Thinking of reloading .243

[ozark]

I am thinking of odering the essentials for reloading cartridges for my .243
I don't plan of experimenting other than developing a good accurate varmint and deer load.
I plan to use a balance beam powder scales and cases preformed by firing in my rifle. I believe that all I will need is resizing and triming the neck.
Here are my questions:
1. Which powder should I buy?
2. Which balance beam scales?
3. What do I need to deprime and press new primers in?
4. Which primers should I buy?
5. What do I need regarding bullet seating and crimping?
6. What reloading manuel do I need to buy?
What else?

[whyohe]

1) what bullet do you plan on using? (hornady ,nosler,ect...) if you have a preference id buy the reloading manual by that bullet. i have a nosler book cause that is what i shoot in my rifle. my buddy has a hornady book cause thats what we shoot in our pistols. i do like the Hornady book it is nice.

2) i liked my lee beam scale but the RCBS scales are nicer IMO.

3) if you use RCBS dies for resizing they should deprime at the same time. and you can buy a hand priming tool. i don't have one but every one that i know that reloads has one and likes it. they say they can feel the primer seat better.

4) if you but the RCBS die set it will have the seating and crimping die. you set the crimp by the depth of the shell in the die. and there is a knob on the top to set the bullet depth. they come with great direction on initial set up and how to set crimp and such. if you use a bullet with a cantilever then you need to crimp but if it doesn't have it you should not need to crimp.also you might want to get neck ONLY resizing die. to trim your cases just buy a case trimmer.

5) as to powder and primers i havent reloaded for 234 so i cant help you there but i know other here will!

[herman]

Which rifle do you have?Is it a bolt action?And do you have a bullet in mind that you want to shoot in it.The reason I ask is ruger,rem,and savage all have different twists in their 243's.
Some will shoot up to 100 gr bullets some won't with good accuracy.
My 243 is a rem classic and my most accurate deer bullet is the 87 hornady HP or the 85 gr sierra,I haven't used the 243 in several years because I have several other calibers.I let my brother use it year before last and he took 3 deer with it and last year I let a buddie use it and he took his first long distant deer at 270 yds.
I don't really varmit hunt but if I was I would use the 65 hornady or the 55 sierra.They shoot great out to 300 yds.
#1 powder I use so many different powders it is hard to say but H414 works great in my 243 with 85,87 and pretty good with the rem 100.
#2 I have a 505 rcbs that I have used for so many years I don't remember.Just got rich enough to get one of the new rcbs elec and tickled with it.Then a lee balance bean will serve your purpose as good as any.
#3 deprime like whyohe said the sizeing die does this,primer tool the lee works great for me.Only thing it says not to use federal primers but I have been doing it for many years with no problem and I know a lot of others use it too.
#4,primers are about the same wlr,cci,fed 210 large rifle.After you get the group you want you can try different ones to see if they make any difference.
#5 which ever die set you get comes usually with a seater die.If you're useing a-bolt action I wouldn't worry about crimping.
I tried a lee factory crimp in my 25/06 and it shot just as good without the crimp.I don't crimp anything.I only have bolt actions.
#6 Any of the manuels have good reloading info.
#7 I have gone to the lee collet die with most of my reloads.You said you want to shoot cases formed with your rifle.the collet die only sizes the neck.If you don't want to lube the cases the lee works great where you don't have to lube either.But you may want to take the sizing stem down some for a tighter neck tension,It explains that in the directions that come with the die.I don't remember what the set that comes with the reg sizing die,collect die and the setting die is called but you can check the different ones on one of the shooting distrubators like Midway,Midsouth and etc.
You will love shooting your own reloads I have been doing it for about 50 yrs and love every minute of it especially when you get groups.

[ozark]

I appreciate all the information. It is a lot to digest quickly at my age. I have a Savage bolt action. I am looking for someone to just list what I need to order say from Cabelas or another supplier and I will order the package I need to reload this one rifle. Please be aware that I am not a rich man. Thanks. Ben

[thelefthand]

Ozark, Herman has given some good advice. I've never loaded for this cartridge, so some of my advice will be a little more generic than what you are actually looking for.

