H1000 in a .243 with 87gr Berger VLD's

[PowellSixO]

I've spent hours and hours working up a great load for my 7mm using H1000, with excellent results by the way. I've now started to focus my time on getting a load worked up for my Howa 1500 .243. With powder and supplies being limited at this time, I'm thinking of using what I've got since I have copious amounts of it. If I don't get acceptable results, I will obviously invest in more popular loading materials for my load. This is just out of pure curiousity, brought upon by being impatient and not wanting to wait to find more powder . Last night I sat down and worked up 5 loads each of the following 44grs, 44.5grs, 45grs, 45.5grs, 46grs, 46.5grs, and 47grs. All of these are seated .0075" off the lands, and are using WLRM primers. All rounds are using 87gr Berger VLD Hunting bullets. I have no idea how these are going to shoot, and don't know what my max load is going to be. This experiment could flop for all I know, we shall see. From the research I have done, a lot of guys don't get pressure signs using H1000 even with a compressed loads, and they are typically shooting 95gr+ bullets. Taking careful notice while loading all of these rounds, I found that even with my 47gr loads, none of the loads were compressed. So I imagine that I should be ok all the way up to 47gr, but that's the reason for starting low and working my way up. Another thing that I learned from reading was that most guys that are using H1000 with the .243, are shooting 95gr or greater bullets. Now for my question. Has anyone experimented with H1000 in a .243 using lighter than 95 gr bullets? If you have, what were your findings? I will be sure to share my experience tomorrow with these loads that I have worked up. I'm going to the range tonight to see. gun)
Thanks

Edit: Any predictions?

 

[g0rd0]

IMO you are just blowing powder into the wind. H1000 will work in there but, it is really for big case capacity magnums. You would be better off with H335, 380 or 414. Imr 3031, 4064, or 4320.

 

[farout]

Hodgdon website list these .243 loads with H1000. They lightest bullet though is 95gn.

95 GR. NOS PART
H1000 .243" 2.650" 45.0 2946 44,900 CUP 48.0C 3077 50,000 CUP
100 GR. SPR BTSP
H1000 .243" 2.650" 44.0 2876 45,700 CUP 47.0C 3000 49,800 CUP
105 GR. HDY A-MAX
H1000 .243" 2.760" 43.0 2798 45,400 CUP 46.0C 2930 50,200 CUP
107 GR. SIE BTHP
H1000 .243" 2.850" 43.0 2787 44,700 CUP 46.0C 2918 50,100 CUP

Glad I looked this up! The H1000 and 105 A-MAX looks interesting to me. May try that one someday.

 

[7MAGNUM]

You are by no means wasting powder! In fact 47 grains of H1000 and 87 grain berger shoots amazing in my factory 243 and my new custom will get H1000 under a 105 Berger I Realy like H1000 in the 243 great velocity amazing acuracy and some reaserch is showing that the lower pressure may also help the 243 barrel life a little H1000 is starting to become my go to powder

 

[farout]

Oh, one other thing...

My current .243 load is max load of RL22 with a Fed210M primer in Winchester brass all behind a 105 A-MAX. I am very happy with this load.

Issue is during work-up, I tried WLRM primers behind the max load of RL22 and had pressure signs. I had to back down to a standard primer.

Pressure signs were shiny brass heads with extractor ring marks.

 

[PowellSixO]

You are by no means wasting powder! In fact 47 grains of H1000 and 87 grain berger shoots amazing in my factory 243 and my new custom will get H1000 under a 105 Berger I Realy like H1000 in the 243 great velocity amazing acuracy and some reaserch is showing that the lower pressure may also help the 243 barrel life a little H1000 is starting to become my go to powder

Thanks for the info. What kind of velocities were you getting with 47grs of H1000 behind that 87 gr Berger? Also what primer were you using? I forgot to mention what you said about barrel life too. From some of the research I've done, a lot of people said that the H1000 would extend the barrel life, which would be a nice bonus if this combo works. I really wanted to spit 95 gr Bergers out of this rifle, but it has a 1:10 twist barrel. When I'm through with this barrel I plan on having a nice custom barrel installed with a 1:9 so I can spit some bigger pills out there. I absolutely love the .243 as a caliber. From deer all the way down to prarie dogs, it's my go to gun. For shots longer than 500 yards on deer, and game any bigger than a deer I use my 7mm.

Oh, one other thing...

My current .243 load is max load of RL22 with a Fed210M primer in Winchester brass all behind a 105 A-MAX. I am very happy with this load.

Issue is during work-up, I tried WLRM primers behind the max load of RL22 and had pressure signs. I had to back down to a standard primer.

Pressure signs were shiny brass heads with extractor ring marks.

Thanks for that. I think you will probably be right about the primer. I loaded some 22-250 rounds for a friend and he forgot to bring his WLR primers, so I used my WLRM's. I had pressure signs before I even got close to the max suggested load. Once he brought the right primers, we were good to go all the way up to the max suggested load (Info from Load Data, using Varget powder) and then some.


Thanks for the info so far guys, keep it coming.

 

[Skidro]

I use 47.0 Grains H1000 - 105 Bergers- Lapula Brass - CCI 250 Primers

2975 FPS - 22 Inch Brux 7.5 Twist

 

[Wachsmann]

A much as I hate to ask because its about H1000 has any one tried retumbo in the 243. I was thinking about that with mag primers with a 90 grain accubond or a 95grn bergers. Any thought on this?

