Good loads and bullets for the .243 Winchester?

[Bwana416]

Anyone have some pet loads for this round? I'd like a fairly hard hitting deer and close in black bear load for my "new" Sako Forester. I was at the first gun show in White Plains in TEN years and I just could not help myself. Kenny Jarrett of Jarrett rifles was there and selling a personal rifle from his collection. Has a fairly heavy 26" barrel and is reputed to be VERY accurate with the right loads. I also want to set up some chuck loads as well.

-Ray

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Thanks Ray, for trying to get something going on these boards. You are using terms like "hard hitting deer and close in black bear load" and ".243 Winchester" in the same post. I guess you should try some TSX or "X" bullets as heavy as they come and hope for the best. This is the first new post all day so maybe we can get a Ford vs. Chevy thing going here at least.

Alan

[bill m]

I haven't ever heard anyone ever talk about using a 243 for bear. I guess I don't see why not; if yer good.
I shoot 100 grain Hornady BTSP in my Handi rifle. They're going at 2800 fps because that's where my accuracy is the best. And I do some pretty long range targeting with them. They will load to 3000 but no reason for me.
My friend took a black tail with them last year and it was over when it hit. 188 yards.
If you go big it kind of matters what your twists are. These didn't stabilize very well in my other friends 6mm with 1 in 12 twist.
I guess if you want to use them on bear, you'd probably want a pretty good sized bullet?
Hornady has a 105 but the book says that 1 in 10 won't stabilize it. So I won't try them.
I think you can get even bigger than that. But your twists will determine how big you can go. Do you have a 1 in 8?
If you take a bear with your 243, I sure want to hear the story.
Good Luck!

[Joe Boleo]

I have used a .243 on a number of groundhogs. My favorite load was using 85 grain spitzers ahead of a moderate charge of IMR4350 and Winchester primers. Take care...
Joe

[Bwana416]

My Sako has a 1 in 10 twist. I think that'll stabilize the 100 and 105 grainers. In my state shots on black bears are likely to be less than 75 yards and they rarely weigh more than 200 lbs. As with anything else it all comes down to shot placement.

-Ray

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Having never shot or had occasion to shoot any flavor of bear I cannot comment beyond speculation. Our deer rarely get to 200# and when they do they are well beyond being 243 fodder. Plenty of people shoot deer with a 243. I have seen deer drop to the shot and I have seen them do some crazy stuff after a good hit with a 243. I've seen them do that with other cartridges too but way less often than with the 243. With that said and without turning this into a "why I hate the 243" thread, I will agree with you on shot placement and reiterate the need for a heavy, tough bullet. There's really no reason why the 100 grain bullets shoudn't work fine. I shoot 100 grainers in my 25-06 and they work like a charm. I don't like partitions in the skinny, fast movers because, in my experience, they sling the front part off and the back part goes straight through. Even some softpoints break up pretty bad at close range but they do a lot of damage in the process. I've always heard that on bears the problem was not the skin, flesh and bone but that the matt of hair would cause the bullet to start breaking up before it got to the bear. Good luck on your search.

Alan

[Just a Hunter]

S-Ga / N-Fl is not known for having huge black bears, but it's not uncommon to hear of 300+lb bears taken on a regular basis.
In Nov of 2007 a state record 574 lb black bear was taken in Fargo Ga, and im told that within 2days of this record bear being taken that
two other 570lb bears had been killed.

If memory serves me correctly the state record was again broken during the 2008 hunting season.

The point im trying to make is that where there are black bears you can never be assured on a 200lb bear as it may be nearly 3 times that size.

The .243 is a fine cartridge that fits nicely between being a varmint and deer cartridge.
If I owned this rifle I would work up some loads that would fit this purpose well and be happy with what it is.

If Im going to hunt something 3 times my size with claws , teeth, thick hair and heavy bones I will gladly leave most anything under 30cal in the closet.

The perfect shot with a .22 may take down a grizzly, but I would feel a little better stacking the odd's on my side.

PS: To reply to your question I will also suggest you use a TSX or Barnes X bullets as Alan mentioned above as your best choice for what your wishing to do.

[Bwana416]

The Barnes bullets were what I was thinking about too. My cousin in DE takes deer regularly with a 30 year old Remington 760 in .243 Winchester. One was a later measured 180 yards across a small pond. One shot, travelled about 50 yards. Heart blown to bits. He used the Nosler solid base boattails then.

-Ray

[bill m]

Good talk up in the bear hunting section on this. That thread started a year ago.

I have listened to many debates that were about whether a 243 is really big enough for dear. Now the talk is about use on bear. With everything I hear from other members here, I'm liking the 30 caliber idea. That would be me anyway.
If a person has a larger; more appropriate rifle, why not?
I wonder how much the percentage goes up with a small caliber of having to recover a wounded bear?
I've never taken a bear. Been out but not successful. But I've been on successful hunts. Once saw a 264 win mag in use. and a 270. But those were the smallest bores that I've seen or heard of in my talks with friends.
I'm no authority here for sure.

[Bwana416]

90% of the bears in NY State are taken by deer hunters as an afterthought. Very few serious bear guys here because our benighted state does not allow hounds for bear (afraid they may be used to chase deer) and no baiting. Most are 180-290 lbs. live weight when shot but sometimes we hear of a 4-600 pounder going down. I also have a mint condition Winchester Model 92 in .32 Winchester Special. With Silvertips it's a potent deer/bear load. Sort of a .30-30 upgraded to 8mm. It's vintage from about 1930 but Uncle Pedro took GOOD care of guns and cars.

It can spit out 5 of those 170 grain bullets pretty fast if I have need and I would most likely be in a tree stand so it would behoove any bruin NOT to try and climb up before I shot him to hamburger.

-Ray