What .243 ammo you swear by?

[Ngdonut]

I appreciate all of the feedback. My goal is to stay on the heavier side in terms of 6mm bullets because of the higher BC's.

Are Berger bullets always difficult to find or is it just this time of year (hunting season)?

 

[Yeah]

Why the hate for sierra. For the most part, gameking sierra's have pretty good reputation. Plus they are reasonable affordable and obtainable. Do you have some evidence???

At this point reputation is all Sierra has and evidence of that quickly becomes clear to anyone who shoots them into game side by side with a modern bullet. Compared to the competition they offer some combination of sporting excess bearing surface, having an unfavorable BC, shedding weight like a frangible, and usually seal the deal by being more expensive.

 

[spaniel]

87gr Vmax is a good, forgiving bullet that is usually easy to work up. If you want to hunt deer though I'd try something a bit tougher. Your twist MAY not be enough to stabilize the 105 Amax, but that is my bullet in a 1:8 twist.

Once you start talking about "long range", reloading becomes near-mandatory. Unless you get really, really lucky with factory ammo.

 

[45fan]

At this point reputation is all Sierra has and evidence of that quickly becomes clear to anyone who shoots them into game side by side with a modern bullet. Compared to the competition they offer some combination of sporting excess bearing surface, having an unfavorable BC, shedding weight like a frangible, and usually seal the deal by being more expensive.

I would agree with you as far as on game performance, and the vast number of more modern designs that will hold up better when pushed through large game, or heavy bone.
As far as a solid performer on paper, Sierra has a long standing reputation as a good bullet for target, and has many dead chucks, yotes, and prairie dogs to its name. Even so far as white tail deer, and other not so large game, their bullets (assuming you go with the right type for the game you are after) will still do a decent job.

I have shot quite a few different brands, and while I have had a few brands that give good results, Sierra has always been a go to for a base line accuracy test with new rifles.

 

[trailrider]

I'm currently working up a 95gr nosler. Couldn't get the 105 amax to stabilize in my gun 1:10 twist. Spaniel, what kind of gun do you have?

 

[Yeah]

I'm currently working up a 95gr nosler. Couldn't get the 105 amax to stabilize in my gun 1:10 twist. Spaniel, what kind of gun do you have?

True 1:10s won't do 105 AMax but 105 BTHP is a go.

 

[Ngdonut]

True 1:10s won't do 105 AMax but 105 BTHP is a go.

When I use the jbm stabilization calculator, it shows that the hornady 105 BTHP has only a marginal stabilization even in a 9.125" twist rate (unless I only shoot in July and August where the temp may help me). The length of the bullet seems too long and would appear to do much better in a 8" twist. Otherwise this would be a no brainer for my 700 because the bc (g1) is well over 0.5.

Please correct me on this if you know something I don't.

 

[Ngdonut]

It has been about a year since I started this thread and have yet to start handloading for 243. I have gotten a lot of practice reloading 45 ACP and started reloading 45 Colt as well. I finally think I am going to get started in the 243 handling game for my Remington 700.

A lot of guys have mentioned the 87 gr Vmax and I will probably get these to start as they are readily available and affordable.

I keep reading a lot of differing opinions on here and other forums about the hornady 105 gr Amax and the Hornady 105 gr HPBT and whether or not they will actually stabilize in a 9.125 twist barrel. The BCs on those two have me drooling, but it seems like such a toss up on whether my rifle will stabilize or not. Are either of these worth trying or just stick with the 80 to 100 gr range?

 

[Sniper 79]

Start out in the 80-100 grn range and get a feel for loading and how your rifle shoots. Get a little experience with those first then kick it up a notch with some higher end bullets, tuning up brass, match primers, and stuff.

Rifle has to be up to snuff also. Accuracy is a combination of things. Barrel, trigger, scope, stock, nut behind the steering wheel. Catch my drift?

 

[dugsagun]

80g barnes ttsx , win brass, cci primer , 45.0g rl-17, 2.600" oal. 3400fps out of my 24" barreled savage 16. Went easily through a doe quartering to me at 176 yards, never took a step. :-)

 

[IndyDave1776]

Yotes are biased though.

Does that work anything like burglars favoring 'gun control'?

 

[Broom_jm]

It has been about a year since I started this thread and have yet to start handloading for 243. I have gotten a lot of practice reloading 45 ACP and started reloading 45 Colt as well. I finally think I am going to get started in the 243 handling game for my Remington 700.

A lot of guys have mentioned the 87 gr Vmax and I will probably get these to start as they are readily available and affordable.

I keep reading a lot of differing opinions on here and other forums about the hornady 105 gr Amax and the Hornady 105 gr HPBT and whether or not they will actually stabilize in a 9.125 twist barrel. The BCs on those two have me drooling, but it seems like such a toss up on whether my rifle will stabilize or not. Are either of these worth trying or just stick with the 80 to 100 gr range?

I'm curious about a couple of things:

1) What are you shooting with your 243? Just paper or steel? Is that why you're mostly interested in the longer, heavier bullets, with higher BC's?

2) If you're "drooling" over certain bullets and want to see how they shoot, how come you haven't started handloading yet? Loading 45 ACP and 45 Colt is fine, but it's not like you're going to shoot 1" groups with those at 200 yards, like you can with a good 243 load.

Time to prep some cases and buy some bullets!

 

[Yeah]

I keep reading a lot of differing opinions on here and other forums about the hornady 105 gr Amax and the Hornady 105 gr HPBT and whether or not they will actually stabilize in a 9.125 twist barrel.