You will need the following:

1: A loading manual.
2: Tumbler and some media to clean the brass.
3: A priming tool to seat the primers and a set of collets for the sizer.
4: A set of beam scales
5: A powder thrower is optional.
6: A powder funnel
7: A single stage reloading press
8: A 2 die set of reloading dies
9: Possibley a collet for the press
10: A set of dial calipers
11: A loading block is really nice.
12: You may need to get some tools to trim your brass
13: Bullets
14: powder
15: Primers
16: Brass

Before I start, I'll give two recomendations. First, get a manual or two and read the first sections. They normally go over what you need. Then ask about those items and we can give some feedback. Second, if you're willing to use the Lee beam scale, and Lee press, then I would highly recomend the Aniversery kit. I think the Lee kit will probably suit your needs, but I have to admit that I don't like their beam scale. It works, but I don't like it.

1: As herman said, most manuals are pretty good. I have several. I go to my Hornady manuals first. Also, all poweder maufacturers have load data for thier powders. I have one for all of the manufacturers that I use. These are free.

2: You will have to have a way to clean your brass after you fire it. I use a tumbler and walnut media. Depending on how many rounds you plan on reloading, there may be some cheaper options. I've always loaded a lot so I never looked into any of them.

3: The RCBS Rock Chucker comes with a device to seat your primers, but you're better off buying a seperate tool. I prefer the Lee Auto Prime. The Lee autoprime requires a seperate collate to hold the brass. I think you can get the whole set of collets for less than $15, or just buy the one you need for about $3.

4: The RCBS 505 beam scales are nice, but the Lee scales work. What I'm saying here is that there are expensive and cheap scales and they will all "work" but some work a lot better than others. It's hard to go wrong with any of the RCBS scales.

5: For just a few rounds a year, a powder thrower can be awfully expensive. I'd substitute the Lee dippers instead. Not that I would use them to measure the powder, just to dip a reasonable amount from the bottle or a bowl or something. If you plan on loading 100 rounds or more at a time, then get a thrower. The RCBS uniflow is a really good one. There are some better ones, but they get really $$ real quick. If you get the RCBS, get the strong mount, and mount it to something that doesn't move! Like a tank. The more rigid it is, the more repeatable it is.

6: A powder funnel just helps you get all of your powder into the case, and it's really cheap.

7: A reloading press. Now here's where opinion comes in, and you get a lot of Ford vs Chevy. If you can find a used RCBS Rockchucker, get it! If you have to buy a new one, the Rock Chucker is still a really good choice. I know at least a dozen guys who use them, and have loaded more ammo than I even care to guess. They work great. Having said that, we bought my dad a Lee press several years ago for a lot less and it has done well for him. He may load 200 rounds of 44mag a year and thats a lot for him.

8: A 2 die set. Once again Ford vs Chevy. For your needs I'd either go with the RCBS or Lee dies. The Lee dies normally come with a really good set of "how too" instructions, and if memory serves they include the shell holder (collet) that holds the case in the press. The RCBS I don't think does. Once again a whole set is less than $15. I've not used the Collet dies that Herman mentioned, but I've heard a lot of guys like them. If Herman likes it, then I'd give it a try. Sounds like it's easier and probably cheaper than buying an extra "neck sizing die". For reference, a 2 die set includes a full length sizing/depriming die that sizes the whole case down to SAMMI specs, and pokes the primer out. It also includes the bullet seating die. A neck sizing die is normaly seperate and ONLY sizes the neck back down. It leaves the rest of the case at the same size as your chamber. This is great for accuracy, but it requires the extra die. IMHO neck sizing increases the accuracy of your reloads a lot, but it also means that the brass has to go back into the rifle that it was originally fired in. If I were going to go this route (and I always do), I would buy Redding neck sizing die, and Redding competition bullet seater. If memory serves these run about $35 and $70 respectivly. A better option for you would probably be to buy a 2 die set and then add a neck sizing die. The FL sizing die in the set seems to always come in useful.

