Reloaders, please review this load

[DoubleJ]

I'll be getting into reloading this summer and I'm looking at this load.  Can you review and give thoughts?  I'm looking for a nice, even deer cartrige load for my kids.  Not looking to tinker with load after load to maximize accuracy or test max pressures or anything, just something that will work over and over without changing anything.  I found this load data on the Nosler website.

.243
Nosler Balistic tip 95gn
Cartridge max OAL 2.710"
Primer: Rem. 9 1/2
IMR 4831 powder
42.0 grains
2931 fps at 89% load density

[h20hunter]

Dont' forget that your COAL may be determined by your magazine size...not chamber.

[DoubleJ]

Ok.  I'll have to look.  the COAL for the .308 when I have that barrel on is 2.815 so I think the shorter will work

[flinter]

I just checked my Nosler loading book. NEVER!!!! start with a maximum load, which is what this one is. Be safe and work your way up. The .243 WIN is a great round to handload for and very easy to find a mild and very accurate load. Do some experimenting and see what the gun likes. Bullets are cheep. My .243 doesn't shoot 90 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips real well, but shoots 80 gr. Ballistic Tips and 100 gr. Partitions in 4 shot 1/2" groups. I have been getting good results with Ramshot Hunter powder. To work up a new load I load one box at a time, 4 rounds each charge wt. and add one grain more until I reach the maximum. You can see the groups change with each grain wt. change, your rifle will tell you what it likes. If you don't want to work up a load at least go to a powder that will give you the 2900 fps in the mid range instead of the maxi-load.

[DoubleJ]

Didn't think it was the max load.  Thanks for checking

[h20hunter]

As beginner myself self I have leaned to check, double check, then re check it as you load.

[Hunterman]

DoubleJ,, When I started reloading some time ago, (damn near 30 years ago    ) I took the bullet that I liked to shoot (Remington) from my .30-06, and started out matching the factory ballistics, then over time worked up my own loads.

I do the same thing when I started reloading for QuickDraws .243.

Just a thought for you..

Hunterman(Tony)

[DoubleJ]

DoubleJ,, When I started reloading some time ago, (damn near 30 years ago    ) I took the bullet that I liked to shoot (Remington) from my .30-06, and started out matching the factory ballistics, then over time worked up my own loads.

I do the same thing when I started reloading for QuickDraws .243.

Just a thought for you..

Hunterman(Tony)

I like Noslers.  I like the Accubonds the best and Partitions second.  What I don't like is the $30/50 price on them.  Nosler Balistic Tips are $15/100.  I trust Noslers so I think I'll like the Balistic Tips

[DoubleJ]

I just checked my Nosler loading book. NEVER!!!! start with a maximum load, which is what this one is. Be safe and work your way up. The .243 WIN is a great round to handload for and very easy to find a mild and very accurate load. Do some experimenting and see what the gun likes. Bullets are cheep. My .243 doesn't shoot 90 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips real well, but shoots 80 gr. Ballistic Tips and 100 gr. Partitions in 4 shot 1/2" groups. I have been getting good results with Ramshot Hunter powder. To work up a new load I load one box at a time, 4 rounds each charge wt. and add one grain more until I reach the maximum. You can see the groups change with each grain wt. change, your rifle will tell you what it likes. If you don't want to work up a load at least go to a powder that will give you the 2900 fps in the mid range instead of the maxi-load.

Going to start with 33.0gn of IMR4895 and a 90gn Nosler BT.  That's the low end from the chart I saw and still gets 2845fps and 1247 ft/lb energy at 150 yards which is the round about range we shoot.

[BULLBLASTER]

I have shot 95 bt in my 243 for years. I use 42.1 grains imr4350. But when what I have is gone I am going to switch over to 100 grain hornady interlock btsp.

