Nosler BTs in 243 Win

[NRV]

I was wondering how the 55 gr Nosler BTs compare to the V-Maxes or Sierra BKs for shooting groundhogs at 300 yards or less most of the time. I have no complaints with the V-Maxes, I just came across the Noslers at a cheaper price, and wanted to know if they are comparable. I realize they may not be target bullets, but I can't see spending premium $$ on a whistle pig.

Michael

 

[RJinTexas]

My favorite prairie dog load for the.243 is: 55gr NBT - 43.5gr/IMR 4064 with CCI200 primers, this load chronographed right at 3750 fps out of a 26' barrel. Zeroed at 50yds it prints -2.5' low at 300yds and never rises above +2.0' in between, that's flat enough to shoot x-hairs out to 300yds before you need to start twisting turrets.

RJ

 

[NRV]

Thanks RJ. That's the confirmation I was hoping to hear.

Michael

 

[alf]

RJ,

Did you mean 250 yd. zero? Otherwise you'd need some more serious velocity for those numbers.

55 BT's do some amazing damage to prairie dogs including disintegration, hang time, parts redistribution, and vanishing acts.

Al

 

[2506]

I never did use any of the 55 BT's but did use the 70 BT's in a 243 Win I use to shoot groundhogs with. It would turn one inside out. I have never seen a Nosler ballistic tip that wasn't accurate.

 

[RJinTexas]

ALF, About five years ago I started zeroing most all of my varmint rifles at 50yds, that usually equates to the bullet falling back to the line of sight at 200 plus yards. On the load I listed above Quick Load / Quick Target shows it to be +1.3' @ 100yds / +1.8' @ 150 through 175yds which is at it's highest arc / +1.5' @ 200yds - coming back close to the path of the line of sight +0.2' @ 250yds and / -2.2' @ 300yds. Now you can see why a 50yd zero works very well for most fast flat shooting varmint rounds. I only need to start my trajectory data sheet at 300yds still based on a 50yd zero and click from 300yds on out. I do verify all this data by shoot out to 500yds which is as far as I've got access to shoot. I've been amazed at actually how close most of my loads run to QL's data. In fact a 50yd zero is also a 250yd zero for this particular load.

Regards
RJ

 

[alf]

All my prairie dog guns I run the Varmint Hunter reticles and zero them all at 200 and test to 500 also. It doesn't matter that they don't coincide at 3,4,and 500 yards depending on the caliber, just that you know where they do shoot. I've yet to see a dog sitting on a yardage marker.

Al

 

[gmorganal]

My son has a VLS with a 26-inch barrel, and we use H414 powder in an amount I won't disclose here. The chrono reads 4,100 FPS with the 55 grain Nosler B-tip. We have had a lucky shot at 650 yards, but this combo is deadly to 500 yards. Note also with the 9 1/8 twist the Nosler holds together while the Hornady 58 grain disintegrates.

 

[RJinTexas]

gmorganal, Either your chrono is defective and is giving you extremely high readings or you and your son have been very lucky you haven't blown your 243 up in some ones face. Here's what I backing my statement on. my Quick Load / Quick Target software shows the following.

NBT 55GR load at OAL 2.710 only gives you 0.109 of bullet shank seating depth so seating it any shallower and you wouldn't have enough neck to provide decent bullet run out.

Next to push a NBT55gr bullet 4100fps in a .243 using H414 you would need 53.4 gr of powder and you would have a compressed load as that equates to a 104.3% case fill. BUT THE WORST THING WOULD BE THAT YOU WOULD BE WAY OVER PRESSURE, YES CLOSE TO 18,000PSI OVER AS 53.4gr - H414 = 78,204 PSI TO REACH 4100 FPS.

Please don't take this wrong I'm not trying to be a smart ass or a know-it-all. It's just when I see something that dangerous out there I'm compelled to warn you.

Man you and your son only have TWO EYE'S I'd like to see ya keep them!!!!

Quick Load shows the following as max load:
NBT55GR @ OAL 2.710
49.5GR - H414 = 59204 PSI @ 3798 FPS out of a 26' barrel

Hope this help!!!
RJ

 

[gmorganal]

35 years of reloading and 2,000 rounds on this particular rifle and an Ohler P35 says your Quickload figures are faulty. Also, we're not using that much powder.

 

[AckleymanII]

If you love the 55's in a 243, then get some Win 760 or H414, you will hit extreme accuracy in the upper end of the powder charge which will be in the 3900+ fps area.

 

[Vermin]

I'd have to question the Quick Load finding too. 50+ grains of H414 & 55 Noslers have been my go-to load for many years in many 243s. Heck even Nosler #5 manual says H414 is their prefered powder for the 55 Nosler in the 243 with 52.5 grains being a max load, a droptube is need to get the powder to base of neck. I prefer to stay @ 51.5, have yet to have a prairie dog complain it was too slow!