.243 Win bullets deflecting after impact

[hoffbill]

I occasionally hunt deer with my .243, my sons used it, and now my grandsons have started to use it. The .243 is a proven deer round and its been very effective for us. What I have noticed is an occasional case of the bullet deflecting after hitting bone and traveling through the animal lengthwise. It is no less lethal but does sometimes damage some meat. I have seen it with 2 or 3 different brands of bullet so apparently it is something that happens after the bullet slows down or is a result of the 80 to 100 grain bullet deflecting instead of penetrating through a bone. By no means does it happen every time, maybe like 1 out of 6 or 8 deer.
Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon with the .243 Win?

 

[tahunua001]

I haven't but I always use 100 grain soft tips. my first deer was a 300 yard shot on a very small doe that went through a front quarter, straight through the heart and smashed it's way through the opposite shoulder blade. my first buck was a 50 yard shot on a very large buck that just nicked the front shoulderblade, made mince meat out of both lungs and lodged into the opposite shoulderblade. most of the other shots I've made have been somewhere between the two. I rarely take long shots so I dont know what a lighter bullet would do after it loses speed. I always just took the stories of shooting an animal in the neck and having it wind up in the guts as an old wives tale but again, I use optimal loads at short to medium range.

 

[shredder4286]

Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon with the .243 Win?

I had something similar occur to me while hunting antelope this past October. I took a 120 yd shot at a buck which was slightly quartering towards me- the bullet entered just behind the left shoulder and fragmented inside, bursting his stomach and generally tearing up the chest cavity. The bullet was a Hornady 100 grain BTSP (handload) moving at about 2900 fps out of the muzzle. A few weeks later, I used a 95 grain Nosler on a 170 lb mule deer at the same distance at almost the same velocity, and it completely punched clean through. I'll still use the Hornady's for hunting, just wasn't real impressed with the performance on the antelope.

 

[TheNatureBoy]

Same story here. I shot a deer with my Ruger M77 .243 at a little over 100 yards. It turned on me at the last second and I hit him in the left ham. 100 gr remington core lokt went on through the ham and blew up the stomach.

 

[arch308]

I could say that the .243 is not enough gun for deer, but I won't.

 

[warbirdlover]

You HAVE to put it in the lungs behind the shoulder "trying" not to hit the shoulder. If you can do that on a broadside shot it's a good deer round. And 100 gr. bullets only. I used to handload and have really good luck with 100 gr. Nosler partitions.

 

[shredder4286]

I could say that the .243 is not enough gun for deer, but I won't.

Many people would agree with you. However, the cartridge does what it's designed to do- Kill deer. That's what it did in my case, so I'm very happy with it.

 

[5RWill]

First and foremost shot placement is key to hunting regardless of animal. Between me, my brother, my father, and a long time friend/gunsmith there has been everything from varmint to elk taken. The .243 is more than adequate for deer. There is no argument there IMO. Bump to a 115gr bullet if you feel you need more energy. I took a deer this year with a .224 77gr SMK. Bullets put holes in things it's up to the shooter to decide where. I've also taken plenty shooting them in the front shoulder with 100gr spire points. How long is the barrel on this rifle?

 

[Scout]

I've always been an 30 caliber guy, but bought a .243 last year on a whim. I put an 80 grain power shok into the neck of a 150 pound hog at about 10 yards. The bullet struck the neck bone and turned 90 degrees straight down, breaking into several pieces. The neck was broken, the heart and lungs perforated with fragments, too. All in all, a weird result but instantly lethal.

 

[PawPaw]

You HAVE to put it in the lungs behind the shoulder "trying" not to hit the shoulder.

I had a 100 grain core-lokt blow up on a rib last year. Classic broadside shot and the bullet hit a rib. Plenty of damage, but the splash of the bullet got into the shoulder and ruined it from the back side. The smallish buck went about 40 yards and piled up. Lots of damage to the on-side lung and that near shoulder was bloodshot, but the rest of the deer was fine.

The load was a 100 grain core-lokt in new Remington brass with Reloder 22 and a WLR primer. That bullet moves at 3105 fps from the muzzle and is very accurate from my Savage 11, on the neighborhood of 1/2 MOA. The deer at impact was a measured 135 yards from the stand. It knocked him down and I knew that he was hit hard, but he got up and limped into the woods before I could get back on him. About forty yards down a dim logging road he was DRT.

I may have been overdriving that bullet, but the deer was dead nontheless.

