Suggest powder for .243Win in 20" barrel

TheTooner

TheTooner

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I recently bought a .243Winchester thinking to use it for coyotes a bit further out than I would try with a .223, but it's such a nice rifle I think it will also go out for deer sometimes. It's a BSA CF2 Stutzen so it's a twenty inch barrel. I'm going to try to find loads it likes with a varmint bullet and something around 100 grains for deer.
 
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Barrel length irrelevant. You load for the bullet weight, not the barrel length. Been using IMR4350 for 90(FMJ's that make a puncture wound. Made for hide hunting) and 105 grain bullets for eons.
 
TheTooner

Quickload data for 20 inch barrel 100 grain Hornady soft point and neer max loads

IMR-4064, 95% of powder burnt at 9.7 inches, 99.9% of powder burnt at 20 inches.
IMR-4350, 95% of powder burnt at 13.8 inches, 98.6% of powder burnt at 20 inches.
Reloader-22, 95% of powder burnt at 15.4 inches, 97.8% of powder burnt at 20 inches.
Winchester Supreme 780, 95% of powder burnt at 15.6 inches, 97.7 of powder burnt at 20 inches.
IMR-7828, 95% of powder burnt at 17.7 inches, 96.6% of powder burnt at 20 inches.
H-4831, 95% of powder burnt at 19.6 inches, 95.5% of powder burnt at 20 inches.

It looks like a double base powder would give you the least muzzle blast and additional "rocket thrust" from a 20 inch barrel. A chronograph would give you better data as Quickload is software generated guestimates.
 
DFarmer said:
We have had good success with H414 and 55gr varmint bullets. For 100gr bullets, we have been using IMR4350 with good results.
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X2 for the H414, also with 70 or 75 grain bullets.
Sunray is correct about barrel length. The powder and load that gives the best velocity in a 24 or 26 inch barrel will also give the best velocity in a 20 inch barrel.
 
paperslayer said:
pretty sure that is a 10" twist and 100 grainers will not work well - if at all. stick with most hunting bullets up to 80 grains
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From a shooter who is also looking forward to a greatly improved range next year, I have to agree on the 10 inch twist for 100 grain bullets.
They will probably give ordinary hunting accuracy, but pretty iffy for 100 grain bullets in 10 inch twist rifle.
 
i was reloading for my 243 with the varget and imr4064 , but with 26inch barrel and 1-9 twist was not able to stabilise the berger vld 105 gr -_- but was good for the hornady a max 105 gr , but most of the time i was shooting berger bt 90gr or vmax 87 gr those load where around or under the .500 , 5 shot group
 
paperslayer said:
pretty sure that is a 10" twist and 100 grainers will not work well - if at all. stick with most hunting bullets up to 80 grains
Click to expand...

10" twist will work just fine with 100 grain pills.
The Remington 722 - 6mm fiasco was a 12" twist, and even some of those would stabilize a 100 grain bullet.
Load them up and shoot them. Myself, I would be starting with IMR 4350, or Reloder 19.
Regards, Dave.
 
I've just started working up a load for some 105 gr speer bullets in a newly acquired model 7 with a 20" barrel. At 42 gr of IMR 4831 I was getting 2650 fps and a .75" group. The 42 gr load is max according to my speer manual but with the low velocity and no pressure signs I will go up a smidge more and see what happens. I would also try some RL19 but my supply of that powder is getting short. I am thinking the 85 gr tsx or 90 gr nosler etip might suit the 20" barrel better for a deer load because of the slower velocities you can expect from a 20" barrel
 
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