Thread: 243: 85gr Interbond v 90gr ELD-X v 90gr TGK

The SST is a common bullet for the .243. My experience of it on probably a dozen or more reds is that it’s one of the messier bullets I’ve tried, especially when shot broadside through the shoulder. Like @Tahr’s comments about bloodshot, the SST can certainly spoil the front end of a deer.

@TeRei, the Wife and I used the 90gr ELD-X quite recently, but on goats only, although there were some very heavy billies shot. High shoulder shots delivered truly impressive DRTs, I don’t think we had a single animals even bleat or take a step. But I didn’t recover any for meat, so can’t comment on the damage.

The 90gr Tipped GameKing has a very mixed reputation from around the world, some can get it to shoot in the .243, but quite a lot can’t it seems. Some googling will give you a sense of the mixed bag of reviews. My cuz couldn’t get it to work in his 10 twist .243. I’m not going to bother trying it in the .243, instead I’ll try the 100gr TGK in the 6mm Creedmoor.

Gut feel is that the bloodshot problem is more to do with terminal velocity then purely the bullet construction. As a young fella it was hammered into me not to push the .243 too fast when shooting animals you want to eat, which kind of negated the whole point of the cartridge I suppose, not that the local fallow and roe deer ever got to complain as they were dead. But I’ve kinda stuck to the philosophy and don’t push my 100gr bullets (ProHunter) particularly fast, 2,800fps does the job. Ideally the animal is quartering away slightly, so the bullet enters through the rear ribs and runs across the vitals to the first or second rib on the other side. This results in a lot more recoverable forequarter meat, most of the time.