 

[farout]

I don't use Retumbo in my .243 but I do use it in my 25-06 with great results. It is the best powder I have ever tried in my 25-06. I do not use mag primers with it though.

I don't think H1000 and Retumbo are limited to big magnums. I believe they are actually made to function well in any overbore type cartridge. The .243 and 25-06 are considered overbore. Seems heavy for caliber bullets are prefered when using them in any cartridge. For example I use 110 Accubonds in my 25-06 with Retumbo.

That's why I got interested in this thread. I may try H1000 and Retumbo sometime this winter in my .243 also. Seems like a good idea.

There are Retumbo loads for the .243 on Hodgdon website also. Just for heavier bullets though.

 

[Wachsmann]

I've seen those on there web site. If my wife's rifle had a tighter twist barrel then I wouldn't think twice about it and get some of the heavy 107grns bullets but I think it only has like a 1/10 twist. Along time ago I seen where I think it may have been the best of the west crew working on a kids gun that was a 700REM bull barrel 26 inch gun that had the tighter twist and they were using retumbo and some heavy bergers I think. Not 100% sure but I think it may had been John Burns. I thought they were using retumbo powder in the rifle. Reason for wanting to use retumbo is I could have all my guns shooting retumbo and just buy in bulk but I have to get through the rest of my powder first.

 

[PowellSixO]

Well guys, last night was interesting to say the least. The rifle range was absolutely packed. There was only one bench left open, and there were no target stands left at 100 yards. So I ran a few targets out to the 200 yard line and began to shoot my groups of 5, working up to find my max load. After I shot every bullet I never found my max load, even at 47 grs with a WLRM primer. To my surprise, this load (47 gr H1000, Winchester Brass, WLRM Primer, and 87 gr Berger VLD .0075" off the lands) shot far better than the others. Unfortunately everyone else at the range thought my targets were there for everyone to plink at. So I didn't take pictures of any of those groups while working up. They were just too hard to determine what was mine and what wasn't. I did however keep one target, and my best group, to myself (Shown below). I know it's not a great group at 200 yards, but I was not prepared like I should have been. The sand bags offered at the range were all taken and I didn't have my own with me. So this group was just off a bench with a 13.5-23" bipod (My coyote hunting bipod). Another thing that was difficult to over come, was trying to be steady while 2 guys are beside you burning through 223 rounds (AR's) like they grow on trees. Another mistake I made was not bringing my chronograph. So all in all it was not the most productive night, but at least I have a decent starting point. I'm going to load several more rounds at 47grs with different seating depths (according to bergers recomendations) to see if I can squeeze some more out of it. I will also get some velocities the next time I go out.

 

[7MAGNUM]

47 grains of H1000 and the 87 grain Berger with CCI LR gives me a Average 5 shot group of 3196 FPS on the magnetospeed.
I'm Very happy with this it is a factory Remington 700 CDL it will produce .4s-.5s at the 100 yard line all day if I do my part. I seat to magazine length most bergers like to stuffed in.
I also tried Retumbo and it did do very well in the 243 however a couple others not so much so I went back to H1000 to keep things simple.
I also have a custom 243 with a 1:8 28" Brux that H1000 will push a 105 berger out of at 3150 with amazing accuracy.
I will say this with 47.5 grains and LRM primmer is started to show some pressure sighns I went back to standard LR sighns went away and in further testing it did not increase velocity enough with LRM to even speak of and accuracy suffred slightly now this was just my experience.
it looks to me that your group could be tighten quiet easly play with seating depth for we all know bergers are very sensitive to it but looks like your on a good track
I love the 243 and H1000 and it sure puts the deer and antelope down with that little Berger in my neck of the woods
gun)

 

[PowellSixO]

Yeah, that group could have been tightened up a lot (It measured 2.25" at 200 which is just over moa). Most of that was me . It's amazingly difficult to not flinch when it sounds like a war is going on just beside you gun)LOL. I'll take my shooting bags out next time, and do a better job of trying to get a good group at 100. That should help a lot. I agree that I do need to play with seating depths too. Luckly with my magazine, I have plenty of room to jam these bergers if I need to. One thing I noticed is that the rifle recoil is different with H1000 compared to the factory loads I have been shooting. It's hard to describe, but it feels more like a push rather than a kick. The recoil is a lot more predictable. I can stay on target after each shot which I really like. I noticed the same thing with my 7mm. We shot a bunch of factory ammo in my dads 30-06's and they all kick like a mule. 30 shots out of those 30-06's and my shoulder was sore. I can shoot my 7mm all day without fear of the recoil. Once I get a custom barrel on it and a brake, it's going to be absolutely wonderful to shoot.

 

[7MAGNUM]

I will agree with you on the recoil the lower pressure powder seems to give more of a roll opposed to a snap IMO make it makes it more comfortable to shoot
Better Velocity great accuracy better barrel life what's not to like!
Now if I could find couple 8lbs jugs I would be happy happy happy!
I'm not knocking the ol faithfull 4350 4064 Varget there proven just feel H1000 had some strong benefits to it in more than the big boomers