243 and reloaded 17. Thinking 75 vmax

Here's the data for all 3, in the same conditions with a 10mph drift using Brian Litz data for all three bullets.

55gr Nosler BT at 4058

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90gr Lapua Scenar at 3300fps

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95gr Berger Classic Hunter at 3250fps

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As you can see the heavies significantly trump the little 55gr in wind drift and energy at all distances including close ranges. You give up some drop, but any of them you're going to have to dial or hold beyond about 250 yards anyway and any of them are probably going to mean a miss if your range is off by 50 yards at 500. Compensating for drop is easy, reading wind, making a good call, and compensating for it is much harder and as you can see the lower drift of the high BC bullets gives you a lot more margin of error.
 
Originally Posted By: predatorpatrolOk first off thanks for all the info u guys have been great. So of the guys that shoot or have shoot the lighter bullets. Say at 400 yards have u had any splashes at that distance with lighter bullets. Especially talking about the 55 grain nosler bt. I am leaning towards trying them. The reason I was thinking rl 17 is it looked like I could get velocity up with the mid weight bullets. I just worry about the 55 at say 400 having enough weight to penetrate very well. I have on hand.

Nosler
55 and 70 bt, and 55 vermgedon

Hornady
58,75, 87, vmax
I think 75 , 87 hollow point

Sierra
60,and 80 blitz

I shot a 223 with 55v max and shot 5 coyotes one day only recovered 3 all tip over jumped up run off the 3 there where found had giant holes but a lot splash. I shot 3 the other day with 80 grain blitz and 2 run off. Reminded me of that.
I just want a dry bullet out to 400 if I do my part. Like I said 90 percent of what I shoot are less than hundred and 50 percent that is 50 yards.

Weight and energy are your friend for putting them down. If most of your shots are inside 100 then drop isn't even important and drift is negligible.

I gave up on the light bullets very fast for the same reasons. They're fine for prairie dogs and ground hogs but not a big coyote. Coyotes are not varmints and varmint bullets are clearly designed around small varmints.

Of the bullets you mentioned I can attest that the Hornady 87gr BTHP works great on them, they'll also work great for deer if you want to use the rifle for that as well. On coyotes they will exit on all but chest shots but they usually won't blow a huge hole in the hide but it isn't going to be dime size either, golf ball size is probably about average. They put them down hard though. IMO there's no better economically priced bullet for the .24/6mm's for all the game that a 6mm is suitable for than the 87gr BTHP.
 
Originally Posted By: predatorpatrolI have had good luck with the 4064 I am currently using it with the 80gr Sierra blitz. Yesterday was first chance I have had to go hunt. Went to 3 spots. Called in single hit little low behind shoulder coyote took off running died in about 75 yards. Entry hole was size of a 8 inch gong a lot of splash. Called in single hit in chest no entry or exit drt. Second coyote came behind it could see it as well it was peaking. Hit little low is my guess knocked it down it jumped up spinning got away but there was a little brush that it went behind so could see how it escaped. Giant pools blood aground where it spun but no blood when it left. I am not saying it was bad shots. But the Sierra 80 blitz seems a little 2 exsplosive for my liking. This why I am searching for different bullet. I am use to drt.

You need to call Sierra. I have never had this happen, never seen anyone else have it happen. They may have got a lot# of thin jackets or used pure lead instead of lead with xyz % antimony.
 
Who gets 3,250 fps with a 95 gr. bullet from a standard .243 Winchester with the usual 22" barrel?
 
Originally Posted By: GCWho gets 3,250 fps with a 95 gr. bullet from a standard .243 Winchester with the usual 22" barrel?

24”-26” is more the norm for 243’s these days but regardless even in a 22” factory grade barrel you should have no problem getting 3250 with H4831. H4350 should also do the trick but I’ve only ever ran them with H4831.

I’ve had two 26” 243 barrels (one Bartlein, one Schneider) that ran 105gr Bergers nearly 3400 fps with H4831 before pressure signs but the nodes were lower and it was way over the match speed limit. There’s also people getting velocities like that with RL26.
 
Originally Posted By: GCWho gets 3,250 fps with a 95 gr. bullet from a standard .243 Winchester with the usual 22" barrel?

My thoughts exactly lol. If we were using my load and my gun there would be a noticeable difference. If you consider 2 inches of wind drift considerable then what’s 10 inches of elevation difference for most folks. It’s ok if you don’t want to be fur friendly to be “right”. We all just have to remember that it’s all preference and experience we’re sharing. Litz data isn’t likely what 95% of guys are using. And that data isn’t for your average 24 inch barrel either. I would post a picture of what a 95 grain bullet does to a 35 lb yote but it’s graphic. Long story short 250 yards or closer it’s baseball sized exits....every time.


