MTLabrador
Well-known member
The .243 and 100 grain partitions, 95 ballistic tips, and a few others will do everything you need it to on deer and elk.
Need suggestions on rifle post cervical fusion
- Thread starter Bruce54
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.243 with either the 80gr TTSX or the 85gr TSX is my suggestion. If I was limited to that rifle, there’d be very few animals I’d be hesitant to use it on at modest distances. Mine with the 85gr TSX has worked great on a bunch of deer and a pronghorn so far.
kodiakisland
Well-known member
A .243 will kill any mule deer out there as long as you do your part.
You will be just fine for anything with your 243. A mule deer chest is taller from brisket to back than an antelope but it’s not much deeper from shoulder to shoulder than an antelopes chest. Maybe an inch or two. Going to fill my elk tag this year with my 6prc and either a 108 eldm or 108 Berger elite hunter.
Potsie
Well-known member
Bullet construction matters more than headstamp.
Shot what you shoot best and with the least impact to your neck - so I vote .243 and give more than a passing thought to a can.
Shot what you shoot best and with the least impact to your neck - so I vote .243 and give more than a passing thought to a can.
Elite Hunter is a cool name. mtmuley
Not sold on them as this rifle will be used for coyotes too and my experience with the hunting bergers is by the time they go their 3”-4” before starting to come apart they are almost through a coyote and you end up with a lot of runners on broadside shots if you don’t hit bone
Nick87
Well-known member
Im not a reloader or an expert on bullets but for coyotes I've never had a max dissapoint. Sorry to derail. To the op I say go with the .243 and a quality bullet.
RealMuddyboots
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The .243 Win is more than adequate for your purposes. When looking at monos to shoot, verify rifle twist to be certain bullet selected will be stable for your specific rifle.
IMO, Hammers 70HH or 75HHT run fine in 1:10 and will kill everything you are hunting just fine within distances and minimum velocities for any bullet. They are accurate snd great terminal performance. The recoil from bullets of this weight should be tolerable.
IMO, Hammers 70HH or 75HHT run fine in 1:10 and will kill everything you are hunting just fine within distances and minimum velocities for any bullet. They are accurate snd great terminal performance. The recoil from bullets of this weight should be tolerable.
Addicting
Well-known member
243 all day long if your rifle has enough twist to shoot the heavier bullets. I would also recommend suppressing it.
Wind Gypsy
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243 and 95 gr ballistic tips. Send it!
A suppressor will tame it more and some of the newer suppressor setups with end cap brakes will make it a true kitten.
A suppressor will tame it more and some of the newer suppressor setups with end cap brakes will make it a true kitten.
I want to encourage you Sir! In October of 2000 I had a neck Fusion, plate/4 screws/cadaver bone. I had an antlerless Mule Deer tag for the Deseret Ranch out here near Evanston WY. I was supposed to go in November but was only able to go later in December. Dr tells me (in front of my wife) I was released to hunt "if I shot a rifle with no recoil". No sweat. I had my gunsmith friend put a 220 Swift takeoff barrel on a Mod 7 synthetic, and brake it. I shot the then available Federal factory 55gr Trophy Bonded BearClaw. I killed my buck first day out. Went to Texas end of Jan/2001 ( to see my daughter graduate Air Force boot camp and visit my parents) and hunted Exotics in Leakey while down there, same rifle. I shot an axis doe , and 2 huge Blackbuck antelope.
In the meantime, I was having my gunsmith buddy rebarrel a Mod 700 SA I had in 223 with a long Shilen (27") in 6x47mm (222 Magnum necked up to 6mm) I shot the older Barnes 85gr XBT at 2900fps with R7. Thats a solid "243" Wannabe, and no recoil. I took it in May of 2001 to Leakey and shot an axis doe, a huge Axis Buck and about a 500# Scimitar Horned Oryx. I traded the Ranch owner (an old friend who made me many deals on Exotics, only a few hundred bucks each!) the 220 Swift and some money for the Oryx, last minute thing. 184yds, base of neck pass through, dropped straight down. At 75yds I gave him an insurance shot up through the brisket which traveled all the way up/broke his spine, recovered bullet weighed 83gr!
All this is to say your 243 with the newer 80gr TTSX, no brake or with either a brake or a suppressor, is fine even for elk! Good luck to you Sir!
In the meantime, I was having my gunsmith buddy rebarrel a Mod 700 SA I had in 223 with a long Shilen (27") in 6x47mm (222 Magnum necked up to 6mm) I shot the older Barnes 85gr XBT at 2900fps with R7. Thats a solid "243" Wannabe, and no recoil. I took it in May of 2001 to Leakey and shot an axis doe, a huge Axis Buck and about a 500# Scimitar Horned Oryx. I traded the Ranch owner (an old friend who made me many deals on Exotics, only a few hundred bucks each!) the 220 Swift and some money for the Oryx, last minute thing. 184yds, base of neck pass through, dropped straight down. At 75yds I gave him an insurance shot up through the brisket which traveled all the way up/broke his spine, recovered bullet weighed 83gr!
All this is to say your 243 with the newer 80gr TTSX, no brake or with either a brake or a suppressor, is fine even for elk! Good luck to you Sir!
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Thanks for the encouragement. Hope you have healed well.
antelopedundee
Well-known member
Speakin a supressors how often do they need cleaning and what's the best way to do that?
I had the neck fusion also and I don't recall being told to reduce recoil. I don't shoot anything heavier than a 6.5-06.
I had the neck fusion also and I don't recall being told to reduce recoil. I don't shoot anything heavier than a 6.5-06.
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