.243 Winchester load data

kirbymagnum · July 3, 2007, 09:47 PM

Hi, I'm plaing to use some Nosler 95 Grain partition bullets for deer hunting. What powder would you recommend? I was thinking about using Varget. My manual lists a load of Varget using a Spitz-Sp 90 Grain at 34-38 grains if I used the 95 partition would 33-37 grains be safe?

I have a bunch of random 243 brass ( Mostly Winchester) should I just buy brand new brass because the brass is from different lots?

crowbeaner · July 3, 2007, 10:21 PM

I just tried some 100 gr. Hornady BTSPs over 44.0 of IMR 7828 [long grain] and they went into 3/4 inch at 100. No sign of pressure at all. The guide lists 46.0 of the SSC 7828 as max. It also says that 46.0 of the long grain will not fit, but it will with a little compression at least in the WW cases I used. Try it you'll like it. I sure do.

Linear Thinker · July 3, 2007, 10:45 PM

Kirby - Varget is a great universal powder, but it might be a bit too fast for 243. I use H4350 in 243, with good results.

But, as you live in Alberta, you probably have a special set of concerns if you hunt in the winter. Varget is supposed to perform well in cold temperatures, unlike many other powders. Perhaps Varget is the best choice for you.

Don't worry too much about different brands of brass - the deer won't care either. Unlike military brass, I found 243 to be pretty uniform across the major brass makers.
But, if you load at or near the maximum, be careful. I would segregate the brass by maker at that point. You need to eliminate or minimize the variables at max loads.
Good luck,
LT

Shoney · July 4, 2007, 05:18 AM

I've had good luck with IMR 4831, RL19, and RL22.

I have not used it but it may be worth checking out the new Super Short Cut powders, IMR 4007SSC and IMR 7828SSC.

kirbymagnum · July 4, 2007, 03:10 PM

I wanted to try Varget because it seems versatile for my use. As Linear Thinker mentioned it may be good for winter hunting here in Alberta and also I was looking in my reloading manual and it says Varget is good for lighter bullets 55-90 grain, which my summer shooting will consist of lighter bullets ranging from 55-75 grain. As all of you mentioned Varget is a little fast so I will also try IMR 4891. What primers do you recommend for load on the hot side?

What do you use to get the black residue out of the primer pocket?

What is every ones favorit bullet for deer hunting? How about for varmints?

Thanks for all of the help

crowbeaner · July 4, 2007, 06:48 PM

Never heard of 4891. 4895? Use a primer pocket brush mfg. by RCBS to clean the carbon out of the pocket. Varget is the first powder that Hodgdon offered in the Extreme extruded line. It is supposed to be well accepted as far as insensitivity to hot and cold temps. The 4350s and the 4831s are well suited to the .243. Don't overlook WW 760. We shot a 1/2 inch 3 shot group on Sat. at 100 yds. 87 gr. Hornady SP, 40.0 WW 760, RP 91/2, and Federal case.

kirbymagnum · July 4, 2007, 08:52 PM

The 4891 should be IMR 4831.

Smokey Joe · July 5, 2007, 12:55 PM

Kirbymagnum--Call me an old traditionalist, but when I was researching loads to use for my son's then-new .243, IMR 4350 was referred to as THE powder to start with for the .243 Win. So I started with it.

The results were so good, as to consistency and accuracy, that I've never experimented with any other powder for that cartridge.

We loaded 95 grain Partitions for him to hunt deer with. They just worked, that's all, so that's all he ever used. We did study deer anatomy, and he was good enough to place his shots, and prepared to pass on iffy shots.

Currently I'm shooting a .243 for accuracy in a rather informal benchrest league. The big difference from the hunting loads is that I'm using Nos. Ballistic Tips, 95 grain, rather than the Partitions. If the Ballistic Tips weren't working so well I'd think about switching to Sierra Matchkings, but as they say, if it ain't broke don't fix it. The league is half over with; I've got a hammerlock on second place.

For hunting accuracy you can use various manufacturers' cases. For target shooting you want all one brand, and weigh them and separate by weight and all that fancy stuff. So I'm currently using a nice set of Lapua cases, but that would definitely NOT impress the deer.

Shoney · July 5, 2007, 04:09 PM

Smokey Joe:

When I bought several thousand Lapua cases, it impressed my "Dear", but in the negative like "They cost how much???????"

WIN71 · July 5, 2007, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Don't overlook WW 760.

I've been using it in both the 243 and 22-250 for almost 30 years with excellent results.

