.243 jacketed.

[JeffinNZ]

Team.

My brother is a non reloading person (he'll come right I am sure) and has a .243 he uses almost exclusively on european hares. He has asked be to load for him. I have the brass he has sent please some more I have sourced. My question is about projectiles. My club has a package of Sierra 85gr HPBT Gamekings on hand.

Question: Is the Gameking .243 bullet going to expand on a small animal like a hare? Our hares get pretty big, probably twice size of a domestic cat (taste better though......).

[Larry Gibson]

Hare....as in "rabbit"? If so it will turn them into a "bit.....a 'bit of 'em goes here and a 'bit of 'em goes there......

Seriously, in the .243 at 3200 fps (doable in 22" barrels) they will do nasty terrible things to hares/rabbits:-) I've killed many a Jack rabbit and rock chuck with them in the .243W or the .244/6mm Rem. Killed quite a few coyotes also. Very accurate bullets with a very decent BC.

Larry Gibson

[MT Gianni]

If they are a Flemish Giant type running around 25 lbs he will have no trouble. I use IMR 4831 for good groups with a 100 gr jacketed.

[JeffinNZ]

LARRY: Yes, distructive but this is pest destruction so.......

Here are some average sized hares. Some get much bigger. My Rem 700 .223 with suppressor. I dropped all 7 animals in one field without hardly moving.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v505/JeffinNZ/Shooting%20stuff/7Hares.jpg

[Lloyd Smale]

even 100 grain sierras do suprisingly well on ground hog sized game. the 85s will do fine but may be a bit destructive if you plan on eating them.

[Rex]

I would think the 85 grain bullet would work well. I use Hornady 87 grain bullets over IMR-4350 with great results, even on deer.
Rex

[StarMetal]

You mean you don't eat those things? No hare stew? Gosh! That's kind of a waste, that's good meat. Honestly when I had my 243 it just about vaporized most every small animal I shot with it. The only one that it didn't really blow into pieces was when I shot a coyote with a 100 grain Hornady roundnose. I do believe the 85 grains are going to be very devastating. Personally, I've never met a 243 rifle that wasn't fairly accurate.

[blackthorn]

Quote:--even 100 grain sierras do suprisingly well on ground hog sized game. the 85s will do fine but may be a bit destructive if you plan on eating them.

Shoot 'em in the head!!!

[spqrzilla]

I'd be surprised if those Gamekings expanded much on the hare. They are not intended as what we in the states call "varmint". However, I don't think you want them to expand if you intend to have anything left to eat.

[StarMetal]

I'd be surprised if those Gamekings expanded much on the hare. They are not intended as what we in the states call "varmint". However, I don't think you want them to expand if you intend to have anything left to eat.


It's not so much the expansion, it's the velocity that does a lot of damage also.

[spqrzilla]

Yeppers.

[bradh]

I shoot Wyoming pasture poodles with 6mm Rem using 80gr jacketed, they are much smaller
then your hares. I get two things when hit, chunks flying and a fine red mist. He'll have no
problems. I shoot 6mm Rem from a Ruger #1 with 26 inch barrel.

[jhalcott]

I use that Sierra 85 hpbt on deer and groundhogs with great results. It IS a GAME bullet, NOT a varmint bullet. Deer hit in the ribs would rarely go 4/5 steps before dropping. Ground hogs would show a good bit of internal damage. I used a 6mm Remington and shots could exceed 500 yards!

[Blammer]

those sierra 85gr HPBT will be the BOMB on hair's like that! I shot prarie dogs with that bullet, and IMR4350, very explosive! and VERY accurate in my rifle at least.

I'd load them up and go have some fun!

[Larry Gibson]

To quote Sierra;

85 gr Hollow Point Boat Tail

This is a Sierra thin-skinned bullet designed espeially for long rnage varmint shooting. The Unique Sierra shape provides deadly accuracy and the flattest trajectory. The thin skin assures total destruction on contact. It has been designed partidularly for the .243 Winchester, .244 Remington, 6mm Remington and other high velocity 6mm cartridges.

And thus I found it to be. It has been the bullet of choice for long range rock chucks in the .246W and 6mmR. It is indeed very destructive on contact.

Larry Gibson

[JeffinNZ]

Thanks guys.

STARMETAL: Oh, I eat hare meat. It's like venison as hares are a member of the deer genus and not rabbit. There is not much meat on the front end though. Rabbits and hares I field dress and cut them off at the rib cage and take the meat south of that.