.243 shooting 55gr Varmints

[sloth]

I worked up my first load with the 55gr Varmint pack a while ago. My accuracy was horrible, so much so it's taken me 6 months to bother trying it again. I don't have my manual with me so I can't remember the load. I was all over the place at 100 yards, it wasn't even worth measuring. My OAL is right at .270 I've worked up to more slower loads to see if that improves accuracy.

If you have a manual handy it was the most accurate powder and a step down from max.

My 243 is a remington mohawk 600. The barrel is really short. I read on another forum where seating these bullets deaper were giving more accuracy. Is there any truth to this. I imagine there will be more pressure with a shorter OAL and I will need to use a lighter load, but I'm will to sacrifice velocity for accuracy.

The other forum had an OAL 2.595" to 2.600"

-Sloth aka Dan

 

[R Flowers]

Well Dan, it sounds to me like your rifle may not shoot those short stubby 55 grain bullets no matter what.

But, the most accurate powder tested in the 243 Winchester according to the latest version of the Nosler Manual was H 414. They tested the loads in a Lilja barrel that was 24 inches long.

They show the following loads for the 55 grain Ballistic Tip:

MAX: 52.5 grains H 414 for 3982 fps
50.5 grains H 414 for 3833 fps
48.5 grains H 414 for 3684 fps

Hope this helps, R F

 

[sloth]

Yes, it was the H414, loaded at 51gr.

I loaded a couple at 48.5 and 50 the other day, I'm going to see how they shoot.

The question is what do I do with the 175 bullets I have left, if I can't shoot them.

After this round of testing I'll get some heavier bullets and make sure it isn't my scope, as this thing was dead on with the old scope I had, it just didn't have enough magnification.

-sloth aka Dan

 

[bailey1474]

The question is what do I do with the 175 bullets I have left, if I can't shoot them.

-sloth aka Dan

You can send them to me!! I shoot 53 gr of w760 pushing the 55 gr bullet out of a Savage 12BVSS @ about 4050 fps. I get about 1/2 inch groups at 100 yds. This load is over max so if you try it, work up slowly.

 

[Savage99]

Push them in deeper! The COL for my new 243 is 2.6" It shoots very well.

I am loading 44.5 grs of IMR 4064 and clocking 3750 fps out of a 22" bbl. with the 58 gr VMax. I would use the same load for the 55 gr BT.

 

[RogerLee]

I'm loading mine with 45.5 IMR 4064 for a COL of 2.628. Here is a pic of the grouping. 25 yards is very tight for shooting of the bench using a bipod and standing. at 100yds, I was sitting and using the bipod but for some reason I'm opening up the group with a flier for each three shot group. It doesn't matter which shot (first , second or third shot) even on my old savage 243 I was doing the same thing. Whats funny is the 243 is mainly the olny caliber that I do that with. the first three shots were do to not bore sighting before firing after adding a scope to the rifle.

[/code]

 

[longwinters]

RogerLee,

I have had that problem with 1 shot not going where I wanted it to as have one of my friends and lots of shooters that I talk with on the net. Everybody checks everything out, makes sure they are not shooting too fast etc... But usually it comes down to concentration and trigger pull. When you get that 1 "bad" shot do you know it when you pull the trigger? Pretty much anymore I know at the trigger pull when the bullet did not go where I wanted it to. I realize more now days too how distractions from other people etc... can effect my shooting.

Long

 

[sloth]

I shot a couple of rounds this weekend. Loaded them with the lightest load 48.5 gr of H414. I have to much pressure. I noticed some flat primers with my first load so that's why I dropped down to the lightest load. Which I've never had to do with this gun in the past.

First shot the primer flattened and the second shot the brass stuck in the gun and and jammed the bolt.

I guess I'll drop down to 45gr and test that. I'm starting to think I should probably take it to a gun smith and get it checked out to see if there is a head space issue or some other problem.

