.243 win load

[82bluestang]

I have a ruger m77 in .243 win and it has a 1:9 twist. I'm loading 95 grain smks .020 off the lands and getting just over a half inch 3 shot group every time. I'm using IMR 4350. Wondering if trying to get it tighter with a factory rifle would be a waste. Any other load info would be great. I also have 95 grain berger vlds and 87 grain hornady varmint.
Any help would be great thanks
Matt

 

[sox35]

My son shoots a Weatherby Vanguard youth .243 win. 1-10 22" barrel. We ran a ladder with 95g VLD and IMR4350 from 37.5-41g. It performed great in the 38-39.5g range with 38g shooting the best at .5-.75". It is on the slow side (2650 fps) but for a 12 year old it is enjoyable to shoot and more than does the job on whitetails.

 

[Dano1]

I have a ruger m77 in .243 win and it has a 1:9 twist. I'm loading 95 grain smks .020 off the lands and getting just over a half inch 3 shot group every time. I'm using IMR 4350. Wondering if trying to get it tighter with a factory rifle would be a waste. Any other load info would be great. I also have 95 grain berger vlds and 87 grain hornady varmint.
Any help would be great thanks
Matt

I have that same rifle if it's the Walnut stocked Ruger with a 22" blued Barrel , (but mine is rechambered to a .243 AI and accurized). That grouping is very good for a factory rifle and you's be hard pressed to find any thing better. I shoot 100g Sierra Game Kings out of mine at 3200 FPS using H414. Mine starts stringing up after 3 shots due to heat, It's very predictable.

Mine serves as a Kids hunting rifle and will do as shots are limited to about 100-200yds.

All of those bullets are great for accuracy, but expecting more accuracy is pointless.

Dan

 

[Brush4646]

I have a ruger m77 in .243 win and it has a 1:9 twist. I'm loading 95 grain smks .020 off the lands and getting just over a half inch 3 shot group every time. I'm using IMR 4350. Wondering if trying to get it tighter with a factory rifle would be a waste. Any other load info would be great. I also have 95 grain berger vlds and 87 grain hornady varmint.
Any help would be great thanks
Matt

Go for it. Thats the fun of owning a rifle, the never ending quest for the zero group.
Brush

 

[Etienne de Waal]

Matt,
I shoot a very old Musgrave 243 with a 24 inch barrel. I haven't shot it much past 200m, but at 100m a three shot group will clover leaf and at 200m all three shots will be within a 1 inch by 1 inch block. I use Somchem S365, which is similar to IMR 4350, and seat my bullets roughly the equivalent of 0.1 inches off the lands (this may well be different for your rifle). I hunt with the 105gr AMAX, 100gr Gamekings and 95gr Nosler Partitions and normally look 2600fps in the 105s and 2800 - 2900fps in the other two bullets. Try changing your primers, as I found that just changing from the normal Federal primers to the Federal Match 210 primers made a big difference in accuracy. Another trick an old hand showed me is consistent (and deeper) flash hole uniforming - that also helped grouping a lot!
Hope this helps! Good luck!
Etienne

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I have a ruger m77 in .243 win and it has a 1:9 twist. I'm loading 95 grain smks .020 off the lands and getting just over a half inch 3 shot group every time. I'm using IMR 4350. Wondering if trying to get it tighter with a factory rifle would be a waste. Any other load info would be great. I also have 95 grain berger vlds and 87 grain hornady varmint.
Any help would be great thanks
Matt

It depends on whether you like the load or not. I've run into a few good loads that for some reason I couldn't shine to and moved on. Sometimes the rifle and I don't agree for off-hand shots, sometimes the bullet is marginal for the application, sometimes the speed is off for what I want, sometimes the accuracy is iffy at one temp. extreme or the other. If it fits every paremeter you need it to fit and you've vetted it in hot and cold weather, I see no reason not to load a couple of hundred rounds and let her buck.

 

[ShootnMathews]

I have a Marlin X7 243 with a buckmasters 6-18 on it. Shooting Win brass, federal match primer, 35 grains of Varget, set .01 off lands, Nosler 95 grn BT. Shoots touching holes at 100 and shoots 2-1/2" at 500 yards. I think with a windless day it will do better at 500. Vertical deviation was only an inch. Bullets in a 2-1/2" line from wind variation.

 

[82bluestang]

My wife's gun is a marlin xs7 in .243. She loves it because it is short and light. It's a good carry rifle for her. I have been trying to get the hornady 87gr Bthp to work with about 1.75" groups. I will try what you said and see what happens.
Thanks Matt

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

My wife's gun is a marlin xs7 in .243. She loves it because it is short and light. It's a good carry rifle for her. I have been trying to get the hornady 87gr Bthp to work with about 1.75" groups. I will try what you said and see what happens.
Thanks Matt

sometimes the marlins act flighty when all they really want is a free floated barrel. The stock on them is pretty flexible when it's warm out and likes to slap the barrel so get it away and the accuracy gets better.

 

[ShootnMathews]

Glad to help. I did free float the barrel like the one guy said. That helped a lot. I only paid $319 for it brand new, mounted the scope and floated the barrel and its an absolute nail driver.

 

[Wlhofer]

Shooting a sako 243 using 70 gr sierra leads h414 46 gr .4 group 3355 f/s

 

[markblaine]

Hello Etienne
following the posts re the 243 saga
i have a old Musgrave 234 24 " barrel ,i am really battling with the grouping
have loaded various loads currently loading sierra gameking boat tails 85 GR
39,5 gr S 365 measured 68 mm COL
Still issues with grouping at 100 m terrible
any suggestions
markblaine

 

[jrock]

I have that same rifle if it's the Walnut stocked Ruger with a 22" blued Barrel , (but mine is rechambered to a .243 AI and accurized). That grouping is very good for a factory rifle and you's be hard pressed to find any thing better. I shoot 100g Sierra Game Kings out of mine at 3200 FPS using H414. Mine starts stringing up after 3 shots due to heat, It's very predictable.

Mine serves as a Kids hunting rifle and will do as shots are limited to about 100-200yds.

All of those bullets are great for accuracy, but expecting more accuracy is pointless.

Dan

I tend to agree here. All factory rifles I've used I'm lucky to get 1/2" groups @ 100 yards consistently. In my .243, I have achieved this with Hornady 100 gr interlock spbt and the 95 Berger vlds. VLDS shoot a bit better. I use 4350 as well. If you like to tinker, go for more but don't expect groups to shrink down to 1/4".

 

[Rupe]

Might try bedding the stock. That may help to shrink your groups. imho gun)

Rupe