9: If your die set doesn't come with a shell holder for the press, then you will need one of those. They are ALMOST the same as the ones used for the Lee Autoprime, but they are NOT interchangeable.

10: A set of dial calipers are a must in order to measure how deep the bullet is seated into the brass. You can usually pick up a 4" set on sale from MSC for about $20 www.mscdirect.com You can buy a set from almost anywhere that sells reloading equipment, but they jack the prices up.

11: I consider a loading block a must for rifle cases. It's just a block with holes in it that the cases sit in. It helps keep things organized as you are makeing your reloads. You can make one pretty easy, or you can buy them. They aren't too expensive. I always have a pair made by MTD.

12: Rifle brass presents a special problem. As it is fired and resized it is streatched out so that it grows. It can get long enough to cause a problem. Neck sizing the brass helps reduce this wear and tear a little, but as much as I hate doing it, it still needs to be done. There are a few different options. The RCBS manual trimmer is fine. It will trim just about anything out there, and it comes with everything you need. With a few modifications, you can use a drill to drive the cutter. Do it at a slower RPM if you do it. I siezed up one running it wide open. Lee used to make a unit that was cartridge specific and you put it in your drill. We used to use this a lot in our gun club. This is probably your best option if you can find it. Once the brass has been trimmed to length, you will need a tool that deburs the outside and inside. If you are going to shoot VLD style bullets that have a long boat tail, then you'll want a special tool to chamfer the ID of the brass at a lower angle. If you plan on loading thousands of rounds a year, send me a PM and I'll give you a totally different list of components. As you can see trimming brass gets tedious. I hate it.

13: Bullets.... Not going to say a lot here. This is where you the shooter deside what you want to use based on the twist in your barrel, what you plan on shooting at, and what you and your rifle "like". I shoot a lot of Hornady SST, Nosler BT, and Berger bullets. Infact, those are about the only "rifle" bullets that I buy.

14: Powder - once again there are a lot of choices. Different bullet weights may like different powders. Since I don't load the .243 I can't give you any help here. Generally you will be able to find a powder that works really good for "light" bullets, and another that works really well for "heavy" bullets. Rarely will one powder do well at both ends.

15: Primers. I use Federal. I've also used Winchester and CCI. For volumes I shoot either the Winchester or the normal Federal primers. For my match ammo I load with the Federal Gold Medal match primers. I think the .243 uses a large rifle primer, but I'm not sure.

16: Brass - I have rarely bought brass. I always buy ammo and save the brass. Then it is already fire formed for me There are some exceptions. My AR15 barrels have never seen a factory round. They wouldn't know what to do with it If you are going to buy brass, I'd buy Winchester brass. It's good all around brass. There's better, but Winchester is good.

That's all I've got,
Mark

[ozark]

Thanks much for all the information everyone. I think this is more than I need to get into at my age and health. A special gentleman on this forum has offered to do my re-loading for the cost of powder, bullets etc. I am going to send him about 40-60 brass casings that has been fired from my rifle. He is a past expert on reloading and will get me going with a pet load soon enough. In the meantime I can continue to use factory ammo. I only shoot maybe 40 shots per year, plinking, deer and predators. Again, Thanks a bundle. Ben

[deadeye]

thelefthand, great post,dont forget the baffle for the uni-flow & neck turnin-aah-probably not needed for factory chamber-win that egg shoot ozark& most of all & you know it,have a good time. the trophy is held within!

[tcmech]

Ozark, it's nice to see there is a good samaritan out there willing to do your reloading for you. I have some friends who refuse to shoot a reload made by anyone else. I have more friends that don't mind. If you should ever decide to do your own you may want to check on the NRA reloading class. It really is a good place for any new reloaders to start. Craig

[ozark]

The friend who has volunteered to do my reloading for me charging only the cost of materials and shipping is a man I have never met. Yet, I would trust my life with him whether it was as foxhole partner or a reloader for me. On this forum I read nearly every post that is made. One can make a pretty good judgement of a persons attention to details and their knowledge of the subject. I trust this man fully but I could say that about many other forum members. I thought seriously about reloading for myself but decided that again age and disabilities have to be considered. But it is not my style to take advantage of a friendly gesture and I intend to pay what factory ammunition would cost me. I think that is fair because I will end up with better than factory ammunition to shoot. Now, I may as well tell who this is: He is a special friend of mine that I will probably never meet. That is all I will say about that. Ben.

