.243 Serria 85 gr,HP best powder?

S

son_of_rocky

New member
I have been loading some 75 gr. V Max and 80 grain Speer soft point in my .243 trying different loads in the moderate load range with Varget or BLC-2. I picked up some 85 grain Serria HP to try and put together a load. The Varget isn't listed as a powder choice for this bullet in my manual so I did put 5 together tonight with 34 grains of BLC-2. Is there a favorite powder among the .243 shooters out there that I should be looking at?
 
I get excellent groups with that bullet and 36.5gr of IMR 3031. 3031 is an overlooked powder for the .243 in the lighter weight bullets IMHO. I use H4350 with 100gr bullets.
Give some a try I think you'll like it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
Good luck.
 
i use 35.8 gr of varget.
it shoots awesome,but ive got some fine tuning to do.
it was in my 243 reloading manual i got at sportsmans.
i think its goin 2900 fps.
 
Varget, RL15, H4350 is what I've used with the 85 grain soft point Sierra. Also Ramshot BigGame I think. Almost anything between 4895 and RL19 should give good results.
 
I also have had great groups with this bullet. My load is 35.9g IMR 3031 col 2.60. My rifle coppers up quick, as I have recently discovered, as the groups moved out to 1.5" from .65' at 100. These were 2x loaded Win case's, with win primers. The rifle has a 1:10 twist and does not do 100g well.
Jim
 
OK, so I would like to try the Varget with my Serria gameking 85 BTHP, Hodgdon dosen't list this bullet in their charts,(At least not that I have) but has the Barnes X bullets as the 85 grain bullet listed. My Lee manual list a Jacketed 85 grain bullet without varget as a powder choice. Is there a chart somewhere I can view on the web that would give me the loads for Varget and the serria 85 BTHP? Although I certainly am not going to argue with guys who have a lot more reloading experience than I do; Am I being overcautious by thinking I need to see the same bullet and powder combo on a chart before I actually start building a load?

Thanks much,

Rocky
 
Use the 80gr Sierra BTSP data; it will be slightly on the "hard" side, you should probably tweak it down, but only slightly. Better yet, call Sierra at 800-223-8799, their tech support group is second to none, IMO.
Mark
 
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