.243 powder and bullet choices

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35Wailin

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I picked up a savage axis last week for a very good price. Now I need to be schooled in the art of loading for .243 Win. I'm not asking for pet loads, but looking for what powders seems to work best and what primer/brass/powder/ bullet combinations give the best results in your rifles. I'll research my own powder charges using the information I can gather from you regarding the recommended components against what I can source locally.

I plan to be using it for coyote control, so using light to medium weight bullets, but I may end up taking it for deer someday, so the 100gr loads would be useful as well.
 
Up to 85 grains.....W760, IMR 4320, IMR 4064, AA2700, H414, Hard to beat the 70 grain Ballistic Tip.

Heavier pills....any of the 4350's or 4831's. Reloder 22, IMR 4451, I like the 95 or 100 Partitions for deer, but 90 Scirocco II's are also great.

Dave.
 
Thanks, eagleye. Just the kind of information I was looking for. Just didn't want to waste time and money on load development with sub-optimum components. I seem to have a good selection of IMR powders locally for some reason, the others are difficult to find. I only have one reloading shop nearby.

The ballistic tip, that's Nosler?

I should be able to find those, he usually has Nosler, Hornady and Speer in stock. Probably order in other brands, but I may have to wait a few weeks or even months for stock to come in.
 
35Wailin said:
On a related note, the savage has an advertised twist of 9.25". How heavy can I go in bullet weight and still stabilize properly?
Click to expand...

That twist will likely stabilize a 105 grain Flat Based bullet, but probably not any of the 105-107 grain VLDs. It does not hurt to try a few though.
I have been surprised on occasion.

Regards, Dave.
 
I have had good success with varget and H414 for light to medium weight bullets in my axis. I couldn't get my axis to stabilize the heavier bullets and my groups opened up with 95 gr bullets (v-max's if i remember correctly, but could be wrong). I was using 4831 and a couple of others while trying to develop those loads. Give em a try though, they may work out for you.
 
The OP asked quite a few questions, so just a few more suggestions.
On brass, if you have to buy a box or two of shells to get some brass, I would highly recommend the Hornady ammunition, because I'm quite sure they use Norma makes their brass and it is, for all practical purposes about as good as it comes.
For years, Winchester was the go to brass, then they came out with some junk that would stretch the primer pockets on the first firing of normal load, so most of us are leery of it yet.
Same with Federal, for a great long time it was among the best, then come the bad era. I think it may be OK again, but I am waiting for other people to give reports.
You will never need more than a standard large rifle primer and as far as I'm concerned, just get any brand you see. I know, people will contend this, but I am giving my opinion.
I haven't had a Savage Axis in 243, but I have done considerable reloading experimenting with a Savage Axis in 7mm-08, which is very similar. I found it to be quite a tight chamber, so I full length resized every case every time. I suspect the 243 chamber will also be pretty close fitting, so you will gain absolutely nothing by attempting to neck size only.
The 7-08 Savage was also shorter than most to the lands. I was working with a Tikka 7-08 at the same time and a bullet seating that was tight to the lands in the Tikka had to be seated as much as .040" deeper before that same bullet would chamber in the Savage. So completely ignore figures on cartridge over all length given in your loading manual and just seat the bullets so the bolt will close easily on them.
I also found the Savage Axis to be very, accurate and consistent with any bullet I used that was under 100 grains. The 100 grainers made just a little larger groups, but certainly excellent hunting accuracy.
Have fun.
Bruce
 
4064 was my go to powder for a long time until I started loading with Varget - now I don't look for much else.

I don't load anything lighter than 80 grain bullets nor heavier than 90 grain and in that very narrow range Varget addresses all my needs.
 
Varget here for the 55-80gr pills, H4831 for 85-100gr. Not top velocity with these powders but excellent accuracy.
 
What everybody has said above has worked for me.
I mostly use 760 up to 80 gr bullets and the 4350's on up.
I have one 243 that does not like IMR 4350 at all but loves H4350 Can't figure that out at all.
My old 670 Winchester digests 85 HPBT Sierras and IMR4350 only.
I have a new Winchester Coyote and so far it likes everything that I have sent down the bbl.
The Ruger American Compact took some time to find out what it likes and I am still working on that one.
I would try some factory loads first to see how they work and then look at bullet choices.
I have also found that some loads do not require full powder charges for accuracy and a 100fps in the real world cannot be detected by a coyote or white tail.
The 243 is a fun cartridge to play with I have not been without one since the early 70's.

David
 
I use Varget with the Nosler 70grainerz that shoot pretty good. They are 50/50 on coyotes though, thats if your trying to save the fur.

Here the Nosler page
http ://www.nosler.com/nosler-load-data/243-winchester/

Next year Im moving up to the Sierra 95gr TMK's though
 
I have been loading varget with 70gr nosler ballistic tips and that seems to be deadly accurate. I have shot a few deer with 100gr Sierra Game Kings and IMR 4831, IMR 4064 works like a dream with the 100 gr gamekings just a little less velocity that the 4831. I had a tough time finding a good load for my 243 with 100gr bullets. The guys at sierra pointed me on the 4064 route and said to try the load listed in their book, tried it and bang on - great groups.
 
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