OKEE · July 16, 2007, 11:07 PM

My most accurate load is 243 Ruger 77 mk11
Sierra 70 gr. smk's
IMR 4064 42.0 grains
3541 FPS
10 shot group .5 @ 100 yds.

Smokey Joe · July 16, 2007, 11:31 PM

So, Okee, not to hijack the thread, but,

Quote:

243 Ruger 77 mk11

how do you like it? Including the trigger?

I'm shooting informal benchrest with a Ruger M77 MkII Target. It is good but not great, IMHO.

Steve Morgan · July 17, 2007, 02:45 PM

Hodgdon's reloading site says:

.243 winchester with 95 gr. bullet and Varget powder

starting load 33 grains maximum load 36 grains.

So, you are right on the money with your guess.

Scorch · July 17, 2007, 03:31 PM

I had a 243 I reloaded for a few years. My favorite powder to load was H450 (no longer available), but H4350 and WW 760 (another favorite of mine) also worked beautifully.

You made a good choice in your bullet for deer, you will have a hard time finding a better bullet than the Nosler Partition. For varminting I used the Hornady 87 gr BTHP for its wind resistance and flat trajectory.

earshot · July 17, 2007, 05:00 PM

scorch too bad you are so far from mi i've got an untapped pound of h450.
i just started reloading for the 243, and i started with imr4350 about 43 grs.
the first time out it was a good grouping load with 100 gr remington sptzers.
since,i got a good buy on a box of sierra 100 gr. and i'll give them a try also.

good luck, dan

UniversalFrost · July 17, 2007, 05:32 PM

This is a load I like to use on northern Whitetails with a custom 98 mauser in .243 (I am originally from south dakota where the deer are huge compared to the bambi's down south). This load has take many a deer.

Sierra 85g BTHP.
38.0 grains of IMR 4895.
primer CCI BR#2 or large rifle
brass Remington, Winchester, federal
Seating depth 2.650"

originally got this load from http://m1ashooter.tripod.com/id12.html which also has an excellent 308 load for the M1A..

kirbymagnum · July 17, 2007, 09:58 PM

Thanks for the help.

Can you set the primer to deep? How do you know when it is deep enough? Does it make a big difference in accuracy if the primers are a little off? I'm using the RCBS hand primer

crowbeaner · July 17, 2007, 10:15 PM

One of the best and most effective improvements you can make to your ammo is to cut the primer pockets to a uniform depth with a Lyman primer pocket tool. You only have to do it once, and the cases are set. This way there is no question of the primer not being deep enough as all will seat to the same depth. It is a very effective way to improve your load's overall performance and with the hand priming tool, you will know when the primer hits the bottom of the pocket. The tool runs about $15, and I do ALL of my rifle cases that I use. The next step is to uniform the flash holes after trimming to insure the same size flash to each powder charge. Tool is about $15 also. Try Midsouth Shooters Supply. They have a little better prices than Midway. Enjoy. CB

UniversalFrost · July 18, 2007, 10:15 AM

I agree with crowbeaner that uniforming the primer pockets and then deburring the flash hole is a big step that most people foreget to do. Unlike crowbeaner I use an RCBS uniformer tool and the RCBS flash hole debur tool with the collet you can use as a stop on the case mouth. I love Lyman products, but the primer pocket uniformer falls way short of their normal quality porducts. I have owned several and all have had the hole in the handle drilled off center and the actual tool itself would eventually spin in the handle.

Napahunter · July 18, 2007, 07:22 PM

I only load Varget for my .243. I use a 70gr. HPBT with 41 gr. of varget. At 100 yrds i get a clover leaf pattern, good enough for me.

flashhole · July 18, 2007, 07:49 PM

I like H4831, IMR 7828, and Retumbo for my 243 loads. The Retumbo does best with 105 grain bullets but is also suitable for 100 grainers too.

crowbeaner · July 18, 2007, 10:54 PM

Universal Frost I took an old Hoppes pistol rod and cut off a piece about an inch long. I then screw the cutter into the piece and chuck the insert into my cordless drill (variable speed). Sure takes the arthritis pain out of doing a bunch of cases. As long as I set the RPM around 200 the cutter works just fine. I agree about the wood handles- I currently have four in my collection. From the large and small primer pocket uniformers, the flash hole deburrer, and the primer pocket crimp remover (large). If I ever buy a .223 I'll have another from the small crimp remover! CB

Smokey Joe · July 19, 2007, 03:15 PM

Crowbeaner--Inventive of you to make a powered crimp remover!

