stand up to being driven into a carcass at pretty high velocity and still retain most of it's weight?

 

I don't plan to use the gun for deer but as I have it I suppose I could give it another chance, To me slower and heavier is better with meat you want to keep. In all the calibres I've ever used the heavier and slower the bullet the happier I've been with the results. The trouble is the .243 just cannot do heavy, and slow isn't deer legal!

[kent]

Perhaps I'll get some premium food for it and give it another try? What would you suggest? Barnes TSX? Nosler Partitions? I guess something that will stand up to being driven into a carcass at pretty high velocity and still retain most of it's weight?

 

I don't plan to use the gun for deer but as I have it I suppose I could give it another chance, To me slower and heavier is better with meat you want to keep. In all the calibres I've ever used the heavier and slower the bullet the happier I've been with the results. The trouble is the .243 just cannot do heavy, and slow isn't deer legal!

Impact speeds are relivent to quarry and as many forget this can be governed by range as much as muzzle speed. I should bother with a partition type bullet on Roe or even run of the mill fallow etc. big reds in woodland perhaps but hinds on the hill (were ranges are longer a pro-hunter / gameking will do fine mostly and generally will shoot tighter and achieve more expansion at lower impact speeds). The 95 grn solid base Nosler B/Tip is my all time favourite Roe and fox bullet, never had it pencil on a fox it will handle all deer were legal (with careful placement) occasionally at very short range it will blow up a bit but its nothing as like as damaging to Roe carcasses as say a 140 grn bullet from the 7-08 rem - I have never popped one yet I did that plenty with the 7-08. It is a very fine Long range bullet on deer if that is what is required as it still expands at quite low velocitys and has a fair BC.

However I feel the .243's biggest downfall is many think you can do everything with one rifle and one bullet, they are correct on only the first of those IMO its always going to be a compromise on one quarry bullet wise. For this reason I have multiple favourite loads with 55, 70, 75,85,87, 95 ,100 grn also in various types of bullets

[njc110381]

You are quite right, the impact speed does indeed depend a lot on the range of the target. Mine are often in woodland and 100 yards is a long shot for me on deer. I prefer to be more like 25 yards away before I feel like I've really done my bit. With the 7mm (both of them when I had the combi) I run very mild loads. I've not split a gut yet with a correctly placed shot, although I've split plenty by getting it wrong!

 

At the ranges I shoot a .243 bullet is still flying at a hell of a pace. I think that could be the cause of my issues with the calibre.

[al4x]

You need a spear not a gun!

 

Though last year I shot a roe at sub 10 yards and that was fine, just a decent soft point of a reasonable weight and you get enough but not too much damage

[henry d]

OK putting a different slant on this, you did say you wanted it to flatten a fox any-which-way, including a Texas heart shot. If that wasn`t a tongue in cheek comment I would go for 75gn +

reason being a 55 may be a bit too light for the kill you need and, I`m sure you don`t really need me to say, all it needs is for a slightly off shot and you have 4-6" of thigh muscle to penetrate before getting close to any vital organs, yes it will probably kill, but not like you would want to.

Plus point, it will (IIRC legally in Eng/Wales) flatten deer no probs at all.

[njc110381]

You need a spear not a gun!

I think if my life depended on it I could do that in the right conditions. Heavy rain and wind gives enough cover to sneak up and slap them on the backside if you've got all day to slowly work your way in or go around them for an ambush.

 

H - you're right about reading that. Do you not think a 70gr would do it? They need to work and flatten the fox on the spot as I really don't appreciate runners.

 

Our laws down here are a little strange. You can shoot any species of deer with a .243, no mention of bullet weight or velocity only energy. Yet you cannot shoot a roe with a .223. It's the same with the wildfowl lead issue - you can't shoot wildfowl anywhere with lead in England, but you can shoot anything else over water without needing non toxic! Mad as a box of frogs isn't it. None of it does anything for animal welfare!

[satx78247]

To All,

 

I've shot a 6mm rifle since before many members of our forum were born. = 1965.

(My first 6mm rifle was a Remington Model 740 in .244 Rem. The .244 Rem is PURE DEATH on small/medium game and on our small, but very numerous, TX whitetails. There are places in TX where there are >120 WTs per square KM.)

 

My current 6mm "deer rifle" is a Model 76 Remington in .243 Winchester, mounting a 4x Waffen Beenewitz scope. =====> That rifle is a "GOODIE" for vermin, deer and pronghorn antelope out to 300M.

(If I miss a deer with the .243, it's my fault.)

 

For everything from European Hares to Roebuck & even Texas Whitetails, the 87 grain Remington Jacketed Hollow-point is GRAND out to 250M. For large deer, I choose the same design bullet in 105 grains. = ImVho, the less than 80 grain bullets are INADEQUATE beyond 150M & (in the hands of a cool marksman) any of the 6mm rifles are FINE killers at more than twice that range.

 

yours, satx

[njc110381]

I'm impressed by how flat they shoot. From my initial homework on the ballistic program I have it seems to be within +/- 2" out to 275 yards. That really is impressive.

 

I think I will zero mine to peak at 1.5" (wherever that turns out to put the zero). That should give me point and shoot to 250 yards plus, which is a long way under a lamp. Further than I would shoot I'd say.

[kent]

You are quite right, the impact speed does indeed depend a lot on the range of the target. Mine are often in woodland and 100 yards is a long shot for me on deer. I prefer to be more like 25 yards away before I feel like I've really done my bit. With the 7mm (both of them when I had the combi) I run very mild loads. I've not split a gut yet with a correctly placed shot, although I've split plenty by getting it wrong!

 

At the ranges I shoot a .243 bullet is still flying at a hell of a pace. I think that could be the cause of my issues with the calibre.

I ran 140s in mine quite sedately and it popped plenty it only needed to pass close-ish to the diaphragm on its path through. my thoughts from your description are run a partition for just legal velocity 95's generally run tighter than 100's BTW or shoot them in a different spot.

[Bewsher500]

chap on SD selling some 55gr Nosler BT's in 6mm. almost full box for £15

[malantone]

 

what is SD please ?

[markws80]

The Stalking Directory I guess

[Bewsher500]

correct

http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/showthread.php/61500-6mm-55-gn-Nosler-Balistic-tips