how heavy of bullet for .243

[Strokerace_dave]

I am thinking about getting a Remington Hvy barreled 243, the rate of twist id 1 in 9 1/8, will I be able to stabilize the hornady a-max 107 gr, or the heavier matchkings? Also what is the recomended rate of twist for the berger 95 grain VLD and the 105 VLD?

I am wanting to use this rifle for long range varminting and deer hunting, with the right bullet combo I should be able to carry enough velocity and ft/lbs for deer out past 800yrds shouldn't I?

 

[Kevin Thomas]

Hi Dave,
The Sierra 107s are recommended with a minimum of a 1x8" twist, and I'd suspect that the Hornady's are going to be about the same for their 107 A-max. In the Berger line, you could go to the 90 gr Match BT, and probably the 95 Match VLD without having problems. The 105 BT would certainly be worth a try, but it'll be close to the line, and dependant on the actual twist of your barrel. Unfortunately, the 105 VLD is going to require a bit more spin to stay on course; we recommend a 1x8 for this one.

Hope that clears things up a bit,
Kevin Thomas
Berger Bullets

 

[RT2506]

I have killed deer out between 300 and 400 yards with the 243 with 100 gr bullets but it told me that I needed more gun to go out much farther. To reliably cleanly take deer size game much beyond 300 yards you really need a bit more rifle than the 243 in my finding. Bullets heaver than 100 grs do need a faster twist than what you are getting.

 

[BryanLitz]

As a general rule of thumb, you should have at least 1000 foot-pounds of kinetic energy to kill deer sized game.

Even with the heaviest bullets you can stabilize from the 1:9 1/8" twist at the highest velocities the .243 can achieve, you probably won't carry 1000 foot-pounds of kinetic energy much past 500 yards.
Of course Varmint shooting is different. No energy requirement there so you could stretch it much farther, but probably not a practical 800 yard deer rifle.

-Bryan

 

[Kevin Thomas]

Dave,
Bryan and I are in complete agreement here. The .243 was developed as a combo cartridge for both varminting and deer-sized game. But it isn't up to the task of deer at the ranges you're asking about here; stick the the varmint application for this combo at those distances, and keep the ranges at least half that for deer.

Kevin Thomas
Berger Bullets

 

[Strokerace_dave]

Thanks, guys for the info. I had just hoped to be able to find a bullet combo that has a high enough bc to carry itself out quit a ways. My real long ranged combo is my 300 WSM.

Kevin how well would my 300WSM do with your guys 185gr VLD? I was thinking of making a switch over to Berger bullets. I have been shooting the Sierra matchkings and getting wonderful results, but they have quite a heavy jacket. I am hoping to try out the VLD, I believe the 185 gr VLD is the heaviest I can go in my gun, I have the reight twist but my chamber is real tight, I don't think it would benifit me to shoot the 210's set real deep into my cases. What is your thoughts.

Dave

 

[Kevin Thomas]

Dave,
What a coincidence! I've recently switched to Berger for all my shooting too! That 300 is a MUCH better option for this type of hunting.

Actually, the Sierra MatchKings utilize a fairly thin jacket, substantially thinner than their hunting line (GameKings, Pro-Hunters). They don't recommend them for hunting apps because they're not designed with terminal performance in mind. In general, they behave much like FMJs and do not behave like hunting bullets should. Ask them, they'll tell you the same thing, and steer you towards the other lines I mentioned.

Berger, on the other hand, has put some serious effort into ensuring the sort of terminal performance that you're looking for. You didn't specifically mention the twist in your 300, but even the 210 only needs a 1x11" for stability. Im assuming that you meant that the gun has a short throat, as opposed to a tight chamber? Different issues entirely, but yes, your thoughts make perfect sense. A longer bullet seated into a short throat will necessarily intrude into the powder chamber, effectively reducing the capacity of the cartridge. As a general rule, I don't like having a bullet's BT and bearing surface too far into the combustion chamber. Sometimes unavoidable, but much like Barack Obama in the White House, nothing good can come of it. Give the 185 a go, and I'll bet you'll find it to be an excellent performer for you.

Hope this helps,

Kevin Thomas
Berger Bullets

 

[Strokerace_dave]

Thanks Kevin for the reply, my 300 has a twist of 1:10, so the 185's should be fine then. Can you tell me of some of the ballistics I should get out of it? With the high BC it should carry itself pretty well in long distances shouldn't it?

 

[Kevin Thomas]

It definitely will. What kind of velocity will you be running with these? We show a BC of .556 for the 185s, if you can run a computer program for the exteriors on these. If not, just let me know what you MV is and we can give you some ideas from there.

Kevin Thomas
Berger Bullets

 

[Strokerace_dave]

Kevin I will probably be running just guessing about 2800 Ft/sec, probably a little more hopefully. I do have a ballistics calculator in my computer which gives me a ballpark of an idea, for my dialiing elevations. But any help you can give me will help.

Thanks,
Dave