Long story short if you’re desperate to justify the higher B.C. stuff push that load through a standard rifle and stick a case. I did this load about 4 hours ago and at 3287 with a 26 inch tube stuck the case in my 700. Funny thing is that I can push 75’s and 55’s way past the numbers I used. But because it’s safe in mine doesn’t mean that it’s safe in yours. Anyways I’m not here to argue but I will certainly say that I wouldn’t trust custom loads ina custom gun in a standard action.
 
Originally Posted By: Redneckbmxer24Originally Posted By: GCWho gets 3,250 fps with a 95 gr. bullet from a standard .243 Winchester with the usual 22" barrel?

24”-26” is more the norm for 243’s these days but regardless even in a 22” factory grade barrel you should have no problem getting 3250 with H4831. H4350 should also do the trick but I’ve only ever ran them with H4831.

I’ve had two 26” 243 barrels (one Bartlein, one Schneider) that ran 105gr Bergers nearly 3400 fps with H4831 before pressure signs but the nodes were lower and it was way over the match speed limit. There’s also people getting velocities like that with RL26.

Really? What commonly available .243 FACTORY HUNTING rifles are on the shelf with 26" barrels? And... 3400 fps with 105's and H4831? Exceptional indeed.
 
Originally Posted By: predatorpatrolOk first off thanks for all the info u guys have been great. So of the guys that shoot or have shoot the lighter bullets. Say at 400 yards have u had any splashes at that distance with lighter bullets. Especially talking about the 55 grain nosler bt. I am leaning towards trying them. The reason I was thinking rl 17 is it looked like I could get velocity up with the mid weight bullets. I just worry about the 55 at say 400 having enough weight to penetrate very well. I have on hand.

Nosler
55 and 70 bt, and 55 vermgedon

Hornady
58,75, 87, vmax
I think 75 , 87 hollow point

Sierra
60,and 80 blitz

I shot a 223 with 55v max and shot 5 coyotes one day only recovered 3 all tip over jumped up run off the 3 there where found had giant holes but a lot splash. I shot 3 the other day with 80 grain blitz and 2 run off. Reminded me of that.
I just want a dry bullet out to 400 if I do my part. Like I said 90 percent of what I shoot are less than hundred and 50 percent that is 50 yards.


The Varmagedon isn’t fur friendly and not really great for yotes. Now I can’t say enough good about the 55 Nosler BT and 70 grain blitz kings. Those two in my experience have been my favorite. The 55’s don’t exit very often like say less than 5% of the time. Really depends on what your twist rate is on which is good for you. Try both if you can afford to and see if you like em.
 
Originally Posted By: GCOriginally Posted By: Redneckbmxer24Originally Posted By: GCWho gets 3,250 fps with a 95 gr. bullet from a standard .243 Winchester with the usual 22" barrel?

24”-26” is more the norm for 243’s these days but regardless even in a 22” factory grade barrel you should have no problem getting 3250 with H4831. H4350 should also do the trick but I’ve only ever ran them with H4831.

I’ve had two 26” 243 barrels (one Bartlein, one Schneider) that ran 105gr Bergers nearly 3400 fps with H4831 before pressure signs but the nodes were lower and it was way over the match speed limit. There’s also people getting velocities like that with RL26.

Really? What commonly available .243 FACTORY HUNTING rifles are on the shelf with 26" barrels? And... 3400 fps with 105's and H4831? Exceptional indeed.

I said 24”-26”, not just 26” because the majority of hunting tailored rifles in 243 are 24” and the varmint rifles are typically 26”. Sure there are some with shorter 20” and 22” barrels but those aren’t the typical lengths.
 
Really? What commonly available .243 FACTORY HUNTING rifles are on the shelf with 26" barrels? And... 3400 fps with 105's and H4831? Exceptional indeed.[/quote]

One may dare say exaggerated. How does one post pictures here? I have pictures of my chrono that’d be helpful in this conversation.
 
Originally Posted By: Redneckbmxer24Originally Posted By: GCOriginally Posted By: Redneckbmxer24Originally Posted By: GCWho gets 3,250 fps with a 95 gr. bullet from a standard .243 Winchester with the usual 22" barrel?

24”-26” is more the norm for 243’s these days but regardless even in a 22” factory grade barrel you should have no problem getting 3250 with H4831. H4350 should also do the trick but I’ve only ever ran them with H4831.

