Tikka 243 - pet loads - heavier pills

[Cal-ApeR]

Hi all, going to pull out my t3 243 and try some heavier pills.
Never had luck with much 80+ grains. Have had slightly better than moa with 80gr and 100gr federal powershok but only really bought them as they were cheap.

Hoping to load up some 95gr nosler ballistic tips for small deer. Anyone had luck with these in their tikka? If so can you pm me since loads to get me on the right track?

[Rod_outbak]

I've loaded 95Gn Ballistic Tips in my Krico .243 (1:10" Stainless sporter barrel), and pokked quite a few roos with it.
They are pretty accurate(sub-moa), but for the price, I'd want them to be worth it.

However, about the best all-round projectile I've used is the Hornady 87Gn VMax. Great ballistics, consistently accurate, and hit freaking hard.
I thought the old Hornady 87Gn BTHP projectiles were hard to beat for performance in a .243, but the 87 Vmax pills are a step above.

NOTE: I havent hunted deer at all, but have nailed large pigs, grasshoppers, dogs, foxes, rabbits and cats with my .243.
I couldnt notice the 95 Nosler pills being any better performers than the Hornady 87 Vmax.
The 87 Vmax has a slightly better ballistic Coefficient (0.4 versus 0.379 for the 95BT).
And they're much cheaper to boot.
The 95 BT pill might be slightly heavier constructed, so maybe that would be a benefit for small deer, but a small deer isnt much different to a largeish pig, and 87Vmax pills are pretty devastating on hot pork (or pretty much anything!).

I run 33.5gns of AR2208 for my 95Gn BT loads, but you'll be better off starting out with the starting loads on your powder manufacturers site.

Cheers,

Rod.

[Cal-ApeR]

Cheers Rod. I didn't get the best accuracy out of the 87gr VMAX so I stopped playing with it. Got great results with 75gr Speer hps so have typically stuck with them. $25 a box I can't really complain.

Yeah the deer I have been fortunate enough to hunt wouldn't even be as solid as a good boar. The 75grainer would probably work easily but I want to preserve as much meat as possible. I hear head shots with the 87gr VMAX are very misty on small does

[Col]

I use 95gr Hornady SSTs in my stainless Varmint T3 243. They hit bloody hard and I find the accuracy better than the joker shooting.

The load I use is 39.0 gn 2209 which is the starting load, if I remember correctly, but this shot by far and away the best. The deer I hit with it deidnt seem to mind at all as it dropped her dead on the spot from 125m.

I also use Sierra 1515 80gn Soft Point Boat tails in the T3 and they shoot really well and will drop pigs and roos with ease. I also shot a red deer with this load and stopped it no worries. I use 36.0gn 2208 with these projectiles. They are my all round go to round/load.

Hope this helps. My 243 is my everyday work rifle and covers all my bases with what I shoot.

Col

[SCJ429]

My Tikka has a 1:8 Maddco barrel, I shoot 105 Bergers and 107 SMK at 3300 fps using 2217. Not sure that the standard twist rate will stabilise the 100+ grain bullets.

[Cal-ApeR]

I don't think I'd have any luck Over 100gr projectiles.

Particularly keen to give the 95gr sst a go. Have in the past had lots of luck with the 80 grains too. I agree, 243 is my all rounder, can pretty much use it anywhere I hunt regularly.

[SCJ429]

I have not had any luck getting SST to shoot, very frustrating. Easier to get a Game King or a ELDX to shoot decent groups. Just my experience.

[SCJ429]

The best 243 hunting bullet I have used is the Speer 70 grain. In a 6 BR this bullet has been effective on goats up to 80 kilos, pigs and small varmints. This flat based bullet is idea for shooting out to 250 metres. Why are you looking for a 95 grain projective? Are you looking for bigger animals or longer range?

[Cal-ApeR]

SCJ I can find the Speer at my local pretty well priced at the moment. Would consider them to try a cheaper load. Reason for looking heavier is I've likely secured a property with fallow but the occasional red deer. If it's a smaller red and I've got a decent hunting pill I'd consider taking it with the 243. Guess I'm trying to keep the 243 as multi purpose as possible.

Range isn't my goal 300 is my max distance normally.

