Thanks Pag!

Some one else pointed out to me, that Blue Dot in these rounds works great in HandGuns like the Contenders, because since it is a shot gun powder, it burns very efficiently and that even 14 inch barrels are not getting much less velocity than I am in a 22 to 24 inch barrel.

This load in a Ruger Compact would be definitely a good rig for a youth or someone who has to walk a lot or in thick brush.

A Win Featherweight in 243 with this load would be my personal pick to carry in the woods. But a Ruger Stainless/laminate is working well for me.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

Okay guys, this is not based on ego, but from a few requests that I have received via home email.

I really do think for a beginner ( my main focus for reduced loads) that a 6 mm is a better option than a 22 caliber.

Of course the most popular of the 6mm line is the 243 Winchester. I own about 6 rifles chambered in this caliber.

My goals are a deer getter with a point blank range of 200 to 250 yds tops, and preferrably less. Oregon deer are punity to pitiful, but something that will work on deer in the SW, and the southern states. I have hunted large northern upper midwest white tails, and these loads will also work on those deer, but I would put the load in the hands of an experienced hunter.

My pick for this caliber is 22.5 grains of Blue Dot with a bullet weight from 85 grains to 90 grains. There are a lot of good bullets within this weight range. I myself have been carrying an 87 grain Hornady SP with the 22.5 grains of Blue Dot in the field this season.

Accuracy is excellent, if not superb from all of my 243s, including the cantankerous Winchester Model 70 with a 24 inch barrel. It is my "prodical son" of the 243 family in my gunsafe.

Velocity runs right at 2800 fps with 85 to 90 grain bullets.
Recoil is half or less of a standard 3000 fps 100 grain factory load.

Bullets of honorable mention with this charge weight, that will do a good job on any size of deer, include the Sierra 85 grain Hollow Point, the Hornady 87 grain SP and HP, Nosler 90 grain Ballistic tip and the 90 grain Speer SP.

A combo that will perform beyond what the lack of recoil may make you doubt its ability is the Barnes XBT Blue Coated Bullet at 85 grains. Although not normally a huge Barnes fan based on accuracy and lover of Nosler Partitions, this bullet has performed very well in my guns. Conversely, my beloved Partition, the 85 grainer is a poor performer for accuracy in all of my 243s.

Anyone who tries out this load with any of these bullets, and carries then afield I wish you a successful hunt. I do hope especially if it is loaded up for kids, women or any shooters that recoil is an issue, that this will help overcome their dislike of shooting a rifle with recoil.

An older gentleman at the range today who normally shoots in competition with a 308, shot this load and he thought it was a 223, based on the noise and the recoil factor. I think that is a good unbiased opinion. He had wanted to shoot the rifle based on watching how tight the groups were with the rifles I was shooting it in.

Good luck to all this hunting season

Cheers and Good shooting ( and hunting)
seafire

I'm tempted to try this load in my old Win model 670 .243 (19" barrel) for plinking and paper work. I'm not fond of the rifle, and it goes several years between putting a few rounds through it, but I'd get so little for it in sale or trade that I've kept it around. Besides, Dad bought it for my first rifle when I was 14. Maybe it could become the piece to hand to those new to shooting or stepping up from 22lr to centerfire. I'd have to get some cheap dies though. Do you recommend a particular primer for such an underfilled .243 case? Thanks for the load info, Seafire.

Blast it, Seafire - you keep this up and I am going to have to buy myself a keg of this Blue Dot! Thanks and good hunting to you!

KR:

Blue Dot does not seem to be position sensitive. Not in any of my experience or experiments.

I have used mag primers, to large pistol mag primers in the cases with good results. If it is a concern, then I would just use the mag primers.

I have posted a lot of data on this stuff, but if you do try it out, always keep at or under what I recommend.

I have tested Blue Dot in all cases and bullets until I blew the primer, or had the case get real stiff. I don't need to blow a primer when I have a stiff bolt lift. I know we are there at max.

Then I back off a grain but more usually two, in my recommendations. All rifles are a little different, but lord knows people are even more different. Use you head. If unsure of something, email me and I will answer it.
I keep load notes on all of my tests with this. Like with the 87 grains bullet in a 243, I have tested it from 8 grains of powder up to 24 grains.

Using trees as a back stop, a side benefit is the amount of penetration I can observe. Some of these bullets will penetrate a tree about 6 inches in diameter and do a lot of damage at realitively low speeds. Faster velocity has more to do with added range than a lot of energy up close.

Something I never see anyone talk about on here, is an animal's inherent will to live. It varies from animal to animal just like survivial can vary in people. Some give up easily, and some don't. That is a factor that makes an animal more resistant to shock.

That is why some animals can run miles gut shot, and others will just curl up under a tree and suffer and then die.

Guys think firepower is need to overcome an animals will to survive and just go down. No one ever factors that into a situation where an animal took a good hit and took off.
It is all to easy to blame it on bullet failure.

Too many hunters blame their equipment and their bullets long before they blame themselves.

Bringing me back to my point, bullets in this weight range in my opinion on antelope sized deer are very effective down to about 1800 fps MV or so. With a 243 that is a charge as low as 12 grains. Try a charge of that and see how light the recoil is and see how accurate it still is. You will also find it is an effect 100 yd deer load, and since most are taken at less than 100 yds, I have no lack of confident recommending it.

Of course the crowd that own magnums might not agree with that, and will only tout the failures they experienced, if they personally experienced any at all. A lot of the experts got their "experience" reading what someone else wrote.

Good luck in trying it out tho!
Cheers and good shooting
seafire