Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 6mm Rem and .243 Win Recommendations

I am getting setting up to load and will start with these two. I am looking to load Hornady Interlock 100 grain BTSP in both. Give me some good powder recommendations to start looking at (yes, I have a book). I would like to keep it simple to stray by using the same powder in both. I will expand to .30-06/.308/7mm/08 next.

Reloader 19 works well in both my .243 & 6mm. Also IMR-4350

You can load everything on that list with 4350.

IMR-4350.

Reloader 17 works great in mine with 95 grain Hornady sst's (243 win)
Hodgdon H4350 works well also.

H414 is another good powder...for both, for 105s and 100s, I prefer H 414 and RL 19...

4350s on the other hand, works in about any cartridge, so its never a wrong choice...

In both the .243 and the 6mm, IMR4831 gives better velocity and equal accuracy as the 4350s with 100 gr bullets, IME.

IMR 4350 is definitely a go to. My 243 really likes 62gr varmint grenades with IMR 7828SSC

I've had good results with IMR7828SSC, H4350, and RL17.

The H4350/Hornady 100 grain spirepoint flatbase was the most accurate combination, so Hornady quit making the bullet....

A very accurate and effective load I used this year is RL17/80 grain TTSX, nearly as accurate as the Hornady load.

H4831 for the heavies, H4895 for the light stuff....


Casey

Thanks for all the advice. I assume it would be a mistake to go out and buy 8# of something without buying a pound first and working up some loads the rifles like, right?

Correct, unless you load other rifles with the same powder and would use it no matter what. Honestly I haven't found a load for my 243 that it didn't like well enough to kill something at 100yds. Our powder availability is pretty sketchy up here though so I have tried developing loads with pretty much whatever I can find.

I reload for both cartridges with the same bullets and have found they like different powders. H4350 works really well in the 243 whilst 48 grains of RL22 is excellent in the 6mm Rem. I wouldn't get to fixated on the one powder for all. I have never understood that concept. Let your rifles choose what they like and you will be a lot more confident as a result.

[quote=chlinstructor]Reloader 19
This

my 6mm loves IMR 4350 for just about everything.

I would be giving RL 17 and Hybrid 100 some serious consideration.

I'm going to try RL17 and RL19 first. Thanks for all the advice.

Let us know your load, seating, and all appropriate gack- even if it sucks. OK?

Good luck.

In the .243 I worked up to 40 grains of RL17 behind both a Hornady 100gr interlock BTSP and a Hornady 95gr SST. Both bullets shot to the same place and were as accurate as anything else we have run through the rifle (my daughter is the one doing the shooting). Lots of 1 5/8 inch five shot groups, with the best three always going into less than an inch. There is a big discrepancy between Hornady and Alliant data. Alliant max is 40.8 grains while Hornady calls for 42.5.

In the 6mm I am using 45 grains of RL19 behind the same two bullets, with excellent accuracy. It was kind of windy today (but it was close to 0 value) and I managed to put up a 15/16" 5 shot group at 100 before switching over to steel targets. Other five shot groups in the work up were in the 1 1/2 inch or under range. Alliant calls for a max of 45 grains while Hornady calls for 45.4. It seemed to shoot better as I worked my way toward max (load density). I may play with slower powders in both guns to get the density up a bit.

I don't have a chronograph, but it is on the list. I'm not sure what to do about seating depth. Both bullets have a cannelure, and seating (no crimp) 0.020 or 0.040 off the lands leaves the cannelure quite a bit proud of the case neck. I ended up seating so the bottom of the cannelure is flush with the neck. Since both guns do well with factory ammo that is even shorter, I figured this was ok. My guess is seating further out would improve things a bit in the accuracy department.

I assume I can stay with my load and work out in seating depth without dropping back down in charge as long as I stay 0.020 or more off the lands, right? Also, I assume it is fine to just ignore the cannelure entirely when seating the bullet.

I am full length sizing and I did have to trim some once fired cases. I weighed and sorted by headstamp, but none of that seemed to matter with either pressure signs, accuracy, or POI. All brands of cases were essentially the same weight with the sole exception of Federal .243, which were quite a bit heavier than anything else. I worked up the scale with them tonight, but I haven't shot them yet. Thanks for all the advice.

Try H4350. Has always worked great for me