Load data for 100 grain Hornaday interlock and N160 powder in .243 Winchester

[Zetter]

Hi All

I want to work up a load for the above bullets but checking my Hornaday reloading book it doesnt list data for Vit 160 for the Interlock 100 grain.
Does anyone have any data on this or has worked up a load for them?
The other option I had is the Vit site does list 100 grain bullets but only the Speer grand slam. As its the same bullet weight I was thinking that this would give me a starting point and I could work up from low to with this data checking for the usual pressure signs along with way.I have also read that the Vit data is fairly conservative off their site as well.

If this is a daft idea let me know as previously I have only really reloaded for my .17 hornet (pretty easy that only two bullets available) and my .243 with 87 grain (which are in the manual and list Vit N160 data.

 

[Yorric]

Z - You have got the best answer -- Start at the Viht Speer starting load & work up This follows best practice if you haven't got full manufacturers' data.
If you took someone else's working load you could easily get excessively high pressures from the off and you still would need to work up (or down) the load. This is BAD practice.
Why do it wrong when you can do it right? LOL
Load & shoot safe ALWAYS!
Ian

 

[Richard Parsons]

I've always gone for bullet weight . All of my reloading books don't list a make or type of bullet. Never had any problems. Just start at minimum for 100gr and give it a go.

 

[Zetter]

Cheers Guys

That give me a bit of peace of mind I will start working up from the low Vit data for the 100 grainers


Best Regards Neil

 

[Colonel]

I use 42gr N160 with 95gr Hornady SST which is very accurate. I used to use 42gr N160 with 100gr soft points before changing to the SST, also very accurate. My manual states 44gr as max.

 

[deeangeo]

Around 44gns Viht. N160 should get you there. Clearly the safe way is to work up. I found excellent accuracy at that charge with absolutely no over pressure signs. Steyr Mannlicher .243stutzen

 

[Zetter]

This will teach me to look at stuff I already had. A fair while ago a kind gent when I first started reloading gave me a copy of Richard Lee's modern reloading that I had forgotten about and bingo load data for .243 winchester 100 grain jacketed Vn160 data

Forgot I even had the book tbh!

 

[Namman]

Good advice on here. I use 43grains Viht N160 with Hornady 100gr BT interlock.

 

[imnotrucknut]

This will teach me to look at stuff I already had. A fair while ago a kind gent when I first started reloading gave me a copy of Richard Lee's modern reloading that I had forgotten about and bingo load data for .243 winchester 100 grain jacketed Vn160 data

Forgot I even had the book tbh!

 

[Smelly Yeti]

I load 39gr H4350 for Hornady Interlock 100gr BTSP with good results (Rem 700 .243, Varmint barrel) but believe that it burns slightly faster & has slightly higher Specific Energy than N160 (theoretically lower load would therefore give similar ME/MV to higher load of N160 where rifle, bullet, cartridge etc remain constant) so others suggestions of low 40’s sounds about right to me. However, as already stated, always go with the best practice (IMHO) of starting at the lower end and working up. TBH I find working up loads specific to your own individual rifle half the fun of reloading (and the main benefit over factory?). Good luck in finding that magic ‘recipe’

 

[imnotrucknut]

I load 39gr H4350 for Hornady Interlock 100gr BTSP with good results (Rem 700 .243, Varmint barrel) but believe that it burns slightly faster & has slightly higher Specific Energy than N160 (theoretically lower load would therefore give similar ME/MV to higher load of N160 where rifle, bullet, cartridge etc remain constant) so others suggestions of low 40’s sounds about right to me. However, as already stated, always go with the best practice (IMHO) of starting at the lower end and working up. TBH I find working up loads specific to your own individual rifle half the fun of reloading (and the main benefit over factory?). Good luck in finding that magic ‘recipe’

Thought h4350 was not reach compliant

 

[Smelly Yeti]

Thought h4350 was not reach compliant

Still using up the last of my Hodgedons. Will need to start the process again once it’s gone

 

[imnotrucknut]

Still using up the last of my Hodgedons. Will need to start the process again once it’s gone

Doing the same.Trying RL17.

 

[Island]

I use 42gr N160 with 95gr Hornady SST which is very accurate. I used to use 42gr N160 with 100gr soft points before changing to the SST, also very accurate. My manual states 44gr as max.

Around 44gns Viht. N160 should get you there. Clearly the safe way is to work up. I found excellent accuracy at that charge with absolutely no over pressure signs. Steyr Mannlicher .243stutzen

Good advice on here. I use 43grains Viht N160 with Hornady 100gr BT interlock.

A question out of curiousness.

I understand previously the load data from Viht showed higher min and max values, but their latest "book" data for 100gr bullets is a min. of 34.4gr and a max. of 39.8gr

Have they changed the make-up of N160, or have they just become super cautious in recent years?

 

[Namman]

A question out of curiousness.

I understand previously the load data from Viht showed higher min and max values, but their latest "book" data for 100gr bullets is a min. of 34.4gr and a max. of 39.8gr

Have they changed the make-up of N160, or have they just become super cautious in recent years?

