Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Loading for a .243 Win with 85 grain SierraBTHPs?

I've been trying to come up with an accurate load for Sierra 85 grain BTHPs and not having much luck. Tried IMR-4350 and the Hodgon counter part, did the IMR-4064 thing too. Anyone got a favorite loading they could suggest? Have an amigo who uses IMR-4320 in his but I don't have any on hand. I've also tried using both Mag and LR primers. So I'm open to suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Is the gun a known shooter?



George

I have a couple of 243's that like H 414 with 85's

Ok, have no idea about this ole girl. It's one of the older 700 BDL Varmit models, the ones that are drilled and tapped on the barrel and the reciever is drilled and tapped for reciever sights. Scrubbed the barrel with everything I have including JB bore paste. Bedded it with Devcon 97770, have a straight 12 Leupold on it I had checked out my Leupold last year and had them install an M1 elevation turret on it. Useing RCBS dies, and seating the bullets .10 off the lands. From the look of it I would say it rode around in a truck alot. Barrel crown looks good, no dings I can see.

One of my most enjoyable rifles is mu 243 with 85 grain bullets. I think I can tell you how to cure your problem- Take that rifle down to the local gun store and give it a good dose of the swaps.
I'd try one more bullet, perhaps before I swapped it, but then it would be replaced by a Tikka, or some other known shooter, because good 243s are not difficult to develop a load for.

Fred

Sounds like a tough one... if you can't get it to shoot the 85gr Sierra's well, you might have a challenge ahead. That bullet generally shoots well in almost anything.

H414 or Varget or Ramshot Hunter ? I think that is the one in that burning rate? but if it isn't working with the sierra and a 4350 powder I guess I would try a different bullet.

It should shoot that combo though, like has been said does it shoot other loads well? If not and the scoope is a known quantity then I would be looking at swapping it as well.

About 45.5g with a Win prmier is what my Rem 700 really loves, you will have to play with seating depth, an start off just barely touching the lands.

RL 17

As one poster suggested RL19 is a good start, mine has always worked better with H-4831 in 85 to 100 gr loads. Varget and the faster powders seemed to work the best in the lighter weight bullets.
I would work between RL19 and H-4831 on the burn rates. I have seen some rifles that responded well to RL22, but found that it was inconsistent in my rifles of that caliber.

Good Luck

Swifty

I shoot R19 and Fed 210 M and 85gr Sierra flat base spitzers. The rifle was not great with anything else that I tried. (95gr NosBT, 100grHornIntlck, 75gr SierraHP)

This load shoots .5 to .75 inch, non-tweaked first load.

Try 38-39 Grains of 4064 with that bullet....

4 .243's over the years have all loved varget with those bullets touching the lands.

I've had good luck with Varget in my .243s.

I use H4831 48.5 grs with 85gr bullets. It's a stout load, i have used it for years in 8 different rifles.

Shot my first deer with that bullet in a Sako Forester .243 when I was 9 years old. I believe my dad loaded them with around 37 gr. of IMR 3031. Real light recoil and about 3000 fps or so. WLR primers.

Also, it's been my experience that if a rifle won't shoot a Sierra bullet accurately, it probably won't shoot anything well. Time and again I've been frustrated with accuracy in a rifle and Sierra's solved the problem.

JW

after reading all of the other posts, and coming back to this one... I would suspect the barrel has seen better days...

anyone whom has worked much with a 243 can tell you, if it won't shoot 4350 or 4064 powders well, then either something is loose on the gun or the throat is washed out...

if a varmint rig, there is set back and rechamber which would be the cheapest option..

I mean with the powders and the bullet you are using, you are talking a "Gold Standard" in the 243 arena..

I got this messing around with the load data that cast bullet shooters use...their world is a lot finickier than using jacketed bullets... SR 4759 is real popular with them...

in fact, if I have thoughts that a barrel has gone south, I try some loads with SR 4759... if it won't shoot those then I have confirmed it needs to be rechambered...

4198 is also a good powder to test that with.. although SR 4759 is better..

I have made that suggest to more than one forum member, who confirmed it... and several of we older guys, who figured how many more years they had left to shoot... and since SR 4759 worked well.. they just decided to save their money, and change powders.. and let whoever they hand the gun down to, worry about the barrel needing replaced...

loaded for half dozen remington 700 243s and 3 sakos. all like 37.5 of 4064. also varget 37.5 or 38. you could try a different bullet depending on what you were planning on using it for- 70 balistic if for varmint only or a 90 balistic tip for deer/varmint combo.

RS-Hunter seems perfect for this combination.

It is true that if your rifle won't shoot the 85 HPBT well it might just need a recut chamber (6-06 perhaps?) or to be traded up the road, but I've had rifles that'd shoot a bullet well with one powder and not well at all with another, seated to the same depth and everything, so don't give up yet.

I had good luck in a buddy's .243 Win w/ 46 gr of IMR-4350, Win-LRM, PPU brass, and 80 gr RP-PSP. I bet that 85 would do even better, though likely a lower charge...

Think I'll try changeing scopes next. I've got a 36 power Weaver I can stick it on and give that a whirl. The wood stock on it a mess and I stripped it and refinished after I took out all the dents and dings. Worse comes to worse, I'll just rebarrel it or have the barrel cut and rechamber it. The local smith has a .243 AI reamer in his shop. Thanks for all the suggestions, I've shot I-4064,I + H 4350 with both Mag and LR primers in it. The only thing that showed much promise was Noz 55BTs and H-380. Was wanting to shoot the 85s for a varmit/deer combo. Have an amigo who shoots I-4320 in his .243 with alot of success. I've tried all the loads that work in my son's .243 without much success. His will shoot 100 gr Sierra BTSs, 70 and 55 grain Noslers, was hopeing to repeat with my rifle.