50-60 gr. Pills for a .243

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shadowpeople

New member
Currently I shoot 70gr. Nosler ballistic tips over varget powder for coyotes out of my Tikka T3 and it really seems to like them, especially when they are loaded close to the lands. I picked up some 58 grain V-max's just to play around a little but I have a couple questions.

My rifle likes my 70 grain noslers loaded with a overall length of 2.730" but I don't think that length is even possible with the little 58 grain pills. I know that the bullets probably have different ogive to them but loading them so they just touch the lands doesn't leave much of the bullet in the neck. What do you guys usually load for your overall length with these little bullets. Another question, how much is too much bullet jump?

Also, what am I really gaining by converting from 70 grains to the 50-60 grain bullets besides speed? Will they be more fur friendly? Sometimes the 70 grain noslers can be a little explosive. I typically don't get any shots further than 350 but often end up hunting in the wind so sometimes it might be nice to shoot the heavier bullets?

Thanks
 
I shoot the 55 grain Nosler Ballistic tips in my 243. Load to 3950 with H414, Remington case and CCI mag primer.

I don't harvest fur, but it kills like lightening. Shoots very flat to 400 yards. Sure gets there quick it seems. If I planned on shooting between 400 and 600 yards I'd stay with a bullet with a higher SD. Some 243's start having stabilization problems with those light for the caliber pills.

Seat them one caliber deep and see what they do. There's no way you can get them close to the lands.
 
I can't answer your loading questions, but I shoot the 58gr VMax Hornady factory loads out of my .243. Hornady claims 3750fps and they are extremely accurate out of my Ruger, but are often not fur friendly. The VMax is designed to be explosive, and have proven unpredictable as far as damage goes. All of my kills have been a bang flop, but many have been messy...
 
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IDBob... What do you mean by seat them one caliber deep?

Do you mean seat the bullet .243" into the neck?



There is no need to seat them one caliber deep (.243 into the neck)... that is an old wives tale.

Try to seat the bullets out as far as possible - if you can get to the lands, that's good, but if not, you don't need one caliber deep - I have several rifles that the bullets are seated 20 to 30 thou into the neck and they shoot very small groups.

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I don't know how you can claim "There's no way you can get them close to the lands.." I don't know about the Vmax but I load the Sierra 55g Blitzkings in a .243 .008 off the lands and I'm into my case about .400.
 
It depends on how the gun was throated, weatherby used long throats and
a lot of jump to keep pressures down and speeds up. A lot of people suggest
starting at 035 for load work, when one is found , move the bullet out to
try and tighten the group even more. Just watch for pressure signs as you
approach touching. I have ended up around .010 on several loads as optimal,
but some didn't improve at all.
 
Sinclair Int'l sells small plugs that are caliber specific you insert to a case that you shorten the neck on. Insert the case with plug into the action and close gently. Open the action and remove the case with the plug. The plug should now be seated to where your lands begin. WORK BACK from there several thousands and start there for your OAL. You can also use dye on a bullet and insert it extra long WITHOUT crimping a standard case into the action and look for a mating mark.
 
That plug Sinclair sells is NOT used to measure to the lands. It is used to measure to the end of the chamber neck so you know when you actually have to trim cases.

Jack
 
I shoot the Hornady 58 gr VMax seated at 2.700" yes there is a slight jump and the cartridges are single loaded in the chamber due to the bullet minimal seating. Accuracy is below 1/2" so I can't complain too much. Great on Coyotes but kind of harsh on Fox and Bobcat.
 
The 60g Sierra is much more fur friendly than the 70g Ballistic tip.

Win 760 and H414 work fantastic with the light bullets!

I have had a lot of rifles where there were only .050 of bullet in the case, of course those rifles were single shots.
 
I don't know if your supposed to do it, but it's worked for me with no trouble.

The last time I needed to set OAL, I seated a bullet as far out as possible, and measured it.

Gently chambered it into the rifle.

Took it out then measured it again, if it moved I knew I was into the lands. I did it 3 times for consistency, set my OAL from there.
 
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20-30 thou sounds like an old wives tale to me. That's how thick my finger nails are.




I'm sorry... but I know exactly how deep into the neck the bullets are seated for each of my rifles (I write it doen in a little loading book!).
There are several that the bullets can be pushed over and out if not handled carefully.

Bullets do NOT have to be seated in the neck "one caliber".

.
 
How flat shooting are the 70 to 75 grain bulletsout of a .243?

I imagine they would shoot pretty flat because they are being fired out of a .308 case. The reason I am asking is because I have a pretty decent stock of the 70 grainers. I am saving them for use on coyotes, but it seems like the 55 grain bullets would ber better.
 
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