JJ wrote:I have my wife shooting a 243 AI. I have used 243win cases loaded at max charges for fireforming and pushing the 85g Barnes TSX for the last couple of years. Not once has she needed even a follow up shot. Before that I had her running Seirra 100g SP's.
She just got home on Monday from a muley and antelope hunt in WY. In 243AI fireformed cases, I had her loaded up with the Speer 85 BTHP @ 3500fps. She took both a speed goat and a muley. Both were single shots. Neither went more than 40 yards.
She has never shot for the head or neck. She only takes her shots in the vital zone. She has never lost a deer (around 10-12 now).
I have used 4064 with success in the AI cases in the past, but have now settled in on RL17.
Any big game bullet from a good maker will do the trick. I worry much less on the construction (as long as it is a big game bullet), and instead on what shoots the best. Sierra, Nosler, Barnes, Speer, all make a great bullet.
Don't over think it.
For those that do not know, when JJ is referring to when he mentions a .243AI, he is talking about what started out in life as a .243 Winchester brass and is fire formed that changing the shoulder or tapered area of the original .243 Winchester brass. What he has now is what is called a .243 Ackley Improved, a bit more case capacity for powder, so a bit faster muzzle velocity.
A link to some info.
http://www.6mmbr.com/243win.htmlYes a .243 will get it done with the correct bullet and good shot placement. Many know that I am not a huge fan of a .243 for deer, I much prefer a big bore for everything I do, but I have to agree that a .243 will do the job. My Dad used a .35 Remington for both mule deer out west and for moose in Canada, work for him many time over, but not on the top of anybody's list for either task.
So for a .243 and your daughter, being it is getting close to the deer hunting opener, may I suggest a standard factory load for this year. A 90 to 100 grain bullet should work fine, I think the 100 grain bullet is pretty much a standard for deer. Much more important to get her time behind the rifle and comfortable with it instead of dad getting time behind the rifle to develop a load. Sure, she could work the trigger during the load development, but as a reloader I know how frustrating it can be developing the perfect load, for the daughter to go through this may make her question her shooting ability. So go with a good 100 grain factory load this year for your daughter and then when time permits, work up a load that gives her the result of Thor's hammer for next year.