 

[jhnrckr]

lighter bullets at higher velocities are easily destabilized/deflected. The effect is much more pronounced with fmj bullets. That is how the military 5.56 kills, the bullet destabilizes and tumbles through the soft tissue creating a huge wound channel.

 

[mehavey]

See http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2007/02/terminal-tumbling.html

Tumbling in the (conventional sense) is a myth -- long held -- but still myth.

That said, the 243 is easily enough for Mule Deer, ...unless you are into spray`n pray (which no one on this Forum would ever get caught dead doing)

 

[AllenJ]

The lighter the bullet weight the more it is going to deflect, that's not a "phenomenon," it's physics. Less mass equals less inertia needed to change the trajectory of the bullet. Extreme deflections can also be caused by bullets that are not balanced, i.e. an off center air bubble in the lead or the jacket being thinner on one side.

 

[hoffbill]

Thanks for all the responses. You have confirmed what I was already pretty sure of. I have full confidence in the 95 gr SST to kill a deer when placed properly. Several confirmed the same experience which seems to be that the .243 is a adequate deer round but that the smaller (than 130 to 180 gr)bullet under certain impact angles lacks the mass to punch through bone without deflecting. Still a excellent rifle for kids and ladies who may have difficulty dealing with heavy recoil. I like it for target practice and I shoot 55 or 58 gr varmint bullets with it. Coyotes to 300 yds and even beyond are in grave danger. So .243 is versatile and capable as long as one allows for some penetration short comings as a trade off for the mild recoil.

 

[bamaranger]

for us

Bamaboy and myself have killed halfdozen 100-125 lbs whitetails w/ the .243, 1 (mine) w/ 100 gr Rem PSP and all the others (his) w/ 100 gr Nosler Partitions.

We recovered the Rem in the opposite shoulder after breaking the onside one. The Noslers all punched through from various angles on heart/lung shots, but none of the partitions picked up a shoulder bone.

The little buck shot through the shoulders went down on the spot. The other 5 went 30-50 yds and piled up, about what I get with near any other rifle alot of the time anyhow.

I have not really seen any "defelection". I was a .243 basher as a kid, and a youger guy, but realize now that it is plenty enough cartridge for deer. I can see where varmint type bullets of lighter weight might lead to trouble on deer from a .243 (or others) but the 100 gr Nosler, and the Rem for that matter have worked fine for us.

 

[warbirdlover]

I've dropped down to a .270 for deer after using a .300 Win Mag for almost 20 years.... Maybe someday I'll get back to a .243. I loved the one I had when I was young. I built one myself on a brand new FN Mauser Supreme barreled action in a Fajen stock. What a beautiful rifle and what a tackhammer. Consistent one shot (almost) holes at 100 yards. Never got a buck with it but got a couple doe. What an idiot I was for selling it..

 

[Picher]

I've recently shot some Hornady GMX, 80 grain bullets in my .243 and they shot really well, 1/2 MOA at 100 yards, but haven't yet used them on animals. I was very impressed with the performance of the .270 Win, 130 grain GMX, on a buck shot this fall.

We've used the Barnes 85 grain TSX to kill one, 140 lb doe through the heart/lungs at about 130 yards. It was DRT!

Both bullet brands/weights shot to the same POI. Great, considering I have limited rounds right now.

 

[arch308]

I can't imagine hunting deer with an 80gn bullet. I have taken deer with both a 243 and my 6mm Rem and I agree they will both definitly kill consistantly. Shoot, you can kill a deer with a .223 but I wouldn't hunt with one. I preferre a larger caliber to ensure a clean passthrough and a good blood trail, just my personal preference.
It's still a free country,right? If we all agreed on the same caliber for hunting it sure would be a boring world so use what you like and enjoy I say.
KILL IT AND GRILL IT!

 

[30-30remchester]

I was a big game guide for nine years and a hunter and terminal ballistician for 45 plus years. I have seen hundreds of big game animals taken with about every caliber and bullet. I agree with others who have witnessed bullet destruction on even small big game, as I have seen it many times. When a hunter states he has never had a problem with conventional cup and core bullets I instantlly realise he has limited hunting experence OR simply is not interested in bullet performence or is a poor obersvationist. Neither of the last 2 hunters are bad or slob or anything similiar, they are just uninterested. That being said I am sceptical of their views. Back on track of the original question, I have seen "turned" bullets a number of times with various caliber and make. The softer the bullet the more I personally saw the incadence of turned bullets.

 

[arch308]

Hey 30-30, am I not allowed an opinion on what I prefere to hunt with? And what do you mean by "uninterested"? I've been hunting for 25 yrs and have killed my fair share of game. And what does incadence mean?