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What is your best 100 grain 243 hunting load
- Thread starter Dano4734
- Start date
IMR4350 was very popular in the 243 for many years. Ed Matunas, a very experienced handloader and gun writer who loaded more ammo in his lifetime than most people considered IMR 4350 a top choice for the 243 Winchester.
I'm sure there are many newer powders that work very well in the 243, but I'm just as sure 4350 is still quite good as well.
I'm sure there are many newer powders that work very well in the 243, but I'm just as sure 4350 is still quite good as well.
I been using 40 grains of imr4350 but i bet you guys have better.
I've been using that load for 40 years. Granted I haven't bought any new IMR 4350 for about 20 years but to respond to this quote?
I doubt it! It's the best load I have in 100gr Sierra game king and we have never lost a deer in all that time with that load. Deadly accurate.
Your opinion may differ and that's ok. No one here passing judgement.
Colorado Redneck
New member
Looking for that load that anchors your game is fun, but reality is that well hit animals with premium or standard bullets with sufficient velocity will sometimes run anyway. I don't like it when that happens either, but facts is facts. There are a few spots on a critter that tend to knock them down instantly, like the cervical spine.
Been using IMR4350(Not at home to look at how much) with Speer 105 Grain SP's for eons. However, it's more about the rifle than the powder. If your rifle shoots 100's with IMR4350 well, that's what you should use. My rifle isn't up to great accuracy, despite the glass bedding, 3 poundish trigger and meticulously loaded ammo. Shoots into 2 or 3 inches all day, every day though.
"...at 39 grains..." Is it 39 or 40? One grain can be the difference between a one hole group and not. If your rifle will shoot one hole groups.
Mind you, the amount of powder in the load has nothing to do with a deer running after being shot. It's where you put the bullet that matters.
"...at 39 grains..." Is it 39 or 40? One grain can be the difference between a one hole group and not. If your rifle will shoot one hole groups.
Mind you, the amount of powder in the load has nothing to do with a deer running after being shot. It's where you put the bullet that matters.
IMR4350 was very popular in the 243 for many years. Ed Matunas, a very experienced handloader and gun writer who loaded more ammo in his lifetime than most people considered IMR 4350 a top choice for the 243 Winchester.
Ed matunis, in fact said that it was the "correct" powder for the round. That there was nothing as good. Don't remember where I read that, but since that was my load, it stuck with me.
changing from 4350 to another is unnecessary. If it works, works well, it might as well stay there forever. You may search through a thousand dollars of powder and bullets without finding a combination that performs significantly better. With a hunting rifle such as this, if you use an adequately manufactured bullet, you only have two more things to consider. Accuracy and velocity. If it shoots straight and flat, and has the velocity to cause enough terminal damage, it's perfect enough.
mxsailor803
New member
For the longest time, I've used 4064. Its not the fastest but I also don't run any of my rifles near wide open. I usually use the ProHunters in 100gn. I also keep it about 27-2800fps. No since in trying to create a barrel burner round when this combo gives me cloverleaf groups in all 3 of my 243's.
Roadkill2228
New member
My savage 99 likes the 100 grain Speer btsp. It’s a very soft bullet, great for big damage on meatsaver lung shots. I haven’t used my 243 in years, but I remember rl 19 worked very well, and the Hodgdon superformance powder showed potential, but suffered wide velocity spreads. 4064,4350, 4831, and 7828 are bread and butter for so many cartridges for so long. All 4 of those can be made to work well in the 243 as well.
Have seen lots of deer shot with a .243, standard reaction to a being the shoulder heart lung shot is a jump kick and maybe 50 yard run with plenty of blood trail. If it is shooting well with that load don't mess with it. My standard "wife load" is a vwry mild one 34.0 IMR 4895 and 100 grain Hornady Interlock, soft, boring and kills deer.
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
Which powder to use largely depends on bullet weight. Not knowing (weight) limits my advice.
bamaranger
New member
eye opener
I worked up a load using 4064 and the 100 gr Nosler Partition, quite a few years ago for my Dad's Savage 110. Ya 'know, I can't exactly remember the source......perhaps from a shooting magazine. But I checked it against the Speer Manuals I had, #9 and #10. Speer did not make a 100 gr slug, but did make a 90 and a 105. The charge weight I was using was below the maximums for both of those slugs, so I figured it was safe. Bamaboy and I killed several deer with it, and no trouble nor signs of pressure. It yielded 2850 fps or so from the snipped barrel (21", a long story) of the Savage, shot into about an inch, and we were good to go.
When a second .243 rifle came my way ( a vintage Mossberg 800M), I simply adjusted my sizing and bullet seating depth to accommodate the Mossberg, and threw the same charge weight of 4064 and plugged in the 100 gr Noslers. Spent cases showed cratered primers...... I was lucky that was all.
A more recent Speer manual, that lists Speer now making a 100 gr slug, shows my charge weight of all those years OVER the current maximum. I did not find the load a barn burner with the Savage, but in the Mossberg, it was hot. I should have reduced charges and worked up......but 4064 seems like it might be a bit faster than what it used to be.
