243 loading

[chris_shooting]

does anyone have a 243 loading kit ? i fancying doing some home loads

[dicehorn]

You may get some more questions to your post.

[chris_shooting]

does anyone have a 243 loading kit ? i fancying doing some home loads i want to know what i need and how much more cheaper it is then buying them off shelf and what's the benefits ?

[kent]

It might be more expensive, depends on how many you plan to shoot each year. On the plus side you have better availibility and repeatability, no more having to make do with what the dealer has. I have 5 or six favoured and tested .243 loads all of which i can produce quite quickly for varying purposes. Accuraccy wise it takes a good shot to shoot better than todays premium factory stuff at 200 yds these days.

[Bewsher500]

get on Henry Kranks webiste

 

Lee Loader, case trimmer, primer pocket cleaner, chamfer tool, Lee Powder scoops, wooden mallet - £40 ish

3 boxes of hornady interlocks - £75

1kg of N140 or N160 - £70ish

300 CCI LR primers - £9-10

 

that is all you need for 300 rounds for under £200. (65p a round)

your next 300 will cost you less than £150 (50p a round)

 

even a muppet like me with no regard for measuring OAL and without a set of scales can do better and cheaper than factory ammo.

I seat to the cannulure on the bullet because it looks about right.

I measure charges with scoops.

 

first load of 130gr .270 over N160, no further adjustments made (shot at 135yds):

 

first load of 100gr .243 over N160, no further adjustments made (shot at 75yds)

 

 

 

if it is cost you are doing it for, stick with that reason

if you want to be the next 1000yd champion or put 5 shots in one hole, get your cheque book out and start moving the bed out of the spare room.

[al4x]

the only issue with ignoring the OAL is you can get into dangerous territory easily, personally I'd stick to factory before assembling rounds with no form of measurement and using something that involved a hammer it just doesn't sit well with my liking to keep things like eyes and fingers.

 

If you can find someone local with the gear the best option is get them to show you the ropes even if they lack the .243 dies you can get them for £30 then bung a few quid for the use of the gear and jobs a good un.

[kent]

get on Henry Kranks webiste

 

Lee Loader, case trimmer, primer pocket cleaner, chamfer tool, Lee Powder scoops, wooden mallet - £40 ish

3 boxes of hornady interlocks - £75

1kg of N140 or N160 - £70ish

300 CCI LR primers - £9-10

 

that is all you need for 300 rounds for under £200. (65p a round)

your next 300 will cost you less than £150 (50p a round)

 

even a muppet like me with no regard for measuring OAL and without a set of scales can do better and cheaper than factory ammo.

I seat to the cannulure on the bullet because it looks about right.

I measure charges with scoops.

 

first load of 130gr .270 over N160, no further adjustments made (shot at 135yds):

 

first load of 100gr .243 over N160, no further adjustments made (shot at 75yds)

 

 

 

if it is cost you are doing it for, stick with that reason

if you want to be the next 1000yd champion or put 5 shots in one hole, get your cheque book out and start moving the bed out of the spare room.

 

 

I have said this before but that second charge is down on what i view as safe with .243. Both of those groups can be bettered with good factory. If it sounds like i am just having a go, i am not re-loading is a serious issue

[Bewsher500]

I have said this before but that second charge is down on what i view as safe with .243. Both of those groups can be bettered with good factory. If it sounds like i am just having a go, i am not re-loading is a serious issue

 

 

sure they could, but not at 40p a pop

(although I have yet to see even the most expensive factory ammo produce 0.3" groups)

 

You can chase 0.1" groups all day long, but why? more chance I am the one influencing the group size in the field. Dont get me wrong, if your rifle spends more time on a range than on a sling then chase away. I reload to keep costs down not to shoot bench rest.

 

 

As to N160 charges, that is your view. VV data disagrees, its nowhere near "low".

Even their slightly hotter historical data puts it in the upper 1/3 of the range

Its a 100gr .243 bullet clocking close to 2800fps. sure I could probably push it faster, but why bother?

I loaded it at that level for a reason. and launching 100gr pills at 600yds was not it.

 

 

100gr

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

 

 

the only issue with ignoring the OAL is you can get into dangerous territory easily, personally I'd stick to factory before assembling rounds with no form of measurement and using something that involved a hammer it just doesn't sit well with my liking to keep things like eyes and fingers.

 

 

The lee loaders are so common its not funny. Do you really think that they would have survived 50 years of production given the US hobby of suing people when things go wrong.