 

[2ndtimer]

I never had any luck with the medium burning ball powders (H-414 or W-760) when I loaded for .243 Winchesters. For the lighter weight bullets, I suggest you try some of the extruded medium burners like IMR-4064 or Varget or Reloder 15. I would think any of these would give you better consistency and accuracy with the 55 gr or 70 gr Ballistic Tips. Having the rifle checked out by a gunsmith isn't a bad idea either. If it has severe throat erosion, you may have to go to a longer bullet to get it to group. Good luck and let us know how it works out.

 

[R Flowers]

Sloth, I would try some other powders for starters. Maybe your gun has a headspace problem, but more likely you have an odd ball lot of powder.

I gave up on ball powders, period! Especially things like H 414 and H 380. I have seen such terrible lot to lot variations with these powders that I will not shoot them at all any more. Even AA 2015 has shown me lot to lot variations that are just not acceptable. When I switched from a lot of AA 2105 that I had been using I observed a HUGE change in the velocity on my chronograph. Luckily I it was showing LOWER velocity and therefore less pressure, or I would have been in trouble. (Yeah, I backed the load down with the new lot of powder. BUT, with the charge I had been using I observed a 250 fps drop in velocity in my 223 Remington. Come on!!!!)

I think you would be happy with such powders as Varget or any of the 4350 powders now on the market. Just start low and watch for pressure signs. I find myself using more and more H 4350 these days, it is a very good powder.


R F

 

[FOTIS]

I had phenomenal results with H414 and Win 760 out of a plain jane 243 Savage 11F. Velocity was over 4000 fps and accuracy was in the 1/2" range with the 55 bt's.!

 

[Larry in SD]

Haven't tried it yet in a .243 Rifle, but a couple different Savage Striker Handguns in .243 just loved the 55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with Hodgdon's VARGET. The load I used was 1 1/2grs. UNDER what was listed as MAX. Accuracy was simply amazing, as was the bullet performance on everything I ever shot with that combo.

A buddy of mine also likes the 55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with Hodgdon's VARGET in his old SAKO .243. He was putting in a lot more Varget than I was using, obtained great accuracy and over 4200 FPS. However he keeps telling me this old SAKO .243 just seems to shoot great with everything, and does not show pressures like any other .243 he has ever had.

Larry

 

[designated harvester]

Checking my log shows with custom FN, 24" barrell, 55NBT best was 51 1/2 grs. H380, F210M, , 3 shot group of .355", no velocity shown.
Show 53 gr. H380 as max with same primer giving avg velocity of 3899, 3 shot group of .895"

With '58 Mod 70, 22" barrell show 52 gr. H380 with F210M primer 5 shot group of 1.024", avg. velocity 3788 fps.

Just started breaking in a '58 Sako L 57 I bought recently that appears to be unused. Tried 52 1/2 H414 and 53 H380 with F210M, 2.624 coal. H414 3 shot group was 1.651" and H380 3 shot group was 1.204". Have tried 1 group with 70gr NBT and 47 1/2 grs. H414, F210M primer for a 3 shot, .680" group. So far best group for this rifle was a 4 shot .647" with 46 1/2 RL22, F210M primer 95 gr. NBT. Have not chronographed any loads with this rifle. Looking forward to better results after break in and more trials. Pancho

 

[sloth]

When I get some time, I'm going to drop my load down to 46gr H414 and see what it does. The wife won't let me spend any more money on reloading at the time so I'm going to see if I can get this powder to work for me.

I'm pretty sure it's shooting all over because of the excess pressure. I'll also change my COL to about 2.63 and see how that works.

I'll let everyone know how if it works. Any other suggestions in the mean time are appreciated.

 

[444marlin]

When I had a .243 I loaded some 55gr ballistic tips in it and got wickedly good accuracy. I forgot the amount of H380 I was using but it was cranked to about 3900fps. It would do a job on groundhogs and possums but its nothing like what my old .220 swift would do with 40gr sierras goin a clocked 3787fps. My new favorite varmint load is a 125gr .30 cal ballistic tip loaded over 48.0gr W748, it would do around 3120fps. I took a groundhog with this load 2 years ago and all I saw in the scope was a red mist where the groundhog was :grin: