Good hand load for a 243 Win

[savageboy23]

Does anyone have a good recipe as a place for me to start loading for my new 243 win? Its a howa 1500

[Darkker]

A place to start is in your reloading manual.
Since you didn't list a weight range, or intended use; no two guns are the same, don't just use a load you found on a board...

[inKYfromSD]

Darkker is 100% right - don't trust someone else's load. Get a safe starting load and work up from there. That being said, in MY TC Icon PH .243, I use 70 gr Nosler BT's and 41.6 grs of Varget. I also load 87 gr Hornady V-Max's with 44.3 grs of IMR 4831. Both loads use CCI 200 primers. Back off at least 10% and work up carefully.

The Hodgdon site has a lot of loading data, highly recommend it.

[sharps45-120]

I reload for a friend who shoots a 243 Win. He asked me to load 100gr Spire points for shooting Antilope. He shoots an early mfg Ruger model 77 with a cheap model 3X9X36 scope on it. I advise him I would prefer we use a 90gr bullet as he will get higher velocity and probably better accuracy. He agreed so I started working up loads. He had IMR4350 powder already so I went with that. I loaded up groups of 3 shells of IMR4350 1/10 of a grain at a time starting with just below mid load up to max. We headed to the range & shot targets for group and did not care if it hit the bullseye or not. I shot all the groups & one came in with all 3 shots were in one ragged hole. He was more than pleased & I pulled the rest of the bullets & recharged them with the accurate load. He has since taken two antelope with it. Needless to say he will not be wanting to do any more load testing. Funny thing, I got his rifle to shoot better than my 270WSM and it shoots well under 1/3" - 3 shots @ 100yards. Start at just under mid range with whatever bullet you choose & work up in 1/10 grain at a time for 3 or 5 shot groups. I personally choose 3 shot groups as I don't like wasting bullets, powder, primers, etc. Free float your barrel, Bed the action & adjust the trigger to 2 1/2 to 3#. If you have never done this before send me a P.M. & I will be glad to assist. OR e-mail me --- jerry.ballew@yahoo.com if you wish.

[wato444]

Anybody have a fill for the conventional 243 that will through a 105 AMAX quick enough to strengthen out of a Savage with a 1:10 twist?

[sharps45-120]

What do you want to kill with using a 105gr in a 243Win? I have found the heaviest slugs are usually less acurate and bullet drop off is greater. Just my experience. The 90gr.Sierra will hit 3203 fps max, a 95gr Nosler Partitioned runs 3138 fps max. and the 105 gr. Hornady A-Max runs 2986 fps max - as per my Hodgdon reloading manual. Also has more recoil but not excessive. My money would be on the 90gr or the 95gr for flatter trajectory and velocity. Just my opinion. Have fun shooting whatever you choose.

[sharps45-120]

I worked up a load for a friend a few years back that was literally pinpoint accurate. 3 shots in a ragged hole at 100 yards. Load was R-P brass, W/W large rifle primers, 39.0 gr of IMR4350 pushing a Speer 90gr Spitzer. The friend has shot 2 Antelope and some deer with the load and loves it. It is not a Barn Burner but in his Ruger 77 it was deadly accurate. If you can't hit what you aim at speed does no good. I work up loads for each rifle for accuracy and speed is anywhere from mid range and up. Never found a Max load as yet that was pin point accurate, so far!!.

[savageboy23]

I have some 75gr V-max loaded up and ready to shoot whenever the snow is gone here in MN. I used IMR 4064 powder, WLR primers, WW cases and started at mid load and worked up to max in .1 increments. Ill post my results in the future. As I have just started reloading myself; I'm just excited to see what happens.

[trappinjohn]

I've done quite a bit of loading with 55 to 70 grain bullets in my 243
I Have had very good luck with IMR4350, 4064 and 4895. 4895 produced the best groups.
My old Winchester seems to like a grain under published max with most load combinations.