Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Best powder for the 243 Win?

And I'll be the problem child with two 8 lb. jugs of H380 on the shelf. In my M788 .243 this slings 55 gr. at 4000 fps and 100 gr. Partitions at just over 3000 fps, but with sub-MOA accuracy. I've tried the rest, H380 is the best metering with good velocity and accuracy for me. All the others mentioned will work well, but I've NEVER used a powder that meters better than H380.
Selmer

For 100gr bullets, I've used:

H-450
H-4831 (both regular and SC version)
IMR-4350
H-4350

All gave excellent results

For 70gr and 80gr bullets I've only used Ramshot Big Game, again with excellent results. I load 85gr Sierra BTHPs for my buddy's son using H-4895 and get around 1" groups for three shots at 100 yards and mild recoil.

All that said, for 85-100gr bullets I'd use either IMR or Hodgdon 4350 and never look back.

I get great accuracy with Varget and 75-gr V-Maxs - 1/2-inch groups from my Tikka T-3 Lite. I have some H-414, though, and I'll try it if it looks like the velocity might beat the Varget load. It's hard to beat the accuracy I'm getting, though.

I've never come across another powder that was as much like little marbles as H380. I have had some very good luck with it as well. (My best luck was with 150 grain Speers in the 06.) It also the powder that I have seen the greatest range among different load data as well as the most dramatic change in load data from a single source over time. Best, John

IMR 4350 has always impressed me in the 243.

MY experience/use: 85-100gr, IMR 4350 always. Good argument for 4831, RL22, 7828 in longer bbls for 100s, higher speeds if you want them.

60gr, H414 VERY accurate + fast.
70gr Varget VERY accurate + fast.

Federal brass is GREAT, WW should be about as good. Lapua best.

Southtexas, +1, 4320 meters great, often overlooked powder, my GO TO for 338/06 loads in former rifle. Should be perfect for 85-87s and very good also in 100s.

First, I'd ask what the barrel length is. There's quite a bit of difference between loading for an 18.5 inch vs a 26 inch barrel. That said, I'd go with a quicker powder with a short barrel, and a slower powder if one has a 24-26 in unit. 1Minute

Bullets from about 87 Gr up you really need to take a good look at would your believe IMR 7828.

Not really. John Barsness has tested this idea and found that for a given cartridge the powders that perform best in long rifle barrels also do best in carbine length barrels.

Reloading data supplied by Hodgdon runs counter to this idea as well. I have one of their annual manuals in which there is data for several cartridges in the rifle section with typical barrel lengths and the pistol section with abbreviated 15" barrels. These include the 243, 7mm08, 308 and 30-06. The data includes a wide variety of powders. When this question came up before I looked into it and found that the same two or three powders that do best in a cartridge with a 24" barrel are the ones doing best in a 15" barrel.

Just curious, but what is one's definition of "best"???

If I remember correctly H414 and W760 are close to one and the same, yet didnt see anyone list 760, I know 414 burns a bit on the dirty side, I picked up an NEF Handirifle in .243 with the heavy barrel/synthetic stock and the darm thing is a tackdriver with 85 Sierra HPT"s's under imr4350, best 100 bucks I spent on a rifle, ya just never know

My short barreled Rem 600 groups MOA with IMR 4320, but opens a bit with IMR 4350. It does like 85 grain Sierra slugs though, and has done well on mule deer out to a hair over 400 yds. It throws some spectacular muzzle flash too if one fires it after sunset with the 4350.

The wife has pretty well taken it away from me as her designated pronghorn unit. That being, I'm working up a 240 Weatherby so I can have my own 24.