Duckbutter48

Heres my question. I recently purchased a Browning A-bolt in a 243wssm. I finally got some loads ready. Im going with a 85 grn Nos PT and at max load with Rel 19the gun shot right over a .5" group but when I went 2 grains over it shot about an inch group.

My question is would you rather have the xtra speed or the accuracy. This is for whitetails and I have a 3x9x40 VX II for now.

bronko22000

Duck - My question to you is - If you already loaded to Max as stated in you manual and shot at just over .5", why would you want to juice your load up more? Most shooters would drool over a .5" group (at 100 yds I assume). But my answer to you is - remembering a conversation with a bowhunter about arrow speed - It don't matter how fast your arrow is going if you miss. So IMO, I would tell you to drop back down to your previous load and be happy. What you're gaining in velocity isn't going to matter that much to a deer anyway.

eldeguello

What you are asking is whether a little more velocity is worth the 0.5 MOA in accuracy loss it is going to cost you. IMO, you cannot answer this without a chronograph, because you have no idea how much extra velocity that 2 grains extra of powder is giving you! But my guess is that you're getting maybe 100 to 200 fps more. If this is true, it is significant, for a person who shoots at game much beyond 200 yards. If your shots are at 200 yards MAX, then don't bother.

1 MOA is plenty accurate enough for deer hunting-most deer hunters are settling for a lot less!! So, IF your case life is acceptable at the higher load level, use it!

Pawildman

There is a reason that max loads are published. You would do well to pay attention to them.

eldeguello

True!

But it is also true that all rifles are individuals, and what proves to be a maximum load in one may be quite mild in another, and vice-versa!

A load which proves to be maximum in the rifle which was used to develop the loads published in any given manual is just that-maximum in that rifle. This does NOT relieve the handloader from testing worked-uploads in his/her own rifle to ensure that the loads listed as maximum are not OVER MAXIMUM in that person's rifle!! In addition, just because a load is labelled "MAXIMUM" in some manual does NOT mean it is MAX. in yours!!

For example, I have a .30/'06 underbarrel on my Heym O/U combination gun, and a Ruger No. 1 in .30/'06. Boththese guns will handle a pretty warm 200-grain load without a hitch. But I cannot shoot this load in my .30/'06 TCR barrel-it will not stand it! Extraction is unacceptable, and primers areextruded into the firing pin hole. So this load is OVER MAX. in the TCR, and under MAX in the other two...... and so it goes!

Sniper151

Accuracy. with the right bullet for the game your hunting.

bigcountry

For me, I would actually get a deer bullet first like something over 100gr. And tougher. Second, its near to impossible tonote the differencebetweeen .7MOA and 1MOA unless you do this consistently like 3 time out of three. I know a bunch of people tell me thier gun is a .5MOA and I go out and all the sudden its a 1.5MOA. Lots of varibles. So to answer you question, I would keep the baseline a little more in the realm of reality like 1MOA being your goal. When it goes outside of that I would adjust the load accordingly.

Duckbutter48

Well I went from 2 grains under max to 2 grains over and loaded 3 different 4shot groups. I planned on shooting all 3 regardless of outcome of groups unless the max load looked funky.

I checked for pressure signs and there were none. Pawildman Ive been loading enough to work up beyond max if everything looks ok but thx for the concern.


I was talking it over with my bud about which is better the accuracy or the velocity while we were shooting. I dont care much about case life, they arent that expensive and Id rather havethe inch group with more velocity but I'm usually am the oddball on things, so I figured Id bring it up on here. I will get the Chrony out and see what Im actually gaining.
I figure a 2" group at 100 is fine for deer hunting so an inch is plenty good enough.

My goal will be to get the overmax load down to that .5" group and then not worry about it.

bigcountry

Well, sounds as if you had your mind made up before asking. You got it all figured out.

Duckbutter48

You know its funny Nosler thinks it a perfect bullet for deer hunting when I called them. They told me thats what it was designed for. Just becausesome thinkyou need an atom bomb to kill a deer doesnt mean its correct.I haveplenty of confidence and many seasons with full freezers to know this is more then enough bullet for whitetail.

Bigcountry didnt you shoota deerwith a monster 45-70 only to lose it as it ran off and some other guy shot it and claimed it maybe you should switch to a 50bmg since that guns not enough for you. I'll stick to what I know and I havent had one run off and some other fool claim it. Its a simple question about speed or accuracy not what you think a hunting bullet should be.

There arent too many bullets tougher then a Partition in my mind for a 243 caliber.