What is Excellent Achievable Accuracy from a Medium Weight .243 Win. with Handloads?

[South Pender]

I have a .243 Win. Wichita Classic rifle with medium-weight barrel (pics below). I have experimented with some good bullets—Nosler 70-gr. Ballistic Tips, Sierra 75-gr. HPFB, and some older 80-gr. Watson FB--with Re15, Re19, Re22, and IMR 4350 powders. My rifle has a 1 in 12” twist. My best load has been with the 80-gr. Watsons and IMR 4350--a load that gives me .50” 5-shot-group accuracy at 100 yards. This .50” is the average of about 7 or 8 consecutive 5-shot groups with this load and comprises groups running from .22” to .79”. I have experimented with bullet seating and have found the best with these loads is just touching the lands, but not jammed hard into the lands. I haven't been interested in hunting bullets for this rifle, just top-of-the-line accuracy bullets.

I haven’t shot the rifle for some time, but was planning to get it out and load some more for it. So I’m wondering whether I should expect to be able to improve on its best performance so far. I have some 68-gr. Bart’s and 68-gr. Watsons that I could try, but I’m curious as to whether it’s reasonable to expect better results or would it just be a waste of time? In other words, is there a sort of practical limit on what one can expect from a medium-weight .243 Win. with its fairly large case capacity for the 6mm. bore size?

What do you guys think?

 

[Bugs]

If that rifle shot three inch groups at 100 yards, I'd keep it around just so I could look at it once in awhile. . . . Just a gorgeous rifle!

 

[mike a]

I’ll bet those Barts and RE19 do well. You got to have some wind flags and a really good setup. Good rest, solid bench and really really pay attention to you gun handling. Try to get them off quick and smooth. Watch a YouTube video of a benchrest guy get 5 off. It’s amazing. Beautiful rifle!!!

 

[1lnbrdg]

IMR-4064, also a sleeper bullet would be the Speer TNT 70gr.

What twist barrel? If 1/10, I'd try the Sierra 95 MK.

 

[CJ6]

Try some 88 gr. Bergers.

 

[jelenko]

In response to your question - getting groups from .22 to .79 seems pretty good - the targets were all at 100 yards, yes?
The range of the groups does seem rather wide. On the .79 group, is there any question in your mind that all shots were executed the same? Rifle placement, your execution? Anything about your brass prep/reloading that might cause a flier?

 

[David Milisock]

I have a .243 Win. Wichita Classic rifle with medium-weight barrel (pics below). I have experimented with some good bullets—Nosler 70-gr. Ballistic Tips, Sierra 75-gr. HPFB, and some older 80-gr. Watson FB--with Re15, Re19, Re22, and IMR 4350 powders. My rifle has a 1 in 12” twist. My best load has been with the 80-gr. Watsons and IMR 4350--a load that gives me .50” 5-shot-group accuracy at 100 yards. This .50” is the average of about 7 or 8 consecutive 5-shot groups with this load and comprises groups running from .22” to .79”. I have experimented with bullet seating and have found the best with these loads is just touching the lands, but not jammed hard into the lands. I haven't been interested in hunting bullets for this rifle, just top-of-the-line accuracy bullets.

I haven’t shot the rifle for some time, but was planning to get it out and load some more for it. So I’m wondering whether I should expect to be able to improve on its best performance so far. I have some 68-gr. Bart’s and 68-gr. Watsons that I could try, but I’m curious as to whether it’s reasonable to expect better results or would it just be a waste of time? In other words, is there a sort of practical limit on what one can expect from a medium-weight .243 Win. with its fairly large case capacity for the 6mm. bore size?

What do you guys think?

Nice hunting rifle. Assuming that you've done all the obvious such as bedding, defouling and controlling your rate of fire. I would say that you're into what I call the shooter/reloader aspect of accuracy.

What I mean by that is your reloading technique and or equipment my not be repeating as well as needed. The same may be said for your shooting technique.

With all this said these groups are more than respectable, that's a fine rifle however I may have missed the velocities so I can't evaluate the energy of those loads.

I shoot a 700 Remington in 6MM Remington, it's a 65,000 PSI cartridge, I shoot a 75 grain VMAX at 3,900 FPS. This has been a solid repeatable field varmint load for decades. I don’t shoot 100 yard groups I shoot 300 yard groups, the rifle will print repeatable 1 1/16" groups at that range with that load if I do my part. That's the best comparison I can give you.

If Remington had half a brain when they released this as a 65,000 PSI case they would have called it the 6MM Remington Magnum, the hard of thinking would have loved it.

 

[South Pender]

Just a little more detail on the rifle and loads. The rifle is pillar-bedded, with the barrel free-floating. The Canjar trigger is adjusted down to about 10 oz. I have neck-turned the brass, but haven't weight-sorted it. I've used an L. E. Wilson bushing-type neck-resizing die and Wilson seater. One of the things I've wondered about (and started a thread recently about) is whether going to the Peterson .243 SRP (small primer) brass might improve accuracy.

As far as bench technique is concerned, I have good equipment--front rest and rear sandbag--but I'm definitely not the best shooter. It's possible my shooting technique is at least partly responsible for the larger groups.

