Advice on loading 243

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snipe(+)show

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Hello All,

So just got a new Tikka varmint in 243, 1:10, and have put about 80 factory loads through and impressed with the accuracy with cheap factory stuff, but now time for some of mine and advice from you guys, because I've some reloading but not to much. Grabbed some 70 gr varmageddon (on sale, why not) by Nosler, put them into a OAL gauge, ran it a bunch, and got an average of 2.729. Seems long for the throat but OK cool, I can shoot longer bullets. So went to the Nosler site and got the data:

Tested:
OACL: 2.680
Most Accurate: Varget with a min-37.0 gr and a max-41.0 gr

https://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/243-winchester/

Went on down to the local store and grabbed some Varget and CCI-BR2 primers, with the once fired factory brass I shot. Before dropping powder, I made up a dummy round with no primer or powder and just the bullet seating to 2.680 like Nosler had. Now I figure it would be OK since I used the gauge, measured at 2.729 with these bullets. With all my safety checks, chambered the dummy round and noticed a little resistance, put the bolt down and ejected. I noticed that the bullet had some engraving from the lands (should be the lands right?). Does this sound right? Seems far from measured of 2.729 to 2.680 and still having it touch the lands, perhaps pushed to hard when measuring?

So started to read up on Varget and noticed people saying its a hotter powder and to be careful for pressure spikes ... such as bullets touching the lands, or seating to deep. So I backed the dummy to 2.650 and had not scrapes or engravings on the dummy bullet. So too you guys .... does this seating seem good to prevent any land damage, shouldn't have to much jump to he lands right, over pressure etc, to develop loads from 37.0, 37.4. 37.8 etc to 40.0?

Let me know, Thanks guys

SNIPE
 
I did the same as you with a winchester model 70. I had no problem. 2.76 to the lands and made the rounds 2.74, and also tried some at 2.68 as you did. The Varget was very finicky and after burning a pound of powder have moved on to h4350 which is giving much better groups. Oh yeah I tried Varget up to 43 grains. No excessive pressure signs but primers did flatten some.
 
Varget is ok for 70 gr bullets. But I would have opted for a notch slower (like 4350) and I prefer heavier bullets to reduced wind drift.

You did the right thing by making a dummy round.

next time you load, seat the bullet long and then adjust it down to 2.700 and see if that touches the rifling. If it does, make another round and seat the bullet a quarter turn deeper. See if that one touches. Keep doing that until you get one that does not show engraving marks. Then take all the long ones you tested and seat them to that length.

Watch your muzzle and booger finger while testing these rounds. I don't wear ear protection while at the bench, and I bet you don't, either.
 
I have loaded and tested for at least a dozen different 243s (6 of which I own right now) and 4350 is far and away the top performer in every 243 I have made loads for, both in accuracy and velocity. As a side note after all my testing I have found that 80 gn bullets give the highest velocity per grain weight of bullet of all the weights useable in the 243. It seems to be a sweet spot and has showed up in all the rifles I tested with both 1-9 and 1-10 twists.
 
Yea, from what I hear and read, H4350 seems to be the go too for 243 in whatever grain, but the local store only had Varget that was on the Nosler load data. Thanks for all the input guys and will throw up a range report when I get out there and all the data. What just confused me is that I put one in the OAL gauge and measured it to touch the lands at 2.729, yet when I made up a dummy, it still showed engraving at 2.680. Either way I think backing it down to 2.650 gives me piece of mind.

As for the dummy round ... yea, always good to be extra safe, that's why I haven't loaded any cartridges yet, and once I decide on a seating depth, I'll pull the bullet out of the dummy so that no ... dummy accidents occur. Cheers guys.
 
Ganderite gives great advice for finding the correct max OAL..........the only thing I would add would be maybe Jiffy marker the bullets which makes the lands engagement easier to see.
 
c-fbmi said:
I have loaded and tested for at least a dozen different 243s (6 of which I own right now) and 4350 is far and away the top performer in every 243 I have made loads for, both in accuracy and velocity. As a side note after all my testing I have found that 80 gn bullets give the highest velocity per grain weight of bullet of all the weights useable in the 243. It seems to be a sweet spot and has showed up in all the rifles I tested with both 1-9 and 1-10 twists.
Click to expand...

are you using H4350 or IMR4350?
thanks
 
Smason said:
are you using H4350 or IMR4350?
thanks
Click to expand...


I found IMR to give me an accuracy edge over H, my son did as well in his 243. His is a super light barreled Mod 7 CDL and is very finicky, but it shoots 1/2" groups with 1 load of IMR 4350 and some bulk 80 gn bullets, Rem I think. This was the only combo that gave him sub 1 1/4" groups
 
I don't remember what I was using for a COAL as it was a few years ago, but I was having some fantastic luck with an 87grn V-max and a middle range loading of H4350.

Mind you the twist rate for a 770 is apparently 9.125, but it seemed to like almost anything in an 87gr weight. I was about to keep things a little less then 1/2" with that gun and the package scope that it came with.....really regret selling it.
 
shot my tikka t3 .243 today, best grouping was with 87 gr V-max, 35 gr of IMR 4064, set back .020 off the lands. The group was .439" at 100 yards. When shooting loads a half grain up or down from 35 grains, the groups were 1" bigger.
 
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1528647-My-method-of-finding-the-COAL
Another thread on the go right now for finding your lands. Bullets have different ogive shapes, so I find the lands and back er off 20 thou. I tried up to 45 thou, but nothing was better than .020". I've had a couple years of great luck with 85g Sierras on 43.5g of H414. 3206 FPS average. Consistently .4 to .5 moa out of the 20" Savage 11. The ball powder meters awesomely, but I now realize that H414 is not as temp stable as 4350, which I'm going to buy next. Enjoy your .243!
 
snipe(+)show said:
Nice Smason, can I ask what your COAL was? Also, thanks for all the input guys. Hope to get out shooting this week.
Click to expand...

my COAL was2.687 and the ogive measured with the Hornady Comparator was 2.234.
But even though were both shooting Tikkas that does not mean these numbers fit your chamber
 
redruns said:
If using a lighter bullet, like the 62 grain Barnes Varmint Grenade, would a powder like 4350 be a poorer choice over something like 4064?
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As you go lighter a faster powder is better. I'm using 70 grain NB Tips and you don't see h4350 showing up in the Reloading manuals. But a lot of people use it and it is accurate. I want to use it because I can also use it in my 30-06 and I have it on hand.
 
For me, this is a timely topic. I have loaded 243 for at least 6 other rifles with no issues until today when I tried loading for a new to me, 1963 Rem 700 ADL.
Bullets were Sierra 80 grain Blitz #1515. Started with COAL of 2.680. Bolt closed hard and opened hard, but no rifling marks on bullet. So far have gone down gradually to 2.625 with no improvement. Resized cases with no bullet go in nice and smooth. I am thinking that the throat in this old rifle needs polishing.Would like to learn what others think of all this, especially Ganderite and c-fbmi. By the way ,if the throat needs polishing, I have no idea of how to go about that !!
 
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If a resized case goes in smooth but one with a bullet in it is tough it leads to only one conclusion on my part.........your case necks are too thick. Try one with the bullet pushed right back in the case to the ogive, if it still goes in real tight, it's definitely the case neck thickness. Can you see any scrubbing on the outside of the neck? Have you checked your case length, not too likely but should rule it out anyway.
 
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