favorite 243 loads

Reloading equipment, methods, load data, powder and projectile information.

Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by Daz243 » 24 Oct 2019, 4:18 pm

Foxes find it hard to stop.....
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by GQshayne » 24 Oct 2019, 7:56 pm

I have two loads for the .243, both mild loads of AR2209. I have BLR with a short barrel and have not noticed any issue with the loads compared to normal barrel length. Nick Harvey uses AR2209 for all bullet weights.

90Gn Speer Hot Cor with 43gn of 2209 works well. I have used 45gn with no problems in my Tikka.
70Gn Nosler Ballistic Tip with 46Gn 2209.
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by flutch » 24 Oct 2019, 7:57 pm

I find that my 300win makes a good substitute for a 243

:sarcasm: :lol: :lol: :friends:
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by bigrich » 24 Oct 2019, 9:31 pm

flutch wrote:I find that my 300win makes a good substitute for a 243

:sarcasm: :lol: :lol: :friends:



yeah, bit of a waste of powder for a roo, goat or cat and such. i suppose if ya strap a rabbit to the projectile you could probably launch it into space :D
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by flutch » 24 Oct 2019, 9:33 pm

bigrich wrote:
flutch wrote:I find that my 300win makes a good substitute for a 243

:sarcasm: :lol: :lol: :friends:



yeah, bit of a waste of powder for a roo, goat or cat and such. i suppose if ya strap a rabbit to the projectile you could probably launch it into space :D



GOOD IDEA!!

yeah I use it for whatever every now and then, cos yunno, if I used the appropriate round all the time the 223 and 12 gauge would probably be all I used haha...
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G5 Prime Defy
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by bigrich » 24 Oct 2019, 9:38 pm

flutch wrote:
bigrich wrote:
flutch wrote:I find that my 300win makes a good substitute for a 243

:sarcasm: :lol: :lol: :friends:



yeah, bit of a waste of powder for a roo, goat or cat and such. i suppose if ya strap a rabbit to the projectile you could probably launch it into space :D



GOOD IDEA!!

yeah I use it for whatever every now and then, cos yunno, if I used the appropriate round all the time the 223 and 12 gauge would probably be all I used haha...


:D yup i get it . my 6.5x55 and 222 are probably all i need but 22lr is cheap to plink and my 8x57 carbine with stout handloads is just fun :D :drinks: :thumbsup:
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by duncan61 » 24 Oct 2019, 9:49 pm

I belt 100gn Sierra game kings out my 7mm RemMag at 3300fps and it feels good to head shoot roos and rabbits.Pictures to come
.22 winchester .22hornet .222 .243 7mm rem mag cbc 12g
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by bigrich » 25 Oct 2019, 4:43 am

duncan61 wrote:I belt 100gn Sierra game kings out my 7mm RemMag at 3300fps and it feels good to head shoot roos and rabbits.Pictures to come


Yeah, that would definitely have lots of splat factor. The photo must look like a meat pie and sauce dropped on the ground from a great height ;)
But I can get 3300fps out of a 243 or 22-250 and use a lot less powder and less recoil to get the job done. I get that some fellas are just being super humane by using way more gun than is required ;) but the post is about 243 loads for “varmits” and light medium game at distance. Back on topic, I’ve loaded up some RE22 last night, very full cases, I will be approaching this with caution. Uncle Nick lists a maximum of 48.5 gn, I’ve stepped up in half grains from the starting load of 46 gn to 47.5 .I’ve had VERY good loads and info from Nick’s book , but his maximum loads are the real deal. Their not “lawyer” loads . :thumbsup:
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by SCJ429 » 25 Oct 2019, 7:21 am

duncan61 wrote:I belt 100gn Sierra game kings out my 7mm RemMag at 3300fps and it feels good to head shoot roos and rabbits.Pictures to come


You might be surprised how quickly a 243 can move a 105 grain projectile, mine can get over 3300 fps using less than 50 grains of powder. The little 243 is a powerhouse and the projectiles have fantastic BC to leave a 7mm or 30 cal shooting lighter pills in the dust.
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by bigrich » 25 Oct 2019, 10:37 am

SCJ429 wrote:
duncan61 wrote:I belt 100gn Sierra game kings out my 7mm RemMag at 3300fps and it feels good to head shoot roos and rabbits.Pictures to come


You might be surprised how quickly a 243 can move a 105 grain projectile, mine can get over 3300 fps using less than 50 grains of powder. The little 243 is a powerhouse and the projectiles have fantastic BC to leave a 7mm or 30 cal shooting lighter pills in the dust.