They are spectacular and 9.125" will handle them easily. They crush paper and flesh with unflinching reliability, such that dabbling in inferior wares is a fool's errand.

 

[Ngdonut]

Someone had mentioned posting a picture, so here it is. Nothing too fancy. Just a Factory Remington 700 sps Varmint with a Bell and Carlson stock and a SWFA SS 10x scope.

 

[Ngdonut]

I'm curious about a couple of things:

1) What are you shooting with your 243? Just paper or steel? Is that why you're mostly interested in the longer, heavier bullets, with higher BC's?

2) If you're "drooling" over certain bullets and want to see how they shoot, how come you haven't started handloading yet? Loading 45 ACP and 45 Colt is fine, but it's not like you're going to shoot 1" groups with those at 200 yards, like you can with a good 243 load.

Time to prep some cases and buy some bullets!

For now, just shooting paper and steel. I haven't started handloading for .243 just yet because I don't get to shoot the rifle as often as I would like. I am a member at Highsmith in Greenfield and can shoot handguns as often as I like, which is why my reloading has been pistol calibers up until now.

I have saved 120 pieces of Hornady .243 brass over the past year or so, which should at least get me started in the brass category. Now just trying to Figure out a good bullet to try.


YEAH seems convinced that my barrel twist will handle the Hornady 105 gr. Every ballistics calculator I have tried says stability is marginal at best unless I am shooting in the mountains or somewhere at high elevation (not in Indiana). Have you had experience with these bullets in a 9.125 twist barrel?

 

[sgreen3]

I cant speak to the Remington twist rate but in my current 243 and past 243 Savage rifle with the 1:9.25 twist anything over about 85gr would not group very well at all. I've found my best performance, handloads included to be in the 60-80gr range. Best results I've gotten have came from a 65gr Vmax over 38gr of Varget. Ive currently been playing with the 70gr SMK and have had some very nice results. I've got a box of 80gr Bergers Im waiting to try out as well. If your not currently handloading, go to the biggest outdoor store you have available ie dicks, bass pro or whatever an lay down about $100 or bucks and buy 4 or 5 boxes of various weights. Try some 50gr all the way up to 100 and just see what happens.

 

[Icemancometh]

Have had great success with Federal 100gr sp.

 

[Broom_jm]

For now, just shooting paper and steel. I haven't started handloading for .243 just yet because I don't get to shoot the rifle as often as I would like. I am a member at Highsmith in Greenfield and can shoot handguns as often as I like, which is why my reloading has been pistol calibers up until now.

I have saved 120 pieces of Hornady .243 brass over the past year or so, which should at least get me started in the brass category. Now just trying to Figure out a good bullet to try.


YEAH seems convinced that my barrel twist will handle the Hornady 105 gr. Every ballistics calculator I have tried says stability is marginal at best unless I am shooting in the mountains or somewhere at high elevation (not in Indiana). Have you had experience with these bullets in a 9.125 twist barrel?

YEAH is "convinced" of a lot of things. His tendency to express himself in absolutes makes some of his advice valuable, but all of it suspect. The only true statement he could possibly make about the 105gr Hornady bullets is that they "may" stabilize in your 1:9.25" 243 barrel. Also, his passionate dismissal of Sierra bullets, which are still widely used for competition, is out of line; for your purposes, Sierra bullets may very well be ideal.

I've been reloading 243 rifles for deer and varmints for close to 30 years, starting when I was 17. I've also created reduced recoil loads, using H4895 and 85gr Partition bullets, that my daughter has used to harvest a doe with, each of the last two years. During that process, I learned that the H&R barrel I have will not stabilize the standard, cup-n-core 100gr bullets that I use in my dad's M700 rifle. I also learned how bullets that are right on the edge of being stable may need to be driven hard, to obtain the velocity needed to stabilize.

A highly respected riflesmith, and accomplished long-range shooter, recommended the 85gr Sierra Gameking bullet as a great choice for all-around shooting. These bullets are typically very accurate, so they work for varmint hunting, but are also tough enough to get the job done on deer-sized game. Since I already had 58gr V-Max bullets for varmints, and couldn't locate the SGKs, I went with the Partition bullet.

It's important to understand that the LENGTH of the bullet has a lot more to do with how well it will stabilize in a given twist rate barrel than the actual bullet weight. The bottom line is this: Your barrel may shoot a certain bullet well, but you won't know until you get out there and try them. With that said, you can bet on more consistent results with the shorter length bullets.

Good luck and let us know how you do.

 

[Ngdonut]

I shot this 3 shot group a few months ago at 100 yards using factory Hornady Whitetail ammo which uses the 100 gr Interlock BTSP. My typical 3 shot group that day with that factory ammo was around .75 to 1 MOA which I am happy with.

This leads me to believe that maybe the Sierra 100 gr Spitzer BT or the Speer 100 gr Spitzer BT may work well also since they are almost the exact same length as the Hornady 100 gr. I may add these to my potential bullet list as well as the 85 gr SGK's that Broom mentioned and the Hornady 87 gr vmax that others have mentioned.

I wouldn't mind buying the Hornady interlocks for handloading except I wasn't really planning on crimping my rounds.

 

[halfmileharry]

Sierra GameKing Bullets 243 Cal 6mm (243 Diameter) 85 Grain Hollow

This is the last ammo I loaded and I've been very happy with it. Again I'm using the old stand by 4064. The powder is my rifle's favorite meal. It's a pencil barrel for hunting and not a heavy barrel for punching shot on top of shot for paper. Take the time and keep the barrel cool and it will shoot beyond most expectations.