.243 load help
- Thread starter Terrytf
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Try IMR 4007 or H4350. I like Remington 9.5 primers, I may burn .5 grain more powder but the velocities seem more consistent. You may have to compromise between getting close to the lands and having enough seating depth to be secure with the lighter bullets.
Smokintoes
New Member
I used to have a custom built 243 on a M700 with a 22" 1:9.5 twist. It dearly loved Speer 105 grain bullets with H414 seated .010" off the lands. I don't remember the exact charge, but it was easy to develop. It was potent medicine for those small SoCal deer.
Rflshootr
Well-Known Member
Although I have never used any of the lead free bullets, I do have two 243's that I shoot the Sierra 85 bthp out of. I go to the other end of the powder spectrum. My suggestion would be to try IMR 3031 powder. In the shorter barrels, it produces more velocity with that weight bullet then all of the slower powders with maybe the exception of IMR4831. Also, accuracy has been outstanding in my rifles. You also use less of the faster powder which equates to more rounds per pound.
There ain't nothing in "North Western Nevada" other than a few opal mines!
Did you ever recover a 105 from a deer? My only 243 game kills were antelope and always under 300 yards and my Nosler 100 gr BT's In front of Rel-22 or Rel 19 were always clean pass throughs maybe the size of a quarter hole on the exit side.
Smokintoes
New Member
I recovered 1 bullet from 12 kills on the smaller deer found in southern California and it was shot just inside the left shoulder from the front at about 200 yards. The bullet ended up under the skin of the right hip. It retained 99.8 grains of weight. All others went completely through the animals. I did shoot 2 antelope with it in Nebraska at ranges from 250 to about 300 yds without recovering a bullet.
buggerhunter
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thanks for the info . I'm going to rethink this hole thing .my .270 is dead on at 200 y and groups great with in a dime with lead free and the .223 is the same . I bought the .243 to fill a gap thought the savage .243 would do . but it will not do for lead free shooting . I now have a big decision to make redo the .243 or just do a 7mm . I'm leaning to do a 7 with a huskema or g7 don't know yet .
buggerhunter
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hey old mate i am talking from australia ok? i have killed a truck load of animals with the 243.Now is there a projectile lead free that comes in at around 80grns?If so please try them.Have you fre floated the barrel?bedded the action?Please send me your phone no.I will call you and try to help.The 243 is a fine cartridge do not abandon it .Regards Jeff
I had trouble getting one of my 243s with the same twist to shoot better than an inch. Then I started using Vhit N560. I worked up to a load of:
45.5 gr N560
95gr nosler BT
CCI br primer
Seated .003 to .005 out of lands.
Shoots .25 moa all day long!!
Hope this helps...
45.5 gr N560
95gr nosler BT
CCI br primer
Seated .003 to .005 out of lands.
Shoots .25 moa all day long!!
Hope this helps...
it will shoot .25 and better but not with lead free . the heaver the bullet the better it is well up to 95gr is what I have tried . I just got some 80g hornedy lead free going to try some of them . from all the reading I have done the savage is very picky on what it shoots . just have to figure out what one will work in this one . I will not give up on the 243 for ever just looking at a 7mm and I know it will be up and around 5k and then I will have to work up a load for it .
Smokintoes
New Member
If you're still interested in 6mm, you might want to try rebarreling to 6mm Remington, I did one in 26" a couple of years ago and it's become my favorite antelope gun.
Shootin4fun
Well-Known Member
Terry- I have been working on the same and have developed a formula that seems to shoot very accurately in my Browning Xbolt. (22" barrel)
First, despite having a bullet depth measurement tool, I used the Barnes suggested OAL of 2.675". In any event, Barnes says to seat bullets at least .010 off of the lands, which is much more than people do for most other bullets, so I just went with their suggested length. On forums, users agree to seat them deeper than other bullets.