For all the reasons above I’ve decided to give the 243 a go . I like calibers for their efficiency and practicality , which is why i also have 222, 6.5x55 and the 8x57 , which is the closest thing to American writer O’Connor’s ideal brush buster. It’s sort of a middle ground between 358win and 35 Whelen, better down range energy than the win , without the heavier rifle and recoil of the Whelen. JMHO
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by RoginaJack » 25 Oct 2019, 4:33 pm

300Wm for rabbits...PPPFFff! :lol: what are you shooting, the little chocolate ones from Aldi?

Up here I use the 375 H&H with 300gr. Woodleigh slugs. 8-) Get em in the veggie garden and one shot and I've got a warmed shredded rabbit over a freshly tossed garden salad with mayo dressing. :clap:
Boom, Boom! Tikka, Tikka, Boom! Shoot first, video later.
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by bigrich » 25 Oct 2019, 4:36 pm

RoginaJack wrote:300Wm for rabbits...PPPFFff! :lol: what are you shooting, the little chocolate ones from Aldi?

Up here I use the 375 H&H with 300gr. Woodleigh slugs. 8-) Get em in the veggie garden and one shot and I've got a warmed shredded rabbit over a freshly tossed garden salad with mayo dressing. :clap:


:lol: :lol: :lol: :thumbsup:
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by Bugman » 26 Oct 2019, 4:08 pm

Confirming 41grns of AR2209 with a Hornady 87grn V-max................my choice in a Weatherby Vanguard.
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by bigpete » 26 Oct 2019, 4:43 pm

What recoil with the whelen ?
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by GQshayne » 26 Oct 2019, 7:19 pm

Bugman wrote:Confirming 41grns of AR2209 with a Hornady 87grn V-max................my choice in a Weatherby Vanguard.


That is a very light load you have there, so I expect will be well below max in your rifle. Is it particularly accurate???
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by bigrich » 26 Oct 2019, 7:29 pm

GQshayne wrote:
Bugman wrote:Confirming 41grns of AR2209 with a Hornady 87grn V-max................my choice in a Weatherby Vanguard.


That is a very light load you have there, so I expect will be well below max in your rifle. Is it particularly accurate???


that is a light load
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by Daz243 » 27 Oct 2019, 8:27 pm

I use 43.5gr of ar2209 for the 87 v-max and 42gr of ar2209 for the 85 Sierra hpbt.
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by bigrich » 27 Oct 2019, 9:26 pm

Daz243 wrote:I use 43.5gr of ar2209 for the 87 v-max and 42gr of ar2209 for the 85 Sierra hpbt.


thanks for the info daz, and the rest of youse ;) i went through some handloads on the weekend. it was a bit windy , not great conditions for load comparisons. ar2208 had okay results, suprisingly RE22 turned out some great groups . i'll post the details and pics in a day or two. hopefully i'll lay my hands on some ar2209 to try soon to

:drinks: :drinks: :thumbsup:
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by Bugman » 28 Oct 2019, 2:32 pm

GQshayne wrote:
Bugman wrote:Confirming 41grns of AR2209 with a Hornady 87grn V-max................my choice in a Weatherby Vanguard.


That is a very light load you have there, so I expect will be well below max in your rifle. Is it particularly accurate???

Yes it is a light load however I found that it maintains excellent accuracy. Have a look at "me three...goats nil" post.
I found that this load is perfect for my rifle. I have tried a number of combinations at my local range up to 200m and this one proved to be the better.
Me thinks I will stick to it.
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by GQshayne » 28 Oct 2019, 8:59 pm

I have never gone that low, only 42gn. But if it works then that is what counts.

My rifles did not show much variation in accuracy when load testing, so I try to stay at a point where velocity does not go too low.
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by bigrich » 30 Oct 2019, 4:36 pm

Well fellas, here’s some results from some 243 load testing I did last Saturday. It was a bit windy, not optimum conditions. The 2208 was so-so, I was surprised at the RE22 results. 87 gn vmax was used in all loads, COL was 2.650”
Attachments
image.jpg
Not a bad result. 100 yards. Could improve after a few more rounds down the barrel as it’s only had about 40 rounds down it so far
image.jpg (1.41 MiB) Viewed 3016 times
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by Stix » 30 Oct 2019, 5:25 pm

Bugman wrote:
GQshayne wrote:
Bugman wrote:Confirming 41grns of AR2209 with a Hornady 87grn V-max................my choice in a Weatherby Vanguard.


That is a very light load you have there, so I expect will be well below max in your rifle. Is it particularly accurate???

Yes it is a light load however I found that it maintains excellent accuracy. Have a look at "me three...goats nil" post.
I found that this load is perfect for my rifle. I have tried a number of combinations at my local range up to 200m and this one proved to be the better.
Me thinks I will stick to it.

