BEST POWDER FOR 243 WIN and 105 VLD

I'm still playing with the RL26 and Berger 105 in my 243 and have got decent results but nothing dialed in.

Before the RL26 I had a load that shot lights out with the 105 and RL25. Velocity wasn't great about 2830 out of a 22" tube but accuracy was better than what I have so far gotten from RL26.
 
I'm still playing with the RL26 and Berger 105 in my 243 and have got decent results but nothing dialed in.

Before the RL26 I had a load that shot lights out with the 105 and RL25. Velocity wasn't great about 2830 out of a 22" tube but accuracy was better than what I have so far gotten from RL26.
I've got one more session with RE26 and !05VLD. I'm at 45.0 grain and .003 depth for little over 3/8". Hope next go around is the same. Really trying hard to be consistent in everything. Load development and shooting routine.
 
I too have a Brux 8 twist barrel. But mine is the 6x47Lapua which is very close ballistic-ally to both the 243 and the 6 Creedmore. My rifle L-O-V-E-S H4350 Extreme with either the 105 AMAX or 108 ELD. I have heard Hornady is not going to continue production of the 105s, which I think are the better hunting bullet of the two. The 108s are giving me a slightly better performance, which I'm glad since 105s are hard to come by. The powder is now out there so you should be able to find it. Another plus for H4350 is the small amount you need to push those bullets to 3000. Anywhere from 2900 to 3000 is what you are looking for. Wherever in that range you find the best accuracy at distance is where to stop. A few FPS slower than 3000 won't make any difference you can't compensate for. One more point, it is temperature sensitive!
 
Have you considered HV100?? It shoots light out with my 243 Tikka T3 with a 22" barrel. I'm remembering off the top of my head, so I want to say it was around 44.0gr with the 95 gr Ballistic Tip, 100 gr Partition, & 100 gr Hornady Interlock. All were over 3100 fps with the 95 gr BT around 3150 fps. I found this load so quickly and it shot so well that I never tried anything else in this rifle. It flipped a pronghorn I shot a few years back and has been fantastic on Texas whitetails
 
RL-25 is better than you'd expect.

I agree I was getting quarter inch groups with it out of a rifle I didn't think was capable of that. I'm seeing much better velocity with 26 but not the precision.

Not to side track the thread but how do you think RL25 would work with lighter bullets, specifically the 87 grain v-max or berger vld? Or any other powder with the lighter bullets for that matter?
 
I agree I was getting quarter inch groups with it out of a rifle I didn't think was capable of that. I'm seeing much better velocity with 26 but not the precision.

Not to side track the thread but how do you think RL25 would work with lighter bullets, specifically the 87 grain v-max or berger vld? Or any other powder with the lighter bullets for that matter?
I've only used it on the heavies but I was wondering the same thing.
 
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I agree I was getting quarter inch groups with it out of a rifle I didn't think was capable of that. I'm seeing much better velocity with 26 but not the precision.

Not to side track the thread but how do you think RL25 would work with lighter bullets, specifically the 87 grain v-max or berger vld? Or any other powder with the lighter bullets for that matter?

I think you would be better off with H4350, Superformance or even 7828ssc.
 
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I think you would be better off with H4350, Superformance or even 7828ssc.

For the lighter bullets or any weight for this cartridge?

Right now I'm playing with RL16 with the 87's but just began so no velocity or accuracy data but from the looks of my ladder it should work well.

I was just thinking that 26 is on the slow side for relative burn rate and the 16 is on the faster side for this cartridge. 26 is giving awesome velocity in everything I tried it in with heavier for caliber bullets so I wonder how it would work or a slightly faster burn powder would work with the mid weight bullets.
 
For the lighter bullets or any weight for this cartridge?

Right now I'm playing with RL16 with the 87's but just began so no velocity or accuracy data but from the looks of my ladder it should work well.

I was just thinking that 26 is on the slow side for relative burn rate and the 16 is on the faster side for this cartridge. 26 is giving awesome velocity in everything I tried it in with heavier for caliber bullets so I wonder how it would work or a slightly faster burn powder would work with the mid weight bullets.
For the lighter bullets but if you already have rl26, no harm in trying it. I don't think you will be able to fit enough in the case though with an 87gr bullet.
 
I have a factory Rem 1-10 twist 24 inch, pushes 100 gr Sierra gameking at 3220 with RL 16 and cci 250. H4350 right there too and surprised RL26 was the slowest. Have not tried the vlds in the 10 twist. Not sure how they will stabilize ?
 
I have a factory Rem 1-10 twist 24 inch, pushes 100 gr Sierra gameking at 3220 with RL 16 and cci 250. H4350 right there too and surprised RL26 was the slowest. Have not tried the vlds in the 10 twist. Not sure how they will stabilize ?
That is interesting, I may have to try RL16 with the 105s. I'm currently using H1000 and getting 3037avg-ish fps from a 26" barrel.
 
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