[b].243 with 70 & 85 gr. bullets[/b]

N

newmexkid

New member
Been shooting 58 and 65 gr. V-Max's for quite a while but, getting ready to try either the 70 or 85 gr. bullet. My first .243, (1970) used to shoot 85 gr. Sierras with a vengeance with old H4831. What kind of powder/load are you using with your .243 with 70 or 85 gr. bullets? Thanks.
 
I shoot 70 Sierra Blitzking with Varget. This weekend I started toying with 85 Sierra Gameking and Barnes 85 Triple Shocks (I've tried both with Varget before and wasn't really impressed though they were okay).

I went with IMR 4895 and the Gameking instantly went to .75", the TSX just slightly larger. I had to stop shooting before I had worked through my load ladder, so I'm hoping the TSX tightens up.

What is awesome is that I now have four loads for this particular Rem 700 with the same point of impact at 100 yards.
 
Nosler manual lists the most accrate load with their 70g Nosler is 47.0g of H4350 with a Win primer at 3600 fps.

We shoot that load in three rem 700's and accuracy is less than 1/2" groups...primer is very important with this load.

3600 is no slouch load and at 300 yards you can shoot small groups...

R#19 has been king on the 85's with a Win primer, I shoot 45.5g with the 85g Tripple shock with 1/2" accuracy.
 
Havn't tried 70's yet and don't know if i will.In my Tikka my do all load is 45grs RS Hunter under the 85 SGK Avg.Vol.3154 Avg. group is now up to .42 smallest .23.Started Reworking a load for the 80TTSX 43.5 grs H100v 5 shots 100yds .96 in 15-20mph qaurtering head wind and 44grs H100v 5 shots 100yds 1.24 Avg Vol.3282 in a quartering head wind at a stiff 20mph.I think with some good conditions they will print some really good groups want to make this my new yote round.
 
my go to load for p dogs is 40 gr 4895 and 70 gr tnts, shot these out of my ruger varminter on paper they shot in the .2s have shot about 6,000 of these a great load for 243s
 
48.1 of RE-19 with Nosler 70gr BT's and CCI BR-2 primers, at 2.620" COL. I just found this load a few weeks ago, but very sweet out of my Tikka T3 Lite in 243 Winchester. Of course I also sanded my barrel channel to get the best possible float, and lightened my trigger to just a hair under 2 lbs - so I need to go back and try some of my earlier loads again too. Start lower and work your way up. 47.9 looked almost as good, 47.7 had 2 in 1 hole also with a third opening the group up to maybe 5/8" @ 100 yards, but 47.5 started out ugly. I may see what anything just slightly higher does, but I have to believe it will probably be falling apart again. Hard to improve on what I was seeing at 48.1 out of a sporter weight barrel. I'll be leading off on the ground-hogs with this load in just another few weeks - whenever I can get out really at this point. I am also trying this powder with the Barnes TSX bullets, but it didn't come together on the first outing that's for sure. Nice powder to work with though since I weigh all of mine individually and actually prefer the larger grains.
 
I run 70 Nosler BT's with IMR 4064 or Varget and get about 3450-3460fps with the CCI LRM primers and Lapua neck sized brass depending on which powder I use. I shoot groundhogs with it and have few exits from distances as close as 50yds. They just puff up when shot in the body, now headshots are another story, that can get ugly. This is in my stock SPS Varmint 243 barreled action.
 
I have a Browning in 243. I tried 70gr Sierra Matchkings, but couldn't get under 1 1/4" with any powder. I switched to 75gr Vmax and Varget and it now shoots very well. The same powder and charge shoots 85gr Barnes TSX to within 1" POI at 200yds.
 
IMR-4007-SSC 46.1 grains with a 70 grain Speer TNT and a WLR primer out of my Remmy 700 Buckmaster. About 3450 fps and consistant 3/4" groups.
 
Kzone, don't tell me that! I really like what I've seen the Barnes bullets do, so I'm going to try a little longer at least to crack the codes on these for my Tikka. After not getting anything to go last time out, I'm now adjusting from "book COL" to about 2.700 or 2.705 which is about .050 off.

Here was the RE19 / 70BT load though, pretty sweet.

picture.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: sbrandenKzone, don't tell me that! I really like what I've seen the Barnes bullets do, so I'm going to try a little longer at least to crack the codes on these for my Tikka. After not getting anything to go last time out, I'm now adjusting from "book COL" to about 2.700 or 2.705 which is about .050 off.


Good luck with 85TSX I will be waiting to see what u come up with.I shot more of the 80TTSX today 43.5 & 44gr H100v .021 jump. Groups 1.25/.99 @ 100yds and 1.49 @ 200yds good enough to hunt with but nowhere close to the 85SGK.load.For the 70BT Very sweet load what was the jump and volocity?
 
The 70's... lets see, based on bullet length and the rule of thumb that says keep the diameter of your bullet in the case neck, that would have put this bullets "ideal" at about 2.690 or even 2.695". I can tell you I've shot these out as far as 2.710 without being even close to touching the rifling, and my COL on this load is all the way back at 2.620 - so a lot of jump. This gun just seems to prefer more jump than usual, for whatever reason. Same with the 80 SBT's I've shot, same with the 85SGK's, etc. But I would have to look back through my notebook another weekend to see exactly what COL these 70BT's touched at - can't recall off the top of my head. I haven't chrono'd this load yet either, but I have to believe this will be 3,400fps or better.
 
I had very good luck with 70's and RL15. Two of my favorite loads with 85(sierra) are with H414 and H4350. I use more 4350 due to the fact it shoots so well out of my 30-06 rifles.
 
Not 70's and 85's, but I run 75's and 90's.

R-15 shoots great w/75's for me and I use '17 w/90's. Speed's are 3450/3220.

It's no problem getting either the 75Vmax, or 90SSII to the lands and feeding from the magbox with the Rem factory throats.
 
I prefer the 87gr V-max to the Sciroccos or the 75 V-Max.

Never ran the SSIIs, the originals sucked.

I still run 85gr XLCs too, until my last couple hundred run out. In the 6-06 I could switch from 85XLC to 87 V-max with little or no POI shift.....
 
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