.243 90 gr Sierra Game Changer

[MLGrace]

I t

I think we're in the same boat. I'm tired of 3006 and want to go lighter.

Nosler has 85, 95, and 100 grain partitions in 243. They are as fine a bullet as the larger calibers and will do the job credibly.

243 is fun to shoot, light on the recoil and very accurate. What's not to like?

I think that lot of calibers will kill a game animal including an elk. I might kill a small cow elk with the 243, and am always looking for an excuse to take it out. However, I spent the afternoon today enjoying shooting a new 7mm-08 Bergara. It is very pleasant to shoot. Clearly a capable caliber. i Picked it up to use as an all around. It was a very good day!

 

[Rich M]

Excellent! A great day.

I can't lay fingers on 7mm08 ammo around here. 243 and 6.5 CM both have 5 diff options at Walmart but narry a 7mm08 to be found. It has kept me from buying a rifle w this caliber.

I like the idea of the 6.5 CM but don't like the velocities listed for the ammo.

Plus I already have a 243 that shoots well.

 

[Bush_man26]

I'm shooting the 90 grain gamechangers with 45 grains of H-4350. Chrono'd at 3250 fps. They are grouping right around a half inch. Ruger American .243. I haven't shot any game with it yet, but plan to use it for whitetail next season.

 

[Rich M]

I'm shooting the 90 grain gamechangers with 45 grains of H-4350. Chrono'd at 3250 fps. They are grouping right around a half inch. Ruger American .243. I haven't shot any game with it yet, but plan to use it for whitetail next season.

Thanks for that Bush - I was planning on starting with 40 gr 4350, the books say this is a 3,000 fps load. 44 gr has been listed as about 3200 fps. So you have proven their point.

1/2 inch is real nice too. I'm shooting a Rem 770 but may get a "better" rifle if all this experimenting goes well. The 770 shoots nice.

Can I bug you for your overall cartridge length? It would be a good place for me to start playing with the bullet seating.

 

[Bush_man26]

2.785

 

[wilydawg]

Wily - I've seen 5-10+ positive reviews for every negative one on the GK 85 HPs. Is that your primary deer load?

No, I don't hunt with it myself. I have quite a few other choices for big game I worked up the load for my kids as recoil was an issue when they were younger. I've watched a number of deer go down with that load, and was always impressed with the results. On the short range side, maybe 100-200 yards mostly DRT results. The longest shot was my son on a big bodied mule deer buck. It was about 375 yards. It tried to run for maybe 30-40 yards, and snow plowed to a stop and was dead when it hit the ground.

For some reason the weight, construction and "standard" velocities used seem to get pretty consistent and awesome results from this projectile on deer sized game. Like what you saw in your search. Again, I feel like it punches way over its weight class. Also, I use the same load for 3 different rifles. A Winchester 70, a Ruger American and an AR-10. They all shoot sub-moa. I think that's also pretty typical results for a lot of folks. Doesn't seem to be too hard to find an accurate load...

 

[Rich M]

2.785

Thanks, Bush!

I just received the RCBS dies 2 weeks ago and the 50 bullets last week. Ready to play once I can get a few hours to be all picky about setting stuff up. Once it is set, I'll load some and go see how they shoot.

 

[Rich M]

No, I don't hunt with it myself. I have quite a few other choices for big game I worked up the load for my kids as recoil was an issue when they were younger. I've watched a number of deer go down with that load, and was always impressed with the results. On the short range side, maybe 100-200 yards mostly DRT results. The longest shot was my son on a big bodied mule deer buck. It was about 375 yards. It tried to run for maybe 30-40 yards, and snow plowed to a stop and was dead when it hit the ground.

For some reason the weight, construction and "standard" velocities used seem to get pretty consistent and awesome results from this projectile on deer sized game. Like what you saw in your search. Again, I feel like it punches way over its weight class. Also, I use the same load for 3 different rifles. A Winchester 70, a Ruger American and an AR-10. They all shoot sub-moa. I think that's also pretty typical results for a lot of folks. Doesn't seem to be too hard to find an accurate load...

Thanks, Wily.

I will try them. Hoping to try the 90 gr Game Changer (have these), Sierra GK 85 gr HP, 95 gr Nosler P, and SST 95 gr (have factory ammo for this one).

 

[Rich M]

2.785

Powershok was 2.588-2.620 depending on tip deformaty.

