need help getting .243 under .5
- Thread starter mattri
- Start date
Rifle is bone stock, these are the first groupes fired.
Barrel is floated at the factory, good clearence all the way to the action.
Trigger isn't great but not horrible either.
Seating is tight to the lands.
Was going to try a heavier load, 42.5-43 grns and see what that would do.
Don't have any Varget, going to keep working with the IMR for now.
Barrel is floated at the factory, good clearence all the way to the action.
Trigger isn't great but not horrible either.
Seating is tight to the lands.
Was going to try a heavier load, 42.5-43 grns and see what that would do.
Don't have any Varget, going to keep working with the IMR for now.
Hey, you bought the best bargain in rifles!
And it shoots under a MOA!
After you piller bed it and skim bed it and replace the trigger with one from SSS, you will then have to do a ladder test to find the best load. I'll guess with 4350 it may be a lighter load than you are using. Then you will really be able to p*ss off your friends with expensive rifles (if you can't already!)!
And it shoots under a MOA!
After you piller bed it and skim bed it and replace the trigger with one from SSS, you will then have to do a ladder test to find the best load. I'll guess with 4350 it may be a lighter load than you are using. Then you will really be able to p*ss off your friends with expensive rifles (if you can't already!)!
Don't even mess with the gun yet. Try different charge weights first. You need a baseline to start with to determine the accuracy of your load your gun before you go changing things.
Its a brand new factory barrel and you've tried just one load. factory barrels usually need so many rounds down them to settle down. Chances of finding a decent load without doing proper load development is slim.
Guns are like women. If you learn to listen to what its telling you it will make you happy in the long run.
Just like a woman, you can bed it if you want. But if your not paying attention to the tune you won't be dancing very long.
Its a brand new factory barrel and you've tried just one load. factory barrels usually need so many rounds down them to settle down. Chances of finding a decent load without doing proper load development is slim.
Guns are like women. If you learn to listen to what its telling you it will make you happy in the long run.
Just like a woman, you can bed it if you want. But if your not paying attention to the tune you won't be dancing very long.
Your best bet will probably be to do a load development before doing anything else.
I agree with the poster above in that you bought the best bargain rifle, but it is still a bargain rifle. I used to have a 200 in .223, it needed a lot of help to shoot that well. The worst part is the trigger, mine was very rough and stiff. The first mod I would do to it is find a good competition trigger for it. Then I would bed it or swap the stock.
I agree with the poster above in that you bought the best bargain rifle, but it is still a bargain rifle. I used to have a 200 in .223, it needed a lot of help to shoot that well. The worst part is the trigger, mine was very rough and stiff. The first mod I would do to it is find a good competition trigger for it. Then I would bed it or swap the stock.
+ 1 on load development. Look into brass prep as well as different powders & charges. If you don't have a good rest front and rear then look into that too. Shoulder pressure should move the gun forward, if it moves the gun left & right or up & down (straight stock on bag) then you probably aren't addressing the rifle correctly. If I've done my math right moving the gun .001" changes the impact by ~.07"
A couple of questions that may (or may not) contribute to the discussion:
I'm assuming 100 yards or meters. How many shots? 3, 5, 10?
How did you arrive at the .5 standard? Other rifles that are doing that well or better for you? What are they? Solidity of bench, related equipment and techniques could easily spell the difference between .75 and .5
I'm assuming 100 yards or meters. How many shots? 3, 5, 10?
How did you arrive at the .5 standard? Other rifles that are doing that well or better for you? What are they? Solidity of bench, related equipment and techniques could easily spell the difference between .75 and .5
I picked .5 because it shot .75, 100 yards, rest is a one piece unit. The trigger deffinetely needs work, have looked at the options available for improving the stock unit and have decided on either a Rifle-Basix or Sharp Shooter Supply unit.
Human error and load development seem to be the two biggest factors at the moment.
Assuming your rifle has a 1-in-10" twist, 85 grain bullets should work fine. Recommend: Hornady brass, CCI 250 Magnum primers, 43.5 grains IMR 4350 or 44.0 grains Hodgdon H4350. I'm experimenting with Barnes 85 grain TSX bullets with CCI 250 primers and 45.0 grains of Hodgdon H414 powder @ 3330 fps result at 70 degrees at 700 feet altitude with super accuracy in a 24" bbl Rem 700. H414 powder seems designed expressly for .243 Winchester 62 to 85 grain applications. H4350 works well with 90 grain Swift Scirocco II bullets through 100 grain Speer Grand Slams. These are my findings from much chronographed experimentation. Cliffy
Yes, The use of a magnum primer can, not always, but can drastically change the pressure of a given load.
Its quite common to find a decent load with a standard primer then find worse accuracy with a magnum. Not to mention the pressure issue.
Does'nt mean the mag primer is less accurate. Just means you need to start over and find the new node for that primer.
Its always recommended to back down and start over whenever switching components. That goes double for mag primers.
Its quite common to find a decent load with a standard primer then find worse accuracy with a magnum. Not to mention the pressure issue.
Does'nt mean the mag primer is less accurate. Just means you need to start over and find the new node for that primer.
Its always recommended to back down and start over whenever switching components. That goes double for mag primers.
ok i have savages and i can tell you from doing it. if u piller and bed your rifle first you will see your factory groop get smaler.
so if you take the guns flaws out of the equation, then u will spend less time gussing what the load will do after u finde one that u think is the right one
its cheper to fix your gun first and your load second than vise versa
so if you take the guns flaws out of the equation, then u will spend less time gussing what the load will do after u finde one that u think is the right one
its cheper to fix your gun first and your load second than vise versa
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