243 Ballistics Chart: 12 Factory Loads, 100 to 500 Yards
243 ballistics chart figures for 12 factory loads put a 100 gr soft point 45.4 inches low at 500 yards on a 200-yard zero.
Originally published: October 25, 2026
A .243 Winchester ballistics chart shows how far each factory load falls below your line of sight, how much energy it carries and how far the wind pushes it, and this 243 ballistics chart does that for 12 loads from Federal, Hornady and Remington, built on each maker’s own published numbers. On a 200-yard zero, Federal’s 100 gr Power-Shok lands 45.4 inches low at 500 and Hornady’s 90 gr ELD-X lands 36.6 inches low. Unload the rifle before you touch the scope, and check your state’s caliber and bullet rules before opening day, because they vary.
The .243 lives in a lot of deer camps because it shoots flat and kicks lightly, and one cartridge covers everything from 58-grain varmint bullets to 100-grain deer bullets. That spread is what the chart is about: light bullets start faster and fall less early, sleeker bullets hold their speed and energy longer, and two loads of the same weight can land 10 inches apart at distance. The right load is the one whose drop you have checked on paper from your own rifle, at the distance you will shoot.
.243 Ballistics at a Glance
- Flattest load: Hornady 58 gr V-MAX, 29.6 inches low at 500 yards on a 200-yard zero.
- Flattest 90 gr or heavier: Hornady 90 gr ELD-X, 36.6 inches low at 500 with 855 ft-lb left.
- Same weight, different path: three 80 gr loads land 34.2 to 44.8 inches low at 500.
- 100 gr twins: Federal Power-Shok and Remington Core-Lokt both list 2,960 fps and drop within 0.1 inch of each other.
- Wind: a 10 mph crosswind moves these loads 20.2 to 34.2 inches at 500 yards.
The 243 Ballistics Chart on a 200-Yard Zero
| Load (maker, item), muzzle velocity, G1 BC | 100 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 58 gr V-MAX Superformance (8343) | ||||||
| 3,925 fps, BC .250 | +0.7 | −4.4 | −13.8 | −29.6 | ||
| Federal 80 gr Power-Shok soft point (243AS) | ||||||
| 3,330 fps, BC .365 | +1.1 | −5.6 | −16.6 | −34.2 | ||
| Remington 80 gr High Performance Rifle pointed soft point (R27800) | ||||||
| 3,350 fps, BC .255 | +1.3 | −6.4 | −19.7 | −42.6 | ||
| Hornady 80 gr CX Outfitter (804574) | ||||||
| 3,200 fps, BC .273 | +1.4 | −7.0 | −21.1 | −44.8 | ||
| Hornady 90 gr ELD-X Precision Hunter (80462) | ||||||
| 3,150 fps, BC .409 | +1.3 | −6.1 | −18.0 | −36.6 | ||
| Remington 90 gr Premier Swift Scirocco Bonded (R29320) | ||||||
| 3,120 fps, BC .390 | +1.4 | −6.3 | −18.7 | −38.4 | ||
| Hornady 95 gr SST Superformance (80463) | ||||||
| 3,185 fps, BC .355 | +1.3 | −6.3 | −18.6 | −38.3 | ||
| Remington 95 gr Core-Lokt Tipped (R29015) | ||||||
| 3,140 fps, BC .355 | +1.4 | −6.4 | −19.2 | −39.5 | ||
| Federal 95 gr Fusion soft point (F243FS1) | ||||||
| 2,980 fps, BC .376 | +1.6 | −7.2 | −21.2 | −43.2 | ||
| Federal 100 gr Power-Shok soft point (243B) | ||||||
| 2,960 fps, BC .355 | +1.6 | −7.5 | −22.1 | −45.4 | ||
| Remington 100 gr Core-Lokt pointed soft point (R27802) | ||||||
| 2,960 fps, BC .356 | +1.6 | −7.5 | −22.1 | −45.3 | ||
| Hornady 100 gr InterLock BTSP American Whitetail (8047) | ||||||
| 2,960 fps, BC .405 | +1.6 | −7.1 | −20.9 | −42.5 |
The maker’s own published trajectory for each item, read October 18, 2026: 200-yard zero, scope 1.5 inches over the bore, maker’s test barrel. Plus is above your line of sight, minus is below it.
