A question was asked about 55 gr bullets in the .243. My go-to coyote load is based on 58 gr Hornady V-MAX bullets and H414 powder. They leave the muzzle at about 3850 fps. They shoot flat and terminal performance is what you'd want - complete disintegration in the body and no exit. The only downside to this load is that H414 is not as temperature-stable as H4350. Shooting in conditions ranging from +15C to -30C, I've noticed point of impact changing a bit. Not a big enough amount to worry about all the time, but enough to be worth the effort to check for.
Finding this load, and a 100gr Partition & IMR 4831 load suitable for antelope and deer, I've again found happiness in the versatility of a .243. For a loong time, my Ruger 77 was left in the locker, passed over for not being "enough" for deer and "too much" for coyotes. Only reason I don't use it more is that I have other favorite rifles to use as well.
My next step might be to check out 6mm TSX bullets. That might make the .243 a real solid performer on 'lopes and deer (I really like making a hole on each side of those critters).
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