.243 using the Sierra 85 gr. HPBT for deer

[L. Cooper]

If speed kills, then why NOT use a .220 Swift to hunt elephants?

Killing is a lot more complicated than speed alone. Speed without penetration is what we call a slap.

For reliable, humane killing of game animals you need a bullet that will always penetrate through the vital organs of the animal from any angle you shoot. The lighter the bullet, the more important it is that the bullet remain in one piece to preserve mass and momentum until it has penetrated that vital area.

Bullet expansion is simply controlled bullet destruction, and although it greatly improves energy transfer, if it happens too quickly, it can reduce the bullet's effect to a slap on the surface. It must be a very controlled process.

In the .243, with animals the size of deer, any presentation other than the ideal broadside shot will require as much penetration as those light bullets can provide. Therefore, it is best to start out with as much bullet weight as possible, and with a bullet construction that controls expansion reliably.

I have seen quite a few deer shot with various .243 bullets. I won't use anything but the 95 grain Partition, or one of the 100 grain bullets that is known to hold together well.

A .22 rimfire will kill deer. The question is one of consistency and humane treatment of game animals. People spend hours arguing caliber choices. I believe I have seen more game animals lost to poor bullet selection than to poor choice of caliber.