Varmint Loads - 243 Winchester

.243 Winchester

Added data 6/13/07

Early testing was done with a long action skinny barrel Savage 110 GL. Barrel length is 22 inches. Scope used is a Burris 4-12 AO mounted in Weaver rings and mount. Most data with an asterisk (*) was tested in a 22 inch barreled Remington 700 BDL with a Weaver KT15 mounted in Leupold mounts and rings. Recent testing with the Remington 700 was with a Trijicon Accupoint 3-9X scope on it.

All loads tested were sized with Redding "S" dies using a .272 bushing. Seating was done with a Forster Ultra seater.

I have shot over 500 rounds of my favorite 58 gr. Hornady vmax load and will continue to shoot it till I come up with something easier and cheaper to load, and, of course, with the same level of accuracy. I have shot a couple of two inch groups at 400 yards with this load.

Reduced Power Loads for the 243 Winchester

After a recent shoulder surgery shooting more than 20 rounds of full power 243 Win is just not enjoyable for me. My solution is to try to come up with reduced power loads for the cartridge. I have done reduced loads for other cartridges using SR4759 and XMR5744. These bulky powders allow substantial reductions in powder amount and moderate velocities. Recoil for the fastest load below is less than 4 ft lbs.

With only 50% of the case capacity being used no effort was made to make sure the powder was near the primer or the same position in the case for each shot. Extreme velocity spreads for each load (5 shot groups) were less than 25 fps.

Bullet Wt	Manufacturer	Powder	Amt	Primer	Case	Velocity	Accuracy
80	Rem PSP	XMP5744	25	Win	Win	2520	1.19@100*
90	Speer SP	XMP5744	20.5	Win	Rem	2067	1.26@100*
90	Speer SP	XMP5744	21.0	Win	Rem	2121	.932@100*
90	Speer SP	XMP5744	21.5	Win	Rem	2166	1.52@100*
90	Speer SP	XMP5744	22.0	Win	Rem	2213	.667@100*
95	Nosler BT	XMP5744	22.0	Win	Rem	2163	.605@100*
100	Sierra SP	XMP5744	21.0	Win	Rem	2031	1.29@100*
100	Sierra SP	XMP5744	22.0	Win	Rem	2099	.468@100*

Bullet Wt	Manufacturer	Powder	Amt	Primer	Case	Velocity	Accuracy
55	Nos BT	RL15	41.0	Win	Win	--	.819@100
55	Nos BT	RL15	41.5	Win	Win	3326	1.08@100
55	Nos BT	RL15	42.0	Win	Win	3354	.976@100
55	Nos BT	RL15	42.5	Win	Win	3403	.405@100
55	Nos BT	RL15	43.0	Win	Win	3465	1.36@100
55	Win BST	W760	46	Win	Win	3365	1.8@100
55	Win BST	W760	46.7	Win	Win	3440	1.0@100
55	Win BST	W760	47.1	Win	Win	3429	1.0@100
55	Win BST	W760	47.5	Win	Win	3510	.942@100
55	Win BST	W760	48	Win	Win	3580	1.2@100
55	Win BST	Varget	41.5	Win	Win	3470	1.5@100
55	Win BST	Varget	42	Win	Win	3516	1.7@100
55	Win BST	Varget	42.5	Win	Win	3567	1.8@100
55	Win BST	Varget	43	Win	Win	3577	2.1@100
55	Win BST	Factory	-	Win	Win	3534	1.5@100

