Author Topic: Favorite 243 Win Deer Hunting Load? (Read 5533 times)

Dave1 · « **on:** November 11, 2009, 03:46:03 PM »

What is your favorite 243 Winchester deer hunting load?

I still use a load today that came out of a very old reloading manual. The load is 47 grains of H4831 and a Sierra 100 grain boat tail soft point bullet. The powder load is several grains over what is listed as the max load in modern reloading manuals and is a compressed load, but it is very accurate in my old Remg 700 BDL and proven deadly out to 300 yards. Not sure why the load data in the modern manuals vary so much with the older books, better technology today I suppose.

Thanks, Dave

1sourdough · « **Reply #1 on:** November 11, 2009, 11:58:39 PM »

I like to play it safe with the 243 on deer. I use 95 grn partitions over H4350, don't have the charge at the moment. The load worked great on an anterless hunt a few weeks ago.

Scibaer · « **Reply #2 on:** November 12, 2009, 01:20:33 AM »

i use a 100 grain hornady interlock round nose bullet sitting over 32.5 grains of varget, this shoot to a POI of 1 1/2 inch groups at 200 yrds.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #3 on:** November 12, 2009, 01:30:16 AM »

I use that same 100Gr Hornady RN bullet only I like a med load of IMR4350 powder sparked with a CCI LR primer. My handi LOVES this load!!

CW

Dave1 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 12, 2009, 02:27:09 AM »

I have used the Hornady RN bullet also and had great results on deer. I opted later for the Hornady and Sierra "pointed" bullets in an effort to improve long range accuracy and consistency. The Hornady and Sierra BTSP bullets are very accurate out of my 243 out to 300 yards. Best buck to date was taken at 299 yards with the Sierra Game King 100 grain BTSP, double lung hit, 50 yard trail job.

Dave

Wyo. Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #5 on:** November 12, 2009, 03:45:13 AM »

$:-\$ the last .243 I used on deer was with 95 grain BTBT and I believe Part... It has been years since I have shot this caliber... IMR4350 was my powder of choice....Many older books list higher loads than today... If the primer pockets are tight after firing the same case 5 times with you load under normal temps.. Hagel felt that was a safe load....

drdougrx · « **Reply #6 on:** November 12, 2009, 05:42:43 AM »

Just recieved my 243 back from ER Shaw with a brand new 22", fluted barrel. I've loaded some ammo with 95gr BTs. I'll be testing 18 rounds (6 each) of RL22 (43gr, 43.5gr and 44gr), and, 18 rounds (6 each) of H414 (42.5gr, 43gr and 43.5gr) as I try to see if there's a sweet spot. These are the powders I have on hand right at this moment and have had a lot of luck with H414 and the 95gr BT and Part. We'll see.......

jhalcott · « **Reply #7 on:** November 12, 2009, 07:35:25 AM »

As long as you start LOW and work up , those" FEW GRAINS OVER MAX" might be ok in YOUR gun! Todays powders are a bit different than the older ones. Also new technology gives MUCH better test results than the older methods. Strain gauges give truer pressure readings than the copper crusher method. AND can be used on the firearm in question rather than a "pressure" barrel. Even the different lot of powder can be a bit different in pressure. In my 6mm's I used a lot of 4350 and 4831 powder. The bullet of choice was the Sierra 85 gr HPBT.

Wyo. Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #8 on:** November 12, 2009, 08:18:46 AM »

dr, let us know how you like that Shaw barrel.... I had one in a .222 it was very accurate, but cannont remember what happened to that rifle.... Mostly use Douglas now, but my pal uses some Shaw also....

drdougrx · « **Reply #9 on:** November 12, 2009, 08:23:03 AM »

Will do WYO. I wanted to try the Shaw bc I "thought" it was a better deal $$ wise..I think it is because of the added work truing the action. We'll see Sunday....

huntswithdogs · « **Reply #10 on:** November 12, 2009, 10:33:17 AM »

100 gr pill of some type(my rifle doesn't really car as long as it's a 100grer) and H4831. It's(H4831) been in just about all of my hunting loads for years. I'd have to check, but I think my powder weight is bumping the high end of the chart also.

DRDOUG, Give the H4831 a try if ya got any laying around. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

HWD

Steve P · « **Reply #11 on:** November 12, 2009, 11:40:30 AM »

85 gr Speer BT with 45.0 gr H4831. This is pretty hot in my Ruger, but still within book info.

Your 47.0 gr of H4831 with a 100 gr bullet is higher than any of my older manuals for .243. It is also higher than the 243 WSSM book max. (I have a few of the WSSM on my reloading bench right now.) Glad you worked up.

