80 grain bergers

[mudduck]

U think varget would work well pushing 80 Bergers in a 243 win or should I try something slower? I'verunning h4350 with 85 hpbt and shooting about 1/2 or less at a 100yards but looking to do better but I might be expecting to much.

 

[MildBill]

Varget certainly could work

mine seems to like imr 4064 best, and then H 4350 better than varget.

 

[13red56]

Every 243 I have loaded for seemed to like either H4350 or IMR 4350. I would try the IMR first. Varget can work but I've never had great results using faster powder with the mid range bullets.

 

[AckleymanII]

In Remingtons factory, Ruger factory 77, and custom 12T, we killed a lot of coyotes with IMR 4064, Rem brass, and a 210 primer with a load of 41.5-42.0g of IMR 4064 in 12 twist barrels at 3400 fps + and the accuracy node in this pressure range is a great one. I liked to blow coyotes up, so the 80g Sierra Single shot pistol bullet did a much better job than the 80g berger which put a half dollar size hole through a coyote. Touch the lands with the bullet and you are good to go on a super accurate varmint rifle. 39.5g of IMR 4064 with a fed 210 is an accuracy node with the 70g Nosler.

Varget and IMR4064 are close in burning rate, but I had diddly for luck with Varget except with the 60g Sierra, about 41-42g of Varget was great. The 60g Sierra load is in the 3900 fps area with blistering accuracy, kills real good on shoulder, hips shots, and quartering coming and going shots.

Work up to that load of IMR 4064 in your rifle, and stop if you get pressure signs. The 80g Sierra Blitz bt gives the loudest "PLOP" sound of any load that I have ever shot, and I have killed several antelope with the 80g berger, lung shots DRT.

The 85g Sierra BTHP sucks hind tit compared to the load that I gave you with the 80g Sierra Blitz, so does the 85g Sierra spt. IF you are bound and determined to shoot an 85g-87g bullet, go to R#19 with a win primer to get the most velocity with super accuracy. I never shot any, but the 80g Nosler ballistic tip should be an excellent bullet for coyotes, IF your barrel will like them.

We shot the 60g Sierra for an entire year when hunting in Mexico, then went to the 80g Berger, and when we tried the 80g Sierra, it was Glory Halleluiah time because of the loud PLOP. It was like the coyote rung his own bell that he was dead, and forget yippers, spinners, and floppers.

I used a std Forster neck sizer to bump the shoulders a tad on every firing, which eliminated full length sizing for many firings.

The std 243 Winchester with a 12 twist with a zero freebore chamber is a wicked accurate rifle, easy to tune with a variety of bullets.

Mudduck, if you want to use up your stache of H4350 on a really good load, start off with 45g-47g of H4350 with both a Rem 9 1/2 and a win primer with a 70g Nosler ballistic tip, you will hit pay dirt around 3500-3600 fps. 68g Benchrest bullets also work with this load of H4350, if you are stuck on a J4 jacket bullet. For hide hunters, the 69g Berger with a load of 44.5g of Win 760 did NO damage on hides. I used a load of H4985 also, but can't remember the load. The 69g berger is a great hide saving bullet at 3500 fps.

Good Hunting!

 

[WyleWD]

In Remingtons factory, Ruger factory 77, and custom 12T, we killed a lot of coyotes with IMR 4064, Rem brass, and a 210 primer with a load of 41.5-42.0g of IMR 4064 in 12 twist barrels at 3400 fps + and the accuracy node in this pressure range is a great one. I liked to blow coyotes up, so the 80g Sierra Single shot pistol bullet did a much better job than the 80g berger which put a half dollar size hole through a coyote. Touch the lands with the bullet and you are good to go on a super accurate varmint rifle. 39.5g of IMR 4064 with a fed 210 is an accuracy node with the 70g Nosler.

Varget and IMR4064 are close in burning rate, but I had diddly for luck with Varget except with the 60g Sierra, about 41-42g of Varget was great. The 60g Sierra load is in the 3900 fps area with blistering accuracy, kills real good on shoulder, hips shots, and quartering coming and going shots.

Work up to that load of IMR 4064 in your rifle, and stop if you get pressure signs. The 80g Sierra Blitz bt gives the loudest "PLOP" sound of any load that I have ever shot, and I have killed several antelope with the 80g berger, lung shots DRT.

The 85g Sierra BTHP sucks hind tit compared to the load that I gave you with the 80g Sierra Blitz, so does the 85g Sierra spt. IF you are bound and determined to shoot an 85g-87g bullet, go to R#19 with a win primer to get the most velocity with super accuracy. I never shot any, but the 80g Nosler ballistic tip should be an excellent bullet for coyotes, IF your barrel will like them.

We shot the 60g Sierra for an entire year when hunting in Mexico, then went to the 80g Berger, and when we tried the 80g Sierra, it was Glory Halleluiah time because of the loud PLOP. It was like the coyote rung his own bell that he was dead, and forget yippers, spinners, and floppers.

I used a std Forster neck sizer to bump the shoulders a tad on every firing, which eliminated full length sizing for many firings.

