Best 243 Ammo for Deer Hunting This Rifle Season

The 243 Winchester is one of my favorite deer hunting cartridges for new and recoil-sensitive hunters, but it can perform poorly when we don’t use the best 243 ammo for deer hunting.

That’s why I rounded up a few of my favorite 243 rounds to take to the woods this deer season.

As you continue reading, you’ll learn which ammo is right for you based on performance, price, and availability. Alright, enough chit chat, let’s get to it.

Black Hills Gold 85 Grain TSX – Best 243 Ammo for Deer Overall

Specs

• Bullet Weight: 85 grains

• Case: Brass

• Muzzle Velocity: 3,100 fps

• Muzzle Energy: 1,813 ft-lbs

Pros and Cons

Why I Chose It

Black Hills Ammunition is known for incredible consistency, accuracy, penetration, and flat trajectories because they use high-quality components to craft excellent hunting ammunition.

I love 85-grain Barnes TSX bullets because they deliver incredible penetration and reliable, predictable expansion, ensuring an ethical kill even when your shot is a little off. You shouldn’t have to worry about your bullet missing the mark because the TSX is also very accurate and has a sleek bullet profile to aid in a flat trajectory. TSX bullets are monolithic copper, which means you can hunt in areas that restrict lead projectiles.

Speaking of the high-quality bullets, this ammo has about as flat a trajectory as you can expect from a 243 Win bullet, which also aids in consistency and accuracy. For detailed velocity, energy, and drop data across popular 243 loads, check out our comprehensive 243 Winchester ballistics page.

Black Hills Gold is expensive, so be prepared to slim your wallet a bit when you purchase it. Another downside is that it’s not quite as abundant as ammo from companies like Federal, Hornady, Remington, and Winchester. Even so, it’s produced in sufficient quantities to keep hunters satisfied.

Even with its couple of downsides, Black Hills Gold 85 grain TSX is the best 243 ammo for deer hunting. It’s accurate, consistent, and has excellent terminal ballistics and a flat trajectory.

Fiocchi 95 Grain SST – Best 243 Ammo for Deer at 300 Yards

Specs

• Bullet Weight: 95 grains

• Case: Brass

• Muzzle Velocity: 2,950 fps

• Muzzle Energy: 1,835 ft-lbs

Pros and Cons

Why I Chose It

Fiocchi 95 grain SST deer hunting ammo is a great option when you need to max out your 243’s effective range. It’s flat shooting, accurate, and consistent. The Super Shock Tip (SST) bullet creates devastating wound channels because the polymer tip helps it expand on impact. The secant ogive, boattail profile makes it more efficient with less drag and greater stability, ensuring it is as accurate as possible. The cannellure and Interlock Ring help keep the core and jacket together, ensuring maximum weight retention for better penetration.

Fiocchi continues to gain popularity in the U.S. market due to their reasonable pricing and high-quality ammo. We know we aren’t wasting our money on crappy ammo when we purchase Fiocchi.

These rounds are flat shooting and accurate, making them effective for longer shots of ~300 yards. It’s important to bear in mind that the 243 Win maxes out shortly after 300 yards for deer hunting. It doesn’t maintain enough energy for an ethical kill farther out than that.

The only downside to these rounds is that they’ll kick a little more (than lighter projectiles) because they are loaded with heavier bullets and a higher muzzle velocity. But the 243 isn’t known for heavy recoil, so it will still be very manageable.

Check out Fiocchi 95 grain SST deer hunting rounds if you need to take longer shots on deer during this season.

Winchester Copper Impact 85 Grain Copper Extreme Point – Best Option for Close Shots

Specs

• Bullet Weight: 85 grain

• Case: Brass

• Muzzle Velocity: 3,260 fps

• Muzzle Energy: 2,005 ft-lbs

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Source: https://freedombunker.com/2025/12/12/best-243-ammo-for-deer/