243 Win loads

Six Pack · April 6, 2019, 08:15 AM

About to start working up a load for my daughters M70 Featherweight with the 90g Nosler Accubond. Anybody using this bullet or had experience with it? What loads are you using?

T. O'Heir · April 6, 2019, 01:22 PM

Been using IMR4350 for a Speer 90 grain FMJ bullet for eons. Doesn't matter who made the thing or it's construction. You load by the weight. And you must work up the load for your rifle and your daughter must sight the thing in, not you.
Winchester uses 1 in 10 rifling twist in their barrels. Bit slow(mines a 1 in 9.125), but still rifled for deer weight bullets. Most .243 barrels are rifled for deer weight bullets. Even heavy varmint barrels.

Chaparral · April 6, 2019, 02:36 PM

I have 2 different loads for 2 different .243s I have.

1)Sako 75 III - .243 – IMR 4831 – 39.5 gr – 2.710 COAL – Berger Classic Hunter 95 grain

2)Savage LRP .243 – RL 15 - 36.0 gr – 2.640 COAL – Hornady 87 gr Vmax

Both of these loads will shoot a 3 shot group where all holes will touch. Not sure what they will do in your particular rifle.

std7mag · April 6, 2019, 09:41 PM

For hecks sake!!!
Don't listen to T.O.!!!
Bullet construction DOES matter!

Six Pack,
For an almost purely hunting rifle, powders from 4350 and slower should do you well. Possibly something in the RL19, or 4831 speed would be a good speed for that bullet weight, and barrel length.
My wife had a Rossi R243 (24" heavy barrel) that loved 100gr Sierra GameKings over a charge of RL26.

I know the Featherweight is way lighter, and i don't know how recoil sensitive your daughter is.

RL15 is beloved by bench shooters, as is Varget. And there's not a darn thing wrong with that! Just for hunting i prefer a little more velocity.

Colorado Redneck · April 6, 2019, 09:50 PM

H4350 provides good velocity and accuracy with the 90 gr. Accubond in my rifle. I used data from the Hodgdon website. My load is nearly a full grain less than Hodgdon's max. I haven't used this load on game yet.

Six Pack · April 6, 2019, 10:27 PM

Thanks all for your comments. It looks like I should narrow things down to IMR or H4350 and possibly the 4831's. The rifle is a tack driver with the 85g Barnes over 45.8g of Hunter but I'm not getting the accuracy I expect with the Accubond using that powder. I'm also hearing a lot about RL16. Has anyone tried that one yet?

I've used Accubonds on 4 white tails, an impala, a blackbuck, an axis, and a cow elk with my 270 Win. I also used them to take an Aoudad with my 338 Lapua. Most performed as expected with pass throughs. HOWEVER, I hit one of the deer in the shoulder quartering toward me and, while the animal stumbled and fell, it did not pass through and only a few fragments were recovered. The Aoudad took two 225g 338's Behind the shoulder at about 325yards and neither past through. These two incidents are what's driving my question about the 90g Accubond in the 243. Are they stout enough?

ReloadKy · April 7, 2019, 05:15 AM

This may or may not help but I have loaded a 95 gr Hornady SST with R19 and IMR 4831 and the accuracy has been superb. My wife used the R19 to drop a buck in his tracks last fall.

std7mag · April 7, 2019, 08:48 AM

Six Pack,
It may not be the powder, but the bullet.
Many people love the Accubond, and many people don't.
I could never get Accubonds to group well for me.
Tried different powders, different seating depths, crimp, no crimp.
Sucks cause i bought several boxes trying to get them to work.

Haven't had issues with any other bullet, including Berger VLD Hunting.

Try the Barnes, and Ballistic Tip over the Hunter.

As for RL16, tried it in my 7mm-08AI, 30-06, 280Rem, 250 Savage, 284 Win.
Used the last little bit i had to fertilize the lawn. Not buying again.
Small cases,(308 family and simular) are way too compressed for my liking.
Bigger cases (06' family and simular) i didn't like the recoil impulse.
Instead of the "push" from my 280 Rem, had a much sharper/harder kick. I didn't want to finish out my load development even.

April 6, 2019, 08:15 AM	#1
Six Pack Member Join Date: May 7, 2016 Posts: 37	243 Win loads About to start working up a load for my daughters M70 Featherweight with the 90g Nosler Accubond. Anybody using this bullet or had experience with it? What loads are you using?

April 6, 2019, 01:22 PM	#2
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Been using IMR4350 for a Speer 90 grain FMJ bullet for eons. Doesn't matter who made the thing or it's construction. You load by the weight. And you must work up the load for your rifle and your daughter must sight the thing in, not you. Winchester uses 1 in 10 rifling twist in their barrels. Bit slow(mines a 1 in 9.125), but still rifled for deer weight bullets. Most .243 barrels are rifled for deer weight bullets. Even heavy varmint barrels. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

April 6, 2019, 09:41 PM	#4
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	For hecks sake!!! Don't listen to T.O.!!! Bullet construction DOES matter! Six Pack, For an almost purely hunting rifle, powders from 4350 and slower should do you well. Possibly something in the RL19, or 4831 speed would be a good speed for that bullet weight, and barrel length. My wife had a Rossi R243 (24" heavy barrel) that loved 100gr Sierra GameKings over a charge of RL26. I know the Featherweight is way lighter, and i don't know how recoil sensitive your daughter is. RL15 is beloved by bench shooters, as is Varget. And there's not a darn thing wrong with that! Just for hunting i prefer a little more velocity. __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope...

April 7, 2019, 08:48 AM	#8
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	Six Pack, It may not be the powder, but the bullet. Many people love the Accubond, and many people don't. I could never get Accubonds to group well for me. Tried different powders, different seating depths, crimp, no crimp. Sucks cause i bought several boxes trying to get them to work. Haven't had issues with any other bullet, including Berger VLD Hunting. Try the Barnes, and Ballistic Tip over the Hunter. As for RL16, tried it in my 7mm-08AI, 30-06, 280Rem, 250 Savage, 284 Win. Used the last little bit i had to fertilize the lawn. Not buying again. Small cases,(308 family and simular) are way too compressed for my liking. Bigger cases (06' family and simular) i didn't like the recoil impulse. Instead of the "push" from my 280 Rem, had a much sharper/harder kick. I didn't want to finish out my load development even. __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope... Last edited by std7mag; April 7, 2019 at 08:58 AM.

April 6, 2019, 02:36 PM	#3
Chaparral Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2018 Posts: 264	I have 2 different loads for 2 different .243s I have. 1)Sako 75 III - .243 – IMR 4831 – 39.5 gr – 2.710 COAL – Berger Classic Hunter 95 grain 2)Savage LRP .243 – RL 15 - 36.0 gr – 2.640 COAL – Hornady 87 gr Vmax Both of these loads will shoot a 3 shot group where all holes will touch. Not sure what they will do in your particular rifle.

April 6, 2019, 09:50 PM	#5
Colorado Redneck Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Location: Northeast Colorado Posts: 1,993	H4350 provides good velocity and accuracy with the 90 gr. Accubond in my rifle. I used data from the Hodgdon website. My load is nearly a full grain less than Hodgdon's max. I haven't used this load on game yet.

April 6, 2019, 10:27 PM	#6
Six Pack Member Join Date: May 7, 2016 Posts: 37	Thanks all for your comments. It looks like I should narrow things down to IMR or H4350 and possibly the 4831's. The rifle is a tack driver with the 85g Barnes over 45.8g of Hunter but I'm not getting the accuracy I expect with the Accubond using that powder. I'm also hearing a lot about RL16. Has anyone tried that one yet? I've used Accubonds on 4 white tails, an impala, a blackbuck, an axis, and a cow elk with my 270 Win. I also used them to take an Aoudad with my 338 Lapua. Most performed as expected with pass throughs. HOWEVER, I hit one of the deer in the shoulder quartering toward me and, while the animal stumbled and fell, it did not pass through and only a few fragments were recovered. The Aoudad took two 225g 338's Behind the shoulder at about 325yards and neither past through. These two incidents are what's driving my question about the 90g Accubond in the 243. Are they stout enough?

April 7, 2019, 05:15 AM	#7
ReloadKy Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2018 Posts: 191	This may or may not help but I have loaded a 95 gr Hornady SST with R19 and IMR 4831 and the accuracy has been superb. My wife used the R19 to drop a buck in his tracks last fall.