243 old but still good!

[JaoeyP]

@Idaho-Lefty oh she shoots like a dream! I've played with a lot of bullets!!! Pretty much stick to the 87gr V-Max now. Shoots single ragged holes at 100 and 1/2 moa at 600 with 'em. I just can't get those Gamechangers to stabilize past 100 yards. I've only shot them in cooler weather, they may work during the summer. But they are a medium-game bullet, and most of us don't shoot deer in the summer.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

For Deer/ Antelope, I will be trying, the 90 AccuBonds or, 87 gr Berger HVLD's .
I'm going to test shoot, the 87 HVLD's, soon with, 43-44 grains of N-160 as soon as, the Wind dies down, a bit !
Talked to a Nosler Tech, and he said that, the 90 gr. Bal Tip's and 90 AB's shot the BEST, in the 1-10 tw Rifles ( 95 Bal Tip's not quite as good per him). The 140 grain AccuBonds, worked great, in my .270 WSM, on an Elk in Ariz., this year. Close range shot, with minimal "blood shot" or meat damage at, 65-70 Yards,.. I'm IMPRESSED !

 

[vmaxpro]

Yep. It's a 10" twist. I also called Sierra and asked before purchasing and they said the same to me.

For Deer/ Antelope, I will be trying, the 90 AccuBonds or, 87 gr Berger HVLD's .
I'm going to test shoot, the 87 HVLD's, soon with, 43-44 grains of N-160 as soon as, the Wind dies down, a bit !
Talked to a Nosler Tech, and he said that, the 90 gr. Bal Tip's and 90 AB's shot the BEST, in the 1-10 tw Rifles ( 95 Bal Tip's not quite as good per him). The 140 grain AccuBonds, worked great, in my .270 WSM, on an Elk in Ariz., this year. Close range shot, with minimal "blood shot" or meat damage at, 65-70 Yards,.. I'm IMPRESSED !

Im hoping to get drawn this year for elk in az, what unit did you get him?

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

This can be a TOUGH Hunt due to weather ! It Snowed on us for, almost 4 full Days ! Started the day before, the season and for the first 3 Days of the season, before letting up. Ever hiked much, in 6-12 inches of, Snow ?? NOT fun ! After 4 Days of that "Chit",.. I was looking for a smaller,.. Meat Bull ! LOL ! Sent you a PM on Unit.

 

[243winxb]

A 1-10 will shoot 68 bergers and Sierra 70 match bullets.

IMR 4831 & Berger 90 HPBT https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/827

 

[jackson1]

The 243 Winchester is my 6mm first love. Mine is an old post 64 Winchester model 70 and have always been pleased with it. With nothing to do this week, I pillar and glassed bedded today, as I type, the Devcon is curing. Have punched paper, shot whitetails, and started carrying it for coyotes when I started getting wolves responding to my calls. My favorite load is H4895 and 100 grain Speer spitzer boat tails (when the bullets are properly sorted). The only problem with the rifle is the barrel is getting tired. I thinking that a 1 in 8 Krieger would do nicely. Target shooting with friends, this rifle has kept me in free lunches for quite a while.

 

[Zero333]

If you have a 10" twist and want very small groups, I suggest you shoot 80gr Berger FB.

I shoot them in a 8" twist, but only in sub freezing temps because once the barrel heats up the groups open up and 20% of the bullet blow up and never make it to the target.

Pic of seating depth testing
Win. brass
210m
47 gr H-4831sc



And this is the rifle...

 

[urbanrifleman]

I would take 10,000 80 grain Bergers. Just so much fun to shoot. The 70 grain TNT shoots almost as good (maybe as good) and is shaped almost exactly the same.

 

[243winxb]

Just got around to trying IMR 4451 in my 243 Winchester, using Sierra's 85gr hpbt #1530.

Rifle- Remington 600 Mohawk. 18" bbl.

Rem brass, Redding fl bushing die, no expander. .270" bushing.

CCI Br2 primer . Flash hole uniformed. Temperature 40 degrees. No wind.

100 yards IMR 4451 -44.0 GR 5 shots = .905" The first shot from clean barrel opened group. Just measuring the 4 =.482"

IMR 4451 - 44.5grs = 5 shots -.733"

Col 2.640" Sizing only 1/2 of the necks with the bushing.

Fired 1 round of each at 45.0 & 45.5grs to look for pressure. Seen no pressure signs.

