The .243 Winchester is unquestionably one of the most iconic rifle cartridges ever developed for hunting. Since it was first introduced back in 1955, it has gone on to become one of the most popular deer hunting rounds ever made. Using the .308 Winchester as a parent case, the .243 offers excellent muzzle velocity, and trajectory. At the same time, it has an incredibly low recoil that makes it comfortable and fun to shoot for hunters of all ages and skill levels. There may not be a better option out there for a first-time hunter. Aside from being an all-time gamechanger, and workhorse of a round, .243 centerfire rifle ammo is some of the most available out there. You can often find .243 ammo on store shelves even in states where it isn't legal for deer. And it is usually some of the cheapest rifle ammunition you'll find on the shelf too, making it an ideal option for anyone who doesn't want to hassle with reloading. Today we'll take a closer look at the specifics of .243 Winchester ammo, what hunters need to know, and we'll give our picks for the top brands on the market today. These rounds are certain to help you fill the freezer with venison this hunting season.
Ballistics and Specs of the .243 Winchester
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As we already mentioned, the .243 makes use of the .308 as a parent case. Winchester basically adopted wildcatter Warren Page's experiments in necking down the .308, introducing the new round in the Winchester Model 70 in 1955. Remington was also experimenting with a new 6mm hunting round at the time, but they lost the war mostly due to poor marketing. As the name notes, the .243 uses a .243-inch (6.2mm) bullet diameter in a 2.045-inch case.
Shooters can expect a muzzle velocity of around 2,900-feet per second (fps) using a standard 100-grain bullet. That translates to about 1,945-foot pounds of muzzle energy to the target. A round like this is usually still doing over 2,600-fps at 100 yards and is hitting with 1,600-foot pounds of energy. More than enough for whitetails, mule deer, pronghorns, smaller feral hogs, and coyotes.
Things get even faster if you drop down to 95, 90, 85, or 80-grain bullets. The .243 Winchester is very capable of over 3,000-fps at the muzzle. Some of the 95-grain options are doing just over 2,900-fps at 100 yards and hit with about 1,700-foot pounds of energy. Many ammo manufacturers now offer even lighter varmint rounds like the Hornady 58-gr V-Max Superformance Varmint, which is doing a blistering 3,925-fps at the muzzle, 3,465-fps at 100 yards. It's still doing 3,051-fps at 200 yards with a standard, 24-inch barrel.
As far as trajectory and range is concerned, the .243 thrives at 100 to 150 yards and is still extremely comfortable at 200 yards. Most seasoned hunters consider the maximum effective range to be around 300 yards. The smaller bullets ted to lose some of their energy and effectiveness beyond that. Most major manufacturers put the drop for their modern factory ammo at zero for 200 yards. Expect a drop of -7.5 to -10.5 inches at 300 yards. So, it's not a long range beast, but it is more than capable for most situations deer hunters will encounter across the United States. Now, let's check out some of the best options out there. We're including both deer and varmint hunting options on today's list.
Barnes VOR-TX
Sportsman's Warehouse
We'll start things off with a premium all-copper option that's going to be a premium varmint hunting round. These are 80-grain rounds, so we consider them a bit too small for deer. Barnes' specs say to expect 3,350-fps at the muzzle, 3,042-fps at 100 yards, and 2,755-fps at 200 yards. There's zero drop at that distance. As far as energy is concerned, you're looking at 1,644-foot pounds at 100 yards. More than enough to make sure those pesky coyotes are taking a permanent dirt nap. The only real downside to this option is the cost. It's a premium round, so that's to be expected. It goes for about $45-$50 a box depending on the retailer, putting it on the higher end for .243.
Remington Core-Lokt
From an affordability standpoint, it's hard to beat the Core-Lokt. It usually goes for only $14.99 a box, making for an affordable option for deer hunters. It's nearly always in stock at most major retailers too. These rounds feature a 100-grain pointed soft core bullet that mushrooms quite nicely upon striking big game, bringing them down for quick, ethical harvests. Expect a muzzle velocity of 2,960-fps. The rounds are still doing nearly 2,700-fps at 100 yards and are hitting with about 1,600-foot pounds of energy. This is the option for the hunter who wants to put venision in the freezer on a budget.
Nosler Partition Trophy Grade
For the hunter looking for a premium grade ammunition, it's hard to go wrong with Trophy Grade. Nosler makes these cartridges with 85 and 100-grain Spitzer Partition bullets. They feature a dual core design that mushrooms well, helping to knock the animal down quickly and humanely. You're looking at a 3,225-fps muzzle velocity delivering 1,962-foot pounds of energy for the 85-grain version and 3,100-fps at the muzzle with 1,920-foot pounds of energy with the 100-grain one. Trophy Grade is excellent ammo with one downside, the cost. You're looking at nearly $70 a box. We recommend doing most of your sighting using a cheaper ammo and saving this stuff for when the shot counts on the hunt of a lifetime.