Look at the 80-grain rows. Federal’s Power-Shok lists a G1 ballistic coefficient of .365, Remington’s pointed soft point lists .255, and Hornady’s CX lists .273, and that number is most of the reason the same weight lands anywhere from 34.2 to 44.8 inches low at 500. Ballistic coefficient is how well a bullet slips through air, and higher holds speed better.
Federal and Remington list the same 2,960 fps and nearly the same coefficient for their 100-grain loads, so those two match to a tenth of an inch. Hornady’s 100 gr InterLock leaves at the same 2,960 fps but lists .405, and it finishes 42.5 inches low at 500 instead of 45.4. Same speed, sleeker bullet, about 3 inches less to hold over.
How Much Does a .243 Drop at 300 Yards?
It depends on the zero. On the 200-yard zero above, Federal’s and Remington’s 100 gr soft points are 7.5 inches low at 300 and the 90 gr ELD-X is 6.1 inches low. Plenty of hunters zero at 100 yards instead (our guide to sighting in a rifle scope calls it the easy default), and that same 100 gr bullet then lands 12.5 inches low at 300. Same bullet, same rifle, five more inches of holdover. Here is the 243 ballistics chart on a 100-yard zero, the zero our .308 ballistics chart uses, so you can compare cartridges row for row.
| Load | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 58 gr V-MAX | −1.4 | −6.7 | −16.8 | −33.6 |
| Federal 80 gr Power-Shok | −2.3 | −9.0 | −21.2 | −40.1 |
| Remington 80 gr PSP | −2.5 | −10.3 | −25.1 | −49.3 |
| Hornady 80 gr CX | −2.8 | −11.3 | −27.1 | −52.5 |
| Hornady 90 gr ELD-X | −2.6 | −10.1 | −23.4 | −43.6 |
| Remington 90 gr Scirocco | −2.7 | −10.5 | −24.4 | −45.6 |
| Hornady 95 gr SST | −2.6 | −10.3 | −24.1 | −45.3 |
| Remington 95 gr Core-Lokt Tipped | −2.8 | −10.7 | −24.9 | −46.9 |
| Federal 95 gr Fusion | −3.2 | −12.0 | −27.7 | −51.8 |
| Federal 100 gr Power-Shok | −3.3 | −12.5 | −28.9 | −54.2 |
| Remington 100 gr Core-Lokt | −3.3 | −12.5 | −28.8 | −54.1 |
| Hornady 100 gr InterLock | −3.2 | −12.0 | −27.4 | −50.9 |
Worked out with our ballistic calculator from each maker’s muzzle velocity and G1 coefficient: 100-yard zero, 1.5-inch sight height, standard sea-level air (59°F, 29.92 inHg). Where Federal and Remington publish a 100-yard zero (to 300 yards), ours lands within 0.1 inch of theirs.
These come from our free ballistic calculator. Type in your own chronograph number and scope height, and it builds this row for YOUR rifle instead of the maker’s test barrel.
Velocity and Energy, 200 to 500 Yards
Speed flattens the path, but energy is what deer hunters ask about next.
