New to .243 reloading, easy question
- Thread starter dcf93
- Start date
as long as your under a bit dont panic its when you exceed the length watch out things will happen in this case your ok .. hound 13 ps watch some youtube videos thats what i do very good info just punch in 243 reloading and start watching have fun reloading i do .... !!!!!! hound 13
I have been loading for more than 25 years and the one single bit of advice I would give you is to take that COAL figure and throw it out the window. The COAL is possibly the single most useless and pointless measurement.
The reason COAL is useless is that bullets will vary in length from base to tip. Measure a few and find out for yourself. Each style, weight and make of bullet will have a different OAL.
The ONLY way to measure seating depth is to use an ogive measuring tool ... of which there are several available.
The reason COAL is useless is that bullets will vary in length from base to tip. Measure a few and find out for yourself. Each style, weight and make of bullet will have a different OAL.
The ONLY way to measure seating depth is to use an ogive measuring tool ... of which there are several available.
Alright, thank you all for the input, I was under the impression that every aspect and measurement had to be 100% accurate. I think in time that would have taken the enjoyment out of it. I picked up some Hornady 58gr for yotes. Beginning of May ill be building my bench for reloading, instead of using the garbage coffee table that I threw it on temporarily. I'll be getting out to the range tomorrow to test out my first batch finally!
There is a pretty good safety factor built into loading data. If you look at older data they used to run considerably hotter and closer to the edge. Today we must be more careful in this litigious world.
My favourite bullet for coyotes is the Nosler 70gr Ballistic Tip. It can be pushed very hard, is very explosive and has a higher BC for longer shots than the 58gr bullets. I shot a bunch of yotes with the 70gr BT and only one of them took more than a single step after being shot. The yote that did manage to move only took 3 steps before piling up stone dead. These things are like the hammer of thor on yotes.
I really like the 87gr vmax bullets. Also hammers, they shot very very well out of my factory savage barrel and they have a reasonable BC of .40 I am now shooting 105 Amax's from a 243AI, I shot two yotes this week with them. First one I hit in the chest at 250m facing me. Tiny hole in the chest, no exit. Didn't move an inch. (I had the exact same result with the 87 vmax on a similar shot last season) I head shot one today. So, really I could have shot it with anything.
Depending on your barrel twist you can probably get the 105 amax to stabilize, lots of people are having good luck with them from factory Remington and Savage 9 twist barrels.
Depending on your barrel twist you can probably get the 105 amax to stabilize, lots of people are having good luck with them from factory Remington and Savage 9 twist barrels.
I sometimes reply to some of the great many threads that appear on CGN, all on the same subject, cartridge over all length.
I always say to absolutely forget COAL, forget that you ever heard of it, forget that after 75 years of reloading, someone came up with COAL.
For normal shooting, like coyote hunting, you will want the cartridges to work through the magazine, thus the bullet must be seated deep enough to allow this.
To find out where to seat them, take an empty that came from your rifle and pinch the neck down just enough that a bullet can be started in the neck with your fingers. Put the case in the chamber (assuming you have a push feed) and slowly close the bolt until the handle is all the way down.
Remove the case and this is the seating of that bullet in your rifle, that just touches the lands.
Seat your loaded bullets just a bit deeper than this, so they have some clearance on the rifling and the bolt will freely close on them. If these will fit the magazine, you are good to go.
The other criteria is the bullets have to be seated deep enough to firmly hold them in the case. A rule of thumb is often said to seat them a minimum of half a calibre into the neck. However, with a small diameter bullet like a 243, I would like them deeper than half of that distance, into the neck.
I always say to absolutely forget COAL, forget that you ever heard of it, forget that after 75 years of reloading, someone came up with COAL.
For normal shooting, like coyote hunting, you will want the cartridges to work through the magazine, thus the bullet must be seated deep enough to allow this.
To find out where to seat them, take an empty that came from your rifle and pinch the neck down just enough that a bullet can be started in the neck with your fingers. Put the case in the chamber (assuming you have a push feed) and slowly close the bolt until the handle is all the way down.
Remove the case and this is the seating of that bullet in your rifle, that just touches the lands.
Seat your loaded bullets just a bit deeper than this, so they have some clearance on the rifling and the bolt will freely close on them. If these will fit the magazine, you are good to go.
The other criteria is the bullets have to be seated deep enough to firmly hold them in the case. A rule of thumb is often said to seat them a minimum of half a calibre into the neck. However, with a small diameter bullet like a 243, I would like them deeper than half of that distance, into the neck.