OAL is set at a maximum level and only becomes an issue when slammed into the lands

stick to sensible charge levels, seat your bullets just above diameter depth and OAL is of no consequence to the sporting reloader on a budget.

 

its easy to doubt the kit, many do. usually those who have never used them extensively.

I dont have a press any longer but cant and dont slate presses for not doing the job they are intended for. they work just fine but dont offer me anything I dont already have without the cost or space sacrifice.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Bewsher500

[chris_shooting]

ok thanks for the info guys

[kent]

Well quality factory is quite capable on 1/2" at 200yrds not just 100yds the issue is most shooters cannot. testing at 100yds in a .243" is actually pretty much a waste of time as regards sorting the best loads in development, especially in a .243. I dont even view it that worthwhile in far less powerfull rounds than this any more.

Pretty much any decent load will shoot at 100yds you simply cannot sepparate the wheat from the chaff at such a range

[al4x]

however what you can say is most stalked deer will be shot at that range or less and it gives you a starting point. Generally if they shoot at such a range its fairly unusual to find a massive difference at 2 or 3 times that. However other issues such as wind then become more of an issue, mine will do an inch and a half at 300 if I do my bit which I'm quite happy with but for checking zero I know exactly where it should be at 100 as its an easy range to check.

[kent]

however what you can say is most stalked deer will be shot at that range or less and it gives you a starting point. Generally if they shoot at such a range its fairly unusual to find a massive difference at 2 or 3 times that. However other issues such as wind then become more of an issue, mine will do an inch and a half at 300 if I do my bit which I'm quite happy with but for checking zero I know exactly where it should be at 100 as its an easy range to check.

 

Of sorts yes quite correct. dont always work out like that though. Add in vertical dispersion and enlarged group from less than great ammo put in wind changes and the shooting soon goes to hell in a handcart. Only 5-10yrs ago factory realy did struggle to put in great accuraccy but with todays premium bullets being used and matched propelants it quite hard to produce superiour hunting loads. Sub fifty quid a hundred fodder is a very different matter to around thiry quid per twenty premium stuff though.

[kent]

I dunno, barrels were just fine ten years back the way i remember it- better in some brands IMO but many factory rounds had non branded bullet heads. I think the bullets and the rise of computer controled manufacturing machines might have more to do with it? Can you back up your thoughts on the barrels please?

[DaveK]

Yes but family guy has just started

Damn and blast, and I'm at work.

 

Chris_shooting - That rifle loves 75gn vmax over 41.2gn Viht 140.

[DIVERD]

I did the maths and decided that reloading was not for me. However my local shops varied what they held so often it became an issue, and using 3-4 out of each new brands box minimum to confirm zero made it more viable. I was lucky and was given most of the kit when a pal left the area, and got an afternoons tuition and an evening or two on youtube,

 

I now have all the kit inc a chrono and make reliable loads.I shoot roe, fox and reds on open hill generally, so 100 - 200mtr range. Groups tend to be about an inch, sometimes less sometime a very little more and we are zeroed at 200.

 

I use 35 gn of h380 and 100gn partitions, running at 2750 give or take 50. This is the powder i was given and have just kept using it. I also use it for the 30:06 and have basically the same results with 55gn and 150 gn partitions, they run a very similar curve.

 

I initially did not consider oal, i just measured the factory ammo i had and made them exactly the same length. I think consistancy of parts, measures weights and lengths is as important as anything else for a non target shooter. My thinking is that in general the target in my shooting is the size of a tennis ball and out to say 300 i will hit this all day. If the animal is not in the correct position or too far away i can choose to move or not to shoot, i am lucky i dont have cull numbers to shoot and only shoot to fill my freezer.

 

Ok, it is all rather simplistic, but it is working for me, and i have 2 other shooters sharing my kit and also sharing the costs. We all use the same recipie in 243 and it gives similar results in 3 rifles. One other in our wee sindicate shoots only factory and gets similar results, he just lives closer to a shop and can therefor buy when they have what he wants, i have to travel and sometimes dont get what i want.

 

A lot of shooters are into targets, and are looking for more accuracy than is necessary for sensible open hill shooting. If you can hit a 10p and the target is a tennis ball then that is more than accurate enough for my needs

[kent]

I did the maths and decided that reloading was not for me. However my local shops varied what they held so often it became an issue, and using 3-4 out of each new brands box minimum to confirm zero made it more viable. I was lucky and was given most of the kit when a pal left the area, and got an afternoons tuition and an evening or two on youtube,

 

I now have all the kit inc a chrono and make reliable loads.I shoot roe, fox and reds on open hill generally, so 100 - 200mtr range. Groups tend to be about an inch, sometimes less sometime a very little more and we are zeroed at 200.

