243 Winchester load developement

I just got 2 243's from the gf for Christmas so im in the same boat. a few loads I made were noslers 70gr spritzer purple tips and 95gr SST's with varget, 4895 and 4064 ill let you know how they go, should be out tomorrow hopefully. also gonna be shooting factory federal 80 and 100gr SP's
 
Longshot338 said:
Hello all,

I will be purchasing a coyote rifle soon; an old Rem700 with a wood stock and sporter barrel.

Thr rifle comes with dies, brass, and bullets.

I want to find out what powder/bullet combination this rifle likes without shooting a ton of test loads and burning the barrel out.

I will be using bullets in the 60gr range. +/- 10grains I suspect.

The powders I have to try are:

Win748
H BL-C(2)
H-Varget
H4895
H-Benchmark
H322
IMR8208XBR
IMR4350
Vihtavuori N-140

Which of these powders should I try in the 243 Winchester? Are there any that stand out as great? Are there any not worth my time and money trying?

Is there any other powder that performs well enough in the 243 that I should consider buying a pound just to try? I am not aversed to doing so, how do you think I ended up with all these different types in the first place ;).

What bullets should I try? I am usin the rifle mainly for coyote hunting and practice. The 243 isn't an ideal round for high-volume target practice due to the barrel life. However, this particular rifle shoots VERY well, and I want to use it to deelope my precision shooting skills (or lack thereof at this point).

Thanks,
Alec
Click to expand...

That should be a good rifle. They had a reputation for being quite well bedded right out of the box and if so, one thing for best accuracy was to load them up full tilt, at least as heavy as the max shown in modern loading books.
Probably most of your powders will be pretty good, but I prefer H414, with 70-75 grain bullets, for best velocity and accuracy.
Bruce
 
My go to loads for my 243's are;
Sierra 85gr HPBT and 44gr IMR4350
Speer 75gr HP and 44gr 760
Velocity is below what is it could be but accuracy is great in both Winchesters and the best I have seen yet in my BLR.
Have yet tohave a groudhog run away when hit anywhere. Still waiting for that first coyote. Did connect with a fox years ago with an 85gr Sierra when he was trying to run away from me and there was not much left keeping him from being two pieces.

David
 
Last year i worked up loads for a buddy with 55gr bullets and 4895 in his 243. They chronoed from 3685fps to 3725, have some to try myself this spring. My favorite deer load in 243 is 46 grs of H4831under a 100gr Hornady bullet, accurate and i haven't run it over the chrono.
 
dead meat said:
Last year i worked up loads for a buddy with 55gr bullets and 4895 in his 243. They chronoed from 3685fps to 3725, have some to try myself this spring. My favorite deer load in 243 is 46 grs of H4831under a 100gr Hornady bullet, accurate and i haven't run it over the chrono.
Click to expand...

When I had a Ruger 77 in 243, My favourite load with 100 grain bullets, usually Sierra, was 47 grains of either H4831 or 47 grains of Norma 205.
The Oelher called it 3079 with the H4831 and 3094 with the Norma 205.
Bruce
 
You can't go wrong with IMR4350 and bullets like the Sierra GK in 85 gr or Hornady 87 grain. I have an 89 wood/blued 700 .243 and it is accurate as hell - if you settle on an all purpose bullet in this weight then the IMR4350 you have, with the bullet loaded to the lands should get you there with minimal experimentation. I would start at 42 gr and work up in .5 gr increments to what 257 Roberts is using - then hone in on the sweet spot after shooting 5 shot groups (i.e. 25 rounds). Mine can shoot a gnat's wing at 200 yds if I don't have morning coffee.
 
I used Varget and 80 grain Noslers in my wife's .243. But was amazed to find pressure signs on the brass with anything above 38grains of Varget. Hodgdon lists 38gr as Max load but Nosler stated 40gr (not 100% as I am at work) was max. But both data show different lengths so I assume bullet seating depth is mattering. Next loads will be a little lower but will be using better brass as it was some extra Federal brass I had.
 
I always used the speer 85 gr spbt. Speer has a heavier jacket than other cup and cores. They would invariably go right through a deer and leave a small ( quarter size ) exit hole that was easy to sew up. I used IMR 4831 in bor 243 and 6mm and I think your IMR 4350 should before as well. No powder charge figures as I always loaded to max because the slower powders work better at near max loads,
 
Longshot338 said:
Hello all,

I will be purchasing a coyote rifle soon; an old Rem700 with a wood stock and sporter barrel.

Thr rifle comes with dies, brass, and bullets.

I want to find out what powder/bullet combination this rifle likes without shooting a ton of test loads and burning the barrel out.

I will be using bullets in the 60gr range. +/- 10grains I suspect.

The powders I have to try are:

Win748
H BL-C(2)
H-Varget
H4895
H-Benchmark
H322
IMR8208XBR
IMR4350
Vihtavuori N-140

Which of these powders should I try in the 243 Winchester? Are there any that stand out as great? Are there any not worth my time and money trying?

Is there any other powder that performs well enough in the 243 that I should consider buying a pound just to try? I am not aversed to doing so, how do you think I ended up with all these different types in the first place ;).

What bullets should I try? I am usin the rifle mainly for coyote hunting and practice. The 243 isn't an ideal round for high-volume target practice due to the barrel life. However, this particular rifle shoots VERY well, and I want to use it to deelope my precision shooting skills (or lack thereof at this point).

Thanks,
Alec
Click to expand...

I only shoot paper, if you are interested, my developed load is 40.5 grains VV550 with 90g Lapua Scenars,
26" barrel, 1 in 9 twist, Rem action. Not as fast as I would like, but works great in my rifle.
 
Canadian Dad said:
I used Varget and 80 grain Noslers in my wife's .243. But was amazed to find pressure signs on the brass with anything above 38grains of Varget. Hodgdon lists 38gr as Max load but Nosler stated 40gr (not 100% as I am at work) was max. But both data show different lengths so I assume bullet seating depth is mattering. Next loads will be a little lower but will be using better brass as it was some extra Federal brass I had.
Click to expand...
I don't pay to much heed to published seating depths, magazine length and throat depth are what i use to get my seating depth. Soft brass can cause problems for sure, i haven't had any problems with Federal myself but it is bad mouthed in some circles.
 
Been using IMR4350 with 90 and 105 grain bullets for eons.
Burning a barrel out is highly unlikely. For one, it's a relative term that means the rifle isn't as accurate as it used to be. You won't do that when working up loads.
 
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