.243 100gn interlock

[sns2]

Originally Posted by brewster29

There’s a really great line in the movie Jaws:
“you’re going to need a bigger boat “

I have shot a lot of bull elk with cartridges from 6 mm to 45-70, and guided friends and family members to a lot more - about 60 kills. I always take time to see how bullets performed while field dressing animals. In my opinion you are asking for failure trying to use a cup and core bullet in a small diameter on a large heavily muscled animal like a bull elk, especially at longer ranges. It only takes a bit of cross wind or a bit of shake to move your bullet into the shoulder and not the lungs. Under ideal conditions a 243 will kill elk, but we usually don’t have those in the field. Excitement, haste, wind, brush, animal movement all increase the odds of loss. I might get some flak, but in my humble opinion even a 6.5 cm is marginal for longer shots on elk in field conditions.

First, you are right about getting flak, but let’s face it, you would get flak here for calling the Pope a Catholic. What you say is a really well thought out answer from my experience also. It’s great when things work great, but when they don’t…

[Homesteader]

Most all hunting bullets will perform just fine given the right cartridge. I’ve loaded a whack of 180g interlocks in 30-06’s…………..that’s right a whack and they kill big critters dead! Some ballistic tips are much stronger then others, eg .284”120g.

I’ve mostly switched to TTSX’s, but they aren’t the end all be all.

Let’s remember this thread started looking for input, not that he was professing how incredible a 243 100g conventional bullet is. Lots of good comments in here. It’s good to have a back up cartridge load these days if possible.

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck

That's the same reason I won't use Nosler Ballistic Tips on anything but coyote Dean. Had one splash on a white tails shoulder. It did anchor it, broke but didn't penetrate shoulder, and second shot made jelly out of the heart and lungs, but never again.

That was with a 7mm08 140 gr BT at 90 or so yards, maybe 12 years ago?

The Ballistics tips in 7mm were designed for silhouette shooting back in the day. After many complaints Nosler finally improved the jackets but the damage had already been done

[FishOutOfWater]

A coworker dropped a cow moose with a 100gr Interloc .243 at 150 yards... Well, 8 or 9 steps then it flopped...

YMMV

[Ackleyman]

Originally Posted by 3blade

The point is 150 gr ttsx at 3000 fps was just enough to get the job done. That is a hell of a lot more penetration and energy transfer than any 243.

Some time ago I read an article on elk rifles by a Colorado outfitter (who’s name I cannot remember). They had an “any legal rifle” policy, but after losing a lot of bulls, switched to a minimum 270 win, no exceptions. In his words “that solved the vast majority of leakers”

I have a lot of love for the 243, but it does not belong on an elk hunt.

Agree 100%. A Bull Elk is a massive animal . Lots of better choices then a .243
Wouldn't even consider it for elk.

[brewster29]

Originally Posted by FishOutOfWater

A coworker dropped a cow moose with a 100gr Interloc .243 at 150 yards... Well, 8 or 9 steps then it flopped...

YMMV

Moose aren’t diehards like elk. They often seem to stand around for half a minute and then tip over. An elk would cover 400 yards in that time…

[obsessed1]

If the 243 was my only option id use it...have had great success with it in the past ( wife shot a BIG cow elk at 250yds and it oly went a couple yards) but we tend to favour the partition....my sone is using the 100gr interlock and killed his deer with it last year ( 25yd shot) and the bullet performed flawlessly on that mule deer.. i have no doubt it would work on bull elk but myself id limit my shot distance to under 250 yds as well as stay behind the shoulder for certain. Generally for elk bigger is better but under the right conditions the 243 should work just fine. My preference on elk is big hole , complete pass throughs.....the 243 wont do either of those reliably imo. But i do have first hand experience with the 243 killing elk...
As for the interlock i like the bullet and never hesitate to use it on game in all the calibers i shoot. I have always had good performance. And it is my second choice for a lead core bullet in the old 243.

[kingrat]

Originally Posted by brewster29

Moose aren’t diehards like elk. They often seem to stand around for half a minute and then tip over. An elk would cover 400 yards in that time…

X2 not even close to the same. Moose are big babies and will stand there until they die or lay down typically. I believe elk are the toughest animals we have in canada the bears included.