Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Proven loads in the .243

I'm pretty sure I loaded up some min book loads for mini-me with 41.5 H4350 and the 80TTSX. Worked great!

45n Ramshot Hunter/85 TSX.

Works well in my Kimber MT, Rem Mt Rifle, standard weight 700 BDL, and M70 Fwt classic SS.

42.5 4350 , lapua brass, 210m or br-2, 100 grain horn or sierra , .030 off

38 grains of varget , lapua brass, 210m or br-2, 90 grain scenar,( or 87 berger or 88 berger or 85 sierra bthp) ... .030 off.

41.0 varget, 70 grain ballistic tip.

If your 700 Youth .243 is like the one I bought for my son, Winchester 100 grain, Federal Blue box 100gr and Fusion Ammo 95 grainers will all shoot well enough that there is no need to re-load for it. We settled on the Fusion Ammo and have had very good luck with it.

Not sure how old your kids are or their tolerance for recoil, but mine was young and only about 35 lbs when he started hunting. I took the recoil pad off and filled the rifle butt with BB's then screwed the pad back on. If you get enough in there they don't move around too much and the noise is minimal. It takes what little sting a .243 has completely out.

Bob.

Win 760 pushing 95 gr Berger Classic Hunter.

I've got a recently purchased Axis sighted in with this load and on 5 shot groups at 100 yards off the bench it was 3/4" tighter than green box Remington, blue box Federal, and even Federal Premium.

Yeah we have had great luck with that load with 4 different 243s.

Tag

I really don't know, but I would guess 2900 or so. I didn't have a chronograph back then and haven't shot the .243 since I acquired the chrony.

John Haviland has a good article on the .243 in the latest Handloader, which pretty much bears out what's been posted here.

While 3000fps has always been the target velocity for 100gr loads, he didn't get there. Stuff still dies.

If I ever get back in the .243 business, the 80gr TTSX will get a serious try.

sent u a pm just a follow up. every weapon has different chamber dimensions,and barrel meatallurgy.so both powder charge sizes,and bullet seating depth must be adjusted. this is why its called working up loads.

thomas gajan

You guys are making me think that I need to try 4350 powder. I've never tried it in my 243.

I'm going to mention my load since I don't see it listed. My rifle absolutely loves 40.3 grains of IMR 4831 powering 95 grain Hornady SST bullets. I get .5" groups pretty consistently and I've had good performance on deer as well. The other 243's I have also shot it exceptionally well.

Expansion ratio of the 243 lends itself to slow powders, 4350 has been my go to, as it always worked well and I typically had some on hand - IMR. Used others since. I do like Varget pretty well for the light 70s but anything like 4350 or slower works great with 85 to 100+.

Given your accuracy - not sure you will improve but that never stopped me from experimenting with powders and bullets - in the name of "R&D"

Pappy, my experience with that bullet (TTSX) is that you really, really need to seriously consider it if you do get another .243.

I'm having fantastic results, accuracy and terminal performance-wise.

I appreciate all the advice here. I think I lucked into a pretty accurate rifle for the kiddies, as it shot everything pretty well.

55gr Ballistic Tip - 48grs Big Game





70gr Sierra Blitz King - 41gr Varget





95gr Ballistic Tip - 44gr VV N560



The 20" barrel is fairly stout, I'm sure it helps out quite a bit. These loads all show a lot of promise, especially the 95gr NBT. I'm fairly amazed at what the cheapest M700 made can do, right out of the box...well, with a slight trigger tweak.

No slam intended toward kicH...

but I have high mileage 243s that will outdo those groups at 100 yds pretty consistently.... and its not like Seafire is some sort of big time Benchrest Shooter...

I have a harder time trying to find a powder that doesn't work well in a 243, versus one that is a whole heck of a lot better than all the rest, when it comes to accuracy...

and that is running everything thru them from SR 4759 to IMR 7828SSC...

I used to occasionally call Sierra with questions. Opinions vary so much from one tech to the next that it's almost like posting a question here on the 'fire...