.243 load for Deer n Hog.
 

I was just contacted by one of my MC brothers who bought his wife a really pretty .243 for Christmas. They will be going to Missouri for deer and hog hunting. I am in a conundrum for a load/bullet combo to minimize my load expendature for a 1 load, 2 animal combo. Im thinking on the lines of a Horn Interbond, SST's. I don not have any experience with the GMX's. What do you feel would be a starting point or what are you using and experiences, good and bad with this combo. It is a remington rifle with a 24" barrel.

I've had great success with 100 gr. Hornady Interlocks over 35.0 gr. of IMR-3031. And that is a pretty tame load! With different powders you can get a lot more out of the .243 Win.

be hard to beat a partition (85 or 95 gr.) over a near max load of IMR 4350
RR

Good lookn loads!! And I just happen to have both powders. I have loaded and owned a 243 before, but just for blown up 'Yotes!!! JMM, I kinda like that on the light end, she is just a little gal so I dont feel she can take a lot of thump. But this is a .243.

4350 was always my go-to powder in the 243
RR

I agree you will get more out of the 4350. I used the 3031 for my grandson, it will only get about 2800 fps. But on deer sized game and hogs up to 250-300# it will do the job well.
I've used the same bullet in my 6MM Rem. with the 4350 and the last 300# boar I shot didn't even twitch with a shoulder shot!

I use the 4350 for my 25-06 and 30-06s, but went to 4064 that was suggested by Hornady for the 100 grain Interlocks I use. I've only used it on this one hog, but it was DRT and is great on deer and antelope on down.

Since 1979 I have used Sierra 85gr. HPBT with IMR 4350 to about 2800FPS. Also tried same bullet with IMR 4831 ar about same speed.

Works great on deer, coyotes, crows, wood chucks, and even a bear over the years.
Whole family uses this load in different rifles, brother a Winchester Model 70, Dad in a Ruger 77, cousin in a Savage.

:D Al

Well gentleman, sounds like we have a winner!!! 4350 it is and now just to get some projectiles and away we go!!!! He even offered up his hunting spot for me so as to try out my newly built 6.8 SPC as well for building the ammo for his honey!!! :fighting0007::fighting0007:

The 85gr Sierra is a great bullet but 2800fps is real slow. A 105 can be shot at 3100 comfortably.

Try out the 90gr Accubond, 80gr TTSX or the Partitions also like RR suggested.

jeepkid---Speed isn't the only thing in the equation and I hope you know that, but maybe some who would read your statement don't.

True, but 2800 is slow and accuracy SHOULD still be attainable above 3000fps.

I want accuracy AND speed, especially after 300 yards that extra few hundred FPS makes a big difference.

Yes, any good .243/6MM 100gr. bullet, at 2800 FPS, on target, equals a dead animal!
Beyond 300 yards you might want a little more speed, which is easily attainable in the .243/6MM! But then again, beyond 300 yards, you'd probably want "more gun too!"

No argument there! I was just trying to say that many people that don't know the other variables like bullet design think that speed is all that is necessary to kill something, when it's far from being that simple.

A 100gr bullet at 2800 is ok, but an 85gr at 2800 is just slow. :biggrin:

Even factory 100gr Winchester PowerMax is 2960 fps...

Barnes Vortx ammo with an 80gr TTSX is 3350...500fps faster then the 85gr Sierra load. That's the difference between a standard cartridge and an Ultra Mag.

One load for 2 different types of animals. Probably barnes or the GMX just because of the hogs plate. Here is a picture of how thick a plate is and if you have never shot a hog then I will vouch that you will need a good bonded or a solid copper bullet. Especially if you are using a .243

I like the 95 gr ballistic tip but they are explosive and won't kill nothing so I have heard so I didn't suggest those, what do I know anyways?
RR

I picked up some Horn. 80grn GMX's, 85grn Interbonds and finally a box of 95grn SST's on the way back from Puducah Ky the other day from a funeral. So I now have proj's to play with and just need some more brass.
I only had about 50 to play with. Don't know how much they have been shot. Some mixed Rem and Winch. Sounds like I will give him a shopping list and let him go. Brass will be less likely to be screwed up by a non-loader to get!!!!!

