Thread: .243 powder & projectiles starting point ?

Starting my adventure in loading for .243 and would like to hear what folk suggest as far as suitable powders and projectiles are concerned. 1:9 twist barrel. Would like to develop a light load for longish varmint stuff (around 60'ish grain pills if that's possible ?) and a load for 90gr - 100gr soft nosed pills for deer.

I know the 58gr vmax fizzes along nicely.

I used the Targex 95gr for everything. It ran about 3000fps and killed really well with reasonable placement.
Can’t remember if it was 2209 or 2208 but it worked really well..

I did a fair bit of V-Max testing in Aussie for fox shooting. The 58gr was a little too light, the 87gr a little too heavy, the 75gr was bang on. It was the right weight for the best compromise between speed, drops and windage. Didn't try the 65gr, not sure that was even available then. I imagine that with the faster 1:9" twist, the slightly heavier varmint bullets would be better.

There was a really obvious difference in windage holds between the 58gr and the 75gr, and at 300-400m it was the difference between a hit and a miss in the fickle outback winds. The 75gr just held its trajectory a little bit better.

Deadly bullet, the 75gr V-Max. Extremely explosive.

Im using 2209 and sierra hp pills out of the 2 243s ive had so far they didnt like 100gr stuff current load is one on top of the other in a savage

I use 87g vmax with 40g of 2209
Could go hotter and faster but this shoots 3/4" groups from a factory barrel rem 700 in a boyds stock

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65gn Vmax and 100gn Corelokts if you want to run two loads, otherwise hornady 87gn with W760

75gr Sierra HP, then you can try them in your 6x45 later when you get around to making it

I used the 95 Targex on everything including Tahr for years. Then changed to the 85 Interbonds for deer which were primo but hardly worth the extra expense. 2209 seems the best go-to powder but I used n550 for the extra velocity it gave.

The Targex perform very similar to Bergers.

Also a few lads were pretty impressed with the 85gr Sierra hpbt but I never got round to it. The 87 vmax worked well for me on goat sized game out to 450 yds and it got there in a hurry.
If you’re after Reds though I would look at something a bit more stout but the 87 vmax great for varmints and a head/neck shot deer.

Originally Posted by Tahr

I used the 95 Targex on everything including Tahr for years. Then changed to the 85 Interbonds for deer which were primo but hardly worth the extra expense. 2209 seems the best go-to powder but I used n550 for the extra velocity it gave.

The Targex perform very similar to Bergers.

They’re a rebated Berger aren’t they? Well priced too from Bryn.

Originally Posted by Mathias

75gr Sierra HP, then you can try them in your 6x45 later when you get around to making it

Lots of great ideas re pills and a consensus on powder - I should be able to work something out with that lot. I just could not bring myself to undo the A1 in the end so bought a Savage LWH model 11 in .243 which I think will be a suitable platform for the 6x45. I've not had a play with it yet other than a quick inspection. Needs a suppressor up front to give it a little bit of front end weight. Feels nice though with a wood stock and black action and barrel. Will need to make it fit me with a cheek piece but apart from that and bedding the action it should be all go

2209 and 85 gr Sierra GameKing and Lapua cases (don"t drop and loose them them as they seem to last for ever)

Tried many combinations since the late seventies, that"s what I ended up with best bang for the buck for me.

2217 is good with the heavier pills as an option.

I run H414 / W760 in my 243 for mid range projectiles. In my case 75 and 87 gr. Have shot fallow, red and a Tahr with the berger 87 gr vld. The Sierra Gameking 85 gr HPBT is a very popular bullet as well.
I used to use W780 and now RL26 for heavies 105/108 gr.
Z

43,5gr 2209 and 85gr sierra hpbt