But somebody has already taken care of that! Lyman puts out a "Power Deburr Accessory Kit", p/n 7999050, that includes an inside neck chamferer, outside neck chamferer, small & large primer pocket cleaners, small & large primer crimp reamers, and several neck brushes which fit into supplied sockets. All are hexagonal units which fit neatly into the socket on my power screwdriver.

Got it from Midway I think, but any of the big mail-order reloading places will have it probably.

When I'm prepping cases, I just select the appropriate tool, drop it into socket on screwdriver, hold case in one hand and screwdriver in the other, and zing away at the cases--It goes slick!

And since I could buy it, I didn't have to invent it. This set and a Lee Zip Trim for case length trimming have REALLY speeded up my case prep work.

And case prep is the most putzy, and least satisfying aspect of reloading, IMHO.

dgc940 · July 19, 2007, 07:57 PM

Hey Ive got a idea! load some up with varget and see how they shoot!
But I agree with others 4350 4831 4064 and 4895 are much better choices.

crowbeaner · July 19, 2007, 08:44 PM

That combo you detailed sounds nice there Smokey Joe; too bad I bought all those prep tools years ago before Lyman saw fit to make the kit. Guess it's a good thing I got them when I did- what with prices going up the way they are. And you are absolutely right- case prep IS drudgery but I consider it one of the necessary evils one encounters in life. I guess I'll take a look at the Midway catalog when it gets here and see if there are any neat improvements SWMBO will allow me to order. Have to justify things with the CFO when you live on a disability income. Enjoy. CB

July 3, 2007, 09:47 PM	#1
kirbymagnum Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2005 Location: Alberta Posts: 410	.243 Winchester load data Hi, I'm plaing to use some Nosler 95 Grain partition bullets for deer hunting. What powder would you recommend? I was thinking about using Varget. My manual lists a load of Varget using a Spitz-Sp 90 Grain at 34-38 grains if I used the 95 partition would 33-37 grains be safe? I have a bunch of random 243 brass ( Mostly Winchester) should I just buy brand new brass because the brass is from different lots?

July 4, 2007, 05:18 AM	#4
Shoney Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2002 Location: Transplanted from Montana Posts: 2,311	I've had good luck with IMR 4831, RL19, and RL22. I have not used it but it may be worth checking out the new Super Short Cut powders, IMR 4007SSC and IMR 7828SSC. __________________ I pledge allegiance to the Flag - - -, and to the Republic for which it stands….Our Forefathers were brilliant for giving us a Republic, not a democracy! Do you know the difference??? and WHY?http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissue...les.asp?id=111

July 5, 2007, 12:55 PM	#8
Smokey Joe Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2001 Location: State of Confusion Posts: 2,010	.243 loads Kirbymagnum--Call me an old traditionalist, but when I was researching loads to use for my son's then-new .243, IMR 4350 was referred to as THE powder to start with for the .243 Win. So I started with it. The results were so good, as to consistency and accuracy, that I've never experimented with any other powder for that cartridge. We loaded 95 grain Partitions for him to hunt deer with. They just worked, that's all, so that's all he ever used. We did study deer anatomy, and he was good enough to place his shots, and prepared to pass on iffy shots. Currently I'm shooting a .243 for accuracy in a rather informal benchrest league. The big difference from the hunting loads is that I'm using Nos. Ballistic Tips, 95 grain, rather than the Partitions. If the Ballistic Tips weren't working so well I'd think about switching to Sierra Matchkings, but as they say, if it ain't broke don't fix it. The league is half over with; I've got a hammerlock on second place. For hunting accuracy you can use various manufacturers' cases. For target shooting you want all one brand, and weigh them and separate by weight and all that fancy stuff. So I'm currently using a nice set of Lapua cases, but that would definitely NOT impress the deer. __________________ God Bless America --Smokey Joe Last edited by Smokey Joe; July 5, 2007 at 12:55 PM. Reason: Clumsy wording.

