243 AI fur friendly load?

[EastCOYotes]

I’ve got my 243 AI shooting 105’s at 3200 fps and it’s an awesome accurate load and worked great on a deer for me, it also lays a wallop on coyotes but hasn’t been fur friendly.

I’m wondering if it’s possible to retain immediate killing power but be more fur friendly with a lighter bullet?

Or, if I want to save pelts I may be better off using another gun like my .223 or 22-250

 

[Mr Tibbs]

EastCOYotes from what I’ve read the 243AI is a real speed Demon, may i recommend stepping down to a 80 GR JSP checking for fur friendliness, but keeping your velocity down around factory specs. Then if necessary going on down to a 75 gr. The 243 is a dual purpose round, that has serve both rolls very well since 1955.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

I would step down to the 223. Run some 60 or 65s that expand well and it'll be nicer to the pelts.

 

[stello1001]

I've never hunted for fur so I don't have experience here. But wouldn't a bonded bullet like those we use on deer work excellent here? A bonded bullet is supposed to stay together and not fragment so that's the logic behind my thinking.

 

[Sykes]

I shot a few coyotes last year with my 6mm creedmoor and the 88 gr berger varmints bullets with pretty good results. I did not skin them so I'm unsure of the exact damage but they didn't have giant holes and did not exit. All my notes are packed but I think they were running around 3250 fps. The 108 eld m did not tear them up much at all either.

 

[supercorndogs]

223 or 22-250 40-55g bullets. Or .17 or 20cal something.

 

[John_in_WYO]

Straight .243 Win/58 Hornady VMax/WLR/Win 760@ 3850 has worked great for me for years.
Pick your shot, rarely exits.
Should be easy to achieve in your AI.

 

[supercorndogs]

We always had trouble with 58 v max making huge entrance wounds.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

I’m a fan of 17hmr when saving fur.

 

[Liberator52]

I've had good luck so far with 75 bthp. Stay off his back and shoulder though.

 

[John_in_WYO]

We always had trouble with 58 v max making huge entrance wounds.

My experience has been different than that.

 

[Rancid Coolaid]

Straight .243 Win/58 Hornady VMax/WLR/Win 760@ 3850 has worked great for me for years.
Pick your shot, rarely exits.
Should be easy to achieve in your AI.

Exactly what I was going to say. I usually run my 243AI with 105 VLD or Amax for deer and hogs, and Superperformance factory 243Win with 58-gr Amax for the critters, haven't lost an animal yet, pelt stays in good shape. I've punched straight through a few yotes with the 105s, and they're dead, but they run 200 yards before they figure it out. With the 58s, very different experience.

And, on the plus side: now you have some fire-formed brass for the next time.

I am a huge fan of the 243AI, mine is an absolute laser.

 

[EastCOYotes]

Exactly what I was going to say. I usually run my 243AI with 105 VLD or Amax for deer and hogs, and Superperformance factory 243Win with 58-gr Amax for the critters, haven't lost an animal yet, pelt stays in good shape. I've punched straight through a few yotes with the 105s, and they're dead, but they run 200 yards before they figure it out. With the 58s, very different experience.

And, on the plus side: now you have some fire-formed brass for the next time.

I am a huge fan of the 243AI, mine is an absolute laser.

Have some good load data for the 58gr?

 

[RTH1800]

Load your bullets backward. They won’t expand.

 

[natdscott]

Load your bullets backward. They won’t expand.

True story..or at least not like they do point-first.

My little theory is that the extreme stability of a twist-stabilized mass-forward bullet doesn’t allow it to break up on impact, either. At impact, the massive change in overturning moment often causes a fast “point first” bullet to turn sideways and expose its flank, which in turn causes catastrophic failure of the jacket.

If it’s ass-end forward, that doesn’t happen because it is already IN its most stable condition.

They also hit like a ton of bricks.


None of this is saying you SHOULD do this, just that it’s been done.

 

[Rancid Coolaid]

Have some good load data for the 58gr?

For the 58s, I run factory 243Win.

 

[RTH1800]

They don’t open due to basically being a flat nosed FMJ. There is nothing to “open”

 

[natdscott]

They don’t open due to basically being a flat nosed FMJ. There is nothing to “open”

True, but they can indeed mash lead out the back (which is the front), split and rip open in the middle, etc.

 

[RTH1800]

I have not seen them do that but I dont push them hard so that could be a factor.

 

[natdscott]

I don’t really push hard, with the exception of one long range rifle, but I have taken some awfully short shots.

 

[krw]

I’ve killd a pile of coyotes with reg 55gr fmj out of 223, while feedn cows. Aint as tramatic but their dead just the same