I hunt with a .243 and want to sight my scope in with a 75 gr bullet at 150 yards and make the 75 gr bullet my standard round. However, I would like to go the field with 100 gr bullets in my pocket in case I see a larger animal like a hog or a very big deer. Will sighting my scope in with the 75 gr bullet make my gun inaccurate when shooting the 100 gr bullet?

Yes it will affect it. Just pick one grain and it will work for whatever you want.

Your rifle MIGHT put both bullets in the same group, but the odds are against it. The only way to know, is to try it and see what happens. I agree with the p[revious poster. Better to pick a bullet that is good for the largest game you might encounter and stick with it.

Yelp 85 grain TSX's all around!!!

Or 90 Grain Nosler Ballistic Tips! That is one good all-around hunting bullet for the .243.

Maybe for neck shots

jgiles, have you had problems with the 90 grain ballistic tips? I've shot several hogs with them, and have never had them not completely pass through. I have never shot a deer with them (yet), but can't imagine that if they will penetrate completely through a 150+ lb. hog, that they won't go through a deer like a hot knife through butter. I've even shot hogs in the shoulder with them and while they do blow up quite a bit of meat, pieces of them still come out the other side.

And in my defense, I did say FOR THE .243! Not my first choice of hunting caliber, but if it's all you've got to begin with-the Nosler BT should do the job if you place the bullet where it belongs. I'll bet a good shooter behind the gun, with the lowly .243 & BT bullets could kill any animal in North America. Shot placement is all important.

I'm kidding around with you.

I used Serria Gamekings which are very similar to the BT in 243. Since going to the TSX's I'm getting the same damage inside but with passtru... just something to think about

I've not had any experience with the Barnes products but I think I might have to try them.. It seems everyone loves the Barnes bullets... Must be something to that if all over the World Wide Web there is nothing but love for them.

I think they are over kill in anything over 25 cal... unless your over 3100 ft/s.

I think barnes and some of the other lead free bullets... have given a whole new level of use to the smaller hotter calibers. IMO

jgiles: I agree. The TSX seems to have turned the 243 into a fine deer rifle. And it has made the 270 and '06 into pretty good elk rifles. But I agree that they are expensive overkill in 270/280/308-type cartridges for deer.

My 243 loves the 95 gr nosler ballistic tip or the hornady 100 gr. they are on 1/4 inch off of each other. My experience is that the nosler tips leave an extremely large wound channel thru what ever you are shooting.

In all my experience with reloading,the one thing that affects point of impact on the target (not group size) is changing the type,brand or weight of bullet. Changing brass,primers or powder has little effect on point of impact compared to changing between different bullets.

Has anyone shot the 95 grain Federal Fusions. Bought a box of these and sighted them in. was amazed at the accuracy. Havent shot an animal with them yet though.

Ive dropped everything Ive shot with winchester supreme ballistic tips

i have, while they are accurate i found that when theyd hit bone theyd deflect, so i stopped using them and went back to remington corelokt 100 grain......

ANY bullet can and will deflect if it hits bone.

not every bullet WILL deflect when it hits bone, ive never had the remington corelokts deflect off a rib bone, yet the federals did everytime....

Are you aiming at the bones?

not on purpose no

Nosler ballistic tips are very thin skinned. They expand rapidly!. They are not designed for penetraton, they are designed for accuracy. They might be fine for deer at long ranges but up close, especially at super high speed, they are going to come apart, especially on a hog. If you like the polymer tipped bullets, if I were going after a pig, I'd use an accubond or inter-bond. Hogs are thick and solid.

Ballistic tip's, Sierra Varminter and Sierra Blitz bullets are suppose to be thin walled bullets. Years ago BT's got a bad rap for fragmenting and since then they have thickend the wall some and don't come apart like they use to. I've used all 3 on hogs DRT results. Bullet placement is the key if you're using the "varmint style bullets". I use the BT's in my 30-06 and 25-06. The Varminter bullets in the 6MM and the Blitz for the .22-250. I've used all but the .22-250 for deer so far. Not that I wouldn't be afraid to make my normal doe shots w/ it. I just prefer a larger caliber for deer/ hogs and exotics. Ya never know what might come out and I plan on never being under gunned.

I'd have to disagree on the statement that the BT's aren't designed for penetration. I've never recovered a bullet from any game I've killed w/ them. I feel they are made to expand a little quicker than a soft point and do a little more internal damage. IMO, they hold together better than one might think now days. The Silver Tips are another story and I'm not goin' to get into that right now.

I was referring specifically to Nosler Ballistic tips. Some Boatails will penetrate fine. Honestly, for game, up to mule deer size, Sierra Game kings are deadly! But I wasn't referring to ALL Boatails. I specifically meant "Nosler Ballistic Tip". The Silver tips you buy now arent nearly as good as what they made a long time ago. the alloy is different that makes the "silver tip". I hear they come apart badly. But, Boy they look beautiful laying next to a classic bolt action rifle. LOL

Only differance in Serria GameKings and Nosler BT's is the Nolser has a plastic tip. Both are thin jacketed bullets, both bullets walls will increase in thickness as you go up in calibers. Now both companies have thickend the walls, but it doesn't matter if you put it in a high velocity caliber, you need bonded or better. Look at the cross sectional of each... they are the same.

The serria game kings are probely the most accurate bullet made, but i have had two seperate with a 243, and seen one seperated on a 270.

I use to be able to buy PMC Serria Game kings for less then ten bucks a box a couple years ago, and my 243 has probely killed over 100 deer with them... So yes they work, but three faiures is enough for me. Technology changes and so does my bullet choices.

most of those kills are neck or head shots on MLD does, but some are shoulder/lung heart shots on bucks. Infact I have never had a Shoulder and or hear lung area passtru with my 243 until I switched to TSX's.

You take a Nolser BT and thicken the wall and bond it and you get the Accubond.... So no the BT are not designed to be penatrators they are designed for RAPID expansion.... Thus the ACCUBOND

Try shooting both rounds through the gun. Most likly your point of impact will change is all. the 100 gr bullets will probably strike a inch or two above the POA with a 75 gr zero. If this information is known then switch when needed.