243 Winchester Deer Load - Help!

[PAshooter20BR]

I have a Remington 700 with a 22 inch barrel and the standard 1 to 9 1/8 twist rate. I am looking for a load that can reach out for whitetails to 500 yards. I believe I will need a 95 or 100 grain bullet to keep the energy up. I would like to use one of the powders Norma MRP, H4350, IMR4350, IMR4831 becuase I have them on hand. Will be using a Federal GM210 and Winchester brass. Would prefer a Hunting Bullet over a Match Bullet...for this setup, and also a bullet with a Boattail base is highly prefered.

Thanks GUYS!

 

[FryeGuy]

I used sierra 100 boat tail bullets, and get the speed up as much as you can while maintaining decent accuracy. can't remember the powder, i think imr4064 or the 4350 you have. I agree with you staying away from the sierra match bullets hunting. i have heard that berger is making a kick butt match/hunting bullet. surely someone here can lend some experience with those.

 

[BigJim]

I would recomend the Hornady 105 gr A-Max in .243 part #24562, it is made for the 1-9 twist and is a boat tail and is an excellent bullet. But to be honest at 500 yards for deer I really think you need at least a .270 running Hornady SSTs in 130 grains or a 7mm mag or 300 win mag. they would give you the range and the smackdown power. For powder try H-4895 it's a keeper for overall usage.

 

[sewwhat89]

If you want to keep it a hunting bullet, try some of the following:

Speer 100 BTSP
Nosler 95 gr Ballistic-Tip
Hornady 95 gr SST

Any of those bullets loaded up with 4350-MRP powders should fit the bill.

If you want to stay in the Point-Blank range, they try the 85 gr Nosler Partition. I am getting just over 3400 fps out of my Sako with a 22" barrel.

For some really sleek shooting bullets that will kill deer shot in the heart/lungs out to 500 yards, try the following:

Berger 105 gr Match BT
Hornady 105 gr AMAX
Sierra 95 gr MatchKing

All of the listed bullets shoot fine out of my personal rifle under the requirements you listed. Best of luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[treeman]

85 gr hpbt by sierra stops them in their tracks

 

[PAshooter20BR]

sewwhat89, what is the load you are using with those 84's at 3400?? wow thats smokin..!

 

[Coleridge]

sewwhat89, what is the load you are using with those 84's at 3400?? wow thats smokin..!

I was curious too. I'm only getting ~3050,crono'd, book say's 3200) with the Sierra 85gr HPBT in my 22" 700 Mountain rifle.

 

[SlowpokeRodriguez]

Back when the 243 was my primary deer rifle I found that the best powder in 2 of my rifles was IMR 7828 with the Nosler 100gr plain spire point. I know there are many new powders out there now but don't overlook this one. I almost did but the 1st Nosler manual listed a load that was actually slightly compressed but shot lights out in mine and actually went across the chronograph at 3290 out of my 24 in tubes.

 

[65BR]

sewwhat has good advice, I used a 6BR/105 amax at 2840 mv for a 400yd whitetail, double lunged, managed all but 25 yds to flop!

Now on powder, used 4350 mostly in heavier bullets in MY 243's BUT also noticed many tests with SLOW powders that I believe may be much better in speed with 95+ bullets so do as above and give a try.

 

[pintopete]

I have made up this load for a buddy with an identical rifle. These have worked very well with sub MOA groups at 100 yards. I have to say that if you can shoot a deer at 500 yards you should get some sort of special award. Like the deer should butcher itself. Not many people can hit a moving living breathing deer at 300 yards let alone at 500. Well enough of that. Here is the load:
95 gr Hornady SST bullets
40.0 gr H4350 about 2973 fps

Good luck, Peter.

 

[sewwhat89]

The load is a personal max and above most published loads.

The load is 85 gr NP 44.5 gr H414, Federal case and BR2 primers. The load was initially with 85 gr Sierra HPBT bullets at 32xx fps. The ogive is lower on the NP than on the Sierra bullet. The load ends up being into the lands maybe 0.01". With everything else being the same, the NPs clock 200 fps higher from 40-105 F. It is smoking hot!

My wife has taken two deer with it thus far. Lungs and heart are liquified and the deer were either DRT or not far away with blood trails Stevie Wonder could follow with Ray Charles as his guide. This is a great combination for me.

 

[BigJim]

If you have the NEED for SPEED try 55gr Nos BT with 43.0 Gr of H4895 powder set to 2.650" should give approx 4000 fps. It's what I like about the 243 - 55gr heads to 107gr heads from 4000fps to 2700fps. Just load them for what you need or like. However check your rate of twist to make sure the head will stablize for the weight of bullet you are using.

