Author Topic: Good loads for the Sierra 55gn spitzer. in .243 (Read 737 times)

longwinters · « **on:** November 26, 2003, 10:43:26 AM »

I dont have the Sierra reloading book. Can any of you give me some good loads for .243 using these bullets. Also any tips, since by looking at them I will be quite a bit off of the lands with such a small bullet.

long

urika20 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 27, 2003, 03:45:21 AM »

Longwinters

Like you, I would be interested in others thoughts on Sierras 55gr. I loaded up Hornady's 58gr V-max for my sons tikka 243. Excellant results out of that rifle. Cartridge length is 2.670 for that bullet. I checked Nosler's 5th edition on their 55gr loadings but they don't give individual lengths per bullet loadings. Bullet length of the v-max is .796. Exposed length out of the case is an average of .640. Holding the bullet and loaded round side by side the bottom of the bullet is about a shade over half way down the neck.

The thing is I set overall length to rifle. I neck sized just enough to hold a bullet. Then closed the action on a couple of unfinished rounds to get maximum length to the lands. Then I setup the seating die a few thoundths back. It's a small bullet.

Its great having these lighter bullets for the 243. I can now compete with the guys that have 22-250's in the hay fields.

urika20

longwinters · « **Reply #2 on:** November 27, 2003, 04:29:47 AM »

Well, I am learning more all the time about reloading. For instance I did some measuring of factory loads with 100 gn bullets. Here are the results.
Speer Nitrex col 2.604 ogive 2.209
Hornady Interlock col 2.623 ogive 2.225
Fed. Premium Gm King col 2.571 ogive 2.167
Win. power pt. col. 2.646 ogive 2.240

Win. Supreme Ball. Silvertips 55 gn. col 2.645 ogive 2.195

The col measurements dont surprise me, but the ogive measurements do.

I wanted to try to duplicate the Winchester Supreme Bal. Tip load. I took one apart and the powder was 45gn. Looks kind of like the Reloader powder (15). Not ball but that other shape (name escapes me at the moment). But shorter pieces than the Reloader 15 is. It also looks to be over 90% cartridge capacity and the velocity is around 3910 (according to Winchester). No doubt it is a Winchester powder probably 748 or 760 but they do not have the loads/powder type for the 55 gn bullet on their web site as they only go down to the 70 gn bullets. I can get the approx same velocity in my research but not with the same cartridge capacity.

Gee! This is fun!

long

Duffy · « **Reply #3 on:** November 27, 2003, 05:53:15 PM »

Longwinters;

WW748 and 760 are ball powders. The word you are looking for is Extruded. In the Alliant manual I have they only show using up to RE12 in the 243 with lighter bullets. Pretty hard to tell what the factory uses mainly because of the differences in canister powders and bulk that they use. Could even be WMR.
The ogive differences aren't suprising because of the different shapes that everyone uses. That's why some just shoot better than others in a specific rifle.

longwinters · « **Reply #4 on:** November 28, 2003, 11:06:32 AM »

Duffy, thanks for your help in the past (here too). Because of your comments I went out and got the Stoney point Bullet Comparator and the OAL guage.

long

Nobade · « **Reply #5 on:** November 29, 2003, 06:13:19 AM »

I've been having great results with that 55gr. Blitzking in my .243 using IMR 4895. At 3925 fps they're the most accurate thing I have tried in it (Rem 700) and are incredibly deadly on groundhogs and such. As for seating depth, they can't get anywhere near the rifling so I seat them .050" into the case and call it good.