reloading for the 243 winchester.

D

deadeyes40

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Location
nova scotia
just starting to reload for the 243. will be using 80 grain btsp bullets and IMR 4895 powder. the rifle is a savage 110/111. what have others found for accuracy loads? I know I am going to have to work a load for this rifle. tried to get 65 grain bullets and imr 3031 powder but could not find any at our local shops. main use of these loads will be for coyotes.
 
IMR 4895 is the one I would choose for your application. Always have a good supply of 4895 as it works great in so many cartridges. In the IMR line 3031, 4064, 4320 and 4895 are some of the best powders for small to medium cartridges. I prefer 4895 and 4320 over 3031 and 4064 for metering through powder measure.
 
I have really good success with 760 and both IMR and Hodgdon 4350 and 85 gr Sierra HPBT's.
Varget works well with 75 gr V Max. I am getting fantastic groups with this combination in my Winchester Coyote.

David
 
IMHO, if your shots tend to be on the long side, you'll find the 80 gr bullets perform better in terms of accuracy and wind drift than lighter ones anyway. Once the bullet weight runs to 80 grs, 4350 and Varget are also viable choices, and I've observed fine accuracy with both. If you get good accuracy with 4895, and you probably will, there's little reason to change. Your rifle, and your choice of bullet, will tell you what powder and bullet combinations are the most appropriate.
 
thanks for the replies. not sure what kind of accuracy I will get from this combo but until the new cabelas and bass pro shops open in the spring I will have to use what I already have for powder/bullets. the 243 loads are for my brother I use a 222 rem for my coyote rifle of choice.
 
If you or your bro plan on keeping the hides, use another bullet. A commercial FMJ, if they're legal in N.S. Varmint bullets(65's are varmint bullets) make big holes. He will have to sight it in too. You cannot do that for him.
Been using 90 grain Speers with IMR4350(don't use IMR4895 for anything. IMR4064 is far more consistently accurate. And the 4350 is too, in my rifle.) for eons.
 
You should get the type of accuracy you and your rifle are capable of.
Here is what I have done over a long period of time, when trying out a new to me rifle. 99.999% chance it will handle just fine, the "maximum" load shown in any reputable modern loading book. So use your own judgement on how you ascertain that a "maximum" load is safe to shoot in your rifle.
Of the powders mentioned, 760, which is said to be the same as H414, is the powder I would use, as I have found H414 to be the best in both velocity and accuracy on the 243, with Varget next.
Load five rounds of what is shown at "maximum" with the powder and bullet chosen, I would use the 80 grain, get the best rest you can get, where you feel the most comfortable and fire the five rounds one after the other, so the barrel heats up during shooting.
If you felt you shot a very good group, but it actually is 2 inches or more, or it shows a definite walking pattern, do not load another round until you have had your rifle and barrel properly bedded.
If the group is around one inch, either on first trial or after bedding, there is a about a 95%, maybe better chance, that it will shoot its beat accuracy at full load and piddling around with near trace amounts of varying powder charges will mean no change in accuracy that you can determine, or duplicate the next time. So just load up full loads and shoot away.
 
I've used H4350 and 100gr Hornady BTSP on coyote from a .243 and it worked great. It left a .243 sized hole on the way in and a hole smaller than the end of my pinky finger on the way out. Aside from there being two bullet sized holes there was no damage to the pelt and it dropped the dog on the spot. Not so much as a twitch. that is with a lengthwise shot.
 
I Shoot savage model 11 pkg rifle added a basix trigger. Been loading 65 gr v-max with 40.1 grn of IMR 4320 great results about .
.5" to.75" 5 shot groups at 100 yards when I have a good day on the rest.
 
I am having good luck with varget and 70 gr ballistic tips. 100gr sierra's I load with IMR 4831 or IMR 4064 with the higher velocity coming from IMR 4831.
 
Accuracy Load: XMR-4064/ 35.0grs. 2700fps/ 1618ft. lbs.
Hunting Load: IMR-4064/ 36.2grs. 2900fps/ 1867ft. lbs.
Sierra also shows 44.9 grains of H4831 SC will produce 3000 fps
 
I cant help you out on what your askin, but varget and 70gr N BT's are shooting real good for me.

Like anything if you hit bone you wont be keeping the pelts, but if you dont it seems so far, that it doesnt blow em up
 
I've had a hell of a time with my Rem 700 SPS 26" heavy barrel.
I tried dozens of combinations, fired about 500 rounds till I decided to try
39.5 grains of VV550 (just over max) at 3100/3125 FPS under 90 grain Scenars.
I've never had to max out a cartridge before to get an accurate load, the
.243 is my first.
All my other calibers hit the sweet spot long before max load.

I would guess my particular Rem was made on a Friday before a long weekend.

YMMV
 
I've done so much 243 reloading in the past and i ended up using H4350 for a while and then eventually switched over to Varget.
verget was really nice to work with and works also in a few other guns for sharing powder.
you can also get 8Lb kegs of it.
 
I have imr 4895. I got it when I started reloading for the 222 then switched to imr 4198. the 4895 will also work in my 30-06. I try to get powders that will work in more than one of my firearms. around here most powders are next impossible to lay your hands on. I only load for the 222 now and starting to load for my brothers 243 but plan on reloading for my 30-06. I cannot justify having a stock pile of more volume/types of powder than most of our local stores carry. never seem to have any extra cash when I see some powders that I use. when I have some extra cash there I never any around.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom