Reduced Recoil 243 Win Loads

Well friends, I’m happy to say that our OPTEMPO has slowed a bit and the wife and kids are away in NM allowing me an opportunity to get back on the reloading bench. I managed to find some H4895 and am using Hodgdon’s 60% rule to make up some light recoil loads for the kids’ 243 Win. It’s kind of an odd looking duck at this point because I stuck a featherweight barreled action into a beat up old standard stock that I had laying around. Based on their height and LOP, I loped off 4” from the buttstock and made a homemade recoil pad from some foam padding and electrical tape. A beauty queen she is not, but should prove plenty functional for moving the kids on from rimfire to centerfire cartridges.
The load I’m trying is out of Noser #7: 0.6x44.5=26.7gr of H4895 behind a 55gr BT. Based on the calculations I’ve used, it’s predicted to have less than 2 ft/lbs of recoil! Shooting this rifle with full house loads last weekend was plenty comfortable for me so I’m hopeful that these new loads will allow the children a chance to focus on marksmanship without fear of a scope knocking them in the head. I hope to increase the powder charge as they become more comfortable shooting the rifle in preparation for elk season.

V/R,

Joe

I think it looks good in that old stock. Add a regular recoil pad and you have something.

Excellent use of the 243 as an intermediate between the 22 and a full powered rifle load. With that heavier stock, recoil pad, and light load, it should be just the ticket. Good job.

Sounds like a great plan Joe. I bet they love it. My kids did.

Great to see this plan, Joe. I should imagine that the children will love the experience of shooting a "big" rifle with Dad.

They will smile!

Thanks guy! I can’t wait to send some down range with them soon. As an aside, mom took them out for prairie rats today and my daughter almost got one using open sights on mom’s 22 Marlin!

Take Care,
Joe

I’m happy to report that my kiddos got a chance to shoot their first center fire rifle today and they did great! The magnetospeed said the 55gr BTs were scooting out at 2250 FPS and were really light on recoil, allowing the kids to focus on marksmanship. They were really getting the hang of where to position their heads to make good use of the eye relief on their scope. We kept the power down on 3x and it seemed to be plenty for plinking at 50 yards. Life is good and we should be ready for elk come fall.
V/R,
Joe

Super report, Joe. Glad the children discovered that the cartridge isn't a fire-breathing monster. Looks as if they were controlling matters very well, indeed.

Thank you Doc! Looking forward to getting them back out there for some more!
V/R,
Joe