Texas Hunting Forum

Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243

Posted By: seacam

Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/17/13 08:15 PM

Looking for a few suggestions load wise for a Ruger M77 made in 1983. It came with a box of 100 grain Remington Corelokts. It didn't seem to like them at all. So just curious what some have found that seem to shoot well before I buy a bunch of ammo or components.
Thanks!!!
Posted By: redchevy

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/17/13 08:47 PM

Buddy of mine is shooting 100 grain nosler partitions over H4350. He loves it.
Posted By: aggiehunter03

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/17/13 08:50 PM

While Corelokts have killed more deer than probably anything else they don't seem to be very consistent accuracy wise. If you're to use factory ammo Hornady seems to be the most accurate of everything I've tried. My Abolt shoots the 58 grain Vmax and the 80 grain GMX pretty well. If you're going to handload then pick the bullet that's tailored to what animal you're going to shoot and start from there (i.e. Partition, Accubond, Vmax, Etc.) If you only care about accuracy then try 87 grain Vmax or 87 grain Berger VLDs. I'm trying to get mine to shoot 90 grain Accubonds right now because I feel that they would be perfect on Whitetail. ALso, some of those older Rugers need a trigger job.
Posted By: kmon11

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/17/13 09:36 PM

In factory try remington with 90gr swift sirroco or nosler with the 90gr accubond. Great bullets imo and accurate in rifles i tried them in.

For reloads i like 85gr partitions pushed by a near max load of H414
Posted By: dee

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/17/13 11:13 PM

I load my own for my 243 and I'm running 90gr Accubonds this year.
Posted By: barnjoer

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/18/13 01:12 AM

42gr IMR 4831 or 35gr IMR 3031 with A 100gr bullet. These both work great out of my son's 700 Remington.
Posted By: Strongbad

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/18/13 01:08 PM

Hornady SST's with H-4350 (or IMR-7828).
Posted By: ccoker

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/18/13 08:04 PM

My 243 (old Sako) loves the Barnes Vortex 80TTSX factory load

I have got numerous handloads that worked well for it too..
Posted By: Fatalwishes' Wife

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/18/13 09:27 PM

Originally Posted By: aggiehunter03
While Corelokts have killed more deer than probably anything else they don't seem to be very consistent accuracy wise. If you're to use factory ammo Hornady seems to be the most accurate of everything I've tried. My Abolt shoots the 58 grain Vmax and the 80 grain GMX pretty well. If you're going to handload then pick the bullet that's tailored to what animal you're going to shoot and start from there (i.e. Partition, Accubond, Vmax, Etc.) If you only care about accuracy then try 87 grain Vmax or 87 grain Berger VLDs. I'm trying to get mine to shoot 90 grain Accubonds right now because I feel that they would be perfect on Whitetail. ALso, some of those older Rugers need a trigger job.


Came here to post this. I swear they are in the 17 lb range.....

Timney will fix that right up.
Posted By: Brother in-law

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/18/13 09:47 PM

Originally Posted By: dee
I load my own for my 243 and I'm running 90gr Accubonds this year.


If I go the reload route I might look into those. What kind of groups are you getting? I like the tipped bullets but I don't want a varmint or BT bullet.
Posted By: dee

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/19/13 02:19 AM

Originally Posted By: Brother in-law
Originally Posted By: dee
I load my own for my 243 and I'm running 90gr Accubonds this year.


If I go the reload route I might look into those. What kind of groups are you getting? I like the tipped bullets but I don't want a varmint or BT bullet.


I'm getting right at MOA but I just through some loads together and haven't tested much. I'm running 43.5gr of IMR 4350 out of a 18.5" barrel and getting 3006fps, the load was consistent but I pulled the last shot and opened it up to an inch at 125yds. I'm sure the barrel length hurts a good bit but it sure is handy in the field. I've yet to take any game with them but with the experience I've had with Accubonds in other calibers I'm sure they will perform exceptionally.
Posted By: vanguard

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/19/13 08:23 PM

i never seen a 243 not shoot well with federal 85gr sierra hp factory loads, and lays the smack down on deer.
Posted By: Txgunrunner

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/23/13 08:41 PM

85gr. Nosler Partition over 43.7gr of Reloader 17
Posted By: bluelund79

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/24/13 09:41 PM

Running H4895 and 85gr Sierra Game Kings in my sons Encore this year. He shot factory Hornady GMX last season
Posted By: txd33rhunt3r

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/30/13 01:29 AM

My 742 woodmaster really likes the winchester silvertip 95gr and the hornady superformance 95gr sst. It shoots better than MOA when I do my part with the winchesters.
Posted By: HWY_MAN

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 09/30/13 11:38 PM

Originally Posted By: seacam
Looking for a few suggestions load wise for a Ruger M77 made in 1983. It came with a box of 100 grain Remington Corelokts. It didn't seem to like them at all. So just curious what some have found that seem to shoot well before I buy a bunch of ammo or components.
Thanks!!!


My old tang safety with the 1-10 loves the bullets 90 and above, the Styer and the 1-12 twist likes the fast movers.
Posted By: seacam

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 10/07/13 04:12 PM




Thanks for all the input. I think I found the round that shoots the best out of this one. Its the Remington Premier 75 Grn. The top target was my final 5 shots. The 3 shot group then an adjustment and the last 2 out of the box. The bottom target was with the Ted Nugent 90n Grn ammo. No the 3 shot that looks like a group was not a group. It was an accident out of 8 rounds I shot that somehow just ended up together.
Posted By: Rocklock

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 10/08/13 09:07 PM

100 gr Nosler Partitions. 35.0 gr IMR4895 in 3 different Rem 600s
Posted By: dawaba

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 10/09/13 12:04 AM

Originally Posted By: seacam
Looking for a few suggestions load wise for a Ruger M77 made in 1983. It came with a box of 100 grain Remington Corelokts. It didn't seem to like them at all. So just curious what some have found that seem to shoot well before I buy a bunch of ammo or components.
Thanks!!!


On older tang Rugers, make sure that you tighten the front action screw Farmer Tight. We're talking 80 inch-pounds or better, more than any other bolt gun I know of. Then try your Core-Lokts. They should shoot better.

If not, try 100 Sierra gr SPs and 75 gr Hornady HPs. I personally would try IMR4831 or IMR4350 behind the 100 gr, and IMR 4320 behind the 75.

If these don't shoot--and they shoot well in every .243 I've ever loaded for--sell the rifle here on the classifieds. Someone here would love to take on a lost cause.....
Posted By: thebowfisher

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 10/10/13 08:11 PM

I've been running the 95gr federal fusions in my kids two 243's. They shoot MOA in one older sears and roebuck gun and sub 1/2 moa in my other kids cheap youth savage. They have killed several deer and hogs each. good cheap ammo.
Posted By: fowlplayr

Re: Favorite load factory or hand load for the .243 - 10/10/13 09:09 PM

My tang safety Ruger likes the Federal (blue box) 80gr SHCSP best. It absolutely hates anything in 100grain and the TTSX.
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