Great info, thank you....
I have to fire a coule boxes of factory to get the brass and get it on paper..... So at least that lets me know it is safe to shoot..... Ruger makes some very solid actions IMOP, so I will start with the factory loads then start at max reccomendations and work up form there..... Hoping to get a chrony soon, so may be no need to load anything further than what I need so to speak...
I am looking for a 400 yard capable rifle, but I am unsure if I am a 400 yard capable shooter at this point...... I can do 300 reasonably, but that extra 100 is big in most cartridges..... So looking at a combination of hand load and practice to get me there.....
Keep in mind that max velocity loads are rarely the most accurate load from a barrel and that pushing for more velocity won't make the rifle shoot 400 yards better than it shoots 300 yards. More velocity will only translate into a slightly smaller holdover to hit your target. You're talking about the difference in trajectory of a couple hundred fps not 1000fps, you will hardly notice it.
Don't assume that just because it's safe in someone elses rifle it's safe in your rifle. Two barrels could come off the line one after the other and have the chamber cut by different machines causing completely different chamber tolerances and completely different pressures. That is why we always start below max and work up a load for each rifle indepenently.
Also, remember that the 243 uses a very light bullet and it will be effected by wind and everything else more than a heavier bullet as well as carry less inertia. I personally wouldn't shoot at a deer beyond 300 yards with a 243 or with most other hunting rifles. When you throw in less than ideal shooting conditions in the field and add in a little adrenaline the chances of you doing your part to ensure a clean humane kill are greatly reduced when using such a tiny bullet. For me, unless I can get within 300 yards of an animal I don't pull the trigger, I can't actually remember the last time I've had to shoot more than 100 yards for a deer.
Don't get me wrong, I really like the 243 and feel it is an excellent cartridge for deer hunting but it has it's limitations and pushing the bullet 100fps faster doesn't reduce those limitations.
You don't need a chrony to develop good loads, do a ladder test and develop the most accurate load you can then see how fast it's going. It's more important to hit accurately at a slightly lower velocity than it is to miss at a higher velocity.
I don't use a chrony with my loads until the end of my load development unless I'm developing subsonic loads for my 300BLK.
Since you're shooting factory loads to get your brass I'll suggest that you buy all the same brand of factory. I don't get too carried away with prepping brass but I do sort it by brand as a minimum as different brands can produce different pressures due to variances in internal volume. If you're going to be chasing the top end of safety you would be better off keeping everything as consistent as possible.
Good luck