 

[burnley]

firstly i think 500yds is too far for deer unless there are circumstances i am unaware of, basically the deer might move and you get no sighter to check your wind, hit smaller creatures in non vital areas and you still blow them to bits. The .243" is worldwide on average classed as a minimum requirement for deer . However as i do not know the circumstances here is my advice.
By the way i do actually own i .243" that has acounted for a heck of a lot of deer, certainly into three figures.
No hunting bullet that is designed to expand on deer at normal ranges ie. up to 200yds is going to expand the same at 500yds. This is due to the drop in velocity, indeed even fragmenting type varmint bullets will fail to blow up if they impact too slow.
My advice is the 95 b/tip from nosler it can be a bit of a meat mangler at short range but should work less violently at the longer ranges. I have used this bullet a lot. The sierra pro-hunter is not a boat tail but i have used this also and it is a little less violent at shorter ranges,similar to the Gameking) I do use the 140 gameking in my 7mm and can recomend it as a deer bullet. But honestly the .243" with 100grn bullets and 22" barrel wouldn't be the gun of choice for me on deer at 500yds. 7mm or 30 cal with some sort of big case behind a heavier bullet

 

[Rem06]

No hunting bullet that is designed to expand on deer at normal ranges ie. up to 200yds is going to expand the same at 500yds. This is due to the drop in velocity, indeed even fragmenting type varmint bullets will fail to blow up if they impact too slow.

at 500yds a "slow" 87gr v-max,2865fps mv) in a 22" .243 still has enough velocity to expand at 500yds,1850fps@ 660ft*lbs@500)but mininum i would try on deer.

a 105A-max at the same speed has 2000fps and 932ft*lbs@500yds

,using 1600fps needed for a hunting bullet to start expansion from nosler)

i do agree that 500yds is on the maximum edge in a 22"bbl and would go with 95-100-or 105gr with good speed and BC to keep the energy level up.not to mention very good shot placement

 

[PAshooter20BR]

Thanks Rem06,
Been playing with the numbers in JBM to get me the needed velocity and energy,800-900 ft-lbs) at 500 yards. Not planning on the gun being a 500 yard deer rifle, but things happen fast, and I if I end up in the situation where the shot presents itself, I want to make sure the gun will be up to it. Just would like to have this 243 shooting good and dependable, it would be nice to be able to leave the trusty 7mm Rem Mag in the cabinent once in a while and take out the 243. lighter, less recoil, less devistation all can make for a better trip. Any word on your LSR? Oh yea, and red tags in, Dave scored with the Kimber. The 20BR waits for another ooportunity. Leupy's 6.5 power doesn't do well at spitting distance from them.

 

[Rem06]

The 20BR waits for another ooportunity. Leupy's 6.5 power doesn't do well at spitting distance from them.

got that story! thats why i went 5.5 NXS over the 6.5 VX3 heeheee. hoping that it helps some.

i've been dropping suttle hints to chris that i am ready for my LSR and i know the deer are waiting for me!save one for me,after easter weekend,i'll be there my .243 with 90gr scenars will show you how to drop-em at 500yds!
3290fpsmv delivers 2219fps and 985ft*lb@500 and i know that works.

 

[burnley]

when i made that statement about expansion i said In the same way. I don't doubt the 87 grn v max will expand at 500yds, i doubt it expands the same way it will at 100yds however and if it impacts at a far enough range it will fail to expand at all. Indeed perhaps it might even be a better choice at 500yds than a nosler partition- a more conventional .243" deer bullet.I am not really willing to give it a go myself on a live deer, too many variables like wind letting off or gusting stronger, or the beast taking a step forwards.though it is not my place to judge that is for the shooters own conscience.

 

[Rem06]

burnley
i agree with you completely,the 87v-max is minimum at 500yds,definately go heavier and faster and still consider the .243 near its limit on whitetail that far.just to note most of our whitetail bucks are near 125lbs,175 is pretty darn big and a fairly rare 200 sometimes shows up.
also,i have seen 20br shoot some impressive 500yd groups and if it is too windy,he'll pass.

 

[burnley]

yeah, we don't have any whitetails in the UK. I have watched them when visiting the states and they remind me of Roe,indeed i think they might be related?) however in size i compare them to fallow. I do a lot of deer each year and shoot tactical and long range comps and can normally hold my head up at the end of the day. 500yds is just too far for me to justify to myself personally. But then again i don,t have to contend with big flat areas.

 

[Dgd6mm]

Good Morning,built some 243 loads for my brother earlier this year.New Savage rifle,broke in properly shot this load out to 500 meters very accurately.105 a-max,49 grains of H1000,winchester large rifle primers,oal was a little longer then minimum specs.If you decide to try this load you will probably be surprised.Have a blessed day...