new to .243 where to start?

[mattri]

Just bought my first .243, 22" sporter barrel with a 9.25 twist.

From what I've read this should shoot 55grn bullets up to the 105grns, is this correct?

Which powders should I be looking at, 4350, Varget, others?

Have a deer rifle so this will be for targets and light varmints.

Looking for accuracy more than anything else. Thanks, Matt

 

[CPorter]

It may or may not shoot 105 gr. AMax bullets well. The length of the bullet is at the margin of stability for a 9.25 twist.

55gr - 90gr bullets will probably shoot best. 100 gr round nose and spitzer will shoot ok too.

Powders- I use IMR 4831 & 4350 for 70 gr bullets, IMR 3031 for 80 grain bullets. I've tried H414, Win 760, Varget, T2208 and others. Just about anything that get you a 85% case fill or better will work ok. Some will shoot dirty, H414 and 55 gr bullets for instance, and some will burn completely well before the bullet exits like the IMR 3031 and the 80 gr Ballistic tips.

For accuracy try the 80gr ballistic tips or the 87 gr AMax & IMR 3031 or H4831SC

 

[Klong]

My 1 in 10 twist shoots well with IMR 4064 and 90 gr Bergers.

 

[shootsanything]

my 1:10 twist shoots 80gr Bergers and 43gr of H4350 - and I have measured a .187 group at 200 yards. Go .2gr above or below and the groups fall apart - IN MY GUN. Cliffy will shout at this comment but the .243 is a beast to find a working load, but once you do it is great.

Also had super sucess with 87gr Sierra GK and 58gr V-max kill Pdogs out to 600yards with no problem.

 

[mattri]

Thanks for the replies. Just picked up some IMR4350 and a box of Sierra HPBT 85s. These were all I could find locally so that's what I'll start with.

 

[fdshuster]

If you've not already done so, check-out the "243 info page" on this site, listed on the home page. A lot of excellent information there. The 85 gr. Sierra HPBT (#1530) is one of my most accurate varmint class bullets, proven in a 6mm22-250, several 243's and 6BR's. The 75 gr. Sierra #1510 is another favorite. So many choices of excellent bullets in 6mm.

 

[trentalan34]

All of my 243's shoot the 70 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip very well. It is devastating on varmints, and has a pretty decent BC.

 

[1000yardstare]

My .243 Savage M11 (22, 9.25) is consistently sub-moa with the 85 gr Sierra hpbt using IMR 4350.

The Sierra 75 gr hp has given me sub-moa groups at 300 metres prefering faster powders such as RL15.

Smallest groups in my rifle averaging 1/2 moa is with the 95 gr Hornady SST. Seems to prefer IMR 4831 but try it with 4350. Should give good results.

Two years ago I shot F Class with a Savage 12FV (26, 9.25). Very accurate out to 1000 yards with the 105 AMax. Used a compressed load of RL25.

 

[thomas]

when i look for primers is the .243 a small, medium or large round ?

and when i look a cabela`s am i looking for a 6mm cal with a .243 diameter ?

 

[CPorter]

thomas,
First thing for you to get is a reloading manual. It tells you all that information and other stuff that might keep you from blowing up your gun & getting hurt. Read the section in front that explains how to reload.

The .243 uses large rifle primers and 6mm/.243 caliber bullets

 

[thomas]

thanks i was just after the info not worried about the manual i`ve researched the other stuff hadn`t seen anywhere about the two questions i asked ...and again thanks cleared that right up

 

[cliffy]

Hodgdon H4350 powder is where to start and likely where to finish: velocity and accuracywise. 70 grain premium bullets for larger varmints and 100 grain premium bullets for deer-sized critters. 90 grain Swift Scirocco II bullets for antelope way-out there. 85 grain Barnes TSX stuff: I'm still learning about at 300 yards. H4350 seems made exclusively with a .243 Winchester in mind, as the best of the best, yet H4350 works in MANY other applications. Cliffy