I'm on a Hand Loading Kick Lately

snake284

I've been busy hunting a lot lately and have been neglecting some of my rifles. It's also been a few months since I hand loaded anything. So about 3 weeks back I sized and prepped some 22-250 cases. I have some Speer 52 grain Hollow points both flat base and boat tail. I had always used IMR-4064 or IMR-4895 in this cartridge for this bullet weight, but the last couple years I decided to try something different, Varget. So I've been loading this cartridge with Varget and the last time I shot this combo it shot pretty well, about 3/4 to 1 inch 5 shot groups. So I loadediv up 25 BTHPs and 22 HP Flat Base bullets with this load. My 22-250 has a 1-14 inch twist so it does better with bullets on the light side. We shall see.

Also, thanks to a couple of benevolent Forum Bros on here I obtained a die set for my wife's .Remington 700 ADL Synthetic .243 Winchester and some 100 grain 6mm/.243 diameter Soft Point hunting bullets made by Privi Partizan made in Serbia. I was very happy to find these because like .243 loaded factory rounds, these are rare as hens teeth these days. So far, I've got all the cases prepped, primed and ready for powder and bullets. IMR or Hodgden 4350 usually coincides well with loads for RL-17 \and since I don't have any form of 4350 around here right now, I will give the RL-17 a try. I haven't decided on how much yet, but I'm thinking about a starting load of about 41 grains and work up. From what I can see it appears I should end up around 43 to 43.5 grains for a MV of about 3100 FPS or so out of the Rem. 700 ADL Synthetic's 24" barrel. Anyway, like I said, we shall see. But after a long hunting season (That's still going on for hogs) It was a pleasure to start load work again.

What are some of your pet .243 loads?

timc

Man my roll top desk was full of brass a few months back, I got the notion to get started loading everything back up again and now have caught back up on several thousand rounds of ammo with probably a couple thousand left to go. Of course there have been range trips in between but I am still looking to get completely caught up by May.

Big Chief

privi partizan bullets are are pretty good and I've used a bunch reloading for my MILSURPS and in .223 They aren't like match grade Hornady or Nosler, but just as good as their everyday bullets.

shooter

My Savage Predator Hunter is in 243 Win. chambering and my long range hunting load is as follows.

I worked this up for my first antelope load before heading to Wyoming in 2010.

95 gr. WW Combined Technology ballistic silvertip (this is pretty much a Nosler ballistic tip with WW's black coating)
44.4 gr. H-4831 sc
2945 f.p.s. from my rifle

This load averaged 1 1/2" groups from my rifle @ 300 yards shooting prone with front rest

H-4350 & IMR 4350 are normally my go-to powders for this cartridge, the H-4831sc load surprised me.

snake284

shooter wrote: »

My Savage Predator Hunter is in 243 Win. chambering and my long range hunting load is as follows.

I worked this up for my first antelope load before heading to Wyoming in 2010.

95 gr. WW Combined Technology ballistic silvertip (this is pretty much a Nosler ballistic tip with WW's black coating)
44.4 gr. H-4831 sc
2945 f.p.s. from my rifle

This load averaged 1 1/2" groups from my rifle @ 300 yards shooting prone with front rest

H-4350 & IMR 4350 are normally my go-to powders for this cartridge, the H-4831sc load surprised me.

THANK YOU SHOOTER!!!!! for this. I have a can of that here and was wondering what to do with it. Now I know. It will go into my .243 cases today or this evening. The RL-17 is very similar to 4350 powders but I have gotten hotter loads with it with less pressure, or at least less signs of pressure.

As for Combined Technologies bullets, that's my go to bullet for my .250 Savage and my .257 AI both. Combined with RL-17 I have done great things or rather IT has done great things in my two Quarter Bores. I use their 115 grain Ballistic Silvertip over the RL-17 powder with WW Large Rifle Primers and get some velocities without excessive pressures that I'm not allowed to advertise on here for fear of being tarred and feathered, HEHEHE! Anyway, thanks and I will use my H-4831 SC for the .243 loads.

JLDickmon

Yah, I'm on the same trip.
I think I'm gonna roll some .223 this afternoon..
I got a pile of brass burning a hole..