.243 ammo reccomendations

[Centrepin]

My son has just bought his first .243 and is zeroing later today or tomorrow. 

Bought from a RFD who sold him three types of ammunition to try with the reccomendation he should try many types till he is happy with one and stick to it.

In the main it will be used for Deer of which he(we) already have perms.

He has one box of Winchester varmint and two boxes I've never heard of. 

Can anyone recommend a decent brand from personal experience?

 

[Centrepin]

Also can you recommend the best range at which to zero. 50m, 100m or more?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Zero at the range he expects to shoot the chosen quarry!

[scarecrow243]

zero at 100 yards  some rifles prefer certain ammunition  i have used a few different makes  i found out rws 100grain soft points worked great not cheap  i am now using ppu 100grn soft point with no problems and a lot cheaper

[Whitester]

I use sako 90 g soft points in mine . They are relatively cheap and will usually stabilise in most 243’s as they seem to have a 1 in 10 twist. Also good for fox.

[Gerry78]

Sako ammo works well I’ve always zeroed my bigger rifles a inch high at 100 yards but that’s just me 

[Walker570]

From the start I don't like 243s but put that aside and if I needed to buy shells then I would first look at Federal and shoot the heaviest bullet your rifle enjoys even for munties.  Dead is dead so I almost always use the heaviest bullet my rifle will like.  There are very few bad bullets or bad cartridges available these days, just try a few on the range and see which you feel your barrel likes best.  The deer will not notice the difference if you do your job.  I tend to lean to the Barnes TTSX or TSX thse days from my 22BR up to my 375JDJ and have had no complaints from the customers.  I think Federal did a cartridge using one of those makes.  I reload all of my own these days.

 

As Gerry says zero about 1 to 1 1/2 inches high at a hundred, then put the crosshairs right in the middle of the sweet spot.

Edited October 9, 2020 by Walker570

[243deer]

I used Federal powershok 100gr for several years through a Howa 1500, zeroed at 100m as usually stalked to within this range, 3/4 inch group off bags, usually 2 nearly in the same hole and one slightly off in a 3 shot group. Practised out to 300m at the range in case a long follow up shot needed, group still within 4 inches but a holdover of 12 inches needed. 2 1/2 inch holdover needed at 200m.

I had to use Hornady whitetail 100 gr at one point when the Federal were not available locally and they grouped 1/4 inch worse at 100m.

I was also given some Geco softpoint 105gr to try and they were also good, same group size and point of impact as the Federal.

Unsurprisingly there was little difference in meat damage between the 3. It was far less than using 85gr ballistic tips which I tried when I first had a 243.

 

 

[Scully]

I zeroed my .243 Win at an inch high at 100 yards, and used Federal, Winchester and Norma ammunition, usually around 75grn for Roe. 

[gmm243]

My Sako .243 does not like federal for some reason.Gave awful patterns.I used to shoot 100gn Winchester CXP but I can not get them now.I now shoot 100gn federal and it groups well with those.

As others have said I zero mine for an inch high at 100m and it is fine out to about 150 but I very very rarely take a shot over that range.I like them as close as possible!!

[bluesj]

95gn soft point PPU worked well in mine but now I reload for 243. zero at 100 and find what groups best then enter the info into a ballistic calculator and find what zero range gives the you flattest trajectory for the range you  expect to shoot at.  My 308 is 125yards ( scope)  from 0 too 175 ish yards it will hit within an inch of the aim point if i do my part and 75 yards (open sights)    should hit within 1 inch from 0 to 100 yard