I’ve had two 26” 243 barrels (one Bartlein, one Schneider) that ran 105gr Bergers nearly 3400 fps with H4831 before pressure signs but the nodes were lower and it was way over the match speed limit. There’s also people getting velocities like that with RL26.

Really? What commonly available .243 FACTORY HUNTING rifles are on the shelf with 26" barrels? And... 3400 fps with 105's and H4831? Exceptional indeed.

I said 24”-26”, not just 26” because the majority of hunting tailored rifles in 243 are 24” and the varmint rifles are typically 26”. Sure there are some with shorter 20” and 22” barrels but those aren’t the typical lengths.

Repeating the contested statement doesn't necessarily make it true, and it certainly didn't answer my question.
 
You could just go onto manufacturers sites like Remington, Weatherby, Winchester, Savage, and so forth we where you’ll see that the standard length for a 243 sporter barrel is 24” and varmint barrels are 26”.

But why would you do that? It would prove you incorrect and you’re looking to argue with someone on the internet. Those have been the standard lengths for a long time.
 
Thanks guys for all the info. As far as bullets go both of u guys make valid points for what u beleive. I wouldn’t stay either one of u is wrong. I have gone from ar to the bolt gun in 243. I am gonna use the gun when I contest call and I have one coming up on the 12. My kids keep me busy and when I didn’t see what I was looking for with out further test with the 80 blitz. That’s kinda wheee this thread come from. I am looking for the biggest hole I can get. For this situation. I don’t have a lot time left for testing as kids got things this weekend. With all that being said both ur arguments is what I have been arguing with in my head. Here is what I decided. I loaded up 87 grain vmax cause I already got load for them I’m just trying to get more velocity what I have. I loaded rl17 and 4064 see what happens. I think after the contest I’ll play with lighter bullets.

Thanks again
 
His question was about your data that guys are shooting 105’s around 300 FPS higher than any load I know about in a standard hunting rifle. If you’re shooting that speed please just show us. The wind drift numbers don’t work out to your favor at speeds the average gun can handle and that’s fine. I’m not shooting a 1000 match gun and neither is the OP. Posting skewed numbers from a custom BR gun isn’t good information. As a wise man once told me, “You ain’t gotta lie to kick it.” The last thing someone needs to do is stumble across this thread and get delusions of grandeur and try achieving 3300 FPS out of a standard rifle with 105’s. Or even 3250 from 95’s for that matter. Trust me I did a lot of numbers crunching and still bought a gun in a chambering I hate because numbers don’t lie. I hate .243’s but it’s difficult to beat it throwing 55’s inside 500 yards. I’ve pushed the cartridge as far as I could in all directions. I’ve used my chronograph all sorts of powder,bullet combinations and 3 different primers varieties trying to get the most out of the.243 in a standard action. I’ve tried seating depths across the board and I can promise you I’ve loaded less than safe powder charges. I’m not sure why I took the time to argue with you as you seem like the type who would tell me that my .264 Win Mag won’t out perform the 6.5 Needsmor.
 
Originally Posted By: Redneckbmxer24You could just go onto manufacturers sites like Remington, Weatherby, Winchester, Savage, and so forth we where you’ll see that the standard length for a 243 sporter barrel is 24” and varmint barrels are 26”.

But why would you do that? It would prove you incorrect and you’re looking to argue with someone on the internet. Those have been the standard lengths for a long time.

Standard .243 Winchester factory sporter hunting rifles:

Remington M700 ADL & BDL = 22"
Remingtom M7 Predator = 22"
Remington 7400 = 22"
Remington 7600 = 22"
Winchester M70 Featherweight = 22"
Winchester M70 Extreme Weather = 22"
Ruger M77 Sporter = 22"
Ruger Hawkeye Standard = 22"
Ruger American Rifle = 22"
Ruger No. 1A Sporter =22"
Tikka T3 = 22.5"
Savage 110 = 22"
Howa Sporter = 22"
Browning X Bolt Hunter = 22"
Browning X Bolt Composite Stalker = 22"
Browning BAR = 22"

My comment and question come as a predator caller, not as a prairie dog or groundhog shooter, benchrest or long range steel shooter. Not many predator callers are lugging heavy bull barrel varmint rigs with 26" barrels. As of the last several years there are some select long range rigs available with longer than the usual standard sporter barrels. Without cherry picking these specialized rigs and keeping to the question of standard sporter barrels for the .243 Winchester, this length has been 22" for a very long time.
 
Originally Posted By: GCOriginally Posted By: Redneckbmxer24You could just go onto manufacturers sites like Remington, Weatherby, Winchester, Savage, and so forth we where you’ll see that the standard length for a 243 sporter barrel is 24” and varmint barrels are 26”.