[thelefthand]

Ozark, I'm glad that someone has made that offer. That's probably the best option in your situation. I generally don't offer to do that unless the person lives close enough to deal in person. Main reason is that I will want to tune loads to fit their rifle. Few people actually take me up on the offer. Once you start shooting good hand loads that were made for your rifle, you'll never go back.

Your friend may insist on only being paid for the cost of the components. There's a reason for that. Leagally speaking, you have to have a special liscens to sell the amunition that you manufacture. From what I understand, the cost of the liscense is really low, and well worth it because it allows you to become a "distributor" and buy things at cost. I've concidered it several times, but I just don't buy that much any more (wife and kid to spend my money on instead). Anyway, good luck!

Mark

[herman]

Sounds like you have the solution.
But be very cautious to someone else's hand loads.Check each case after fireing for any signs of too much pressure.No one load shoots the same in any 2 rifles.Even if you reloaded them yourself do the same, all of us are prone to making mistakes.
One of my shooting buddies (with years of experience)thought it would be ok useing brass that was only .002 over max.He was lucky he wasn't hurt,it blew his rem 742 up.
Was in the gun shop several years ago and a man and his wife came in wanting to know when the rem rep would be there.Said his wife had gotten him the rifle for christmas and the first shot blew the rifle up.The fellows right side of his face looked all messed up and his right hand was missing.The shop owner asked what he was shooting and he said his buddies reloads.He told him that it probably wouldn't do any good talking to the rep because rem didn't cover reloads.So don't know what the outcome was.
This is not to scare anyone from reloading or shooting reloads,just a note to be cautious.Shooting and reloading is fun,just do it safely then you will be around longer to injoy it longer.

[ozark]

Thanks fpr tje caution Herman. If we buy factory ammunition we place our trust in the company that employs people capable of making mistakes. I know that it goes through some system of quality control but those people let boo boos get through. In my case I am fully trusting one individual. One that I have more trust in than the unknowns hired off the streets at Rem, Win. Hornady, etc. Still your advice is absolutely warranted. In my case and with my age I trust my friend more than I trust myself with this project. We will not be using loads in the top pressure area. Will be using once fired brass only fired from my rifle. I feel the risk of an accident traced to the ammunition is very remote. Ben

[petev]

Ozark if you need any more brass casings, just let me know- these are also from a Savage .243.

[ozark]

Thank you petev. I don't do a lot of shooting and after the egg shoot will have plenty of casings to stock myself with plenty. Appreciate you. Ozark

[thelefthand]

Ozark, the truth of the matter is that factory ammo is always more reliable than hand loads. I've watched milions of rounds go down range, and I've only seen one or maybe two factory rounds with an issue. By contrast, I don't know a single reloader (including myself) who hasn't made at least one mistake. Most of us make a few mistakes early on, and we learn and adjust our procedures to help avoid them in the future. But I've seen mistakes from even the most experienced reloaders. They are pretty rare, but not as rare as issues with factory ammo. Having said all of that, I'm very confident that the reloads that you get will be just fine.

I'd be curious to know how your loads will be developed. Generally, it has always taken me 2 trips to the range and about 50 rnds each trip to decide how much of a given powder I want to use with a specific bullet. If I were not so anal, it could be cut down to 20 rnds on each trip. I have seen certain loads that generally shoot well in a lot of rifles, but I've never found a load that was really good in all rifles. This is more of a curiosity on my part than a concern.