| Load, muzzle fps and ft-lb | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 58 gr V-MAX | ||||||
| 3,925 fps, 1,984 ft-lb | 3,052 / 1,200 | 2,676 / 922 | 2,330 / 699 | 2,010 / 520 | ||
| Federal 80 gr Power-Shok | ||||||
| 3,330 fps, 1,970 ft-lb | 2,790 / 1,382 | 2,543 / 1,148 | 2,309 / 947 | 2,088 / 774 | ||
| Remington 80 gr PSP | ||||||
| 3,350 fps, 1,993 ft-lb | 2,593 / 1,194 | 2,258 / 906 | 1,949 / 675 | 1,669 / 495 | ||
| Hornady 80 gr CX | ||||||
| 3,200 fps, 1,819 ft-lb | 2,513 / 1,121 | 2,206 / 864 | 1,921 / 656 | 1,661 / 490 | ||
| Hornady 90 gr ELD-X | ||||||
| 3,150 fps, 1,983 ft-lb | 2,685 / 1,440 | 2,469 / 1,219 | 2,264 / 1,024 | 2,069 / 855 | ||
| Remington 90 gr Scirocco | ||||||
| 3,120 fps, 1,945 ft-lb | 2,635 / 1,388 | 2,411 / 1,162 | 2,199 / 966 | 1,997 / 797 | ||
| Hornady 95 gr SST | ||||||
| 3,185 fps, 2,140 ft-lb | 2,649 / 1,480 | 2,404 / 1,219 | 2,172 / 995 | 1,953 / 804 | ||
| Remington 95 gr Core-Lokt Tipped | ||||||
| 3,140 fps, 2,080 ft-lb | 2,608 / 1,434 | 2,364 / 1,179 | 2,134 / 960 | 1,916 / 774 | ||
| Federal 95 gr Fusion | ||||||
| 2,980 fps, 1,873 ft-lb | 2,493 / 1,311 | 2,268 / 1,085 | 2,056 / 891 | 1,854 / 725 | ||
| Federal 100 gr Power-Shok | ||||||
| 2,960 fps, 1,945 ft-lb | 2,448 / 1,331 | 2,213 / 1,087 | 1,991 / 880 | 1,783 / 706 | ||
| Remington 100 gr Core-Lokt | ||||||
| 2,960 fps, 1,945 ft-lb | 2,449 / 1,332 | 2,215 / 1,089 | 1,994 / 883 | 1,786 / 708 | ||
| Hornady 100 gr InterLock | ||||||
| 2,960 fps, 1,945 ft-lb | 2,509 / 1,398 | 2,300 / 1,175 | 2,101 / 980 | 1,912 / 812 |
Each cell reads velocity in feet per second, then energy in foot-pounds, exactly as the maker prints them, read October 18, 2026.
Notice how the fastest starter fades. The 58 gr V-MAX leaves at 3,925 fps (the fastest box here by a wide margin), yet it carries 520 ft-lb at 500 yards, while the 90 gr ELD-X starts 775 fps slower and still has 855 ft-lb at 500. How much energy a deer needs is for your state’s rules and your judgment, and our ballistics methodology explains why we print numbers and leave that verdict to you.
What a 10 mph Crosswind Does
Drop you can dial. Wind you have to read.
| Load | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 58 gr V-MAX | 3.7 | 8.9 | 16.8 | 28.1 |
| Federal 80 gr Power-Shok | 3.0 | 7.1 | 13.1 | 21.5 |
| Remington 80 gr PSP | 4.4 | 10.6 | 20.3 | 34.2 |
| Hornady 80 gr CX | 4.4 | 10.4 | 19.8 | 33.3 |
| Hornady 90 gr ELD-X | 2.9 | 6.7 | 12.4 | 20.2 |
| Remington 90 gr Scirocco | 3.1 | 7.2 | 13.3 | 21.8 |
| Hornady 95 gr SST | 3.3 | 7.7 | 14.5 | 23.8 |
| Remington 95 gr Core-Lokt Tipped | 3.4 | 7.9 | 14.7 | 24.3 |
| Federal 95 gr Fusion | 3.4 | 8.0 | 14.8 | 24.4 |
| Federal 100 gr Power-Shok | 3.6 | 8.6 | 16.1 | 26.5 |
| Remington 100 gr Core-Lokt | 3.6 | 8.6 | 16.0 | 26.4 |
| Hornady 100 gr InterLock | 3.2 | 7.4 | 13.7 | 22.5 |
Our calculator’s figures from each maker’s velocity and coefficient, so all 12 loads sit on one footing (Hornady prints no wind figures). Where Federal and Remington print their own 10 mph drift, ours runs 0.4 to 0.8 inch more at 500 yards.
The sleek 90 gr bullets move about 20 to 22 inches at 500, and Remington’s 80 gr soft point and Hornady’s 80 gr CX move about 33 to 34. Remember, these are full-value numbers; a quartering wind pushes less, and a gust you did not see pushes more.