 

[Gary in MD]

What scope and power are you using?
Sometimes a fixed power scope (that is proven reliable) of 24 or maybe 36 power could help you shrink groups. I wouldn’t use something that high for a hunting rifle though.
Also try the Sierra 70 grain hpbt match bullet.

 

[lawman29]

You have to be able to hold small to shoot small

 

[South Pender]

What scope and power are you using?

Bausch & Lomb 12-32.

This is not a hunting rifle. It's a single-shot. So apart from being just a fun rifle, I guess it would qualify as a varmint rig. With the 12-twist barrel, I'm pretty much restricted to bullets no heavier than 75 grains.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I'd stay in, the 60 to 75 grain weight, bullet size for the 1-12 twist and with the RIGHT Powder load / Bullet combo, you should be able to get groups in, the .2's and 3's in GOOD "conditions" as, my Tikka .243 Win., can do this with, 87 grain Berger, HVLD's and N-160 ( my #1 ONE, Load ) as most are, just sub 1/2 inch size at, 100 yds.
You will want, a FASTER Burn rate, Powder for those light weight, bullets,.. like, N-135 N-140 or N-150 !
Go to the VhitaVouri Data site online or, get a manual on their Powders sent to you and work up loads, carefully ! Might try, the #1515 80 grain Sierra's or Berger 80 gr. Flat bases, IF, wanting a heavier & longer bullet. The correct, size / weight, in Barts, Watson's or, Berger's, PLUS, the "right" VhitaVouri Powder, will get you THERE but,.. NOT,.. cheaply ! Do you have, a GOOD set of, Dies to get, the Cart / Bullet, "runout" down to LESS than, .001 or .002 ? Also heard lots of good things about the 70 grain SMK's and 70 Blitz Kings, accuracy wise, in the 12 Twist.
THAT's,.. a Beautiful, Rifle !

 

[South Pender]

I'd stay in, the 60 to 75 grain weight, bullet size for the 1-12 twist and with the RIGHT Powder load / Bullet combo, you should be able to get groups in, the .2's and 3's in GOOD "conditions" as, my Tikka .243 Win., can do this with, 87 grain Berger, HVLD's and N-160 ( my #1 ONE, Load ) as most are, just sub 1/2 inch size at, 100 yds.
You will want, a FASTER Burn rate, Powder for those light weight, bullets,.. like, N-135 N-140 or N-150 !
Go to the VhitaVouri Data site online or, get a manual on their Powders sent to you and work up loads, carefully ! Might try, the #1515 80 grain Sierra's or Berger 80 gr. Flat bases, IF, wanting a heavier & longer bullet. The correct, size / weight, in Barts, Watson's or, Berger's, PLUS, the "right" VhitaVouri Powder, will get you THERE but,.. NOT,.. cheaply ! Do you have, a GOOD set of, Dies to get, the Cart / Bullet, "runout" down to LESS than, .001 or .002 ? Also heard lots of good things about the 70 grain SMK's and 70 Blitz Kings, accuracy wise, in the 12 Twist.
THAT's,.. a Beautiful, Rifle !

I have 68-gr. Barts and 68-gr. Watsons and Lapua brass. I think the L.E. Wilson bushing neck-sizer and Wilson chamber-type seater are pretty good dies, and I don't think cartridge runout has been a problem. I might look into an L.E. Wilson bushing full-length die. Would I be better off with the full-length bushing die than continuing to use the bushing-type neck sizer?

Does anyone think that trying the Peterson .243 SRP brass would lead to improvement? Maybe I just need to work on becoming a better shooter!

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I'd, Neck size as long as, you can close, the Bolt fairly easily. Do you have a way of checking the "runout" ?
Yes, those 68 grainer's should be fine with, the right, "Burn Rate", Powder
Most of the really TIGHT Groups that are shot with, the 6 PPC and 6BR are using, the Vhit Powders and Match Primers. Good luck and keep us posted ! My next, fun Target / Varmint, Rifle build will be, a model 700 Short Action, in 6 XC with, a 1-12 Twist Brux on it shooting those, 60 to 75 weight, Bullets.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

My 2017 Vhit manual, shows using, both,.. N-135 and N-140 Powders for, the 58 grain, V-Max. in a .243 Win.,.
and for the 77 grain, Lapua Bullet. Might see IF you can find one of those Powders as, N-160 for, the 87 Berger's, .. "shoot's" great !

 

[CJ6]

Bausch & Lomb 12-32.

This is not a hunting rifle. It's a single-shot. So apart from being just a fun rifle, I guess it would qualify as a varmint rig. With the 12-twist barrel, I'm pretty much restricted to bullets no heavier than 75 grains.

You should be able to run the 87 V-Maxs and the 88 Berger in this. I do.

 

[lawman29]

Powder scale?

 

[South Pender]

Powder scale?

RCBS digital scale.

 

[Bojo]

Give the Sierra 85 gr game kings a shot. Or even 87 gr vmax.

 

[wbm]

If it will not shoot the 85gr Sierra HPBT with H4831 or 4350 it is probably cursed.