Id once heard a bloke claim his load is 36 of 08 shoot'n cheap 70's...

It does ground creatures that once walked...cant say ther is anything emphatic about the results, but then some people are in it for the notoriety of 'tale telling within the click' rather than animal welfare & marksmanship...

:|
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by Stix » 30 Oct 2019, 5:31 pm

bigrich wrote:Well fellas, here’s some results from some 243 load testing I did last Saturday. It was a bit windy, not optimum conditions. The 2208 was so-so, I was surprised at the RE22 results. 87 gn vmax was used in all loads, COL was 2.650”


BR..."some results"...
Mate thats one target...(a good target mind you... :thumbsup: )

Im really keen to see what you produced in the order it was produced--not just the best--there is nothing wrong with real life results if they're not great...

Ill be loading & shooting for a 243 one day & keen to see how you progress from a brand new barrel mate... :thumbsup:

And im sure there are a lot of guys looking that would get value out of a write up for the entire saga of finding the sweet spot... :thumbsup:

:drinks:
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by bigrich » 30 Oct 2019, 9:10 pm

Stix wrote:
bigrich wrote:Well fellas, here’s some results from some 243 load testing I did last Saturday. It was a bit windy, not optimum conditions. The 2208 was so-so, I was surprised at the RE22 results. 87 gn vmax was used in all loads, COL was 2.650”


BR..."some results"...
Mate thats one target...(a good target mind you... :thumbsup: )

Im really keen to see what you produced in the order it was produced--not just the best--there is nothing wrong with real life results if they're not great...

Ill be loading & shooting for a 243 one day & keen to see how you progress from a brand new barrel mate... :thumbsup:

And im sure there are a lot of guys looking that would get value out of a write up for the entire saga of finding the sweet spot... :thumbsup:

:drinks:


that was the best load so far stix, i didn't want to bore anyone with a blow by blow account. just the highlights ...... :lol:
i don't seem to be having much luck with the sierra hpbt 85 gn projectiles yet the COL measures 2.625 in my barrel . i've tried 2.602 loads and they sprayed a bit . on the old barrel with the same measured COL these were more accurate than the hornady . i'm not expecting target rifle results, but i want to set this up as a portable rifle that can shoot out to 300 with a degree of accuracy . i'm not intending to use this rifle for deer or pigs ,more roos, goats on down in terms of game weight . bit more reach than my 222 :D . the 87 vmax will do the job,( i know someone who's taken deer with them ) but the sierra is a more flexable projectile reportedly. i'll try 10 thou off the lands and 30 thou as well and see how i go . i've a sneaking suspicion the accuracy may improve with another hundred or so rounds on the barrel as well. :thumbsup:
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by bigrich » 02 Nov 2019, 6:55 pm

Well, I tested another batch of loads, using ar2209 and RE22 . The RE22 put the second bullet just about through the first hole, the third going slightly out to the right. Those first two shots are the most important in a hunting rifle for me . The 2209 group is using 43.5 gn, I’m going to creep up to 44gn and see if there’s more in it. Aside from playing with COL , I’ve just about got my 87vmax load sorted. Sierra 85 HPBT would be my preferred all round projectile, but they seem fussy to get to shoot well. Has anyone tried 90gb Nosler BT’s in 243 at all ? Thanks to all who offered advice, that’s why I like being a part of this forum :thumbsup:
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image.jpg
43.5 gn of ar2209 I’ll creep up a little more on this
image.jpg (1.56 MiB) Viewed 2975 times
image.jpg
RE22, 47 gn .reckon I might have pulled the third shot. I’m going to try this load again
image.jpg (1.33 MiB) Viewed 2975 times
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by bigrich » 02 Nov 2019, 6:58 pm

bloody phones :x ! no i wasn't standing on my head when i shot them :lol: you guys get the general idea ;)

:drinks: :drinks: :thumbsup:
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by Flyer » 09 Dec 2019, 2:52 am

44.5gr of 2209 with the 87gr V-max. Here are two 4-shot groups. Chronoed at 3277fps (average) out of a 22.5" barrel. This was my favourite load for the Sako.

Vmax.jpg
Vmax.jpg (785.42 KiB) Viewed 2916 times


Vmax2.jpg
Vmax2.jpg (793.18 KiB) Viewed 2916 times
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Re: favorite 243 loads

Post by GojiraSteve » 09 Dec 2019, 4:02 pm

bigrich wrote: thanks for the reply daz , i thought the sierra COL issue might be a isolated case related to my rifle , obviously not . great projectile though :thumbsup:


Got the same issue with a brand new Franchi Horizon. Never seen it before. Maybe its a .243 thing? Maybe manufacturers leaving some meat in the throat to extend barrel life?
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