Hornady Superformance Varmint
Hornady makes a 75-grain, and a 58-grain option that are going to be devastating on coyotes and prairie dogs. New propellent technologies were combined with polymer tip Hornady V-Max bullets, and the result is an extra 100 to 200-fps depending on firearm and barrel length. We've already mentioned some of the ballistic data on this one. The 75-grain can do a blistering 3,254-fps at 100 yards and hits with about 1,760-foot pounds of energy. The 58-grain option is even faster, doing 3,465-fps at 100 yards and hitting with 1,546-foot pounds of energy. At around $38 a box, they're also more affordable than you might expect. If you've got some pesky varmints that keep their distance, this is a great option to finally take them out once and for all.
Winchester Ballistic Silvertip
The nice thing about this option is that Winchester makes two versions. The 95-grain version is a boattail design with an alloyed lead core, polymer tip, and contoured jacket for controlled expansion on deer and other big game. The 55-grain version has many of the same features. The main difference is a thin uniform jacket that is designed to fragment on smaller animals like coyotes. The 95-grain version has a muzzle velocity of about 3,100-fps that slows to 2,854-fps at 100 yards. It's hitting with about 1,455-foot pounds of energy. Winchester puts the drop at zero for that distance and -2.8 at 200 yards. The 55-grain version is doing a whopping 3,910-fps at the muzzle, 3,493-fps at 100 yards while hitting with 1,184-foot pounds of energy. Expect zero drop at 100 and -1.4 at 200. Those coyotes will never know what hit them. The price ranges between $40 and $60 depending on the retailer.
Federal Premium Power-Shok
Another good option for anyone who doesn't want to break the bank stocking up on factory ammunition. Federal makes three versions of the Power-Shok for .243 Winchester, an 80, 85, and 100-grain bullet. The 100 and 80-grain options are jacketed soft points, and the 85-grain version is a lead free copper hollow point. We'd go with the 100 for deer, and the 80 and 85-grain options for varmints. Either way, these bullets are designed for rapid expansion and large wound channels. The 80-grain version is doing about 3,330-fps at the muzzle, the 85-grain copper versions are doing 3,200, and the 100-grain version is doing about 2,960-fps. At around $30 a box, Federal Power-Shoks are an extremely affordable option no matter what species you prefer to hunt.
Hornady American Whitetail Interlock BTSP
The American Whitetail line was designed and built specifically with deer hunting in mind. The fact that Hornady only charges about $32 a box is another bonus. The Interlock feature locks the jacket and inner, one-piece lead core together for deeper penetration. It also helps the bullet maintain mass and expand better. You can expect a muzzle velocity of 3,185-fps at the muzzle, 2,908-fps at 100 yards, and 1,784-foot pounds of energy. The trajectory sits at zero for 200 yards. While this round is optimized specifically for deer hunting, there's no reason you can't use them on coyotes too. It's a great option for anyone who wants versatility in case a pesky predator shows up while hunting whitetails.
Winchester Deer Season XP
Winchester Ammunition manufactures two variants of this round. The first is lead free, solid Copper Extreme Point in 85 grains. It has a hollow noise cavity and polymer tip that help it fly straight and expand well. There's also a 95-grain version with an alloyed lead core and polymer that'll transfer energy a little better. The lead version is doing about 2,834-fps at 100 yards, and hits with 1,694-foot pounds of energy. The 85-grain copper version is doing 2,969-fps and hits with 1,664-foot pounds of energy at 100 yards. We like this one just slightly more than Winchester Super-X or Varmint X in terms of versatility and performance. It goes for about $38 a box, which isn't too bad considering how this ammo performs in the field.
Nosler Ballistic Tip
Another premium boattail design that's going to mushroom and expand well upon impact, resulting in quicker recoveries. These bullets feature a lead alloy core with a tapered jacket and polymer tip. The 90-grain Nosler is ideal for most deer hunting scenarios. It's doing 3,100-fps at the muzzle, 2,842-fps at 100 yards. These rounds hit with about 1,614-foot pounds of energy at that distance. Nosler puts the drop at zero for 100 yards and only -2.8 inches at 200. At around $52 a box, they are an expensive option. However, if you've just drawn a rare tag for the hunt of a lifetime, why leave things to chance?
Norma Whitetail 100-Grain PSP
Sportsman's Warehouse
Sometimes simplicity is best. This one doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles, but it will get the job done. The Norma features a jacketed lead core bullet with a flat base and lead soft point nose that's going to penetrate deep and expand on impact for fast recoveries. Norma puts the velocity at 2,587-fps at 100 yards, and the energy at 1,486-foot pounds at that same distance. This is another round that's probably best on deer, but you could use one to down a coyote if it runs into your setup. This is a solid middle of the road option on price point, coming in at about $36 a box.
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