The std 243 Winchester with a 12 twist with a zero freebore chamber is a wicked accurate rifle, easy to tune with a variety of bullets.

Mudduck, if you want to use up your stache of H4350 on a really good load, start off with 45g-47g of H4350 with both a Rem 9 1/2 and a win primer with a 70g Nosler ballistic tip, you will hit pay dirt around 3500-3600 fps. 68g Benchrest bullets also work with this load of H4350, if you are stuck on a J4 jacket bullet. For hide hunters, the 69g Berger with a load of 44.5g of Win 760 did NO damage on hides. I used a load of H4985 also, but can't remember the load. The 69g berger is a great hide saving bullet at 3500 fps.

Good Hunting!

Ackleyman's post just about mirrors my experience with the 243.

Especially on the use of Varget. For what ever reason 4064 would work very acceptable, but NEVER got consistently decent performance with Varget with any bullet weight. 4350, ww760, N550, 4064, R17, R15, and even 3031 all were consistently good to excellent performers with one weight bullet or the other.

The 80gr Blitz bullet is a solid performer, and my old favorite the 85gr Sierra HPBT is right there with it. NEVER had any consistent results with the 80gr NBT, but the 70gr NBT was excellent. JME WD

 

[hunter243sgk]

I am getting ready to try some of the Bergers myself. I have had good luck with the 80g nbts and the 85g sgks using the imr4064 and hybrid 100v. I also am going to try h-414 with them. I will let you know what results I get with the Bergers But I am guessing imr 4064 will be the powder choice as it sure was with the other two.

 

[AckleymanII]

Hunter, R#19, about 44.5g with a win primer is 3300 fps with the 85g Sierra. This is the fastest speed that I have ever had with a 85 with accuracy, works well with the 87's also. Strange but there is a pressure spike which knocks the velocity way down with IMR 4064, but 39.5g of IMR 4064 is very accurate with the 85 at 3150. Seat those 85g Sierra's to touch the lands to start.

 

[hunter243sgk]

Hunter, R#19, about 44.5g with a win primer is 3300 fps with the 85g Sierra. This is the fastest speed that I have ever had with a 85 with accuracy, works well with the 87's also. Strange but there is a pressure spike which knocks the velocity way down with IMR 4064, but 39.5g of IMR 4064 is very accurate with the 85 at 3150. Seat those 85g Sierra's to touch the lands to start.

Thanks I do have some rl19. I will give it a try next. When I ran the 85sgks with imr4064 I ran them at the lands with book max for the plain 243 and was getting very good results so I never tried to push them faster I just use it as a ff load to hunt with. I did try the rl19 with the 80g nbts I got ok groups but was doing better with hybrid100v so I stayed with it for that bullet. I did notice the rl19 fouled my barrel a lot worse. Have you had this problem?

 

[hunter243sgk]

Well I got today to try the 80g berger varmint bullets. First off acklyman was right on the rl19. I didn't take the chrono as it looked like ran. I was testing both rl 19 and h-414. using laupa brass, and fed gmm primers. The 414 did good after I finally got my breathing controlled. But rl19 really shined with this bullet. I will load up more later and run them over the chrono.

 

[hunter243sgk]

I Will try to get them ran through the chrno today.

 

[AckleymanII]

Well I got today to try the 80g berger varmint bullets. First off acklyman was right on the rl19. I didn't take the chrono as it looked like ran. I was testing both rl 19 and h-414. using laupa brass, and fed gmm primers. The 414 did good after I finally got my breathing controlled. But rl19 really shined with this bullet. I will load up more later and run them over the chrono.

R#19 LOVES Winchester primers...LOVES!!!

 

[hunter243sgk]

R#19 LOVES Winchester primers...LOVES!!!

Well I do have some but darn I got such good groups with the fed gmm I kinda hate to change it. But I will give it a try. Thanks again!!

 

[hunter243sgk]

I was in a hurry today but I ran a few across the chrno. I loaded 3 each at 49-49.5 grains of the rl19. Velocity was good at a bit over 3400 on them but the accuracy went south bad. I did forget to flare the necks and didn't catch it till I dropped my third bullet. But I don't think that was it. I think I will go back to the ff load of 48g and then see what the speed is as that was were the accuracy was. Also these are with a 243ai !

 

[stacy]

Well I got today to try the 80g berger varmint bullets. First off acklyman was right on the rl19. I didn't take the chrono as it looked like ran. I was testing both rl 19 and h-414. using laupa brass, and fed gmm primers. The 414 did good after I finally got my breathing controlled. But rl19 really shined with this bullet. I will load up more later and run them over the chrono.

HAVE YOU CHRONO THE H-414 YET THAT ALL I USE JUST CURIOUS WHAT SPEED YOUR GETTING

 

[hunter243sgk]

HAVE YOU CHRONO THE H-414 YET THAT ALL I USE JUST CURIOUS WHAT SPEED YOUR GETTING

No sir, but its next. I really think it will be faster than rl19. Also I got a sticky bolt lift with the higher load with the rl19. So I will just run it at the 48 to ff with.