243 win question?

[bikerbeans]

Hi All,
 
Bud's is shipping to me a NIB 243 Win Super Light 20" with open sights.   Gun for my wife and intended usage will be offhand shooting at 25 to 75 yards at clay pidgeons on the berm along with an assortment of other "reactive" targets.  If something exciting doesn't happen after my wife pulls the trigger she is not happy.  No paper punching or bench shooting for her.
To meet her criteria this rifle needs to be able to shoot a 4 inch group @ 50 yards.  Also less recoil is better, I know they make this gun in 223 but she already has an M4, so I would like to know if any of you folks out there have a favorite "reduced" load for the 243 win?  Also anyone out there shooting cast lead in the 243?  If you are flinging cast curious as to the bullet source(s) load data, velocity etc.
 
thanks
 
BB

[gendoc]

bb, i'm bout ta build one them for my grandaughter. let me know how it does in tha handload
dept. i guess its gunna be, shoot once... then loose it fer bouta 1/2 hour and go again.
ya jus gotta pay tha price fora shooter.... load development will take quite a while,
i'm game. its gunna bea shoot between chores kinda thang

[bikerbeans]

bb, i'm bout ta build one them for my grandaughter. let me know how it does in tha handload
dept. i guess its gunna be, shoot once... then loose it fer bouta 1/2 hour and go again.
ya jus gotta pay tha price fora shooter.... load development will take quite a while,
i'm game. its gunna bea shoot between chores kinda thang

Doc,
1/2 hour between shots, not me, AADD is way too strong in me.     Maybe I will go to the next gun show and see if I can find one of them 30 cal. radiators Mr. Browning put on his WWI machine guns.
BB

[mechanic]

I will try and find my old load book tomorrow.  I have shot cast gas checked bullets that I cast, that drop about 65gr.  Accuracy is acceptable, about 2" at 100, and loaded down to about 2500 fps.  If I remember correctly, I worked this up with H331.  Recoil was about like a 223.
 
Ben

[Flynmoose]

I don't know what the load is, but a friend loaded some 243s with Trailboss. I am sure he used jacketed bullets, don't know if he shot them yet. He found load info online, I am sure.
FM

[jeneks84k10]

I have one of those I got for my wife. Accuracy is good, around 1/2-1" at 100 yds with factory loads but if fades out fast. Ive never shot it more than a couple shots at a time.
 
As far as recoil goes, make sure she is hanging on to that thing when she pulls the trigger. That little .243 packs a good kick but my wife doesnt seem to mind. After packing around my heavy barrel guns for a couple years she is more than happy to deal with a little recoil.

[Yak Angler]

Hey BB hope you and the wife like the superlight .243
 
4" groups at 50 yards should be easy with a .243 and open sights. Do you have any H4895 powder i think you can reduce to 60% of max loads with that powder in all cartridges that list it. I am going to try some in one of mine as soon as i run out of my current supply of other powders. a 60% load in a .243 with light bullets should be no worse than a .223 in recoil.
 
Good luck and let us know how it turns out

[Spanky]

A 243 Superlight Handi has a surprisingly sharp, fast, nasty kick.
Whip up some Trailboss loads for her with light bullets and it'll probably be alright.
 
 
 
Spanky
 

[smokehouserex]

 
 
  Hey BB:
 
  I really like my  Handi 243 Syn. youth with the superlite bbl.. I have shot cast 243 but not in the Handi, the ones I had loaded were too long for the Handi, need to seat them deeper in order to chamber. They shoot/feed good in my old Bro. Safari rifle.
  I have only loaded the 90 gr.RNGC. I used 4227 from 16 gr up to 2_ grs. they were cast pretty hard, harder than Lyman #2alloy, not a good deer bullet, almost like a FMJ. I have dug them our of the backstop and most were not torn up very much.  I think they would be OK if cast with a little less linotype. I don't remember what Lyman Mould # but they have several rings on them. I think this load came from the Lyman Manual from 1970.
  I think loaded to about 2000 FPS would make a good lite load for starting and going up til the sweet spot comes in, probably would be OK for deer ect.  I chose this bullet style from a friends advice, as he had good luck with them.
Different guns    different results but somewhere to start sometimes is helpful.
  Hope this gives you some ideas.
  HM

[bikerbeans]

Thanks everybody for the suggestions.  I am going to start with jacketed 87 & 90 grains jacketed bullets because I got a deal on some.  If they are too long/heavy for my rifle then I have a couple of friends with 243 bolt guns so they will get put to good use.  Once I get serious about a reduced recoil load for my wife I think I will try the start with a 60% charge of  H4895 and a Barnes VG 62 grain bullet.  I can buy the Barnes .224 and .244 bullets w/o paying the big premium they want in the larger calibers and since the VG is frangible it should eliminate the bounce back problem of shooting at a berm at close range. 
 
BB

[bigvarmnt]

BB, sounds like you have a good plan. Shouldn't have much kick to em. I have some of the VGs for my 243 ifn I ever get back to loading for it. I like them in .224 and hope they fly good in the 243. Good Luck

[smokehouserex]

 
 
  BB:
 
  I think I told someone else here this previously, I have a freind who told me 2-3 years ago that he was "stoning" deer with the 55 gr. win, I think it was a bal.tip at about 3800 FPS.. I told him I thought it was too lite and he said that he and his hunting club members had proven differently by killing several deer with them.  He is one of the best deer killers/outdoorsman that I have ever known, and has killed hundreds of deer and many with a Long Bow. I take his word on whatever he says. He is a man of Honor.
  FWIW
  HM

[bikerbeans]

Just loaded 50 rounds of 90 grain  jacketed with H4895 from 60% to 95%.  Off the top of my head 60% is around 22 grains and 95% is 35 grains or so.  Any one want to make a bet on the 60% load keyholing?  I am thinking it has to keyhole, will find out on Monday.
 
BB