.243 Load / Bullet suggestions

[longbomb]

i just looked in my notes and when i had my .243 which was a savage my best results where with 33.5 grains varget,95 grain vld,winchester brass.fed 210 primers and coal 2.800".it would shoot clover leafs at 100 yards.I shot an antelope at 300 yards last year with that load worked well.hope this helps

 

[MARK25-06]

my savages all shoot the same. 90gr. nosler b-tip 36.6 varget, 95gr. smk 44.2 h-4831, 87gr. v-max 46.7gr. h-4831, 65gr. v-max 40.7gr varget 22" barrel 1 in 9.25 twist. never could get the 105 a-max to work. just changed the barrel to a mcgowen 1 in 8, 26" . it shoots anything i try under .500" love it. best 270.00 ever spent. MARK25-06

 

[BlackSS]

Well, that's not what I wanted to hear Mark.
But it does seem that 105 gr might be pushing it for this fairly slow twist.

Maybe I'll try some 95 gr VLD. I have some RE 19 that my WSM didn't seem to like, maybe I'll see how the 243 likes it before buying more powder. Seems like there is no real go to powder for this cartridge, lots of opinions, which hopefully means they all shoot fairly well.

Are full length sizing dies of much use for this round? Going to order my dies and brass and get started but I'd prefer to only buy what I need.

 

[liltank]

Well, that's not what I wanted to hear Mark.
But it does seem that 105 gr might be pushing it for this fairly slow twist.

Maybe I'll try some 95 gr VLD. I have some RE 19 that my WSM didn't seem to like, maybe I'll see how the 243 likes it before buying more powder. Seems like there is no real go to powder for this cartridge, lots of opinions, which hopefully means they all shoot fairly well.

Are full length sizing dies of much use for this round? Going to order my dies and brass and get started but I'd prefer to only buy what I need.

Get the Redding with body die, Neck die, and bullet seater. You will eventually have to size the body of the casing.

Tank

 

[BlackSS]

Kind of what I figured.
After looking at the price of Lapua brass I will probably buy Federal, it gets good reviews and is a lot cheaper.

I think I want to stay at 95 gr or less for 1 in 9.25 twist, Berger recomends a 1 in 8 for their 105, and from the reading I've been doing I've seen other reports of problems stabilizing a 105 + in this relatively slow twist.

Something that I hadn't considered was the Swift Scirocco 90 gr Spitzer BT.
Never used Swift bullets, anyone care to comment on them?

Swift at MidwayUSA

 

[budlight]

I shoot allot of rounds so from midway I bought 500 100 gr. ppbt's and 750 box of 75 & 87gr varminters & TNT's I use Win 243 nickel plated brass I've only been using the RCBS neck sizing die because the nickel and my hot but not case harming rounds don't seem to move the case taper.

Reloader 19 is a good choice for 90 and heavier bullets

Powder Burn Rates

 

[BlackSS]

Thanks budlight.
Any thoughts on the swift bullets?

 

[budlight]

If you are asking if a $50 dollar per 100 bullets is better than $25 cent bullet. Does the little deer say **** that hurts worse. I also have a 9.25 twist and it shoots these 100 grains fine. I use 100's for antelope and smaller pigs.

The only time I buy premium bullets are for dangerous game. My .458 win mag has got some big stuff with me and on lone.


My buddy like these 85 grain speers. Good BC


also.Speer Bullets 243 Caliber and 6mm (243 Diameter) 85 Grain Spitzer Boat Tail Box of 100 - MidwayUSA



Hornady InterLock Bullets 243 Caliber and 6mm (243 Diameter) 100 Grain Boat Tail Spire Point Box of 100 - MidwayUSA

 

[angus-5024]

I havent shot any sirrocco II's in .243, but the are really a top notch bullet in .30 cal.

 

[41mag]

I have loaded for several .243's ove the years. Most were of the 1-10 twist.

This said the same powder that has worked time and time again for velocity and accuracy has been H-4350. I have loaded mostly with 90-100gr bullets, and it just works. I mostly use Winchester cases, and have never had much of an issue with them as long as I kept the loads sane. Start pushing them and you will get thick necks and other case issue, but within standard loads they are about as good as any.

Mostly as of late I have been shooting the cheaper Remington CL's, Hornady SPBT's and the older Nosler Solid Base which I have a decent rat hole of. THe latest rifle I have been working with is a Sako Forrester, and it has shown remarkable accuracy with the Noslers. My friend who also shoots one of these is working with the Hornady's. For now my load is using the newer Hodgdon Hybrid 100V, and velocity and accuracy have been outstanding. I cannot however say that it will be any better than the H-4350 loads I used in the past as I haven't had the chance to work up with it just yet.

For primers, the hottest you need will be a Winchester LR, and I have found as others that the CCI-BR2 is a good one as well. Not that others won't do good, just these have done better overall than the others.

Good luck and hope you find your magic load.

 

[BlackSS]

Thanks for all the input everyone.

I decided on Federal Brass, Berger 95 gr VLD, and will start with RL 19 since I have some on hand.
I will see how this goes, rifle will be topped with a 4.5-14 x 50 Conquest.

My main concern is how the little VLD's will perform on the hogs, they are pretty tough little critters, I hope the VLD's will penetrate. I'll only shoot a small pig with this rifle though, just the eaters.

 

[backwoods83]

winchester brass is perfectly fine, yes lapua is better for 3 times the cost and no it doesnt last 3 times as long. If your looking for a good bonded hunting bullet the 90 grain scirocco II has the highest bc and is awesome but they are 48-52 cents a piece, if you use them they do best .035" off the lands starting with about 44.5 gr imr 4350 and working up. you will probably start to see signs of pressure around 46.5-7 depending on your rifle and the amount of neck tension, polish the inside of the case necks. i think you will be happy with that. The biggest bullet that is going to group good from that twist is a 100 gr hrny sp, the vlds need to run slower and twist faster.

 

[budlight]

Bright sunny day here so I went out to test some rounds on our private 200 - 300 - 400 12 inch swinging gongs. I was doing some new powders so i was pressure testing.


I used RP nickel brass CCI 200 primers

100 gr spbt .006 off the lands 41.4 gr of H-4350 I should have taken a picture of the primer for you, but no pressure signs and just round after round into each of the distances.

Because I have a 26 inch bull barrel I wanted to see how a slow powder might work.

105 gr. spbt .009 off the lands 47.6 gr. of IMR 7828 sc again no pressure signs and just a nice shooting round.

Now I need the chrono out with me and I will also try some R-22

 

[BlackSS]

backwoods, you think the 95 gr vld's need a faster twist? 95 gr is not a very heavy bullet. I will give them a try anyway, just wondering if you have experience with them.