loading 243 ?

[telephone]

I heard reloading the 243 is the hardest cal. to load. What are the best dies and powder for this cal. ?

[Mike Irwin]

First time I've ever heard that.

I've put together a couple hundred rounds of .243 over the years, mainly using RCBS dies, Winchester cases, Federal primers, Hornaday bullets, and IMR 4064.

Some of my loads regularly turned in half-inch groups at 100 yards.

[telephone]

Mike, what bullet do you use (weight) and how much powder?

[Ruger # 1]

The .243 is no harder to load than any other round. I've had excellent results using Hodgdon H-414 w/ all bullet weights. If you need specific data for a certain bullet weight, I'd be happy to get it to you.

[Mike Irwin]

Telephone,

I'm still looking for my old loading notes for the .243. They're somewhere in one of the boxes in my pig sty of a basement.

Probably under my copies of Jugs. Powder Jugs, that is, the loading magazine for the sensual reloader. Oh, wait, my bad, that Mike Dillon's Blue Press...

[WIN71]

I don't know how they get started. I started loading for a Rem. 700 varmiter in 1976 or 77, or somewhere in there ,and got a good deal on ww760 powder. Bought 12 pounds and figured it would last a life time. Ran out about 4 years ago, that's somewhere around 2000 loadings. I never had a problem, infact the 243 is fairly forgiving and shoots well with a number of different powders. Over the years I've stayed with Sierra 60 gr. HP and 70 gr HPBT match bullets. Reason ? You guessed it, got a good deal on them too!!!

[Zekewolf]

Start "hearing" from better sources!

[telephone]

Thanks for all the replays, what to guys think of the 223 compared to the 243. I reload several rev cal. so I not new to reloading, I never loaded any rifle loads and wondered what the cost per load for the 243 and 223 ?

[Coltdriver]

Telephone,

I have read that many .243's are a little extra sensitive about the loads you shoot with them. I have one and have done some reloading for it but was reloading for an antelope hunting round so I did not create a lot of them to get what was acceptable to me.

.243 is no harder to load than .223 but it will surprise you to put 40 something grains of powder in that case

I started reloading with .223 and thought it a good place to start because with most powders you are either filling or close to filling the case.

I just reloaded my first .38 revolver ammo last week and boy did I go to some trouble not to double charge anything!

With a max load for .223 being 28 grains (a compressed charge) your powder sure goes further.

From a varmint perspective the point blank range on a .223 is about 235 yards, on the .243 its around 265 yards. I am into smaller and faster so am sticking with my .223 for varminting, until that is I finally can afford a barrel for my encore in .204!

If you are thinking about buying a rifle to reload for do take a good look at the .204. Its parent cartridge is the .222 Remington Magnum which means it is an overgrown .223 cartridge. Still stingy with the powder but you can get over 4000 fps with a .32 grain pill and not burn your barrel up in 500 rounds.

[drinks]

In my experience, the .243 is much more flexable than any .22, the 55 , 60 and 70 gr bullets are often loaded at or very near 4000 fps.
I load 80 gr at 3300 and 100gr at 3000 fps with no problems, actually, .3" groups at 50 yds, I also load 92gr cast gas check bullets at 1500 to 2300fps and get less than 1/2" groups at 50 yds with them, sort of a super 25-20, great for plinking and smaller varmints.
I use a Rem. 788 I bought new in '68 for, ta da, $88, the list price at that time.
Don

[CaptainRazor]

I think you have been misinformed, .243 is pretty easy to load for IMHO. It's just really hard to screw it up.

I've used everything from 60gr Hp's to over 100 grain bullets, I'll share a few loads that I have on hand for some 80gr Soft Points.

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

Here's my Favorite:

Sierra 80 gr. SP
Remington Large Rifle Primers
38.5 grains Hogden H-380

Next up:

Sierra 80 gr. SP
CCI LRP
45.5 grains Hogden H-414

These work great out of my Remington Mod 788 with a 22' Free floated barrel.
Your mileage may vary.
And I paid a lot more than $88 for mine in 1992.

[Mike Irwin]

Telephone,

Use this information at your own risk! I accept no liability for any issues or incidents that arise from the use of data developed in my rifle using my loading procedures.

This information is going on 20 years old now, so use at your own risk!

Bullet: Hornady 100 gr. flat base spire point

Case: Winchester

Primer: Federal Large Rifle

Powder: IMR 4064

Powder charge: 37.7 grains

This is, IIRC, in the upper half of what loading manuals were recommending at that time, but certainly not a hot rod.

It was also a load that would hold a half inch in my .243 all day long. I've got numerous groups recorded that are sub half-inch, the best being .427.

IMR 4064, at least when it was made by Du Pont, was an excellent choice for just about any cartridge in this class. I've had good results with it in .300 Savage, .30-06, 6.5 Arisaka, and .243.

4320 is another good choice, but I switched to 4064 when, and I can't remember why, 4320 became very very hard to get in the early 1980s for about a year. IIRC something about a production line problem at Du Pont.

These days, I'd try some of the ReLoder powders, as well as some of the Accurate Arms offerings.

[Big Yac]

anyone ever try IMR 4895 in the .243? I have some 86gr HPBT bullets and was gonna try this powder in there. The guy from Sierra told me it should make a nice load. Whats a good .243 powder?

[Mike Irwin]

I tried 4895 in my .30-06, but the accuracy was pretty spotty, so I never went anywhere else with it.

[arthurrh]

nosler 80gr spitzer
varget 38.0 - very nice load. 1/2 minute of angle in my sporter barrel.
4064 38.0 - good but not as good as varget in my gun.

nosler 55 grain varget 41.5 - amazingly good, only tried short range

Nosler 95 grain bt varget 33.0 - decent

Hornady 75 grain V-max win760 45.0grains about same accuracy as the varget 38.0 with the Nosler 80gr.


FYI, reloads vary from gun to gun, be careful, YMMV.
My gun is a Reminton 700 with 22" sporter barrel with a 1-9" twist.
All loads are R&P brass, Remington 9 1/2 primers

[drinks]

I did some last week, 80gr Speer Spitzer, IMR 4064, 35gr gave 2800+- and 3/8" at 50yds, 37gr gave 3000+- and .25" at 50 yds.
I do not try for max loads, I prefer a comfortable load that is as accurate as possible.
I also did some cast 90grgc, 24gr IMR 4198 gave 2300+- and a 5/8" group at 50 yds, sort of a super .25-20.
Don

[CaptainRazor]

anyone ever try IMR 4895 in the .243? I have some 86gr HPBT bullets and was gonna try this powder in there. The guy from Sierra told me it should make a nice load. Whats a good .243 powder?

I have tried IMR 4895 in my .243, it was okay, but my favorite flavor is H-380.

You might have some luck with IMR 4895, to be honest, I never really worked with it for the .243, it looked like it had some real potential.
I used to get some really good loads for 30-30 Winchester with IMR 4895.

[Art Eatman]

If you have some 3031 lying around:

I've gotten excellent accuracy with the Hornady 70-grain spire point ahead of 40.0 grains of 3031. SFAIK this is a max load, and you oughta work up from maybeso 38.0 grains.

Same for the Sierra 85-grain HPBT ahead of 37.5 grains of 3031. Same caveat. I've gotten lazy and use this load exclusively. I've killed over 20 deer with it--mostly neck shots--and a fair number of coyotes.

It definitely ruins coyotes.

, Art