Mark

[ozark]

Mark, unfortunately these reloads must be mailed to me and the brass back to my friend. He is experienced in loading for the .243 and will send me a batch of five rounds each based on what has worked well for him in the past. I will take them to the 100 yard range that we have on our property and carefully determine what my rifle likes and inform him. Not boasting but I am a experienced as a shooter with years of competition along side the best shooters in America. We should soon determine what is satisfactory for my use.
I wasn't being critical of factory ammunition. I have eleven years of shooting match grade ammo. No misfires or cartridge failures. With the powder he will be using there would be no danger if he filled the casing full. We live with risk as we drive, as we eat food bought in stores, as we undergo minor surgury, as we burn some paper trash while wearing oxygen, as the lightening hits earth randomly. I was as nervious as a prostitute in church when I loaded and fired the muzzle loader for the first time. I am aware I am rambling on and on needlessly and that any readers are double aware of everything I say. I usually calculate the risks involved and enjoy the opening of the chute and then the wonderful freedom of drifting back to earth. Ben aka Ozark.

[herman]

Ben are you going to be able to get and test these reloads before your egg shoot or are you going to have to shoot factory for the egg shoot?Either way I got my fingers crossed for you.Hope you have some pic's to share afterward.
I bought a savage ss in 243 last year to get the action to build a 260 rem,and I tried shooting some of the loads that worked well in my rem 243 to see how they did in the savage while waiting on a barrel.They did really well which is a little rare shooting the same thing in 2 different rifles.
Have got the 260 shooting great now also,when richard and our other shooting buddies were at the range this past tuesday I shot a5-shot group with it that measured 7/8 in at 300 yds.Was I tickled.
Below is a couple loads that shot just as good in both rifles.




The next pic is how my best load and hunt load shot in the savage 243 that works so well in my rem.The splatter shots on the right are with a hornady bonded 85 gr bullet that my buddie and I got on sell and it won't shoot in any rifle we have tried them in,I think they are out of balance??
My buddie just put a shelin 1:8 twist barrel on and they haven't shot good in it so far either.

[thelefthand]

Ozark, I figured you knew all of that, especially with all of the experience that you've had. I think that the process that you've worked out with your friend will work really well. You'll be posting groups that embarass the rest of us in no time.

Mark

[ozark]

herman, I will have to be shooting factory ammo during the egg shoot but I doubt that I place in this. I have to accept that I am somewhere below the skill level that I was during many years. My Son and Grandson can both equal or beat me from sand bags and I am sure that others can also. I have been unsuccessful posting pictures on the forum lately. Hopefully I will learn or get my son to post some of the shoot. thelefthand, if I post groups that embarass the rest of you it is certain that they are groups at 25 yards or shot by someone else.
4 Minutes is an afful long time to fire four rounds at egg size targets 100 yards distance. I hope to finish under two minutes win or lose.
My .243 shoots pretty good but it has a 20 inch barrel and a tupperwear stock so I don't expect anything great. Several people are excited about the egg shoot next weekend. Our county has little for people to do so we should have a good crowd. Ben aka Ozark

[deadeye]

reloading is very rewarding for some,i have reloaded & set -up over 500 guns in calibers from .223 up to & including 50bmg in the last 10years for individuals such as your self,here is a suggestion,on your egg shoot you just might bump into someone locally that reloads,if not visit one of your local gunshops that carry reloading supplies,i bet the gunshop owner will know of someone experienced in reloading locally that would be glad to spend a day with you. this has happened twice i got a call to help someone i didnt know off a refererence.they are still friends of mine to this day shooting smaller groups today than before we met ps & they do call once in a while to stop by & use my presses

[ozark]

Deadeye one gets a good feeling by helping others along the way. It can be only helping some old lady across the street or providing someone hep reloading.Iam wondering if reloading is going to decrease my group size after we discovera pet load. Example with me behindthe butt plate my.243 will print a little under an inch three shot group at 100 yards. I just cant imagine some magic load decreasing that a lot. Naturally, I would be thrilled to find some magic load that permitted me to get improvement of any amount. Ozark

[thelefthand]

Ozark, it depends on how big your "wabble" zone is, but it would not surpise me at all if you were able to find a load that would shoot 1/2" groups from a solid bench at 100 yards using hand loads. I have yet to find a factory load that I couldn't cut by at LEAST 25%, and normally 50% or more. Of course there will be an exception, but they are rare. A bolt gun with a heavy barrel should be easily capable of 1/2" groups with most bullet weights and good quality bullets. 1/4" groups make it a good gun in my book. Lighter barrels will generally shoot at least 3/4", with 1/2" or better being good. Those are just my standards though.