You don't really need a bonded bullet if you shoot a hog right in or below the ear an inch or two. There is no plate there and it's the only animal I'll make head shots on because of their anatomy and wanting to put them down where they stand. If you look at the blood on the head of that hog I posted the picture of earlier in this thread, you'll see what I'm mentioning because he was DRT just like every other one I've shot. Of all I've shot in Texas I've yet to take a body shot on one and never had one go the length of it's body after the shot. All I use is a SP or BTSP Hornady Interlock. The bonded bullets have become very expensive and most people don't need them unless they go on an elk or moose hunt where better penetration before complete expansion is wanted.

100% agreed with a high speed ear injection!!!! I have head shot many hogs, both wild and domestic, with everything from a 22LR to 50cal ML and 338 lapua and they all just go FLOP!!! I've shot them with V-max bullets in .223 and 45grn Hornet bullets in 22-250 also. But, she is not me!!! I have to also mention that she will be using these rounds as well for deer and not just hogs. Hence 1 bullet, 2 animals!!! She is rather new to the hunting world and she needs to learn the proper body shots before the technical ones.

2800FPS is plenty fast enough to do the job and is dead on all the way out to 300 yards on my home range.
I can not see the need to stuff more powder in a case just to get more speed that isn't needed.
I am retired now and live on a fixed income so every pound of powder I stretch out by finding loads that work with the least powder keeps me shooting more longer.

While back was in the barber shop. Young whipper snapper comes in with half his right arm bandaged up and some on the side of his head also.
Was one of those speed demons and found the limit on how much powder he could stuff in a 41 mag.

:D Al

Lucky all he got was minor injuries like that!!! I'm really surprised with as many that are reloading that a lot more stuff like that isn't happening.

I my self would not call over 140 stiches in one arm and the side of the head minor.
I looked in My manual (45th Lyman) and the load I use it is 2808FPS, can use more powder to get 3200FPS but I see no reason.

:D Al

I didn't see any mention of 140 stitches in his comment and my "minor" comment was more to the effect that he still had his eyes and other body parts!

I picked up some 100grn BTSP's today and brass should be here by end of week. I am thinking that around the 2800-3000fps is right with these proj's. The target will tell me all I want to know. Then the pigs and deer will tell us the rest!!!

According to the Hornady ballistics chart my 33 grains of IMR 4064 is putting out those Hornady 100 Grain BTSPs at about 2725fps and they are more than doing the job on antelope and that one hog I posted. The chart shows I could go up to a max of 34.2 grains to get 2800fps, but I quit at 33 grains when it put them all in one hole and with my bad eyes I won't be going out to more than 300 yards on any antelope.

Not sure if your dead set on reloading or if you are even interested in a factory load but I will tell you what I have been amazed with. I killed a doe early season with my wife's browning abolt 243 and I Bought the federal in the red box 100 gr nosler partition and man that is an amazing little bullet. Shot the doe at 75 yards. She was quartering to me and I broke her neck and bullet exited behind left shoulder. I cld stick three fingers in the whole on exit side.Not much more to say then wow out of a 100 gr bullet

Would be rather silly to go look at factory when I have loaded for so many years not too mention that I just picked up all this loading components to load for this couple for her rifle. Would be rather expensive to pay what factory loads cost to only find that none of them shoot well in her rifle where I can build a custom load that drives tacks!!!!

Not to mention that finding factory ammo most places in American is like looking for a needle in a hay stack.

Wish I could reload my 22 rim fires too.

:D Al

Can I get an "AMEN" brother!!!!!!!!!! :hail::hail:

Amen Brother!!! :groupwave: