Favourite load for 87gn V Max in .243

[bushchook]

Just bought some 87gn V Max to try in a mate's .243 and my new .243 Ackley . In my last .243AI it seemed that AR2209 was the powder of choice with this projectile . Also tried AR2213SC and WXR / Reloder 22 .
Anybody out there like to share details of their favourite charge behind this pill . Also keen to hear what level of accuracy you have been able to achieve .

[Werribee]

Keith,

What is the initended game, use etc.?

[Simpson]

I use 2209 in my vanguard. 43.5gns to be exact pushing the 87gn Hollow Point by Hornady. I have never chronied the load but accuracy is more than acceptable for the sporter barrel.

[bushchook]

Tried a variety of AR 2209 charge weights behind the 87gn V Max today in my mate's CZ 550 .243 . Started at 41.5gns and worked thru to 44gns . Winchester brass , Rem. 9 1/2 primer , projectiles 0.4mm off the lands , 3 shot groups at 100 yards .
42gns went 0.575 inches , pretty much all vertical dispersion . The "magic" 43.5gn load as suggested by Trouty and JB 747 went a neat 0.480 , again all vertical . Will load up another 5 and retest but given their prior experience I think this will be a "go to" load .
Also tried the 80gn Ballistic Tip in front of 48 - 50 gns of AR2213SC but no groups to rave about . Had some prior success with 2213 in my .243 AI so thought I'd start there . Might retry with AR2209 .
Thanks to Trouty and JB for their help . Suggest other Pope owners give this load a go . Nothing I've seen out of a .243 will match the 87 V Max for paddock pizza effect on rabbits and foxes . Great on grasshoppers too and has a good B.C. of 0.400 .

[Ned Kelly]

G'day all,
when i'm working up a load in my BR rifle, I look for no vertical spread. If there is vertical, it is the tune of the load thats not working or you are using a bad rest, shooting technique or bipod. Try and find a bag and fill with sand such as an old bank money bag or cut the leg off an old pair of trousers and sew up either end and fill with sand as a good alternative front rest. Even a bag of rice will do.

By varying the powder charge you adjust the harmonics of the rifle and when they are in the "sweet spot" your loads will show very little vertical dispersion. Anyone else's load data is a good starting spot or guide to what may work for you, but each rifle will have it's own load preference that you will have to find.

If you are using a bipod, grip the forend and pull it down into the ground/bench top to minimise vertical.

I also try to shoot in a full cross wind to avoid any vertical produced by prevailing wind conditions and failing that I like to see 3 or more shots cut each other in a 5 shot group. I dont worry about the horizontal spread caused by the cross wind to much, as that is me not concentrating on the wind strength. Just the bench technique and making the shot as good as I can.

When you think you have a load shoot a 10 shot group and discard 2 or 3 shots and this will give you a fairly honest indication of the accuracy potential of the load.

Hope this helps

Cheerio Ned

[bushchook]

Ned ,
Do basically the same thing myself . Bear in mind that 0.480 isn't bad for a sporting weight factory rifle off a bipod though . 44gns gave quite a bit of horizontal dispersion (maybe an inch) but group was about 0.325 in height . There was a crosswind gusting at times . Think I am close to a node and will test 43.8gns with 5 shot groups and see how I go .

[Drew Jaeger]

Although the projectile I use is not the Hornady, 44.0grs of AR2209 with the 85gr Sierra HPBT GameKing is excellent from bunnies to bucks. The projectile is seated 0.015" off the rifling and the velocity is 3090ft/s.

[Ned Kelly]

G'Day BC,
I'd say you've found it! I reload for my brothers 243 and he uses 75gn Sierra HP's and they regularly shoot 1/2moa at 200 (he's got a Maddco BR grade barrel on it though) and I've seen him drill a 4 shot group that was around .25" high x .35" wide at 100........

He reckons it good enough for what he wants!

Cheerio Ned

[alpal]

I found 43.5 gn of 4895 (2206h?) very good with 85gn sierra hpbt gamekings in my .243 win.
Regards Alpal

[crowbuster]

Guys, I have been trying to get an accurate load in my 243 using 100gn Rem Core loct projectiles & AR2208 powder. No great success so far with acceptable accuracy.

Has anyone loaded this projectile to create accurate loads in their 243?

CB

[Simpson]

CB, what brand of rifle is it?

My vanguard (howa) shoots 100s ok, when I say that 1 to 2 inches at 100m. The thing is with my rifle the 95s and 100s shoot both 6 inches left and low compared to 90s and less Point of Impact. For that reason I feed it a diet of 87gns only.

Have you tried 2209 with the 100s?

[bushchook]

Guys, I have been trying to get an accurate load in my 243 using 100gn Rem Core loct projectiles & AR2208 powder. No great success so far with acceptable accuracy.

Has anyone loaded this projectile to create accurate loads in their 243?

CB

Think I'd forget about 2208 and go to 2209 or better still 2213SC for 100gn pills .
It could be that your rifle just doesn't like the Corelokt but in reality 2208 is too fast burning for optimum results with projectiles heavier than 80gns in my experience .

[dave]

Just out of intrest does anyone get consistantly better results with handloads using projectiles in the 90-105gr range? If so what kind of results do you get at 100, 200 etc

Ive tried most of the light ones through to the 87gr and was thinking of trying something a bit different. Worth a try???

[crowbuster]

Thanks to those who responded to my question re 100gn Core-Lokt projectiles in my 243 (even though this thread is really to do with 87 grainers).

My rifle is a Tikka 595, and I got good results (0.85 moa 5 shot groups) with Nosler B/Tips using 45gns of AR 2209. I liked this projectile weight for higher velocity and thought it was enough for pigs, but when I used it on a pig, penetration was dismal & it took three shots to kill it and blew craters in it's side . More to do with being a varmint projectile than lack of weight I suspect.

I then tried the 100 grainers (PSPCL) with AR2209, AR2208 & BM2 powders with groups averaging 1.5 to 3 moa. Also tried Hornady 100 grainers for similar results. Maybe I was expecting too much, but thought with a Tikka I should at least get consistent 1 moa groups. Might have to give these 87 grainers a try...... !

CB

[bushchook]

CB ,
Suggest you look at the 95gn Nosler ballistic tip as they are more heavily constructed than the 80 grainer . Also less prone to blowing up due to lower velocity . I know of guys getting excellent accuracy with them . One guy that I correspond with got a 3 shot group of 0.298 inches with 40.5gns of AR2209 .
The 87gn V Max is a varmint bullet only and more likely to blow up than the 80gn Nosler in my experience .