[demontang]

I run the 95gr nosler bt out of my 243 with the h414 to great results at .5gr under max, I get groups well under 1/2" if I do my part (make sure to start low and work up). The 95gr bt ive shot at coyotes are nasty which is way I switched to the 80 hornady gmx last season for deer. I shot and lost my buck with that bullet which I though the bullet failed but after I just went out and shot the rifle again came to find my scope is bad

[DoubleJ]

Here's another question.  The other round I would reload is 9mm.  Why doesn't there seem to be, on the Hodgdon site anyway, 1 powder you can use for rifle and pistol?

[h20hunter]

Burn rates are very different for one thing. What powder for nine? Tightgroup?

[DoubleJ]

Haven't even started looking for a 9mm load yet

[h20hunter]

Did you ever post which press you went with?

[DoubleJ]

I have absolutely no reloading equipment yet.  Just planning

[h20hunter]

Roger

[carpsniperg2]

A lot of books will vary and loads can change threw out the years in there books. What max is in one book might be middle of the road in another. It's weird sometimes. I like to check the loads by the bullet company that I am using as well as the powder company. Most loads will shoot very well with a middle of the road charge in them.

[j.galloway]

I like Noslers.  I like the Accubonds the best and Partitions second.  What I don't like is the $30/50 price on them.  Nosler Balistic Tips are $15/100.  I trust Noslers so I think I'll like the Balistic Tips

   $15 for 100? Where did you get those from? I just picked up 308 ballistic tips, Accubonds and Hornady Amax.

Accubonds where $29 for 50. Ballistic $20 per 50. Amax $30 for 100

Remington Core-Lokt seems to be the cheapest at $25/100

It just seems anything over 20 cal rounds is not 'cheap' to shoot (relatively)...

[DoubleJ]

I like Noslers.  I like the Accubonds the best and Partitions second.  What I don't like is the $30/50 price on them.  Nosler Balistic Tips are $15/100.  I trust Noslers so I think I'll like the Balistic Tips

   $15 for 100? Where did you get those from? I just picked up 308 ballistic tips, Accubonds and Hornady Amax.

Accubonds where $29 for 50. Ballistic $20 per 50. Amax $30 for 100

Remington Core-Lokt seems to be the cheapest at $25/100

It just seems anything over 20 cal rounds is not 'cheap' to shoot (relatively)...

My bad.  The 55gn ones were that price.  The others are $15 for 50  Still half the price of Accubonds

[MuleySniper]

Not sure Id want or need an accubond for any of my .22 caliber guns. Anything over 100 grains though Id stick with accubonds.

[DoubleJ]

In a .243, what's the lowest grain bullet you would go with?  87gn?

[bobcat]

I'd say 85 would be about the smallest I'd want for deer.

[wraithen]

ahem... shootersproshop. They occasionally have screaming deals but you gotta check daily or you will never get to buy them 

[DoubleJ]

Here's another question.

In .308 with 150gn bullet, 43.0gn H4895 has a muzzle velocity of 2742

Is muzzle velocity a direct result of powder?  By this I mean that 2742fps is made by 43.0gn of powder so, 63.767fps per grain.  So if I wanted to make that round go 2000fps for a kids load, I'd use 31.3gn, right?  Is there somewhere I can go to learn this stuff?

[Curly]

It is not a linear relationship for amount of powder to the velocity.  There is such thing as minimum charge.  And that 43 gr may be too light of a charge.........I'm not sure.

4895 is great powder for reduced loads though.  Check out Hodgdon's site on H4895 and there info on reduced loads.

[bobcat]

It is not a linear relationship for amount of powder to the velocity.  There is such thing as minimum charge.  And that 43 gr may be too light of a charge.........I'm not sure.

4895 is great powder for reduced loads though.  Check out Hodgdon's site on H4895 and there info on reduced loads.

 

Here you go:  http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/H4895%20Reduced%20Rifle%20Loads.pdf

[DoubleJ]

Tomorrow.  Gotta go to bed and dream about this stuff.

Where would I find the minimum charge?  Hodgdens website?  And will the various books out there have more info than the websites?

[DoubleJ]

Thanks bobcat