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powder for the 243 cal.?

lonewolf5347

I have 2 243 cal. one gun loves Noslers BT 95 @ Hornady 100 gr.HPBT grain powder of choice IMR4350 40.9
The same gun will tack drive sierras 85 gr. HPBT seem to favor IMR 3031
My other 243 cal. seem to shoot the Noslers 95 gr.BT excellent : Hates the Hornady 100 gr.again loaded with IMR 4350.
I was thinking in trying a new powder
1st>choice IMR4064
2st> " H4350
any pro or cons on powder
 
Don't know about pros or cons but my .243 loves IMR 4064 with any bullet I load. Not saying all bullets shoot well but they all shoot the best with IMR 4064. 22" barrel 9.25 twist. Good luck, Matt.
 
Regarding 100 grain premium bullets, about 43.4 grains of Hodgdon H4350 powder should put one at the MAX velocity regarding .243 Winnie-Pooh prowess. IMR 4350 powder burns faster than H4350, so be aware of this fact: drop back about .4 grains to duplicate H4350 performance. Faster means more instant pressure within one's barrel. I prefer slightly slower pressure build-up, but that's just me, regarding .243 Winchester power. Cliffy
 
Check the Hodgdon site for load data.I have had good results with H4831SC,H414,and WW760,out of my 243,and also the AI loads,after fireforming.
 
I have good results with IMR4350 with 95 and 105 grainers, but with the lighter 80's I use h4831. I also use RL25 with DTAC 115gr. I use wolf and FGMM primers with about equal results.
 
My 243 likes the 4064, but the 4064 is awful coarse and doesn't always drop consistent weights (at least for me it doesn't). So I'd recommend that you have your scale set up right and weigh each charge if you're using 4064, and especially if you are going to try to shoot near max loads.

I went the easier route and found that N-550, WW760, either of the 4350's, and R-17 got more consistent drop weights and equal if not better performance. Just my experience with it. WD
 
Try a compressed load of IMR 4831 with Federal 210M primers. Also try seating the bullets into the lands at least .005"
 
Scale-weighing each powder load hurts nothing, and gives a warm-fuzzy feeling of security and consistant accuracy. With some discretion, I use Alliant RL-15 powder up to 80 grain fare. From 85 to 100 grain, I prefer Hodgdon H4350, and with 105 grainers from Speer, Alliant RL-22 is my powder of choice. Powder burn-rates are truly important factors regarding developing top-performing loads. Thus far, I've not blown my head off, and intend to keep it that way. No "Tricks" are involved regarding handloading. However, one learns as one gains experience. The powders I've listed work well for my Remington 700 with 24" barrel. Always crimp your bullets. Cliffy
 
I like to ask if this is a hot load,I seem to split a case about 1/2" from the base to day at the range.
IMR 4064 36.4
hornady 100 gr, SPBT
coal 2.710
My action will close on the same bullet at 2.755
I still was about 45 tho off the land to build excess pressure pimer were good flat but still in side the brass not pushed out.
I shoot the same bullet same set up with IMR 4350 40.9 no problems here I wonder if IMR 4064 was near max or the brass was reloading one to many times I think about 15 reloads
 
IMR4064 is close in burn-rate to RL-15 which I am more familiar with in .243 Winchester application. Both should work fine up to 90 grain bullet weights. Fifteen reloads may be your problem regarding split brass. At this amount of reloads, I would suggest trashing the brass or annealing it and hoping for one more shot or being thankful it went so many rounds without splitting. What brass allowed you fifteen reloads before splitting? I toss my brass after TEN reloads. Cliffy
 
p.s. Lonewolf, for 100 grain bullets try Hodgdon H4350 or Alliant RL-19 or even RL-22. The fifteen times reloading cycle scares me, but slower-burning powders with 100 grain fare may be easier on the brass. I use Hornady brass which is very reworkable, but I never tried fifteen cycles. I recommend you don't either. Cliffy
 
"I seem to split a case about 1/2" up from the base". Sounds like a typical head case seperation, not uncommon with that many reloads on 243 brass, especially if your chamber headspace may be longer then the headspace length on your loaded rounds. Other then making certain you're not pushing back the shoulders of the brass when resizing, not much you can do about head case seperation. See pages 48 & 49 in the 49 th edition of the Lyman Reloading Handbook for an excellent description and causes of head case seperation. See page 31 for experts opinion on crimping. Annealing the case necks would have nothing to do with your case head problem----- it's on the "wrong" end of the cartridge case, and in fact if the case head were annealed the results would not be pretty. ;)
 
Another "Cliffyism" regarding crimping: crimping sets the projectile firmly into position to prevent set-back within a cartridge within a magazine, allows some slight pressure build-up before bullet release, and prevents a primer's power from moving a bullet FORWARD before the powder charge takes over. If one only fires one round with nothing in the magazine, maybe crimping is not essential, but crimping hurts NOTHING according to my experience, and MIGHT add to accuracy every time. My crimped .223 Remington 36 grain Barnes Varmint Grenades apparently appreciate being crimped, since I just put ten rounds into one hole today at "the range." Cliffy
 
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