I worked up a load using 4064 and the 100 gr Nosler Partition, quite a few years ago for my Dad's Savage 110. Ya 'know, I can't exactly remember the source......perhaps from a shooting magazine. But I checked it against the Speer Manuals I had, #9 and #10. Speer did not make a 100 gr slug, but did make a 90 and a 105. The charge weight I was using was below the maximums for both of those slugs, so I figured it was safe. Bamaboy and I killed several deer with it, and no trouble nor signs of pressure. It yielded 2850 fps or so from the snipped barrel (21", a long story) of the Savage, shot into about an inch, and we were good to go.
When a second .243 rifle came my way ( a vintage Mossberg 800M), I simply adjusted my sizing and bullet seating depth to accommodate the Mossberg, and threw the same charge weight of 4064 and plugged in the 100 gr Noslers. Spent cases showed cratered primers...... I was lucky that was all.
A more recent Speer manual, that lists Speer now making a 100 gr slug, shows my charge weight of all those years OVER the current maximum. I did not find the load a barn burner with the Savage, but in the Mossberg, it was hot. I should have reduced charges and worked up......but 4064 seems like it might be a bit faster than what it used to be.
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
Well here you go. Grain weight listed on the subject line. Lazy reader here. Didn't take notice earlier. "My bad."
Oops. Still no advice to offer Dano4734. Since day one of my ownership concerning a Ruger R Flat Bolt 243. Its barrel has not seen a bullet weight heavier than 87gr in 40 yrs. Typical bullet weight I prefer is 75 or 80 gr. for MN deer.
87 gr is my preferred for (larger) big game i.e. Black Bear and Moose.
So if ever intending to shoot lighter 75 or 80 grainers having [shocking] velocity's in the {high} 3000 fps? Feel free to give me a shout. I figure it won't take long to hear from you. My experience with 90 & 100 plus bullet weights quite often required this shooter to cruise the woods for a (well placed shot) animals retrieval.
Trivia:
I'm a hay field poster. When a shot animal runs off the field into the woods. I cringe with angst knowing I'll soon have to track it and once found may have to humanely dispatch it. Something I rather not be forced to do and something many 100 plus grain 243 shooter have experienced. So
Way back when after a couple of those experiences I dropped my bullets weight at the behest of a Ol' woodsy deer hunter & home reloader. There after I seldom had to track._ 25-30 ft trot seen with more than just one having fell over dead brings about a smile and a heart felt Thank you~ to those Above hunter/tutors & military I once knew well ~&~surely deserving my Appreciation year after year on going for 12 lustrum.
Oops. Still no advice to offer Dano4734. Since day one of my ownership concerning a Ruger R Flat Bolt 243. Its barrel has not seen a bullet weight heavier than 87gr in 40 yrs. Typical bullet weight I prefer is 75 or 80 gr. for MN deer.
87 gr is my preferred for (larger) big game i.e. Black Bear and Moose.
So if ever intending to shoot lighter 75 or 80 grainers having [shocking] velocity's in the {high} 3000 fps? Feel free to give me a shout. I figure it won't take long to hear from you. My experience with 90 & 100 plus bullet weights quite often required this shooter to cruise the woods for a (well placed shot) animals retrieval.
Trivia:
I'm a hay field poster. When a shot animal runs off the field into the woods. I cringe with angst knowing I'll soon have to track it and once found may have to humanely dispatch it. Something I rather not be forced to do and something many 100 plus grain 243 shooter have experienced. So
Way back when after a couple of those experiences I dropped my bullets weight at the behest of a Ol' woodsy deer hunter & home reloader. There after I seldom had to track._ 25-30 ft trot seen with more than just one having fell over dead brings about a smile and a heart felt Thank you~ to those Above hunter/tutors & military I once knew well ~&~surely deserving my Appreciation year after year on going for 12 lustrum.
Thank you sure shot. This year I decided I am going to try and take one with my casull handgun. We use to only be allowed a shotgun or handgun and I nailed a bunch with the 44 mag. They changed the law to allow rifles a few years back and I been using the 243 but I am getting a bit old to chase them so I figured the casull or the 45-70 but I wanna try the casull first. I am allowed two doe and a buck this year
If you aren't 100% sold on the 100gr pills, the 85gr Speer SPBT had done better in either of the .243's I have owned. That is both on accuracy and terminal performance on your average whitetail.
My current powder is 4320, but that is the result of finding it for $15/# a while back and having now 20# of it. In the H&R of my son's it goes to about 1.25" at 100yds (5 shot groups). That is the best that little $150 rifle will do. In my old Savage it was H414 and that rifle did .75". My best friend still uses that load each year. My old Mauser loved IMR4350 and went .5 MOA routinely for 4k rounds (but then it did that with any bullet too).
My current powder is 4320, but that is the result of finding it for $15/# a while back and having now 20# of it. In the H&R of my son's it goes to about 1.25" at 100yds (5 shot groups). That is the best that little $150 rifle will do. In my old Savage it was H414 and that rifle did .75". My best friend still uses that load each year. My old Mauser loved IMR4350 and went .5 MOA routinely for 4k rounds (but then it did that with any bullet too).