Next I started with a "mid" load of Varget; 37.0 gr. I read on some blogs that you need to drive these Barnes bullets hard, and .010+ from lands, so I skipped the lighter 36.0 gr charge of Varget which is phenomenally accurate with the Sierra 86gr HPBT (.25 MOA groups!). I have gotten a good feel for what different charges of Varget do. ~40 fps / grn difference.
After mixed results with the 37.0gr loads (some good 3 shot clusters but fliers .8" - 1" away), I bought another box of Barnes. Tried 20 @ 37 and 20 @ 38.0 gr (MAX LOAD). Ran tests yesterday, all 5 shot groups @ 100 yards.
Good news! All 38.0gr loads under 1" greatest dimention, .2 other axis.
Best group of the day: 3 rounds 1 sligtly enlarged hole, 1 round .2" above, 1 round .2 above that (my bad?). So a .6" x .1" group.
Velocities are also very consistent with Varget. 85gr TSX 38.0 Varget clocked out at 3130fps, 37.0 gr yeilds 3050. Many duplicate speeds were measured.
I am going hunting in the Condor Zone, and am glad that the highest powered charge is also the most accurate. I am told by a local guide there that the Barnes 85gr TSX WILL take down a wild pig. He said it WILL go through both shoulders (bones) and open up nicely but you should try to hit bones!
This load/gun is so much fun! Almost no kick, and commonly shoots 1", 3 shot groups at 300 yards (85gr Sierra Gameking HPBT 36.0 gr Varget). Now I will test the max Barnes loads at that distance. Other shooters at the range were yahooing at a 1 shot bullseye on a 1" target at 335 yrds up a at the top of a hill.
(also honed in on a good Barnes 130gr TSX in 270Win.)
Hope this helps.
Good luck and have fun!
First, despite having a bullet depth measurement tool, I used the Barnes suggested OAL of 2.675". In any event, Barnes says to seat bullets at least .010 off of the lands, which is much more than people do for most other bullets, so I just went with their suggested length. On forums, users agree to seat them deeper than other bullets.
Next I started with a "mid" load of Varget; 37.0 gr. I read on some blogs that you need to drive these Barnes bullets hard, and .010+ from lands, so I skipped the lighter 36.0 gr charge of Varget which is phenomenally accurate with the Sierra 86gr HPBT (.25 MOA groups!). I have gotten a good feel for what different charges of Varget do. ~40 fps / grn difference.
After mixed results with the 37.0gr loads (some good 3 shot clusters but fliers .8" - 1" away), I bought another box of Barnes. Tried 20 @ 37 and 20 @ 38.0 gr (MAX LOAD). Ran tests yesterday, all 5 shot groups @ 100 yards.
Good news! All 38.0gr loads under 1" greatest dimention, .2 other axis.
Best group of the day: 3 rounds 1 sligtly enlarged hole, 1 round .2" above, 1 round .2 above that (my bad?). So a .6" x .1" group.
Velocities are also very consistent with Varget. 85gr TSX 38.0 Varget clocked out at 3130fps, 37.0 gr yeilds 3050. Many duplicate speeds were measured.
I am going hunting in the Condor Zone, and am glad that the highest powered charge is also the most accurate. I am told by a local guide there that the Barnes 85gr TSX WILL take down a wild pig. He said it WILL go through both shoulders (bones) and open up nicely but you should try to hit bones!
This load/gun is so much fun! Almost no kick, and commonly shoots 1", 3 shot groups at 300 yards (85gr Sierra Gameking HPBT 36.0 gr Varget). Now I will test the max Barnes loads at that distance. Other shooters at the range were yahooing at a 1 shot bullseye on a 1" target at 335 yrds up a at the top of a hill.
(also honed in on a good Barnes 130gr TSX in 270Win.)
Hope this helps.
Good luck and have fun!
Shootin4fun
Well-Known Member
Now I'm wondering if I should even bother working up an accurate load for the Nosler 90 gr Etips I bought. 