 

I use 35 gn of h380 and 100gn partitions, running at 2750 give or take 50. This is the powder i was given and have just kept using it. I also use it for the 30:06 and have basically the same results with 55gn and 150 gn partitions, they run a very similar curve.

 

I initially did not consider oal, i just measured the factory ammo i had and made them exactly the same length. I think consistancy of parts, measures weights and lengths is as important as anything else for a non target shooter. My thinking is that in general the target in my shooting is the size of a tennis ball and out to say 300 i will hit this all day. If the animal is not in the correct position or too far away i can choose to move or not to shoot, i am lucky i dont have cull numbers to shoot and only shoot to fill my freezer.

 

Ok, it is all rather simplistic, but it is working for me, and i have 2 other shooters sharing my kit and also sharing the costs. We all use the same recipie in 243 and it gives similar results in 3 rifles. One other in our wee sindicate shoots only factory and gets similar results, he just lives closer to a shop and can therefor buy when they have what he wants, i have to travel and sometimes dont get what i want.

 

A lot of shooters are into targets, and are looking for more accuracy than is necessary for sensible open hill shooting. If you can hit a 10p and the target is a tennis ball then that is more than accurate enough for my needs

 

This is a very good example of someone with his prioities and personal needs well sorted. BTW fiddling with COL will not give meaningfull gains in most factory chambered rifles, your doing the right thing

 

Yes but family guy has just started

 

so go on.........................?

[Mr_Logic]

sure they could, but not at 40p a pop

(although I have yet to see even the most expensive factory ammo produce 0.3" groups)

 

You can chase 0.1" groups all day long, but why? more chance I am the one influencing the group size in the field. Dont get me wrong, if your rifle spends more time on a range than on a sling then chase away. I reload to keep costs down not to shoot bench rest.

 

 

As to N160 charges, that is your view. VV data disagrees, its nowhere near "low".

Even their slightly hotter historical data puts it in the upper 1/3 of the range

Its a 100gr .243 bullet clocking close to 2800fps. sure I could probably push it faster, but why bother?

I loaded it at that level for a reason. and launching 100gr pills at 600yds was not it.

 

 

100gr

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

 

 

 

 

 

The lee loaders are so common its not funny. Do you really think that they would have survived 50 years of production given the US hobby of suing people when things go wrong.

OAL is set at a maximum level and only becomes an issue when slammed into the lands

stick to sensible charge levels, seat your bullets just above diameter depth and OAL is of no consequence to the sporting reloader on a budget.

 

its easy to doubt the kit, many do. usually those who have never used them extensively.

I dont have a press any longer but cant and dont slate presses for not doing the job they are intended for. they work just fine but dont offer me anything I dont already have without the cost or space sacrifice.

 

Is your load 39.5 or 34.5 gr? I am struggling to read it. The 34.5 figure would worry me, mainly because it's illegal for use on deer (too slow, not enough energy by about 250 ft/lbs), but the 39.5 figure is better.

[coyotemaster]

Interesting variety in responses, OAL is something I measure and find for fine tuning accuracy it is crucial in my guns. If you don't have a stony point gauge it is quite easy to measure distance to the lands with a fired case and a bullet you intend to use. Back the decapping pin out and barely kiss the case with the resizing die---just enough to give a snug fit to the bullet when inserted with FINGERS. Leave the bullet protrude and insert the round into the chamber, gently push the casing into the chamber with a finger(doesn't matter which) and close the bolt. When you extract the casing do it slowly and push the front of the casing in do not let it flip out of the action, then measure with a caliper. I usually run this 4-6 times and be sure I know where the lands are. I then load either +.005 into the lands or -.015-.030 off depends what the barrel wants.

[Muggins.]

I may have missed the answer somewhere but are you shooting deer or vermin?

[Bewsher500]

Is your load 39.5 or 34.5 gr? I am struggling to read it. The 34.5 figure would worry me, mainly because it's illegal for use on deer (too slow, not enough energy by about 250 ft/lbs), but the 39.5 figure is better.

 

its 39.5gr N160

Its a load I specifically use for Roe (in Scotland)

works a charm, very little damage and drops them like lightning