July 5, 2007, 04:09 PM	#9
Shoney Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2002 Location: Transplanted from Montana Posts: 2,311	Smokey Joe: When I bought several thousand Lapua cases, it impressed my "Dear", but in the negative like "They cost how much???????" __________________ I pledge allegiance to the Flag - - -, and to the Republic for which it stands….Our Forefathers were brilliant for giving us a Republic, not a democracy! Do you know the difference??? and WHY?http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissue...les.asp?id=111

July 17, 2007, 03:31 PM	#14
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 11,113	I had a 243 I reloaded for a few years. My favorite powder to load was H450 (no longer available), but H4350 and WW 760 (another favorite of mine) also worked beautifully. You made a good choice in your bullet for deer, you will have a hard time finding a better bullet than the Nosler Partition. For varminting I used the Hornady 87 gr BTHP for its wind resistance and flat trajectory. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services Taylor Machine

July 3, 2007, 10:21 PM	#2
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,934	I just tried some 100 gr. Hornady BTSPs over 44.0 of IMR 7828 [long grain] and they went into 3/4 inch at 100. No sign of pressure at all. The guide lists 46.0 of the SSC 7828 as max. It also says that 46.0 of the long grain will not fit, but it will with a little compression at least in the WW cases I used. Try it you'll like it. I sure do.

July 3, 2007, 10:45 PM	#3
Linear Thinker Senior Member Join Date: February 10, 2007 Location: Blue State, NE US Posts: 202	Kirby - Varget is a great universal powder, but it might be a bit too fast for 243. I use H4350 in 243, with good results. But, as you live in Alberta, you probably have a special set of concerns if you hunt in the winter. Varget is supposed to perform well in cold temperatures, unlike many other powders. Perhaps Varget is the best choice for you. Don't worry too much about different brands of brass - the deer won't care either. Unlike military brass, I found 243 to be pretty uniform across the major brass makers. But, if you load at or near the maximum, be careful. I would segregate the brass by maker at that point. You need to eliminate or minimize the variables at max loads. Good luck, LT

July 4, 2007, 03:10 PM	#5
kirbymagnum Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2005 Location: Alberta Posts: 410	I wanted to try Varget because it seems versatile for my use. As Linear Thinker mentioned it may be good for winter hunting here in Alberta and also I was looking in my reloading manual and it says Varget is good for lighter bullets 55-90 grain, which my summer shooting will consist of lighter bullets ranging from 55-75 grain. As all of you mentioned Varget is a little fast so I will also try IMR 4891. What primers do you recommend for load on the hot side? What do you use to get the black residue out of the primer pocket? What is every ones favorit bullet for deer hunting? How about for varmints? Thanks for all of the help

July 4, 2007, 06:48 PM	#6
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,934	Never heard of 4891. 4895? Use a primer pocket brush mfg. by RCBS to clean the carbon out of the pocket. Varget is the first powder that Hodgdon offered in the Extreme extruded line. It is supposed to be well accepted as far as insensitivity to hot and cold temps. The 4350s and the 4831s are well suited to the .243. Don't overlook WW 760. We shot a 1/2 inch 3 shot group on Sat. at 100 yds. 87 gr. Hornady SP, 40.0 WW 760, RP 91/2, and Federal case.

July 4, 2007, 08:52 PM	#7
kirbymagnum Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2005 Location: Alberta Posts: 410	The 4891 should be IMR 4831.

July 16, 2007, 11:07 PM	#11
OKEE Junior Member Join Date: May 8, 2007 Posts: 4	My most accurate load is 243 Ruger 77 mk11 Sierra 70 gr. smk's IMR 4064 42.0 grains 3541 FPS 10 shot group .5 @ 100 yds.

July 17, 2007, 02:45 PM	#13
Steve Morgan Member Join Date: April 29, 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 35	Hodgdon's reloading site says: .243 winchester with 95 gr. bullet and Varget powder starting load 33 grains maximum load 36 grains. So, you are right on the money with your guess.

July 17, 2007, 05:00 PM	#15
earshot Member Join Date: June 8, 2007 Location: s.e. mi. Posts: 66	243 scorch too bad you are so far from mi i've got an untapped pound of h450. i just started reloading for the 243, and i started with imr4350 about 43 grs. the first time out it was a good grouping load with 100 gr remington sptzers. since,i got a good buy on a box of sierra 100 gr. and i'll give them a try also. good luck, dan

July 17, 2007, 05:32 PM	#16
UniversalFrost Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,297	This is a load I like to use on northern Whitetails with a custom 98 mauser in .243 (I am originally from south dakota where the deer are huge compared to the bambi's down south). This load has take many a deer. Sierra 85g BTHP. 38.0 grains of IMR 4895. primer CCI BR#2 or large rifle brass Remington, Winchester, federal Seating depth 2.650" originally got this load from http://m1ashooter.tripod.com/id12.html which also has an excellent 308 load for the M1A.. __________________ Lifetime member VFW and NRA "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (when all else fails play dead) -Red Green

