.243 with 55gr pills.. can't get cartridge OAL

[sansone]

research shows the COL should be 2.6" minimum and I can't get more than 2.50" COL

Talk about a little jump before hitting the lands?
I'm worried the bore throat might be damaged with continued shooting. These 55gr pills shoot fast and flat for varmints or paper.

 

[unwise11]

I wouldn't even use 55's for .243, I have a .223 for that, then I get a .243 I'll be using 80's and up.

 

[sansone]

55gr pills behave very differently with 44 grains of powder pushing..
any ideas on the possibility of throat damage with the long jump to the lands?

 

[788Ham]

Why shoot something this light out of a .243? With all of the other caliber options out there, I think you're wasting powder and bullets, this caliber was made for heavier bullets. To each his own, that's why the .243 came into being, faster with heavier bullet selection than 55 gr.'s. Your rifle, shoot what you want.

 

[sansone]

not wasting anything, reloaders enjoy experimenting. Otherwise we wouldn't see wildcat cartridges

 

[788Ham]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to demean you! Just appeared to me, shooting a bullet this light wasn't advantageous to the calibers possibilities. I do understand about the wildcatting aspect though, good luck.

 

[sansone]

no problem.. thanks for reply..
got these 55's real cheap and some reloading manuals give load data for them. Copper prices have skyrocketed in price, my usual 87gr pills went from $13 a box to $18 overnight

 

[788Ham]

I can understand that reasoning too. A little side-bar: I've got a Rem. 788 in .223, got it 20-some years ago, the trigger was horrid. No replacement trigs for this rifle at that time. A month ago my buddy told me he'd found a Timney for his, I have one now too. This trig has made this old workhorse an unbelievable shooter now, 3 shots @ 100 yds, .590 on a windy day, can't wait to try again on a calm day.

Regards,

 

[788Ham]

I stand corrected on that group I shot. On another thread on this forum, I saw something about MOA and such. My .590 measurement was correct, however, you then subtract one bullet diameter to get the MOA, mine is now .366, even better than I thought! LOL

Regards,

 

[joed]

On short bullets like the 55 gr you have to load shorter. I do this in my .25-06 and haven't seen any bad effects and accuracy is great. More then length I like to have enough bullet in the case.

Nothing wrong with a 55 gr bullet in the .243 at all. I bet they shoot great for you.

 

[sansone]

On short bullets like the 55 gr you have to load shorter. I do this in my .25-06 and haven't seen any bad effects and accuracy is great. More then length I like to have enough bullet in the case.

Nothing wrong with a 55 gr bullet in the .243 at all. I bet they shoot great for you.

joed, just started to load these and was worried about the short COL.. thanks for your input.. I also like a firm bullet seat in the case. Rounds in the magazine get hard jolt when shooting..


just came in from testing 5 shots out back. (fire-formed brass) this recipe;
.243win.. 55grSP x 43.5gr H4350 x 2.50" COL;
results= (4) grouped 1.2" with first shot slightly high (clean bore?)

... I'm satisfied but H4350 is a little slow for these, and will try to get 2.55"col next test.
This rifle shoots the 87gr pills sub moa with 41.5gr H4350 (fire-formed brass)

 

[viking499]

I shoot the Federal 55 grain noslers in my model 70. Under an inch all day long. OAL is 2.65"

Bought some bullets awhile back to try to duplicate the load, but have not tried any yet.

 

[DANNY243]

I never tried 55's in .243 for these reasons (COL and throat erosion) but I have tried 60 gr sierras with good results and 70 gr noslers with even better results.

 

[sansone]

I shoot the Federal 55 grain noslers in my model 70. Under an inch all day long. OAL is 2.65"

Bought some bullets awhile back to try to duplicate the load, but have not tried any yet.

viking- how do you get that much COL? that pill must be barely in there buddy

 

[glockky]

a 70 grain nosler is as short as i like to go in my 243 loads. For one mine wouldnt shoot 55's for the same reason u are talking about. I like to at least fill the neck of the case with a bullet and with 55's this gives u a heck of a jump

 

[ranger335v]

"research shows the COL should be 2.6" minimum"

"Should be" is pretty strong and it isn't true. Load it as needed and develop your charge.

 

[pocketchange]

.243 and my Model 700 Rem

In the search for the magic .243 bullet,
55gr example ended up not being able to hold on.. too much jump (ie:short)..
Most anything else with plus weight worked.
100gr-H414 ended up doin' the trick and easy on the barrel.

 

[NCsmitty]

You should have at least a caliber (.24) of bullet seated in the case neck to give you proper neck tension.
Don't sweat the COAL, as it will be what it is, and if you use sane loadings, don't worry about barrel wear.
Chances are, they will be accurate and flat shooting, just keep your chamber throat clean of copper buildup.



NCsmitty

 

[viking499]

viking- how do you get that much COL? that pill must be barely in there buddy

Those are factory loads. That is what I measured when I took them out of the box. Might take one apart to see how much of the bullet is in there for you.

 

[gamestalker]

If you can get more than what your getting, and the bullet is still in the neck, your good to go. Check to se if you can pull the bullet out of the mouth with just your fingers. If you can't I would feel safe it won't change COAL. One of my books has elaborated on this topic and stated that even if the bullet is barely getting any neck tension your OK so long as you aren't having to deal with an auto loader or magazined rounds dislodging.

 

[sansone]

ok great input fellas.. I am getting .24" into the case neck, and my powder measures a little above minimum according to Hodgden data, so I'm going to settle for 2.50" COAL.. These (200) were cheap and I'll be happy with 1moa.. mostly will be punching paper and playing with new scope using these.
side note; it's easier to find a good, cheap rifle than trying to find a $200 scope that's NOT made in china

 

[2ndtimer]

it's easier to find a good, cheap rifle than trying to find a $200 scope that's NOT made in china

You could take a look at the Redfield Revolution by Leupold. Assembled right in Beaverton Oregon. Their most expensive model (a 4-12x40 variable) retails for just over the $200 mark.