I ran the search and didn't find what I was looking for so I'm hoping someone can help. First a little history.

I recently acquired a Savage Striker in .243Win. It came with a Simmons 4x so I removed it and mounted a Burris 3x-12x with hunter knobs and ballistic plex. Since I didn't have all of the necessary components I also bought (gasp) a box of Hornady 58gr V-Max. I know I'm not going to get the published velocity out of the 14" barrel so I didn't even chrono the loads, I was looking more for accuracy. As it turns out I was able to print 1/2" groups at 100yds. with factory loads. I left the range with my 8 remaining rounds and headed for the bean fields. My first kill on a groundhog was taken at 200yds. measured with my range finder. Two more were taken at shorter distances and I want to use this gun for shots out to 300yds, maybe more. But I don't plan on paying $26 for a box of 20 rounds.
Great, the gun shoots so I'm thinking I should be able to best that with handloads. Here's where it goes down hill.

I picked up a box of Hornady 75gr and 87gr V-Max slugs and proceeded to look over the loading manuals. What I found was there is quite a bit of discrepancy between manuals. Where one would list a max load, another used it as a starting load. HUH!? I've never seen that much variance between loads before. Anyway, I naturally picked the middle of the road and proceeded to load a few. Starting with IMR4320 at 38gr I bumped it up .5gr until I reached 40gr. The results were not good. The velocity started at 2700fps and topped off at 2840fps. Roughly 30fps with each .5gr. I wasn't surprised at the low velocity with the short barrel but the groups started at 1 5/8" and finished at 5"! That sux! Obviously I'm pushing way too fast as was evident with the flamage with the last two loads. I tried one load with 37.5gr of Varget and it didn't fare well either.

On the way home I decided to stop and pick up a box of Hornady 58gr V-Max since I know they will shoot. Now the question begs, what powder and where to start? I have every different type of primer and roughly 50 different types of powder so I'm sure something will work. But, I don't want to spend my entire summer looking for the load.

I'm thinking of starting with IMR3031 with the 55gr V-Max. Can anyone help me with this short barrel winnie?

70gr Sierra BlitzKings and 40 to 41 grains of varget.

In my 243 with a 24" bbl, varget is MUCH too slow for the 58g V-Max's... This was indicated by muzzle flash.

I would recommend you do as I did, and try a faster powder. IMR 4895 is working good in my long bbl; you might need an even faster one?

There are burn rate charts available on the internet, especially on stevespages.com (I think that's the right url???)

Thanks so far.

I have a burn rate chart, which is why I'm looking at IMR3031, it is faster than IMR4895.

What I'm hoping for is info from someone that has loaded this cartridge in a short barrel.

Have you posted in the Single Shot Pistols forum?

I have a striker in 243win also. Mostly used 80gr single shot pistol bullets for deer. Had no trouble busting pop cans at 200 yards. Killed deer real quick too. Did a little shooting with my favorite bullet in that caliber Sierra 85gr game king and it shot well too. I used Varget with the 80 grainer and IMR 4320 with the Sierra. The balistic tip is also a good shooter. My rifle wasn't too fond of the V Max bullets either.

I've shot 55gr ballistic tips in 2 243 with 18! and 19" barrels respectively.

I used H322 in the 18" at approx (memory) 37gr or so for approx 3,200fps - not a max load, little muzzle flash and accurate.

I am currently using 38gr of VVN133 which gives approx 3,300fps in 19" and is exceedingly accurate. IMR 3031 is not too dissimilar in burn rate. You will be looking mid to high 30s in charge weights I would have thought.

Well, here is where Blue Dot comes to the rescue!

Try 18 to 22.5 grains of Blue Dot with ANY bullet weight you desire to use...

Not only will this reduce recoil quite a bit, it is economical.. and is highly accurate..

Use large rifle primers or large pistol primers..

Other good candidates for accuracy in the 243, particularly in shorter barrels or contenders.. are SR 4759... up to 25 grains with any bullet weight...

RL 7/ 30 grains with any bullet weight

IMR 4198/ 30 grains with any bullet weight...

All of these loads work well with 100 grain bullets, and are faster powders.. therefore, they will work just fine with the smaller grained bullets...

Being faster powders.. you use less powder, which gives you less recoil...

These powders have also managed to clean up the accuracy on several 243s that I have owned that were real accuracy pigs out of the box... a Rem 700 ADL and a Winchester Model 70...

If any barrel won't shoot either Blue Dot or SR 4759 well, then you really have a piece of junk for a barrel...

Check out some of the cast bullet manuals for loads to play with using some of the other faster powders...

Although fine in a rifle, powders like 4350, 4831 etc, are way too much for a short barreled pistol like your striker...

35 grains of 4064, RL 15, W 748, IMR 4895 3031 work well with 100 grain bullets and down if you want to use the more typically used powders..

Now we're getting somewhere!

As I pointed out in my first post I know the barrel is OK since it will shoot factory ammo into 1/2" @100yds.

The groundhogs are running amuck and I'm bored with shooting them with a rifle. I want the challenge of shooting them with this pistol but I want to do it now! Everytime I drive by a field and see one standing up I feel like they're sticking their tongue out in defiance. They have to die!

Normally I'll take the time to develop the right loads for a particular gun, but this new to me toy is just begging to be put through it's paces.

Thanks for the info fellas, I'm printing it out now. Tomorrow I plan on hitting the range with some trial loads. If I hit on a good one I'll be in the bean fields later if it's not raining.

I found my load!

I went back to my original "swag" and loaded five batches of five with IMR 3031 and a Hornady 58gr V-Max. Starting at 35gr and I finished with 39gr bumping it up 1gr at a time. I didn't bother to chrono any of them because I was looking for groups first. The 37gr. load really shined so I came home and tweeked the seater and crimp just a little and loaded some more. I doubted whether loading it on either side of 37gr. in .2gr was going to make a difference so I didn't bother.

Today I took the chrono with me and and shot five sets of three with all of them going well under 1/2". Single shots at 1" dots didn't produce any fliers and I shot 10 of them.
My best group was .228" @100yds and I'm happy as a clam now. My target with that little three leaf clover sure is purdy!

Here were the results.

Winchester brass and WLR Primers. 37gr IMR 3031. Hornady 58gr. V-Max seated to 2.640" and an 1/8 turn crimp.

Hi: 2843fps
Lo: 2836fps
Av: 2840fps
Es: 6.8
Sd: 3.7
Ad: 2.8
Shot 1: 2842fps
Shot 2: 2836fps
Shot 3: 2843fps

The sad part is, with this low velocity and light slug I'm pretty much limited to 350yds. I'm going to try loading some 87gr V-Max and see if I can get them to carry out a just little farther.

I wish I had scanned the target so I could add it to my post. I'm still grinning from ear to ear

Thanks for your help!

I was going to suggest 37.5grs. of Benchmark which is very close to 3031 but, sure looks like you have found the load!

I had a Striker .243 that I killed a number of whitetails with , all with handloads.

I mostly played with the heavier bullets from 85 thru 100 gr. and the best powder I found was H-414 , which will push 85 gr Speers to nearly 3000 fps with max book loads . RL 19 was also very good with the 100 grainers.

As a rule of thumb , I believe you will find the better powders in a normal length
rifle barrel will also be the best in the stubby little 14 incher..........it was also my impression that double based and or ball powders showed less loss of speed in the short barrel than single based........

More input is always good I'm hoping to load some up tomorrow after I mow

Here's my target from the other day.