Mark

[ozark]

I hope we reach close to that standard. That is not my standard with this rifle but it could happen.

[ozark]

Using factory ammunition my Savage .243 without any modifications took 2nd 3rd and 5th in the egg shoot this weekend. Two of the three people who used it broke all four eggs and the other two broke three eggs each. We used two different bullet weights (55 and 75 grain. I have considered glass bedding it along with working with my friend on reloads But the rifle is sure shooting good for a light 20 inch barrel. I used Remington 75 grain. My rifle has the tupperwear stock also. Ben

[ozark]

I have three boxes of cartridges fired from my rifle boxed up ready to mail to my handlloader. I am really getting high on the .243. It is a Savage with the accu-trigger with a tupperwear stock and a 20 inch barrel and has not been modified in any manner. Nothing showed it up at our recent egg shoot. Only a 22-250 broke four eggs quicker to win. I have had several rifles that I have been high on but this seems to be a standout over all the rest when you consider an all purpose rifle for deer, varments down to crow size. I have take three deer with it. Two were bang flops and the third was being chased by dogs and full of aredlenlin. I have owned and loved the .223, 22-250, 25-06, 270 and up and there is a lot to be said for each of those. But when it comes to all around satisfaction I have to put the .243 at the top. Right now I have a shotgun for turkey, a .243 backed up by a .17 HMR for everything else. Perhaps the accu-trigger makes it special for me. Whatever it is, I am a happy camper. I highly reccomend this rifle and cartridge. Ben

[herman]

Tho I haven't used the 243 in several years It is a great round.I have taken more than a couple deer with my rem at 300+yds.

[ozark]

Today I received ten rounds loaded with brass fired from my rifle of: 1. 85 grain Barns tripple shock bullets pushed with 36 grains of H4895. Ten rounds of Nosler 85 grain partition with the same powder. I am to shoot two five shot groups with each to determine which groups best in my rifle. I am to disregard any shots where I don't perform well. Any guesses which of these two will win out? Our goal is to develop a load I can use for small creatures on up to Whitetail deer and black bear. If there is interest I will keep posting results until we reach our goal. Ozark

[thelefthand]

I've never used either bullet, but I've heard that the Partitions are not usually known to be a tack driver. That's just what I've heard though. I've also heard that they still shoot good, and make up for the lack of extreme accuracy by giving great termainal performance. I think you will probably have better accuracy results with the Barnes.

This is a little different than how I normally do things. I normally pick a bullet that I think will give the terminal performance that I want, then go from there. 36gr may shoot really bad, but 35 or 37 may be amaizingly accurate.

Just my 2 bits,
Mark

[ozark]

In shooting circles much is made of group size. Generally, this is thought of as MOA and measured from the two widest shots. This does not take into account the group position with reference to the point of aim. IMO accuracy of rifle and shooter combination should be measured with the point of aim as a factor. I am more interested in the distance my shots are from my aiming point than I am the distance between the widest two shots. One could have a 1.5" group at 100 yards with no shots more than 3/4" off the aiming point. I am not opposed to using group measurements but it seems to me that the precise point of aim or zero should be a major concern. If one decides to zero in 3 inches high at 100 yards then IMO a point exactly 3 inches above the aiming point should be used as the group center for measuring the combined accuracy of the rifle and shooter. To my thinking, one could have a MOA group at 100 yards and have no shots more than 1/2 inch away from the zero point. Just my thoughts on the overall view of accuracy. Ozark

[thelefthand]

Ozark, I agree. Group size is only good for measuring the accuracy of a given load out of your gun. Yes the shooter plays a role in that group size, but if you really want a measurement of how good a given shooter is with that gun and that load, then it's exactly as you said.

Mark