They might well have. My Viht loading data gives 40.9 start and max of 45.4 with a 100gr Hornady SPBT . Go with the latest load data if you have bought your N160 recently.

 

[deeangeo]

'A question out of curiousness. I understand previously the load data from Viht showed higher min and max values, but their latest "book" data for 100gr bullets is a min. of 34.4gr and a max. of 39.8gr
Have they changed the make-up of N160, or have they just become super cautious in recent years?'

Impossible to say what Viht thinking/testing is. I only know that the charge I use is extremely accurate, but caution developing a load is always the best option.
Work up to find your barrel's sweet spot. There are usually several accuracy nodes that may become apparent.

However, if you're using the round on reds some good MV is advisable, as is a good bullet. Speer no longer make the RN bullet in that weight, but when they did & I used them, they were excellent.
Hornady make a RN bullet, but not near as good as the Speer used to be.

 

[NoIDeer]

I asked Viht about the apparent anomaly in the load data for 243 win 100 grain SP bullets. Not much help but interesting :-

Question

Can you confirm the your reloading data for N160 in .243 winchester calibre
and 100 grain SP bullet is correct?

N160 2,23 34.4 769 2523 2,58 39.8 873 2864

39.8 grains max seems very low and using reloading software (Quickload) with
standard settings gives a Pmax below two thirds of maximum pressure using
the 100 gn sierra bullet (#1540) I am loading for. The bullet weights above
and below on the table give much more generous loads?

I need to achieve a higher muzzle velocity to be legal to shoot deer in the
UK with this calibre. I would like to use N160 because I already use this
powder in another calibre.

Many thanks for your kind attention and I look forward to your response.

Response

Thank you for your message about reloading data!
The main reason for very different loadings, is usually the difference on
bullet to bullet hardness and bearing surface to barrel rifling; some
bullets are very hard/strong, when other ones are comparatively soft. Also
the cases that are used, are giving very different pressures, we have found
that for example in .308Win, the pressures can vary well over 650 Bars only
changing the case to another brand.
Then there are bullet manufacturers, that change the construction of bullets
some way or another, or the raw material of the bullets.
This constitutes lot variances from lot to lot, so we can't give other data,
than we get from our test shootings.
This kind of differences are visible every week on our test shootings.
What comes to Sierra bullets, they are usually very good quality, sadly we
haven't got the chance (yet) to test the bullet You're using on this
caliber.
One word about safety; the Quickload program is very good for starting to
plan loads, but very often it gives you way too much or little pressures
compared to tested loadings, we have got even around one thousand Bar
differences between QL data and real life tests! Most often the differences
are found on pistol loads.
I hope You have good time testing loads, and good hits!

 

[Island]

I asked Viht about the apparent anomaly in the load data for 243 win 100 grain SP bullets. Not much help but interesting :-

Question

Can you confirm the your reloading data for N160 in .243 winchester calibre
and 100 grain SP bullet is correct?

N160 2,23 34.4 769 2523 2,58 39.8 873 2864

39.8 grains max seems very low and using reloading software (Quickload) with
standard settings gives a Pmax below two thirds of maximum pressure using
the 100 gn sierra bullet (#1540) I am loading for. The bullet weights above
and below on the table give much more generous loads?

I need to achieve a higher muzzle velocity to be legal to shoot deer in the
UK with this calibre. I would like to use N160 because I already use this
powder in another calibre.

Many thanks for your kind attention and I look forward to your response.

Response

Thank you for your message about reloading data!
The main reason for very different loadings, is usually the difference on
bullet to bullet hardness and bearing surface to barrel rifling; some
bullets are very hard/strong, when other ones are comparatively soft. Also
the cases that are used, are giving very different pressures, we have found
that for example in .308Win, the pressures can vary well over 650 Bars only
changing the case to another brand.
Then there are bullet manufacturers, that change the construction of bullets
some way or another, or the raw material of the bullets.
This constitutes lot variances from lot to lot, so we can't give other data,
than we get from our test shootings.
This kind of differences are visible every week on our test shootings.
What comes to Sierra bullets, they are usually very good quality, sadly we
haven't got the chance (yet) to test the bullet You're using on this
caliber.
One word about safety; the Quickload program is very good for starting to
plan loads, but very often it gives you way too much or little pressures
compared to tested loadings, we have got even around one thousand Bar
differences between QL data and real life tests! Most often the differences
are found on pistol loads.
I hope You have good time testing loads, and good hits!

So, in essence, they are being cautious!

 

[Namman]

So, in essence, they are being cautious!

Over the years I have seen many load data change in various loading manuals ( Speer , Lyman , Nosler to name but three).
As the Viht reply states bullets do vary in bearing surface, hardness etc.
Also there are variations from batch to batch with powder. I think it is wise to use data which was obtained by shooting loads which is contemporary with the powder manufacture date. Good advice to start with the starting load and use a chronograph.

 

[jack243win]

Glad to see someone asking this. I’m about to make my first ever reload batch and I stupidly bought hornady 100g interlock for my .243win. I’m about to try 38g as the stated max for a 100g with N160 is only 39.8?? My N160 was made 08/08/2019. To be cautious I’m going to start at 38 and work my way upward until I group well.