July 17, 2007, 09:58 PM	#17
kirbymagnum Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2005 Location: Alberta Posts: 410	Thanks for the help. Can you set the primer to deep? How do you know when it is deep enough? Does it make a big difference in accuracy if the primers are a little off? I'm using the RCBS hand primer

July 17, 2007, 10:15 PM	#18
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,934	One of the best and most effective improvements you can make to your ammo is to cut the primer pockets to a uniform depth with a Lyman primer pocket tool. You only have to do it once, and the cases are set. This way there is no question of the primer not being deep enough as all will seat to the same depth. It is a very effective way to improve your load's overall performance and with the hand priming tool, you will know when the primer hits the bottom of the pocket. The tool runs about $15, and I do ALL of my rifle cases that I use. The next step is to uniform the flash holes after trimming to insure the same size flash to each powder charge. Tool is about $15 also. Try Midsouth Shooters Supply. They have a little better prices than Midway. Enjoy. CB

July 18, 2007, 10:15 AM	#19
UniversalFrost Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,297	I agree with crowbeaner that uniforming the primer pockets and then deburring the flash hole is a big step that most people foreget to do. Unlike crowbeaner I use an RCBS uniformer tool and the RCBS flash hole debur tool with the collet you can use as a stop on the case mouth. I love Lyman products, but the primer pocket uniformer falls way short of their normal quality porducts. I have owned several and all have had the hole in the handle drilled off center and the actual tool itself would eventually spin in the handle. __________________ Lifetime member VFW and NRA "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (when all else fails play dead) -Red Green

July 18, 2007, 07:22 PM	#20
Napahunter Junior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Napa,CA Posts: 10	I only load Varget for my .243. I use a 70gr. HPBT with 41 gr. of varget. At 100 yrds i get a clover leaf pattern, good enough for me.

July 18, 2007, 07:49 PM	#21
flashhole Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2005 Location: Owego, NY Posts: 1,110	I like H4831, IMR 7828, and Retumbo for my 243 loads. The Retumbo does best with 105 grain bullets but is also suitable for 100 grainers too. __________________ Gun control is hitting what you aim at..

July 18, 2007, 10:54 PM	#22
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,934	Universal Frost I took an old Hoppes pistol rod and cut off a piece about an inch long. I then screw the cutter into the piece and chuck the insert into my cordless drill (variable speed). Sure takes the arthritis pain out of doing a bunch of cases. As long as I set the RPM around 200 the cutter works just fine. I agree about the wood handles- I currently have four in my collection. From the large and small primer pocket uniformers, the flash hole deburrer, and the primer pocket crimp remover (large). If I ever buy a .223 I'll have another from the small crimp remover! CB

July 19, 2007, 03:15 PM	#23
Smokey Joe Senior Member Join Date: July 14, 2001 Location: State of Confusion Posts: 2,010	Neat, but no need! Crowbeaner--Inventive of you to make a powered crimp remover! But somebody has already taken care of that! Lyman puts out a "Power Deburr Accessory Kit", p/n 7999050, that includes an inside neck chamferer, outside neck chamferer, small & large primer pocket cleaners, small & large primer crimp reamers, and several neck brushes which fit into supplied sockets. All are hexagonal units which fit neatly into the socket on my power screwdriver. Got it from Midway I think, but any of the big mail-order reloading places will have it probably. When I'm prepping cases, I just select the appropriate tool, drop it into socket on screwdriver, hold case in one hand and screwdriver in the other, and zing away at the cases--It goes slick! And since I could buy it, I didn't have to invent it. This set and a Lee Zip Trim for case length trimming have REALLY speeded up my case prep work. And case prep is the most putzy, and least satisfying aspect of reloading, IMHO. __________________ God Bless America --Smokey Joe

July 19, 2007, 07:57 PM	#24
dgc940 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2005 Location: Graham Texas Posts: 258	Hey Ive got a idea! load some up with varget and see how they shoot! But I agree with others 4350 4831 4064 and 4895 are much better choices. __________________ Some people say what they think! Some say what they know! Then there's those that think they know what they are saying!

July 19, 2007, 08:44 PM	#25
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,934	That combo you detailed sounds nice there Smokey Joe; too bad I bought all those prep tools years ago before Lyman saw fit to make the kit. Guess it's a good thing I got them when I did- what with prices going up the way they are. And you are absolutely right- case prep IS drudgery but I consider it one of the necessary evils one encounters in life. I guess I'll take a look at the Midway catalog when it gets here and see if there are any neat improvements SWMBO will allow me to order. Have to justify things with the CFO when you live on a disability income. Enjoy. CB