What is your experience with .243 Nosler 85 gr. Partition with a .243 Winchester on whitetails.

I have used a 115 gr Nosler Partition on a 25-06 with fair success. It tended to blow through deer easily but with less than ideal expansion based on the exit hole.

I shot a deer with the 25-06 and broke its back. Rather than wait for it to struggle and die, I took a second shot and achieved about 37 inches of penetration when I recovered the bullet.

I am wondering how this 85 gr partition will perform at 3000 FPS on Central Texas deer.

I don’t know about the Nosler, but the ones I’ve seen in Morgan’s Point could be killed with a BB gun. They any bigger in Gatesville?
Last deer I shot was with a 243 Sierra Match round ( I know, I know they say they aren’t for hunting) it worked just fine.

The deer here about the same size. I used to live in Austin and saw lots of deer all about the same size.

I’ve never used the partition in 243, but have in other calibers and they worked just fine. But it has been my experience that you can shoot whitetail with just about anything over a 22lr and put them down with a good shot.

I used to help cull deer at the airport in the city where I was a cop and I’ve shot them with:
308, 243, 223, 44, 30-30, 45-70, 45 round ball black powder, Brown Bess musket, 12 ga OObuck &slugs, and more I’ve probably forgotten.
Not just this caliber but we used all different brands of ammo, side note- FMJ is not recommended for anything besides head shots. My partner went cheap one time and the deer ran off and suffered, I got him straight after that fiasco.


Head shot, heart, neck, lungs, spine all work...

I have used a 95 grain partition to take one deer. The wound looked like my 308 shots, went down within a few feet.

The 85 grain partition gets good reviews, I wouldn’t hesitate.

This year I have more time off in Nov. I plan my 284 Win for the MI hunt, then the Knight ‘Elite’ M-L for the IL hunt.

I like the 100 grain bullets in .243, but around here some guys are having good luck with 65-67 grain bullets in .223 (I know, I know)

If a 65 grain bullet will work for deer in .223, there's no reason why an 85 grain won't work in .243. The most important part is putting the bullet deeply enough into the vitals. I've been toying with the idea of that 85 grain Barnes TSX for my .243, but haven't had the time to do anything about the idea.

As sourdough44 said, I have used the .243 95 gr. Partition with complete success on muliple deer., and some coyotes encountered. And as he stated the deer either dropped immediately or one or two steps. Do not hunt anymore, but still have several boxes of the 95gr. Partitions in my reloading supplies.