Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints FAVORITE BULLET & LOAD FOR 243

Gentleman, what is your favorite bullet and load for 243 for varmints. Will be using it mainly on prarie rats but also will shoot an occasional fox and coyote with it.Therefore I want to shoot the same bullet for everything once I get the load developed that my gun shoots the best.Any reloading data would be greatly appreciated.<BR>Thanks<P>WHAMP<P>------------------<BR>DON J.

Testing. Couldn't post yesterday. Probably system here...............<P>------------------<BR><BR><I><B>Critr</B></I><BR> <A HREF="http://www.SaguaroSafaris.com" TARGET=_blank>www.SaguaroSafaris.com</A>

OK, it works today, so here we go. <P>Sierra 75-grain HP backed by enough AA2520 to be real hot in my old S&W 1700 LS. Shoots in 1 MOA. Topped with Leupold Vari-X III 1.5-5X, always set on 1.5X when calling. <P>Bullets do horrible damage, but coyotes never run. Gut shots, hip shots, all put 'em on the ground. See my photos scattered on this site.<P>My hunters have used various plastic-tipped type bullets in .243, from 55 to 90 grains, and I have yet to see one fail to devastate the coyote. <P>Somebody said that the coyote was designed with the .243 in mind. I second that. <P>------------------<BR><BR><I><B>Critr</B></I><BR> <A HREF="http://www.SaguaroSafaris.com" TARGET=_blank>www.SaguaroSafaris.com</A>

To date...<P>65gr Hornady VMAX<BR>Hogdon H414<BR>CCI LR Primers<P>-_Steve

85 gr HP BT sierra, good job on prarie rats, never shot a yote with em

Speer 70gr.TNT, over IMR-4895 with a CCI primer. Perfect medicine in short barreled .243 under 24 inches! Sparkman

85gr V-Max and IMR-4350. Work up from your manuals'starting load. Really starts to work as I get close to max;but max blows it.

nosler55gr over h414 at a liitle under max going approx 4000fps is very flat. 1.5 high at 100 is about that low at 300 so you can hold right on a little past that. nice.....

My friends and I have yet to find an epual to the 85gr Sierra HPBT in the accuracy dept.<BR>We all use different powders and guns, it doesn't seem to matter. The red mess foctor is excelent too. If you want flat out laughs when it comes to prarie rats, try the Sierra 100gr SPBT. Yea, you wont get the velocity but the first one you send spiraling 20 feet in air will have you rolling.<p>[This message has been edited by WWChamplain (edited March 14, 2001).]

I'm getting .5 MOA from a lightweight (!) Model 70 Win. using the Sierra 75 gr. HP over a near max. load of H4831, CCI 200 primer, in Rem. brass. Don't plan on mounting your trophies or selling pelts.

I agree with all on the votes for 85gr HPBT sierra's. I shoot them out of a 6mm Rem. 700 BDL VS. I get consistent groups of 1.0 or less. I don't have the rifle or targets with me here in alaska or i could give you a true average group size. I will guarantee that it's under an inch. I know it doesn't sound to impressive until you consider that it's a 10 shot group.<P> Paul

Best load I ever shot out of a .243 was 45gr of N204 behind a Sierra 80gr Blitz out of Norma cases. This made my Savage99 a legitimate 400yd rifle. Currently I shoot 46gr of IMR4350 behind a 75gr HornadyV-Max out of Win cases at 3500fps. Thats using a custom 6mmRem. That round takes about 350 coyotes per year.