Which .243 Bullet Weight Is for Deer?
The makers draw the line in their own labels. Federal sells its 80 gr Power-Shok and Remington sells its 80 gr pointed soft point under “Big Game,” while Hornady puts its 58 gr V-MAX in the Superformance Varmint line. Craig Boddington, writing for the Boone and Crockett Club, calls the .243 “fully adequate for any North American deer, especially within 250 yards.” My own take is simple: for deer I point customers at 90 grains and up, and I save the 58s for coyotes and groundhogs. The two loads carrying the most energy at 400 yards in this chart are Hornady’s 90 and 95 gr bullets, which is the reason.
If you are still choosing a box rather than reading one, Popular Ammo’s guide to .243 bullet weights for deer and varmints walks through the shelf by job. And if you hunt where lead is restricted, Hornady describes its 80 gr CX as a copper-alloy bullet and calls the load “California compatible.”
Zero, Sight Height and Your Rifle
Every table here assumes a scope 1.5 inches over the bore, and your rifle may sit higher. Does it matter? Less than you would think. Our scope ring height calculator shows the math (a taller scope changes nothing at the zero itself). Run the 100 gr Power-Shok on a 200-yard zero with a 2-inch sight height instead of 1.5, and the 500-yard figure moves from 45.9 to 45.2 inches in our calculator. Under an inch.
How These Numbers Were Checked
Every velocity, coefficient and trajectory comes from the maker’s product page, read October 18, 2026, item number in each row. Where we computed a drop the maker also prints, ours landed within 0.6 inch at 500 yards (within 0.8 inch on wind), the same method behind our 6.5 Creedmoor ballistics chart.
Winchester’s .243 product pages, including the 95 gr Deer Season XP, say “There is no ballistics data available at this time,” and its 55 gr Ballistic Silvertip page no longer opens, so Winchester has no row and the lightest row is a 58, not a 55. Federal’s 90 gr ELD-X page marks it discontinued, so Hornady’s 90 gr ELD-X stands in.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a .243 drop at 500 yards?
On a 200-yard zero, from 29.6 inches for the 58 gr V-MAX to 45.4 inches for the 100 gr Power-Shok, by the makers’ own tables. On a 100-yard zero the same two loads land 33.6 and 54.2 inches low.
Is a .243 a 30 caliber?
No. The .243 fires a bullet .243 inch across, roughly a quarter inch, which is why it is grouped with the 6mm cartridges. Boddington’s Boone and Crockett review notes Winchester made it in 1955 by necking down the .308 Winchester case, so it is built on the .308 case with a smaller bullet.
Is an 80 grain .243 good for deer?
Federal and Remington both sell their 80 gr soft points as big-game loads. They vary a lot downrange, though: at 500 yards Remington’s carries 495 ft-lb and Federal’s 774, against 797 to 855 for the 90 gr bullets. I would take a 90 or 95 grain box to the deer stand and keep the 80s for closer shots.
What is the best zero for a .243 deer rifle?
A 200-yard zero suits most .243 deer loads. Every load in the first table sits 0.7 to 1.6 inches high at 100 yards and 4.4 to 7.5 inches low at 300, which keeps the holdover small out to normal deer ranges.
Does barrel length change these numbers?
Yes. The makers test in their own barrels (Hornady lists 24 inches), and a shorter barrel usually gives less velocity and more drop. None of these makers publishes a per-inch correction for these loads, so chronograph your own rifle and run that velocity through the ballistic calculator.
So pick your box, find its row, then shoot it at 300 yards on paper and tape the real number to your stock. The chart gets you in the neighborhood, but the rifle in your hands gets the final word, and it does not care what the box says.
Sources: Federal product pages for 243B, 243AS, F243FS1, P243ELDX1; Remington product pages for 27800, 29320, 29015, 27802; Hornady product pages for 8343, 804574, 80462, 80463, 8047; Winchester, X243DS; Boone and Crockett Club, “243 Winchester”.
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