243 95gr Tipped Match Kings 10:1 twist - opinions?

[Flyer]

First, some trivia: My Sako 85 Bavarian has a measured 9.75:1 twist (as opposed to the advertised 10:1). So I thought I'd try some new 95gr Sierra Tipped Match Kings. They are sexy (TMK flanked by 70gr and 107gr Match Kings):



This is a great reloading resource for them: http://rifleshooter.com/2016/07/243-win ... rettyPhoto

COAL for the 95TMK is 2.925" in my rifle (very long projectile/ogive) and I loaded 2.860" (about .065" off the lands), as that was really my minimum seating depth (3mm of bearing surface/neck tension).

I loaded some test rounds in Federal brass with CCI 200 primers and ADI 2209 from 40.0-44.0gr. ADI data for 95gr projectiles suggests 39.0-42.0gr, but the TMKs have very little bearing surface compared to other 95gr projectiles, and I have seen successful 95gr Sierra Match King (hollow point) loads in the 43.5gr range with H4350.

Here are my four-shot groups @ 100m. The first group is my first-ever handload!

It was a gusty day with a 15mph left-right crosswind at times:

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So the most accurate load appears to be between 40 and 40.5gr and I have made some further test loads @ 40.3, 40.5 and 40.7 to find the sweet spot.

The 42.5 load is not bad, either, and I now have some 42.3, 42.5 and 42.7 loads to try, as this might be the best compromise between velocity and accuracy.

However, I was surprised to see my hot loads from 43.5-44.0 were also in the ballpark. This is 2gr over ADI's max load and there were no signs of pressure. Do you think I should continue to work this load, say 43.8, 44.0, 44.2?

I'm trying to develop a load for field rifle out to 200m - so the 40.5gr loads seem fine for that - but I also want to shoot out to 500m for metallic silhouette. The 95TMK has a BC1 of .500 and retains a lot of energy downrange - by far the best projectile on paper for a standard twist barrel. The 40gr loads have proven stable @ 200m, but I do not know at this stage if they will stabilise @ 500m, so that will be the determining factor

I will chrono my final loads, but I'm thinking they should be in the 2850-3000fps range.

On a related note, I have some 100gr BT Sierra Game Kings (.430 BC) as a back-up 500m projectile. I have loaded some 2209 between 38.5 and 41.5gr @ 2.710" OAL (.015" off the lands) - does that sound right?

I also have some 87gr V-Max and was thinking 42-44gr of 2209 should be about right.

Does anyone have their own load data for any of the above? (I've been using ADI, Nosler, Sierra load data for my ranges so far).

Any other suggestions for a 500m .243 metallic silhouette round? Cheers.

[deye243]

I ran 95g burger vld in my 243 but and there is a but it was very accurate (2.5" and under at 500y) but after doing some drop testing at 765y we found that the bc had dropped from .467 to .408 so it was no better than an 87g vmax .

[Flyer]

What were your 95 Berger and 87 Vmax loads?

[Flyer]

OK, answered my own question. 39.5gr of 2209 works OK with the 100gr Game Kings.

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[deye243]

I missed this ......... now have a go at 400+ yards with that 39.5 load and fine tune with seating depth

and you should end up with a good load .

cheers D

[Seconds]

Here are my four-shot groups @ 100m. The first group is my first-ever handload!

That'll work

[5Tom]

I was out at the range yesterday shooting 95gr nosler BT in my tikka .243.
It seems I had tighter groups under 3000fps as I was trying to hit a node between 43.2 and 44.6 of 2209. From 43.6gr and upwards, passing 3000fps, my groups opened and got worse..

[SendIt]

OK, answered my own question. 39.5gr of 2209 works OK with the 100gr Game Kings.

I was going to suggest the same when I finished reading your first post.

~40gr is far better than the ~43-44 gr loads when you picture it out to what 500m spread will be. I'd have focused there as you did too.

[Flyer]

Been having a few issues with the Sako wandering in its stock.

Here's what it did when I first got it shooting factory Federal Power Shok 80gr soft point. This was a five-shot group at 200m. Note the flier top left. I thought "nice -group - shame about the flier" and put it down to user error.

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But then the same flier started showing up again and again in my groups - in exactly the same spot. Sometimes it was the first shot. Sometimes the second or third or fourth shot. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason.

Here are two 5-shot groups I shot yesterday at 100m with the 100gr Sierra Game Kings using proven loads: 39.5gr of 2209 and 40.5gr of 2209. Same flier, same spot in both.

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It was a gusty day, but you can usually tell when shots are in the ball park.

Also, I have many other groups that look the same - 3 or 4 shots in a ragged hole, with a random flier, top left.

I've had a look at my rifle and the Sako 85 bedding system - with two recoil lugs - seems overly complicated and prone to lateral movement. I've tried different torque settings on the action screws to no avail. I even emailed the factory and they responded with the correct settings: 35 in/lb front, 25-30 in/lb rear - though I have tried 30-45 in/lb on the front. Sometimes I notice the barrel sitting further left or right in the stock after shooting, even with the action screws done up fairly tight.

I've ordered some pillars and am just trying to figure out how to bed it. It's a nice rifle and shoots straight when it wants to, but the propoensity to wander is doing my head in!

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[Flyer]

Started a new thread to address the bedding issues: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=7281

[sarki]

Damn those are looong.