For those with a 243

[OptimaAndy]

What ammo are you using? Just bought some core-lokt today in 100 grain and gonna get her sighted in this weekend.

Yotes here i come :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

[n8dawg6]

weeeel, i reload for mine . steyr prohunter. i have been using exclusively 100 g. bullets with mine. i have used remington bulk softpoints, sierra prohunters, hornady spirepoints. when i push the velocity up to 3000 fps, i get wide groups. when i drop it back to 2800 fps, i get really good, sub 1" groups at 100 yds. i assume its due to the twist of the barrel being optimized for lighter weight bullets.

my plan when i bought the rifle was for deer hunting. if you read enough, you'll see most folks claiming that the .243 is a "marginal" caliber for whitetail deer as-is. so i have been hesitant to shoot one with my slightly-reduced velocity 100 g. bullet load. now my latest wild hair is to load some 85 g. barnes tsx bullets at a rather hot speed (3100-3200 fps) and see if they will print good groups like the slower 100 g. bullets. the premium bullets purportedly have better performance on whitetails.

i suspect though ... if i made a well-placed shot w/ the standard 100 g. spirepoint w/in 150 yds or so, even at the reduced 2800 fps muzzle velocity, the deer would be deader than a doornail.

 

[coal hollow]

federal vital shock loaded with 70 gr nosler ballistic tips shoot great out of my .243. They're my coyote poison

 

[Spitpatch]

Andy...
You will never be sorry once you start reloading. If you don't .....start.
That is the best way to achieve the best results both you and your rifle are capable of.
If you really want to know about the .243 go to 6mmbenchrest.com and find the .243 tab on the left of the screen.
This site has been invaluable to me.

You will be shootin bug holes in no time.

 

[choc-dog]

N8dawg6,

For "cup an core" bullets, performance is generally better below 2800 FPS and above it.

I shoot the 100 gr Barnes TSX and TTSX in the 25-06...prepared to be impressed. Thism spring I am going to try the Barnes 80 Gr. TTSX in my 250-3000.

Chocdog

 

[bluedog]

Sierra

100 grain Game Kings work great on Whitetails!

 

[OptimaAndy]

got sighted in. federal 100 grain power shoks produce a sub moa group. I can cover the 3 shot group with the tip of my thumb.
I am very happy with this barrel

 

[n8dawg6]

i have now worked up some loads with the 85 g. tsx in mine. i get sub-1" groups using h4895 at 2 g. below max. its working fine, but im thinking that i will stick with the standard 100 g. softpoints for most of my shooting ... they're just a lot cheaper.

its a great caliber. i could shoot it at the range all day. wouldn't mind having a heavy-barrel rifle in this caliber.

 

[Mountainam]

If you reload or have a friend that can reload for you,give Hodgdon Hybrid 100V a try. It works as advertised and will give you an additional 100 fps. You can nearly duplicate 6mm Rem velocities. That's as long as the 6mm is not using the Hybrid 100V also. I shoot it in my 6mm and get 3300+ with a 95 gr Nosler/Winchester Combined technology bullet. Reloading for your .243 really opens the door to a lot more options than does the off the shelf stuff. Also, cost wise you can usually load up to 5 boxes for what you can buy 1 box. Try it, you'll like it!

 

[wayles]

.243

Hi
I reload 85 grain siarra HPBT for my daughter's winchester model 70 featherlight rem. 6mm and she has no trouble killing big deer in NE with it. The .243 is plenty of gun if you choose. Like others said learn to reload if you are inclined . You can really get the best accuracy out of your gun.
wayles

 

[frontier gander]

andy, is that the bergara .243?

 

[oregonelkhunter]

Barnes 85gr. TSX in front of 44.1gr of IMR 4831 powder, CCI 200 primer in Weatherly Mark V 243 Win., 3332 fps. - capable of 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards.

Deadly on Blacktail deer.

Got to love those Barnes bullets. OEH

 

[OptimaAndy]

andy, is that the bergara .243?

yup, sure is.

 

[wayles]

243.

Andy
You must have got a good one to shoot factory that well. You must be a pretty good operater. That's nice shootin with factory ammo. I would have probably never started reloadin if my guns had shot that well with factory. Now that I have started reloadin. I'm glad I did. I'm not shootin that much now, but the first couple of years as I developed loads for all my guns I was shootin 1500 rounds a year. I believe it made me a better shot. Now that its done I probably shoot only about 200 rounds a year not countin MuzzleLoadin.
congrats
wayles