Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Pet loads for the 243

I load for 4 different 243's, all Remington 700's. I have found that W760 works very good in all of them. I've tried other powders, and IMR4350 and IMR4064 give good results, but overall 760 just works better. All of those rifles will shoot the 85 grain Sierra HPBT extremely well, and if I could use only one bullet, that would probably be it. But, I also use the 58 grain VMax, 65 grain Berger, 70 grain Sierra HP, 90 grain Nosler BT, and 95 grain SST's. For some reason, I can't get 100 grain bullets to shoot anywhere as consistently good as lighter weights shoot. I'm going to deer hunt this year with my 700 LVSF, using a 90 grain Nosler BT with 44.6 grains of 760. It's scary accurate.

I've tried that 90 grain BTip behind 44 grains of H 414... same powder as we all know...

not only scary accurate... if ya like velocity, it gives that in spades also...

Good choice, unless the weather is a little on the hot side..

I've not found the time to chronograph it, but it's a very flat shooting load out to 300 yards, which is as far as I usually feel comfortable shooting deer with the 243. As far as hot goes, there are no signs of pressure, although I wouldn't load it any hotter.

higher pressure will only rear its head, if the outside temps get up in the 90 degree range or more..

I've known people who have taken game at much further distances than 300 yds with that combo...

Good optics help of course...

It would be a very rare occasion for me to be shooting in temps that high. The longest shot I ever witnessed on a deer, was my brother shooting my Remington 788 in 243, many years ago. It was at a measured 485 yards. Now, given his shooting ability, I'd say it was mostly luck. But, the 243 will kill a deer at ranges longer than 300 yards, that's a given. I just try to keep my shots at that distance, mainly because that's the distance of my shooting range, and I know where my rifle shoots at that distance.

I shot deer at the 600+ yards range with my 243AI using Hornady 105gr HPBT. Dont know why a regular 243 wouldnt work at 300 yards.

Ruger 77 Mk II - for deer I load IMR 4831 45.0 grs. with the Sierra 85 gr. HPBT.

The first shot matters the most.But under a half at 100 is good.You can't toss the first shot when out in the field.I hunt with a dirty barrel.Your results may differ.

Most of my friends use a 100 grain bullet for deer. Either a Sierra or a Nosler. Both over a case full of 4350. My 243 is a custom with a fast twist barrel. It shoots both 95 grain Sierras and Bergers and 105-107 Sierras and Bergers equally well. 4350, 4831SC and RL-22 all work great.

My Rem 700 CDL likes 70g Nosler BT over an abundance of W760 for wonderful accuracy and some impressive speed. The trajectory on this round aids in the longer range varmint work especially in the wind.

I have used 55g. Nosler BT on an average size mule deer buck at 4050fps. Wow is one word to describe the performance at about 285 yards.

Tag

My load is 44.5 grains IMR 4831 with Sierra 85 HPBT, shoots less than an inch at 300 yds. from a ole Savage.

I have loaded for a lot of .243s. starting in 1968.i have had great results with 4064 and varget and 85s , also 88 grain bergers. I 4350 and 100s. and i4350 and 95 partitons. the 95 grain bergers shot poorly out of the sakos and remingtons we tried. for long rnage hunting we us re-26 and 95 partitons in sakosand Remington. I have never tried the 105 Hornady out of anything but my 8 twist 6mmbr with Krieger barrel. of course they shoot very very good as do the 107s.

IMR 7383 - a pull down powder (used for the .50 spotter) from GI Brass. Same close burn rate to 4350 and verified with a chrono.

With this rifle its Vel. is 2970 fps.

39 grains

Winchester brass

Win L. Rifle primer

Speer 85 grain boat tail soft point.

3/8's of an inch at 200 yards out of a Savage/Stevens 200

Scope is a SWFA SS Fixed 12X MIL/MIL.

A neighbor wanted my help working up a load for his Savage 10 in 243. He wanted to shoot 100 Nosler Partitions. I grabbed the Varget first and we could not find a decent load. Next up was H4831, and 42 grains was the magic load.

Varget is a bit fast for the 100s. 4831 or 4350 etc are the ones to pick. 41 grains of h4350 is the sweet spot quite often.

Yes, 41 grains of h4350 is the pick for most .243s I have loaded for.

Going to be loading .243 for deer hunting for a Tikka compact that will go through many young hands at deer camp....and probably a few old hands too. I used Barnes TTSX 150gr in my 308 this year and was super impressed/happy with the performance so I think I will load the 80gr TTSX in .243.

The Barnes data recommends Superformance powder. I use Varget for 308 and currently for 7mm-08 but understand that a slower burning powder would be preferred for .243.

Anybody have any experience loading 243 with Superformance?

Has anyone tried StaBALL in this round? Burn rate is pretty close to 4350. From what I've read it's temp stable and a high performer.

I have a can and will check it out in the 6.5 Creed and 7-08 after deer season. Data looks good.

Don't have a .243.

DF

Are you ancient if you still use 4064 with a 100 grain bullet in the 243?

38 grains gives me 2950 fps out of a 22 inch barrel...and is real accurate...

of course that is with an old Sierra SMP, or Hornady 100 SP, or heaven forbid a Remington Corelokt...

or for Varmints, 42.5 grains of 4064 and an 80 grain bullet from any of those 3 companies also works pretty darn good..
both fast and accurate.... same charge goes for 70, 75 and 85 grain bullets also.....

why do these ancient powders continue to be available and still work so good?

Inquiring minds want to know...