Steve

drdougrx · « **Reply #12 on:** November 12, 2009, 01:13:39 PM »

Hi Hunts...yep..I have about 1/2cup of H4831sc left in the back of my powder locker. We'll see...

Dave in WV · « **Reply #13 on:** November 13, 2009, 01:25:47 PM »

46gr H450 and a 100gr Rem Core-Lokt.

Dave1 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 13, 2009, 01:55:19 PM »

Went to the range today with some new loads of my same old H4831 recipe. The longer gun ranges were closed for some construction, so I was limited to a 100 yard range in windy conditions. I had four separate groups that ranged from 1/2" - 7/8" and very similar to the one below. Not too bad for a 25 year old hunting rifle.

Autorim · « **Reply #15 on:** November 13, 2009, 03:55:10 PM »

100 grain Nosler Partition and IMR 4350. I don't think you can beat it. In about 30 years of hunting with the .243, I think I recovered two bullets.

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #16 on:** November 14, 2009, 07:07:58 AM »

Whatever shoots best with a 100gr. Nosler Partition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Started using the partition when they were still made on the screw machines.

In this day, the old bullets look a bit funny with the maching marks.

Great bullet, great groups, my Ol'RUGER "flat bolt" loves them and so do I!

Worth every penny then and now!

Keep em coming!

CDOC

Autorim · « **Reply #17 on:** November 15, 2009, 04:17:22 PM »

Darrell,

I can identify. I also started with the machined Noslers with the relief band around the middle. I first used the 85 grain then converted to 100's and never looked back. All of the old Noslers were semi-pointed. They sure do work. I remember recovering one bullet from a buck I shot from a tree stand. He was quartering towards me and I shot him at the junction of the neck and shoulder - dropped in his tracks. I recovered the bullet under the skin in the paunch near the opposite rear leg.

Ken

Dave1 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 15, 2009, 11:40:40 PM »

On deer and similar sized game do you get good expansion and/or "pass thrus" with good blood trails often with the Nosler Partitian 243/6mm 100 grain bullets?

The only complaint I have with the Sierra and Hornady 243/6mm 100 grain BTSP bullets is that at very long range and slower velocities the bullets do not mushroom or expand at all unless something very solid is hit, but this is common with many bullets at long ranges and slower velocities.

Dave

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #19 on:** November 16, 2009, 06:51:54 AM »

Personally, I have never had a Nosler Partition, in any caliber 243/7mm/.30, fail.

In fact, I have had cases where the bullet preformed way beyond expectations.

One case with the 243, was a raking shot, with the deer quartering away.

The shot hit far enough back to cause a mess through the intestional track, but didn't.

There were nice little 24caliber holes through a number of guts and blown up lungs on the other end. How or why, I have no idea, but I was happy.

I have also seen hits over the years, mine or others where the Nosler did it's job but wasn't excessive in the damage department as would have been normal with a typical cup an core bullet.

Does/can a Nosler Partition tear things up? Yes, how could it not an still do it's job, but by not flying completely apart it is not excessive.

I realise we are blessed with a number of quality bullets in these days, but Nosler Partitions are one of the great ones.

As per expansion with the 243 in deer sized critters, it is great, and pass thru will depend on where and what you hit.

I once took a whitetail doe head on and found the bullet almost at the skin on the other end and that was with a 300 win. mag. - 165gr Nosler Partition at better then 3200fps/muzzle.

I first started using the Nosler 95gr Partition, but have used the 100gr with great results in all department.

My 243 is currently still shooting Noslers, but now the 55gr Balistic Tips in the 3700 - 4000fps range and not for deer, while my go to hunting rifle for deer, elk and anything else I have tags for is the 300win. mag/165gr Nosler Partition.

Ain't no such a thing as "too dead"!

Keep em coming!

CDOC

MZ5 · « **Reply #20 on:** November 16, 2009, 02:57:42 PM »

Just thought I'd toss in the fact that I've had excellent (or better) accuracy with both Speer and Sierra 100-gr. BTSPs in my .243, loaded over either H-1000 or Ramshot Magnum. All in Win brass with CCI or Win primers. My .243 is a varmint gun, though, so I couldn't talk about anything beyond accuracy with respect to deer hunting.

Autorim · « **Reply #21 on:** November 16, 2009, 04:05:09 PM »

MZ5,

You are right. I used 100 grain Sierras for everything except deer hunting and accuracy was excellent. Early on, I used 75 and 85 grain bullets, but the 100's were so good that I just kept everything simple and used the same powder charge for everything. I never had a failure of the 100 grain Sierra on deer, but they were very destructive on close shots. After I switched to Noslers for hunting, I never had a reason to look elsewhere.