I don't see any less copper fouling with this powder? Very old factory barrel. Many rounds fired.

I worked up from 37.5grs. because of Hodgdons 90gr bullet data for safety. It was a long road , working up.
I suggest working up using the Hodgdons/Sierra 80 gr data. Do so at your own risk. Be safe.

 

[std7mag]

These look like my wife's groups. Mine aren't as small.
She was shooting a Rossi R243. 23" heavy barrel break open.
Shot 105gr Hornady Match (i called Hornady, they claimed they would not stabilize in the 1:10 twist barrel) over RL26.
Worked fine for any distance she shot.

And she didn't like that rifle.
She wanted a bolt action. Traded on a Savage 110FP in 223.

 

[searcher]

I have a Ruger Varmint .243 that was my first varmint rifle I bought back in '75. Never shot better than 5/8 to 3/4 MOA. That was with a
Speer 85 BTSP. Fast forward to about four years ago. I decided to pull it out AGAIN and this time - try all new powders and bullets not available back then. With one of the Reloader powders (17 or 19?) and light V-Maxes, I put two consecutive 5-shot groups in under 1/4". That is truly amazing to me as I put that barrel through hell long before getting around to that project. Those .243's are something!

 

[243winxb]

Speer 85 BTSP.

I have been trying to work up a load with the Speer 85 gr btsp 1213 bullet , with IMR 4451. Having no luck , so measured bullets. Diameter and base to ogive are all over the place.

When comparing with Sierra 85gr hpbt #1530, the Speer 1213 seems to need more powder then the Sierra. Sierras diameter & base to ogive are dead on.

I had to try the Speer becauss of the low price. Would be ok for hunting, but not small groups. Could bullets be 2nds, because of the lower price??

 

[johnfred1965]

Its a little on the slow side, but these little coyotes out here wont know the difference.

If you are shooting groups like that at 300, who cares if it is slow!

 

[searcher]

With my 85 Speers, I was using IMR 4064

 

[searcher]

I looked in my reloading log - I was using 41.6 grns of Rel. 15, Remington brass, Fed. 210 primer and a 58 V-Max for the wicked groups. One 5-shot group was .078" MOA! I've rarely done better with my 6 ppc's, Dasher or 6Br's. The old Ruger was restocked with a glass stock, fully bedded and a Timney trigger but had stock barrel. N140 was second best powder tried with the V-Max. Second best bullet was Barnes Varmint Grenade using 45.7 W760 (I only tested varmint bullets). That was good for 1/3 MOA

 

[Ralph Littlefield]

I keep seeing Sierra 85's come up in these threads about 243. I have an old Rem 700 BDL Varmint that I have not shot in years. I never was able to get it to shoot well. Guess I'll have to dig it out and give it another chance.

 

[Whisky Tahoe Foxtrot]

I keep seeing Sierra 85's come up in these threads about 243. I have an old Rem 700 BDL Varmint that I have not shot in years. I never was able to get it to shoot well. Guess I'll have to dig it out and give it another chance.

Get your barrel twist when you dig out your rifle. Given how many bullet choices we have now,
you will want to avoid any that are too heavy for your twist.

If it isn't stamped on the barrel you can use a cleaning rod and a bore guide to actually measure it.

Insert the bore guide and the cleaning rod with a patch just past the chamber
Put some blue masking tape on the rod by the handle and mark 12:00 aka straight up.
Measure the length of the rod sticking out of the bore guide. This is your starting point
Push the rod in slowly and observe the mark rotating and stop when it gets to 12:00.
The rod has made one full rotation.
Measure the amount of rod sticking out and subtract that from your first measurement.

8, 9, 10, or 12? whatever length you calculated between your measurements represents your twist.

Notes:
Boreguides make measurements easier and keep your barrel safe.
Blue tape removes easily
Putting a patch on the rod provides enough resistance to hold the rod in place for easy measurements

 

[urbanrifleman]

I started a new repeater, and after much thought, I wanted another 6bra but I thought the 243 I have been clambering makes more sense. Waiting on the barrel to come back from clambering. It is a 10 twist Criterion with a Tubb brake.

I figure I can get the 80 Blitz going about 3500 or so and the 70 TNT and varmegedon going about 3750 with R23.

That ought to hit like a lightning bolt.

 

[vmaxpro]

Noticed this thread came back, Ive since switched to 87gr vmaxs @ 3350 fps with vvN160 and its been AWESOME

 

[500yards]

Great shooting