Best .243 cartridge

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Deerhunter264

New member
I am looking for a good deer load. I am going to reload so tell me if u have ne good loads. ANd manufactured loads i would like to know about.

I am shooting a .243 Browning Xbolt

Also some varmint loads 2 for ground hogs.
 
Mine is a single roll deer shooter now. I use a 105 Hornady bullet and it will shoot less than 1/2 inch all day. Good knock down round for the deer we have around here.
 
I like Hornadys 100 gr SPBT for Deer out to 220 yds. Seven one shot kills with deer either dropping on the spot or running less than 40 yds after shot.
 
Something you might want to do Deerhunter264 is to load only a few rounds if going up to and over 105 grs. Don't know what the twist of your rifle is, but some just won't stabalize the larger bullets. If I remember correctly, the 105 A-Max recommended twist is 1-9 or faster twist rate. Mine is 1-10 if I remember in my Sako L-579 Forester, but staying below max loads, it is a tack driver and terminal effect is they don't take a step. I guess I have now take 10+ dear with this load and with the accuracy provided, 98% have been neck or head shots with 0 lost meat. I was given the box of the 105's and was glad my rifle likes them.

I don't have my reloading data with me across the pond, but let me see if I can find a target pic with varmit load. I just remember that my Sako will shoot within 2 inch or so at 300 yds prone off pack. Let me go look for pic.
 
Deerhunter264, I found the 105 A-Max load on my external drive.

Load date: 12/11/05
Case: Win
Primer: Fed 210
Powder: RL-19
Grns: 43.1
Trim length: 2.035
Cart. OAL: 2.785
Crimp: Lee factory Crimp

This worked for me in my rifle, me loading. Use at your own risk. I worked up to this load without any indications of overpressure.

I will load up the target for you when I get it up to photobucket. I will add that this load was where I settled. Shortly after that, I bedded the rifle, sorted cases by weight, checked concentricity with my Nico set-up, hand selected bullets by weight. Changed primer to match. With all of that the load does not shoot greater than 1/2 inch and most of the time, 3/8th groups. This rifle has a thin whip barrel so you can't pour the rounds out if it quickly as the poi changes a bit with the barrel heating up. Until I built my 7mm STW, this was my most accurate, cold bore rifle. The varmit rounds were the same accuracy if not better. This is a Sako forester, L-579 rifle of age.

Found it....

IMG_2406.jpg


Looking on other drive for other loads.
 
The best .243 load is a 7mm-08 :) More versaility, not enough more sturm und drang to worry about, but still "less of a big deal" vs the .308 that's parented all of these.
 
You might quite right gak, but the question is there. It is deadly in the right rifle, and is inherantly accurate, but so is the 7mm.
Ken
 
Last edited:
If I buy ammo, I usually get the WW 100 grain PowerPoint so I have the brass to reload. Right now I'm using the Hornady Interlock 100 grain BTSP and 44.0 of IMR 7828. Groups run right around 3/4" for 5 shots at 100.
 
i shoot 38.8gr of IMR 3031 w/ a cci BR-2 primer and 60gr sierra HP, and 35.0 gr of IMR 3031 w/ cci BR-2 primer with 100gr sierra SBT Gameking, the 100gr is SUB MOA and the 60 gr is SUB 1/2 MOA
 
For groundhogs I use 38.0 grs IMR 4064, CCI 200 Large rifle primers, and Sierra's 85 gr HPBT with Federal brass. I have also used this load with Remington brass. Sure does a number on those deadly groundhogs.
 
If you put any faith in the writings of Parker O Ackley, Parker stated that for any given bore diameter, there is an optimum bullet weight. For the .243 bore, that bullet weight is 87 grs. I had a very lengthy chat with him back in the 70's about it and I'm still shooting a Speer 90gr SP in my 243 although he pressed me to use the Sierra 87's. I would say use what ever brings the meat home. Some have had good luck with the heavier bullets and I've brought home deer using a 70 gr from my 6mm. There is no substitute for a well placed shot. Like my stepdad used to say, "what good is a bullet at 4000' ps and 5000lbs of energy if you can't hit anything with it". So pick a bullet of good construction, get it to shoot very accurate out of your gun, sit back and enjoy the hunt.
 
My pet loads

I use a 100gr Hornady Interlock with 41gr of 2209, great pig stopper.

Varmint load 70gr sierra blitz king with 43gr of 4320. Its a wild load accuracy is awesome too.
 
I've been happy with the 100 grain Winchester silver boxed Super X, i.e. what was the Wal Mart special in the early 2000s. (The last of these I bought was in 2004 and I have about a box and a half left.) Both Little Meek and I have harvested deer with them, all one shot kills. I'm not using the .243 this year but if I was these would be the ammo.
 
I never could find a factory round that my .243 really liked until I discovered Federal. But since Federal has the government contract, they have been harder to come by here in the sticks. So I horde a box or two when I find them.

As for the groundhog, I find my .222 stops them dead in their tracks. However since moving from Virgina to Oregon, I haven't seen to many of them. But I keep my skills ready by using ground squirrels as target practice should one migrate up this way.

And I noticed the MeekandMild has the same quote. Guess I will have to go out there get me a new one. ha ha
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top