Factory Ammo For 243

[Dogbone]

I did a search on the subject, but the vast majority of results that came back involved reloading.

Since I do not reload and have no plans to do so, and I know that most of you do, I'm just looking for your expert suggestions on what factory ammo to try (brand, bullet weight & bullet type) in a 1 in 10 twist bolt action 243 rifle I will be using for groundhogs.

Thanks for your help!! Appreciate the time you take to respond!!!

 

[fredhorace77]

This is this best thing you can do...Go to your local gunstore....pick out as many boxes of .243 ammo they have...lay them all out in front of you...close your eyes....and just pick a box...next go shoot it...then do that over and over and over and over till you find what shoots best...truthfully there is no telling which is going to work...factory ammo is just that...meant to work in hundreds of different rifles...not to offend you but without reloading this is really the only option you have

 

[Hapnin]

I used to shoot a lot of Hornady ammo through my .243's. Every rifle I had, including an AR-10 .243, would shoot the Hornady Custom 75 gr HP loads very well. I also noticed the other day that either Natchez or Sinclair had this stuff on sale. This load would flat open a coyote up.

Good luck with those pigs.

 

[kyreloader]

http://www.hornady.com/store/243-Win-558gr-V-MAX-Superformance/

http://www.black-hills.com/bhg_calibers.php

http://www.black-hills.com/bhg_calibers.php

http://www.winchester.com/Products/rifle-ammunition/Advanced/Ballistic-Silvertip/Pages/SBST243.aspx

 

[K22]

I don't use factory ammo but I'd start with Federal Premium, 70 grain Nosler BT, available at Midway.

The problem you'll find with factory ammo is lack of consistency. Not a problem for big game hunting at normal hunting ranges but can be for varmint hunting especially at distances over 200 yards.

If you have a buddy, see if you can get him to load for you. I can give you some outstanding loads for the 243 for varmint hunting if you decide you can go that route.

 

[MildBill]

I have found the hornady factory custom ammo with the 75 grain hollow point to shoot extremely well in my 243's.

Also as kooky as it may sound I have also found the winchester silver box inexpensive stuff with the 80 grain bullet to shoot extremely well for factory ammo in one of my 243's

the federal loads with the nosler ballistic tips are pretty decent too.

the hunting shack brand stuff with the 75 grain v-max shot good, but not great for me

I did not have good luck with any remington brand factory ammo in my particular guns.

I have not been reloading metallic all that long, so do have experience with factory stuff.

 

[CPorter]

I have had good luck with the Winchester, Hornady and Federal premium ammo using the 55 & 70 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip, 58 gr V-max, and the Speer TNT out to 500 yards. Haven't shot further so can't say more.


BTW, Most of the factory ammo runs $20-$40 per box and if you can reload you can get better accuracy and costs go down. I load for ~$7 per 20 with80gr Nosler BTs.

 

[th82457]

I think the prior comments are good advice. For a 1:10 twist barrel, I would stay at an 80 grain or lighter bullet for best accuracy in general and for groundhogs that will work fine. You may want to start with some of the less expensive Federal and Winchester loads, some times these will outshoot the premium loads at a significantly lower cost. And keep your brass - just in case you decide to start reloading later - or find someone to load for you.

Good Luck !
Terry

 

[Minesweeper3433]

I haven't bought any factory ammo for the 243 but I do buy lots of it for my semi auto 308's that I shoot. My rifles all love the hornady match stuff whatever flavor as long as I don't go into odd bullets for my twists. I have shot federal GMM but it is more expensive than the hornady stuff and shoots just the same.

 

[WyleWD]

One common mistake that some make when picking multiple boxes of factory ammo to try in their rifle is choosing both moly coated and naked (uncoated) bullets, then shooting one right after the other without cleaning the bore first.

Second mistake, is trying to get all the 3 or 5 shot groups with each box done in less than half an hour to an hour. The barrel gets all hot and none shoot well or an otherwise good shooting ammo my be overlooked. Just my experience with this type of scenario. WD

 

[doc gordon]

federal fusion,a bullet very similar to swift sirocco in 95 gr. over a 100 none ran over 26 yds several in 350-375 yd range .accuracy best of factory i tried 5 shots 1" consistantly! just saw for grounds i',m sure a smaller bullet would be better.

 

[Dogbone]

Thanks guys! Together your comments give me lots to explore and experiment with once the gun and ammo arrive next week. I didn't think the Hornady 58 and 75 grain stuff was heavy enough for a 1 in 10 twist barrel, but based on some of your feedback I will make sure I try them also.

