.243 reloading info please.

thesmi

Active Member
hi guys,
i shall not only be getting into reloading soon but also getting a 243!
i all ready own 17remington and have the recipe for the round which is rem brass federal match 205primers 23.5grain of vit n135

what id like to ask people is there a good recipe using the same powder n135 for the 243 if so what bullet heads have you used, weight brand etc and would ideally like to load one round for all jobs.

i understand there will be tweaking etc but a starter would be handy.

the rifle i intend to purchase shall be tikka t3 lite i belive from tikka website its a 1 in 10

thanks lads
 
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hi guys,
i shall not only be getting into reloading soon but also getting a 243!
i all ready own 17remington and have the recipe for the round which is rem brass federal match 205primers 23.5grain of vit n135

what id like to ask people is there a good recipe using the same powder n135 for the 243 if so what bullet heads have you used, weight brand etc and would ideally like to load one round for all jobs.

i understand there will be tweaking etc but a starter would be handy.

the rifle i intend to purchase shall be tikka t3 lite i belive from tikka website its a 1 in 10

thanks lads


Id be tempted to go for good ol' varget. Does the .17 and .243 and pretty much everything else too. As for a 'do it all' load for the 243, what is 'all'? Do you use on deer? If so, that should be your priority, targets on mod ranges? No expanding ammo, so your deer load can't be used. Varmints ? V-max, varmint and target, A-max.
You are correct, the t3 is a 1/10", so might stabilise 105gn A-max if you want to shoot 1000yds, a good 'middle ground' for vermin, foxes and target shooting is the 70gr smk's. lots of variables buddy, give us more 'intended use' for better answers.

Pete
 
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hi thanks for reply,
i intend the 243 to be fox and deer odd other vermin long rang blat, not targets or ranges!

i certainly wont be shooting 1000yards but id be very very happy with 300

what do you mean by varget?
thanks
 
Try working up to this load.
It shot similar sized groups in my Tikka T3 sporter.
The 1 in 10 twist rate prefers the 75 grainers and similar.
HWH.
variousNikon008.jpg
 
on average how many diffetent powders and bullet heads do you buy?
or would you buy say one powder and try many bullet heads then when you find something half good adjust what you have,

what effect do primers have
 
Small local dealers usually have a poor stock of ingredients due to a low turnover and often have to order specially.
This wastes much time and if you are loading for a few calibres it can be a nuisance so I try to find a powder which can be used in more than one.
The .30/06 and .270 etc work well for me with Viht. N160 but I load a farmer friends .30/06 with Varget which also worked well in my .308 .
In the last few years I have mostly used Viht.N140 for my .243s and those of other friends.
For the .222 I use BLC2 .
With regard to primers I never use magnum primers in these calibres. The hotter flame of them can cause higher pressures. [ Sometimes you can `fine tune` a load by using a different primer.]
Segregate your brass as that of different makers may have different internal capacity therefore causing variations in pressure and scatter upon your target.

HWH.
 
Due to local availability I use N140 although I am a bit short on load data for bullet weights between 90 - 100 grains.atb Tim
 
This is what works very well for me in my CZ. 85 grn Sierra Gameking hollow points, 36 grns of Varget,CCI large rifle primer,I have been using this for Reds,Fallow,Roe and Foxes very happy.
Tusker
 
thanks,
i think i shall invest in both tubs then n135 and the varget and have a tinker,

the 17rem and 243 win will be my only 2 calibres to reload

thanks
 
thanks,
i think i shall invest in both tubs then n135 and the varget and have a tinker,

the 17rem and 243 win will be my only 2 calibres to reload

thanks
The varget is a great 'do it all' powder, it's very clean burning, temp stable and works on most calibres out there. As stated earlier, 75's should shoot nice in your 1/10", I use 75gr vmax for everything but deer, for them I use 100gr partitions, not as accurate, but then I don't shoot deer at 400yds. They shoot 1-1 1/2" at 100yds, so fine for normal distances. The 70gr smk's are a great bullet too, highly accurate, and work well on foxes, rabbit and the odd rat, and being non licencable , you can get mail order. £103 at kranks for 500. Can't go wrong :)
 
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I'm a big fan of Varget too but if you are loading 100gr projectiles you are not likely to acheive the velocity needed for the 1700 ft/lb minimum for England. T3 lite has a fairly short barrel doesn't it? Worth bearing in mind when choosing your powder.
 
I'm a big fan of Varget too but if you are loading 100gr projectiles you are not likely to acheive the velocity needed for the 1700 ft/lb minimum for England. T3 lite has a fairly short barrel doesn't it? Worth bearing in mind when choosing your powder.

so what powder would be your recomendations? bare in mind i want to both 17 and 243 i dont particuly want to go and buy lots of types
 
so what powder would be your recomendations? bare in mind i want to both 17 and 243 i dont particuly want to go and buy lots of types


I'll be honest. I have never tried reloading for 17, so I don't have any recommendations. If Varget works well for .17 then you are pretty safe loading an 85 grain bullet for the .243 (I think it needs to be over 3003 fps for 85gr) without worrying about legality in England but it might not be an ideal load for the larger species.

I use Varget for .243 and .308.
 
ok thanks,

here is another question,
im using berger bullet heads 25 grain and viht 135 if i was to change just one varible such as powder type of brand of bullet head in same weight is that safe?
 
I use the below which works very very well in my Remington 700 (sub MOA @ 100m)

I use this load on everything from Deer to Foxes as I prefer accuracy :)

38.6gr N140
70gr Sierra Blitzkings
Lapua Brass
Federal Champion Primer
All neck sized
 
ok thanks,

here is another question,
im using berger bullet heads 25 grain and viht 135 if i was to change just one varible such as powder type of brand of bullet head in same weight is that safe?

Powder type: definitely not safe. Bullet type: of same weight possibly safe but can't be guaranteed. Better to start at reduced powder again and work up.

A book like the ABC's of reloading will give you a better understanding of all this and I would strongly reccomend it if you are unsure of the basics.
 
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