Model 70 Makeover - 243 Powder Help

[Desert Dan]

Hello everyone
I'm close to finishing a bit of a project on my 1993 Winchester 70 243. The gun has tremendous sentimental value and after my dad passed away and it made the journey from Wisconsin to Arizona I decided it's entirely too good a rifle and I have entirely too many coyotes down here for such a nice shooter to just sit around in the safe anymore. The old cheap Tasco scope came off, a new trigger went in and the barrel was threaded for a suppressor. When my ATACR arrives from Nightforce the old gun's makeover will be complete and it will be ready to rock.

The "old new" gun is going to be my coyote killer and long range steel target rifle so I'm looking at loads for each. I plan to start by trying both Hornady VMAX and Sierra Match King/Blitz King bullets so if anyone has found success with a particular powder for either or both of those and is willing to share I would be grateful. With so many powders to choose from I'm trying to avoid buying four different ones that don't work before I find a winner. The barrel is a 24 inch blued sporter barrel with a standard 1-10 twist. I have no idea if this gun is capable of reaching out to 1000 yards but I'm going to find out. Being a 1-10 twist I plan to keep the bullets at 90 grain and below for targets and on 55-65 grains for yotes.

Thanks in advance!

dan

P.S. Does anyone know where I can find a Sierra reloading manual? Are they discontinued or what?

 

[cmahoney]

I have a .243 with the same barrel length and twist. I get 4000 FPS with 8208XBR and 55 grain Nosler LFBT.


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[Dvidos]

I have a .243 with the same barrel length and twist. I get 4000 FPS with 8208XBR and 55 grain Nosler LFBT.


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+1

 

[cmahoney]

I have a .243 with the same barrel length and twist. I get 4000 FPS with 8208XBR and 55 grain Nosler LFBT.


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Just looked at my data, 44 grains of 8208, CCI 200, Winchester brass and 2.708 COAL. Shoots about 3/4 MOA.


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[Desert Dan]

That's awesome, thanks for the help. Hopefully I can get my hands on some of the 8208. Do you use the 55s for hunting?

 

[cmahoney]

That's awesome, thanks for the help. Hopefully I can get my hands on some of the 8208. Do you use the 55s for hunting?

It’s out everywhere I think. Coyotes only with those.


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[Bater]

I’d push a 87gr VLD with H4350 for both if it were me, about the best BC you can hope for in a 10 twist.

 

[Desert Dan]

Right on thanks guys. I'll start with those.

 

[cmahoney]

I don’t hunt big game with mine so I stick with the light bullets. It pretty flat out to 400 for varmints. Here is my dope for that load.


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[Desert Dan]

Does it bust a pelt up pretty bad or not so much? Not overly interested in pelts with a 243 but wouldn't mind saving a few.

 

[cmahoney]

Not sure, just got those bullets a few months ago so I can use that rifle for Coyotes in CA since lead is illegal and I haven’t made it over there to shoot any yet. I went through a box of 100 on paper and steel and they shoot good so I’m sticking with them for that rifle.

I think the 55 grain lead ballistic tips are cheaper.


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[Desert Dan]

Ok that's a good starting point then. I have no idea what this rifle likes but I have options to try to find out. Thanks again for the input.

 

[Justin Crossley]

I haven't done much with those lighter bullets in the .243 but I like the 95 grain classic hunters for deer. My son's .243 pushes them at 3100 fps using Hybrid 100V out of a 20" Tikka barrel.

 

[handwerk]

I've been happy with IMR 4350 but using hunting billets, either the 80TTSX or 95 LRX

 

[Desert Dan]

I haven't done much with those lighter bullets in the .243 but I like the 95 grain classic hunters for deer. My son's .243 pushes them at 3100 fps using Hybrid 100V out of a 20" Tikka barrel.

That's good to know too because I'll probably load up some 90 0r 95 grains to play around with for when I inevitably do another gun hunt back in Wisconsin farm country where I grew up. The 243 is my hands down favorite for Midwest deer hunting.

 

[mainbeam pursuit2]

I use IMR 4895 to push a 70 grain nosler ballistic tip, easy to get 3600+ fps.all I use it is for coyotes Ang shooting practice.

 

[wildwilderness]

For 80-85gr Bullets I’ve had great speeds with RL 17. The new RL 16 also shoots well in my .243 is is supposed to be very temp stable.