Bullet Wt	Manufacturer	Powder	Amt	Primer	Case	Velocity	Accuracy
58	Hor v-max	RL15	41.0	Win	Win	3232	1.61@100
58	Hor v-max	RL15	41.5	Win	Win	3317	1.00@100
58	Hor v-max	RL15	42.0	Win	Win	3325	.931@100
58	Hor v-max	RL15	42.5	Win	Win	3374	1.03@100
58	Hor v-max	RL15	43.0	Win	Win	3407	.622@100
58	Hor v-max	RL15	41.2	Win	Win	3262	.872@100*
58	Hor v-max	RL15	41.6	Win	Win	3294	.462@100*
58	Hor v-max	RL15	42.1	Win	Win	3317	.552@100*
58	Hor v-max	RL15	42.5	Win	Win	3348	1.18@100*
58	Hor v-max	RL15	43.0	Win	Win	3379	.604@100*
58	Hor v-max	Varget	42	Win	Win	3544	.852@100
58	Hor v-max	Varget	42.5	Win	Win	3516	.715@100
58	Hor v-max	Varget	43	Win	Win	3516	1.57@100
58	Hor v-max	W760	46	Win	Win	3368	1.1@100
58	Hor v-max	W760	46.7	Win	Win	3473	.913@100
58	Hor v-max	W760	47.1	Win	Win	3537	.523@100
58	Hor v-max	W760	47.1	Win	Win	3519	.317@100*
58	Hor v-max	W760	47.5	Win	Win	3565	1.1@100
58	Hor v-max	W760	48	Win	Win	3556	.941@100

Bullet Wt	Manufacturer	Powder	Amt	Primer	Case	Velocity	Accuracy
65	Hor v-max	H4895	39.0	Win	Win	3277	.776@100
65	Hor v-max	H4895	40.0	Win	Win	3330	.832@100
65	Hor v-max	H4895	41.0	Win	Win	3467	1.50@100
65	Hor v-max	W760	45.0	Win	Win	3275	1.34@100
65	Hor v-max	W760	45.5	Win	Win	3321	.710@100
65	Hor v-max	W760	46.0	Win	Win	3382	.805@100
65	Hor v-max	W760	46.5	Win	Win	3431	.711@100

Bullet Wt	Manufacturer	Powder	Amt	Primer	Case	Velocity	Accuracy
70	Nos BT	Varget	40.0	Win	Win	3206	.438@100*
70	Nos BT	Varget	40.5	Win	Win	3285	.250@100*
70	Nos BT	Varget	41.0	Win	Win	3305	.751@100*
70	Nos BT	Varget	41.5	Win	Win	3329	.743@100*
70	Nos BT	Varget	42.0	Win	Win	3361	1.12@100*
70	Nos BT	H4350	45.9	Win	Win	3218	1.04@100*
70	Nos BT	H4350	46.4	Win	Win	3285	.384@100*
70	Nos BT	H4350	47.0	Win	Win	3335	.775@100*
70	Nos BT	H4350	45.9	Win	Lapua	3262	.707@100*
70	Nos BT	H4350	46.4	Win	Lapua	3315	.922@100*
70	Nos BT	H4350	46.7	Win	Lapua	3343	.588@100*
70	Nos BT	H4350	47.0	Win	Lapua	3359	.364@100*
70	Speer TNT	W760	42.0	Win	Lapua	3123	.540@100*
70	Speer TNT	W760	43.0	Win	Lapua	3161	.943@100*
70	Speer TNT	W760	44.0	Win	Lapua	3258	.701@100*
70	Speer TNT	W760	45.0	Win	Lapua	3318	.942@100*
70	Speer TNT	W760	46.0	Win	Lapua	3413	.343@100*

Bullet Wt	Manufacturer	Powder	Amt	Primer	Case	Velocity	Accuracy
75	Sierra HP	H4895	36	Win	Win	3032	1.5@100
75	Sierra HP	H4895	36.5	Win	Win	3078	.944@100
75	Sierra HP	H4895	37	Win	Win	3133	1.9@100
75	Sierra HP	H4895	37.5	Win	Win	3179	1.0@100
75	Sierra HP	H4895	38	Win	Win	3179	.805@100
75	Sierra HP	H4895	38.5	Win	Win	3241	.476@100
75	Sierra HP	W760	43	Win	Win	3135	.837@100
75	Sierra HP	W760	43.5	Win	Win	3238	1.2@100
75	Sierra HP	W760	44	Win	Win	3210	1.3@100
75	Sierra HP	W760	44.5	Win	Win	3245	1.0@100
75	Sierra HP	W760	45	Win	Win	3305	.604@100