SST was 2.618

I pulled an SST load apart. Pic showing SST and GC bullets. SST is 1.104 and GC is 1.166

 

[Rich M]

 

[Rich M]

100 gr powershok
95 gr SST
90 gr Game Changer

 

[vonb]

I have a love/hate relationship with the .243. I've made the longest shots on deer with it at 280, 350 and 410 yards using the Sierra 85 gr HPBTs. These shots were in an open corn field and they didn't travel far (i.e. steps).

I've also used a .243 in meadows with thick brush bordering the open areas; These shots produced a lost deer with little to no blood trail. It haunts me to know that I made a good hit and was able to run with no trail. Therefore, I'll only use a .243 in open areas. I like complete pass throughs.

 

[Bush_man26]

They dont like any jump out of my gun. I get better accuracy the closer to the lands.

 

[Hillclimberwv]

I have had good luck with win 100gr power point in .243 wssm. Good for high shoulder shots on smallish WV deer. Interested in your work with the gamechanger I have been looking at loads with it.

 

[Rich M]

I've done some shooting with 42, 42.5, 43, 43.5, 44 gr 760 powder - 42.5 and 43.5 shot 1-inch. 43 shot two touching pairs about 1.5 inch apart. Gonna have to do this again or get chrono and go for sweat spot.

The GCs shot 3 inch higher than 100 gr soft point. Basically a 200 yd zero as opposed to a 100 yd zero with soft points.

I have more to do - either start fiddling w powder charges or get chrono to find flat spots. Then shoot for groups and figure out bullet lengths, etc.

Hornady SST shot 3 inch, Federal blue box shot 1-1/16 inch 5 shot groups.

 

[Hillclimberwv]

I've done some shooting with 42, 42.5, 43, 43.5, 44 gr 760 powder - 42.5 and 43.5 shot 1-inch. 43 shot two touching pairs about 1.5 inch apart. Gonna have to do this again or get chrono and go for sweat spot.

The GCs shot 3 inch higher than 100 gr soft point. Basically a 200 yd zero as opposed to a 100 yd zero with soft points.

I have more to do - either start fiddling w powder charges or get chrono to find flat spots. Then shoot for groups and figure out bullet lengths, etc.

Hornady SST shot 3 inch, Federal blue box shot 1-1/16 inch 5 shot groups.

How far off the lands are they or are you just setting them to fit in your mag box?

 

[Rich M]

I set em at 2.785 - post #29.

There is a series on you tube about the game changer 243 load and he set his at 2.750. His setup shot a lot better than mine. 1-inch was his wide groups.

I'm gonna try 43.3, 43.5, 43.7, 43.9 and see how those shoot. If I can get better groups, then will adjust length some and see what that does.

Doing the same for Nosler partition 100 gr. That length is around 2.6 and 40 gr was the best shooter with an even group at 1.5 inch (40.5 gr was the worst group at about 4-5 inches) - gonna try 39.6 39.8. 40. 40.2 and see if I can tighten it up, then play with length.

I keep hearing how you can do a ladder test with 1 shot per powder charge over a chrono or magneotspeed and find the spots where the velocity evens out, those are your best spots for accuracy. I may break down and get one yet.

 

[Hillclimberwv]

I set em at 2.785 - post #29.

There is a series on you tube about the game changer 243 load and he set his at 2.750. His setup shot a lot better than mine. 1-inch was his wide groups.

I'm gonna try 43.3, 43.5, 43.7, 43.9 and see how those shoot. If I can get better groups, then will adjust length some and see what that does.

Doing the same for Nosler partition 100 gr. That length is around 2.6 and 40 gr was the best shooter with an even group at 1.5 inch (40.5 gr was the worst group at about 4-5 inches) - gonna try 39.6 39.8. 40. 40.2 and see if I can tighten it up, then play with length.

I keep hearing how you can do a ladder test with 1 shot per powder charge over a chrono or magneotspeed and find the spots where the velocity evens out, those are your best spots for accuracy. I may break down and get one yet.

I bought a magnetospeed sporter and just tallied velocities. I didnt even pay attention to where they hit just looked for flat spots between the .2 grain increments while also watching for pressure. So far I was able to find good loads with this method for .22-250 and .280 rem. They are less than an inch. Probably would be better with somebody else on the rifle. I'm in single digit SD's so in theory that's as accurate as you can make a load. For both guns I found 2 flats spots or nodes. One very slow and one at the upper end of veloctity. Hope to try this on my brothers .243 wssm soon.

 

[HawkinsPrecision]

Good friend of ours at Rocky Mountain Ranches has taken some mule deer and pronghorn with the 90 grain gamechanger/tipped gamekings out of a 6x47. They really hammer game.

 

[Rich M]

Someone may convince me yet - amazing how simple it can be. If you have the tools.