I use 125 Noslers in the .257 Roberts, 150's in the .270 Win, 165's in '06, 140 in the 7mm -08, and 225 in the .338 Win Mag.

I have never tried the Accubonds, but I suspect it is a superb bullet in the .338.

Ken

kyhareraiser · « **Reply #22 on:** December 30, 2009, 08:05:10 AM »

31 gr. varget pushn' 100 gr sp's

hotrod0872 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 30, 2009, 12:37:43 PM »

85gr sierra bthp with imr4350
10 deer in 2 yrs and only one got a step off! and it didnt go 20 yards!

Dave1 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 01, 2010, 02:11:53 AM »

My favorite 243 handload mentioned above (47grains 4831SC and Sierra 100 grain BTSP) took a great Middle Florida buck earlier this week. The shot was right at 150 yards, the deer was 181 lbs, a very heavy horned 7 point, 19 1/4" outside spread.

The bullet hit behind the nearside shoulder, breaking ribs on entry, busted the far side shoulder, destroyed the lungs. The bullet did not exit, was perfect mushroom, bullet in one piece, and was found just under the skin on the far side. The deer ran about 30 yards and piled up.

I would have liked to had an exit wound and blood trail (if needed), but the load did its job just like usual.

Dave

wncchester · « **Reply #25 on:** January 03, 2010, 12:37:07 PM »

"Not sure why the load data in the modern manuals vary so much with the older books,..."

Actually, the powder burn rates haven't changed since each was first made. If something has a different burn rate it gets a differenct number and new loading data. And, yes, today's methods of testing pressure has caused some down rating of previous data. But there are variations even today between different book makers due to the fact they are using different rifles. And our's are different from theirs so...sometimes our charges are different from theirs.

"Start low, work up......" applies to it all. And, correctly done that way, it won't make any difference the data source or how old it is or what bullet, case, primer, powder lot, etc. we may use.

Possumcop · « **Reply #26 on:** January 03, 2010, 01:12:06 PM »

I'm with hotrod0872 on this one.

Been using Sierra 85 gr BTHP (GameKing) and IMR 4350 since back in the early 80's for deer, etc.

Lost deer kill count several years ago but it's been a bunch and fun.

I use them in my Win. 243 & 6mmJDJ

Don't knockum til you tryum!!!!

Possumcop

mechanic · « **Reply #27 on:** January 03, 2010, 01:19:57 PM »

100 gr. Cor Lok over a little less than max of Varget.

41 mag · « **Reply #28 on:** January 04, 2010, 02:48:40 AM »

I started off loading for my Win 70 back in my teens. I used the 85gr Nosler Solid Base over 39grs of IMR-3031. It was a smoking load which dropped most deer where they stood out to 200yds. Later on I decided to move up in weight to the 95gr BT when it came out. I went with 42grs of H-4350, not to be interchanged with the IMR or AA versions. This was also a smoking little pill that was awesome on deer, and easily shot 3/8" groups at 100yds. I really liked it a lot and still have close to 50 of them loaded and ready to go today, but it was still lacking something. Back when the Solid Bases were still plentiful I stocked up on the 100gr for my daughter to use in a Remington pump. I figured that the reduced load I was using combined with the heavier bullet would be ideal for her. Heck she never even shot a deer with them and moved on up to my 25-06.

So quite a few years later, I managed to pick up a Sako second hand. First time out with it and factory ammo, it shot this 5 shot group at 100yds.

After noting how extremely accurate several of them had been for my hunting bud and his family, I went with the 100gr SB's again. Just happened to catch a bunch from Noslers Pro Shop as well. These I decided to work up using the new Hodgdon Hybrid -100. The results were as good as you can ask for. THe rifle still needs a bit of work on the stock to clear a bit of rub on the barrel but overall for the first three shots I cannot ask for more. The bottom left stickers reflect the finished load with two different primers, at 100yds.

shot1 · « **Reply #29 on:** January 04, 2010, 03:28:46 AM »

I have loaded for three 243's. A Savage 110, Rem 700 ADL and Rem 700 Varmint BDL. All shot extremely well with a compressed load of AA3100 and either a 100 gr Rem. CL or Sierra bullet. The load came from an old Accurate loading manual which is about 3 grs more than currently listed so I will not give the amount. If you put the bullet with this load in the vitals of a deer out to just over 300 yards if they go anywhere but straight down it will not be far. At least that was my experience.