 

[Dogbone]

If you have a buddy, see if you can get him to load for you. I can give you some outstanding loads for the 243 for varmint hunting if you decide you can go that route.

Actually, I do have someone that has reloaded 45-70 for my Trapdoor. I could ask him and use the empty brass from the different ammo I will be trying. That is if he has the dyes for 243?

And not that your custom load for 243 would not work (I'm more than willing to try it), but based on a number of comments made here, even if you reload, a lot of experimentation is necessary to find the one that works the best in a given gun. I guess it would be another to try along with the factory stuff, but with lots of consistency built in?

Don't mean to minimize your time and effort in developing your 243 load. I'm very appreciative of your offer if you're still willing to share it with me!! ;D

 

[Dogbone]

One common mistake that some make when picking multiple boxes of factory ammo to try in their rifle is choosing both moly coated and naked (uncoated) bullets, then shooting one right after the other without cleaning the bore first.

Second mistake, is trying to get all the 3 or 5 shot groups with each box done in less than half an hour to an hour. The barrel gets all hot and none shoot well or an otherwise good shooting ammo my be overlooked. Just my experience with this type of scenario. WD

Excellent advice!!!

 

[Dogbone]

A couple of other thoughts that I'd like to hear your opinions on.

I was leaning toward the heavier bullets in the 80 to 95 grain range thinking that they would buck the wind better than the 58, 70 and 75 grain ones.

Will I be sacrificing both long range (300 to 500 or more) accuracy and energy by selecting a lighter bullet if they prove to work better in my gun, and could it be a significant amount?

Also, I've never used moly coated ammo. What if any concerns should I have and are there any special handling proceedures involved in using moly besides cleaning the rifle before using standard ammo? What about visa versa?

Thanks again for you input!!! You guys are great!!! 8)

 

[243winxb]

Federal Premium Vital-Shok Ammunition 243 Winchester 85 Grain Sierra GameKing Boat Tail Hollow Point is good factory ammo for anything from deer to woodchuck. Reload the same bullet with 42.0gr of IMR 4350-CCI BR2 primer. Prints about 1" in many rifles i tried it in.

 

[Dogbone]

Federal Premium Vital-Shok Ammunition 243 Winchester 85 Grain Sierra GameKing Boat Tail Hollow Point is good factory ammo for anything from deer to woodchuck. Reload the same bullet with 42.0gr of IMR 4350-CCI BR2 primer. Prints about 1" in many rifles i tried it in.

Thanks. That's one of the ones I've got on order. Glad I picked a good one!

 

[Nomad47]

Doug, I shot 58 gr moly bullets in a 243 wssm sporter with a 22" barrel - MV of just under 4000 fps. No problem getting out to 500 yards - IF it was a clam day.

A 10 twist will handle anything from 55 to 95 grains and all those weights can be accurate out to 500 yards, even beyond. But the heavier (high BC) bullets drift a lot less in the wind.

 

[Dogbone]

Doug, I shot 58 gr moly bullets in a 243 wssm sporter with a 22" barrel - MV of just under 4000 fps. No problem getting out to 500 yards - IF it was a clam day.

A 10 twist will handle anything from 55 to 95 grains and all those weights can be accurate out to 500 yards, even beyond. But the heavier (high BC) bullets drift a lot less in the wind.

With that in mind, would I be wrong to just go with the 95 grain bullet that works best and use it for all hunting distances or do I still need to test them all and pick the very best one even if it turns out to be a lighter bullet?

And if I do end up with a lighter bullet shooting best in my gun, what do I do if I want to use a heavier bullet because of a windy situation at longer distances?

Am I making a bigger deal of this than it should be?

 

[Nomad47]

If you were hand loading, I would recommend picking a bullet weight & working up a load for it. But since you are buying factory ammo, IMHO, you should choose the most accurate, regardless of weight UNLESS it is a thick skinned bullet intended for larger animals than groundhogs.

Yes, a lighter (lower BC) bullet will drift more in the wind, but how many times will you attempt a 500 yard shot on a windy day?

Assuming your intended use of the ammo is shooting groundhogs, I think choosing a bullet that humanely kills them is most important. (Avoid bullets that won't open up, just making a 6mm hole as they pass thru.) And next most important is accuracy. Drop is predictable and wind drift can be compensated for.