But why would you do that? It would prove you incorrect and you’re looking to argue with someone on the internet. Those have been the standard lengths for a long time.

Standard sporter hunting rifles:

Remington M700 ADL & BDL = 22"
Remingtom M7 Predator = 22"
Winchester M70 Featherweight = 22"
Winchester M70 Extreme Weather = 22"
Ruger M77 Sporter = 22"
Ruger Hawkeye Standard = 22"
Ruger American Rifle = 22"
Tikka T3 = 22.5"
Savage 110 = 22"
Howa Sporter = 22"
Browning X Bolt Hunter = 22"
Browning X Bolt Composite Stalker = 22"

My comment and question come as a predator caller, not as a prairie dog shooter. Not many callers are lugging heavy bull barrel varmint rigs with 26" barrels. There are some select long range rigs available with longer than the standard barrels. Without cherry picking specialized rigs, standard sporter barrels for the .243 Winchester has been 22" for a very long time.





After quick thought he’s probably confusing .243 Win numbers with what guys are getting out of.243 AI. I’ll admit I’m the weird guy who packs 26 inch heavy barrel. But my wife’s gun is a heavy barrel 22 inch Bergara for example and it struggles producing numbers much over 3000 FPS with 95’s.
 
Originally Posted By: JayHis question was about your data that guys are shooting 105’s around 300 FPS higher than any load I know about in a standard hunting rifle. If you’re shooting that speed please just show us. The wind drift numbers don’t work out to your favor at speeds the average gun can handle and that’s fine. I’m not shooting a 1000 match gun and neither is the OP. Posting skewed numbers from a custom BR gun isn’t good information. As a wise man once told me, “You ain’t gotta lie to kick it.” The last thing someone needs to do is stumble across this thread and get delusions of grandeur and try achieving 3300 FPS out of a standard rifle with 105’s. Or even 3250 from 95’s for that matter. Trust me I did a lot of numbers crunching and still bought a gun in a chambering I hate because numbers don’t lie. I hate .243’s but it’s difficult to beat it throwing 55’s inside 500 yards. I’ve pushed the cartridge as far as I could in all directions. I’ve used my chronograph all sorts of powder,bullet combinations and 3 different primers varieties trying to get the most out of the.243 in a standard action. I’ve tried seating depths across the board and I can promise you I’ve loaded less than safe powder charges. I’m not sure why I took the time to argue with you as you seem like the type who would tell me that my .264 Win Mag won’t out perform the 6.5 Needsmor.

You really should go back and read. I never said that I was shooting 105's at that velocity in a standard barrel and nobody asked about that from what I see. I stated that was two custom 26" barrels (a Bartlein and a Schneider) that got those velocities. I never gave any sort of an indication that you could get those velocities with that bullet in a standard barrel. As far as I know there's not even any standard 243's that will stabilize that bullets since most are 10 twists with some being 9.25 and you need a 8 twist to stabilize most bullets, specifically the 105 Hybrid.

The person who questioned my numbers was questioning 3250 which is what I stated you could get with a 95gr and yes most standard 243's even ones with a 22" barrel should be able to achieve that with H4831 unless they just have an incredibly slow barrel.

I assure you that I have enough interesting stuff going on in my life that I don't need to make up crap for a group of strangers on the internet whom I will most likely meet. I'm here to read and learn more about predator hunting and try to give back on subjects which I'm knowledgable. If you think I'm exaggerating velocities that I achieved with certain bullets you absolutely have the right to do so but you're wrong. I've burnt out probably a dozen 243 barrels and have at least half of a composition notebook worth of 243 data alone. All of my chrono data is from a Magnetospeed which is more accurate than any shoot through chrono, and 95% of it has also been verified by shooting at distance. I stand behind all the claims I made.

And no, none of my barrels where 243AI. The only improved chamber rifles I've had were 223AI and 280AI. It'd take a moron to mix that up.
 
The hang up is that data you used to be right, isn’t based on any published data from Hogdon, Nosler, Sierra, Lee, Vithavouri, or Berger(Lapua). Not to mention that it’s 150 FPS faster than the fastest load data available for a 24 inch gun.... So if you would be so kind as to share where the load data came from it’d be helpful. Because if you used speeds from your gun then to be fair to the 55 gr stuff I’d say you should use my winter load which I chronographed at 4215 but average 4209 most days. I’m not the argumentive type and I don’t mind being wrong. But it’s difficult for me to leave misinformation laying around. 150 FPS is the a lot of difference.
 
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