[SCJ429]

Speer also make a flat based 90 grain Hot Cor which may be more suitable for small deer. I have not used them in 6mm but have in 7mm and they perform pretty well. I would use the TNT if I had a perfect head or spine shot but keep in mind it is very frangable and will not penetrate very far.

[bigpete]

I'm about to embark on loading speer 90gn hot cor.
Once the damn shop gets in my dies....

[SCJ429]

Let us know how you go BP. Speer are pretty underrated I think, as far as hunting bullets go they are hard to beat at their price point.

[bigpete]

Hopefully they work a bit better than the speer 75gn HP's. They don't even exit a roos head lol. The fallow I shot with one,while it did drop on the spot due to spinal damage,wasn't dead because the projectile didn't make it into the chest cavity.

[SCJ429]

They are pretty thin in the jacket and you have to use them carefully, I wouldn't use them for a neck shot on a largish pig or a difficult heart lung on a goat or deer. I have used them, the TNT, for close in head shots and they are devistating even at BR speeds. Was it a longish headshot on the roo you hit? The 243 would have an extra 500 fps on the little BR.

[Cal-ApeR]

I get great accuracy out of the 75gr HP. Only really head shot things with it though and have never had a problem.

I agree, Speer are my go-to for most calibers. I get good accuracy, price is good and performance-wise it hasn't let me down.... Yet.

[bigpete]

No,it was about 60m. Good for that job,but I'll try not to use them again on deer

[SCJ429]

I shot a group last week with my 243 which averaged over 3200 fps had a ES of 6 and a SD of 2.7. I was using 107 grain SMK and shooting at 300 metres so the group size was over one inch. Pretty happy with that.

[Cal-ApeR]

I shot a group last week with my 243 which averaged over 3200 fps had a ES of 6 and a SD of 2.7. I was using 107 grain SMK and shooting at 300 metres so the group size was over one inch. Pretty happy with that.

Is this in a tikka?

[SCJ429]

Yes a Tikka T3 but with a Maddco 1:8 barrel.

[Cal-ApeR]

Ah, 1:8 now makes much more sense.

[southeast varmiter]

Like another thread I’ve commented on, the problem is your bullet jump.
You need about 15 thou off the lands with 243 or 7mm08.
Heavier bullets get too close with COL around 5 thou.
Try less powder and deeper seating the heavier pills to 15 to 20 thou.

[SCJ429]

Are you saying that I will improve my ES if I I jump the SMK 15 thou and reduce the load? If the ES is 6 fps now, what do you predict it will go down to?

[bigpete]

Let us know how you go BP. Speer are pretty underrated I think, as far as hunting bullets go they are hard to beat at their price point.

Loaded 10 today with 35gn 2205h. Groups were ******. Need more experimenting

[SCJ429]

If you are shooting 90 grain pills you might be going a little slow. I would try Short Cut or 2209 and cram the powder in until you get some decent speed and groups out of her. What is a good speed for 90s? 3300 or 3400 fps?

[bigpete]

Nowhere near that according to the adi manual. Tops out at around 3200 with a 24" barrel. Mines 22". Trying out a 35.5gn load and a 36gn load and have seated out a little further. Going to be 40° tomorrow so I'll have to wait till Friday to test them. I want to find a load that works with 2206h coz I use it in 4 other calibres

[SCJ429]

Best to do a ladder test and see what you can get out of 2206. It will be down on speed compared to some other powders. you might be able to find a node down at 35 grains but it is not a lot of powder for that size of case.

[bigpete]

Wtf is a ladder test. Sounds like a fancy name for trying different powder charges till you find one that works...

[SCJ429]

You keep adding powder until you run out of room or you are convinced that you have enough to do what you need. Then fire them at one target, I set the target at 200 but 300 works if you have a calm day. Stop shooting as soon as you notice pressure signs. Look for rounds that cluster on the same horizontal plane, this is a node. Do some load testing around this node.

Book maximum values are a guide, you may find your rifle can shoot safely at different values.it depends on your chamber, brass and other factors. If you have to burn 2206 you may do better with lighter pills.

[bigpete]

I think I'll just do what I normally do

[SCJ429]

Fair enough.