Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Berger .243 95 gr. Classic Hunter - powder recommendations?

Recently picked up a bunch of these bullets in a package deal and would like to give them a try in our .243 Win. and 6mm Rem. rifles. We have had great results with the 90 gr. Accubond bullets, so I don't know if I will switch over to the Berger bullets for hunting, but would at least like to give them a try at the range to see how they shoot.

Any powder recommendations based on your results? I have several available, with IMR4350 and H380 being two of the powders we use most often in various calibers.

Of those two, go with the IMR4350. H4350 and IMR4451 are excellent as well.

Thanks. I expected that might be the best option to get started. I do have some H4350, so I may take a look at that one, too.

Do you have any Ramshot Hunter? I’d look at that as well.

aww I like H 380.. have used it in the 243 a lot...

but if you have some, or can find it, my standard load with a 95 grain Ballistic Tip in a 243, is 38 grains of IMR 4064.

sure it'll do just fine with the Berger also... That has been my most common load using that round for the last 30 years.

I don't have any Ramshot Hunter, but I do have IMR4064. I will give that a try, too. Thanks!

I hope you have better luck than I did with IMR4064 and 95 gr BT’s, my rifle patterned that group like a shotgun.

Its hard to beat IMR4350.

H4831SC has been a honey for me
.5” groups and better with the 95 Bergers
Kenneth

That takes Talent Hudge...

I've always thought that was such a simple bread and butter load, even Schtick could manage to do fine with it..
and that's saying something.

ya learn something new every day....

I'll have to keep this story from my 243s, or they'll start screwing up with it...

Glad to see this. the Speers I bought just weren't working out and for no good reason I wanted to try something other than Sierra's. I just ordered some of the 95grain Classic Hunters. What is the opinion on deer at modest or very modest ranges?

I am thinking something like 43 grains h4350 might work in my 6mm Rem.

Well I just got the Bergers in and gave a two hour lesson in all things rifle and reloading to my future son in law.

Just me or do the Bergers look practically fragile and ornamental. they make the 100 grain Pro hunters look downright beefy.

I am not shooting long distance ( so why Bergs you ask????? Man .......Just cuz okay?) So going with mild loads as usual.

Trying something new...for no good reason except I wanted something reputedly easy to load after how frustrating the attempts at loading hot cores turned out to be in this rifle.

So for my 6mm Rem we set it to near factory coal - maybe 0.005 over.....cuz that is when I said close enough and fits the magazine.

H4350, three loads. 40 grain, 40.5 and 41.. I will see if they penetrate paper targets first chance I get.

well, odd but 40 shot great, 40.5 so-so and 41 was super. All seated to factory coal. Easy peasy- total opposite of the Speers and Accurate 4350.

An X gunshop owner where I deer hunt and benchrest competitor out of Williamsport PA said 38 grains of IMR 4064 with 85 grain bullet out of all the rifles he knows who shoot them, shot phenomenal. It shot ok out of my 09 Argentine mauser with a Douglass extra heavy bull barrel 1-10 twist. I settled on almost a one hole group jammed bullet. Didn't like the idea of loose primer pockets. Should have kept the rifle and adjusted headspace and neck tension, and it would have been fine.

Same here. .243 win, but with 95 NBT. 43.5 H-4831SC, 2827fps from a 20" Ruger M77 UL. In the .75 with my 16yr old Grandson shooting. Not that accurate with me shooting.

do not overlook IMR4831, shoots 95's awesome in my 6MM

Taking your suggestion and trying some new loads with Bergers that includes H4831. Figured I might as well try some with the Speer 90 Hotcores as well. I couldn't get those to shoot at all with H4350.

Shot okay with H4831 but h4350 edges is out so far. Happy with the accuracy at 41.0 grains.

Same result or 140 Gamekings in my 270Win.

I could not get those 90 grains Speers to work with anything.


Historically H4831 works for 150 's in my 270 and 140's in my 260. I had to rework my scope on my 260 but hope to retest 140 Speers in it soon. Have to load a little longer in the magazine to get same comparator length as Sierra's.

H4350 could be a one stop shop for me if needed.

Ok, so a sample of one, but I took a medium-sized boar Friday morning at just under r100 yds. Shot below the ear and dropped it like usual. on the ground doing the front leg curly shuffle. When it exposed its underside I decided to give it a quick end and test the Bergers a little more. I shot upwards into the brisket and it actually exited out top near the far side spine. Wasn't a fist sized hole either....so far so great from the Berget 95 Hybrid.

I've killed a pile of critters with the 95gr classic hunter out of a 6mm Rem. 26" barrel using Rem brass IMR 7828ssc and a br2 primer. 3200ish fps if I remember correctly. It's got over 1000 rounds on it now but still shoots great.