Just purchased a new Ruger MKII in .243. Really excited about performance capabilities for this rifle. I do not have much in the way of reloading stuff for this caliber yet but I have collected about 100 once fired federal/winchester cases. So before I go out and buy a bunch of stuff I dont like or need I thought I would ask to see what powders/bullets other members have used and prefer. Thanks in advance.

Blackhawk sorry you didn't get more replies.
In my limited experience with the .243 IMR-4350 is the go to powder. My sons rifle shoots 100 grain Sierra's and 60 grain HP Sierras very well with this powder and CCI primers. We also shoot Barnes bullets in the 85 grain variety with the same. For deer sized game the 100 grain Sierra is tough to beat!

Blackhawk
I use 100 grain sierra prohunters with 44 grains of AR2209, norma cases and fderal primers (I believe Winchester 760 is equivalent - but you would need to check?). This load shoots close to 1/4 inch groups and flattens deer.Also use 85 grain Partitions with 46 grains of AR2209 behind them.
Cheers and good luck.

Have tried H414 44gr,70gr Nosler BT,2.710 OAL and it was real good.Tried IMR4895...OK.Tried Varget....ok.Now am trying IMR4064 and it shows some promise with 75gr Vmax.

After all tests I may still go back to H414 as it shot the best so far in my rifle hot weather or cold.

After a lot of thought...get a LeeLoader,case length guage/shellholder,cutter/lockstud,primer pocket tool,chamfer/deburr tool,scale,set of dippers.The tool comes with a 2.5cc dipper but a 2.8cc may be the ticket to getting 44gr.Get some 70gr Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets.

While your order is being processed get a short Pringles Chips and eat them but keep the canister and clean it out well.Get some soapless steel wool like Brillo.Go to a hardware store and get a cheap rubber/plastic mallet.Go to a gunstore and get some H414 and some primers.

If you already have some of the equipment its all the better,just don`t order it.After a little practice with dipper and scale you can easily work your way up from starting load to where you wanna go....IF you wanna go further.

The beauty of the tool is you can take it to the range.You can eliminate case variability by using the same case 5 or more times.You can work up a load in real time and not have to think on the way home"I wonder what a half grain more or less would do?"or "I wonder what an OAL of 2.715" would be like"?You can also make custom dippers out of empty 44Mag cases trimmed ever so carefully with a handle super glued on.You can also take several powders to the range to eliminate or keep.

Varget has worked well in 222,223,22-250,6.5 Swede,7.62x54R,303British,but I believe H414 the best for 243Win.
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An example of what I take to the range.

The only bad part is the cases have to be from your Ruger....only yours.But one box will last a very long time.My rifle and 250yd target in foreground.

Results.... 5-10mph gusting wind in my face.This was with 75gr VMax,37.5gr IMR4064.Bumped up to 38gr and am waiting to shoot this weekend if not real windy.

My M700 like a grain or two below book max of IMR4350 and either the Nosler 100 gr Partition or the 100 gr Remington Corelokt. Both work great on farm country whitetails. The Corelokt is a little more accurate, but even the Partitions will shoot into a fraction over two inches at 200.

I've used my .243 mainly for varmints with the Nosler BT 55 grain bullet using Varget and getting 4050fps with this load. Makes the rock chucks flip and the coyotes go stiff legged!! Works well on smaller deer but that's another story and another can of worms.

For a lot of years I used Speers 105 grain spitzer and round nose bullets for deer, using 39.5 grains of IMR 4350.
For varmit season I used Sierra's 70 BTHP in front of a case full of IMR 4831 or H-4831.
Both were accurate and deadly,=.
Jim

For the 58 grain bullets up through 100 grainers both my 243s like IMR4064

38 grain imr4350,100 grain hornady flat base..35 at 100 yds 10 shots out of my sako forester l579 action. no critters like it.

Remington 788 Sierra 100gr spitzers using IMR 4895 33.7gr & CCI primers from the bench at 100 yards shot 3 shot cloverleafs.Also used Ball C2.

Today`s load 38gr IMR4064,CCI primer,75gr VMax at 100yds.I like this load pretty well when I did my part.I may stay with this load.

quote:

Originally posted by mickberger:
Today`s load 38gr IMR4064,CCI primer,75gr VMax at 100yds.I like this load pretty well when I did my part.I may stay with this load.

I gave my son 2 rifles & a shotgun but at 18 he sold everything to feed his drug needs,years later he came by to borrow one of my Sakos for hunting so I contacted the Old West Scrounger and bought some ammo for a pre ww2 Italian 7.35 Terni Rifle,he looked at the rudimentary iron sights noting it's not designed for a scope & then said he wanted a Sako I said NO!I told him to go buy back the Rem 788,the Rem 870TB & the Belgium made Grade 2 30-06 Browning semiauto rifle.Also told him that he'll never get any of my weapons as long as he's on drugs he's 43 & still using.

quote:

Originally posted by Blackhawk83:
Just purchased a new Ruger MKII in .243. Really excited about performance capabilities for this rifle. I do not have much in the way of reloading stuff for this caliber yet but I have collected about 100 once fired federal/winchester cases. So before I go out and buy a bunch of stuff I dont like or need I thought I would ask to see what powders/bullets other members have used and prefer. Thanks in advance.

For my Ruger KM77RP in .243, my favorite hunting load is a Barnes TSX 85gr, under 47gr of Reloder 22

OAL = 2.696"
Rem 9 1/2
Win case
MV 3100 fps

My Ruger shoots the 58 through 75 grain Hornady V-maxs very well and the 80 grain Speer Hot-cor shoots well too. The most accurate load for me is the 65 grain V-max propelled by 39 grains of Varget. I use Winchester LR primers.

58 gr V-max. 44 gr Varget .33" group
65 gr V-max. 39 gr Varget .28" group
75 gr V-max 35.5 gr Varget .45" group
80 gr Speer 36 gr Varget .75" group

I just love my Ruger .243