I'm looking for a new bullet to load up in .243 Winchester. Primary targets will be coyotes, and rockchucks, out of a Rem 700 BDL, a Ruger 77MkII carbine, and a Rem 700 VS. Loads would be developed for each rifle independently, but I'd like to stick w/ one bullet/brass/primer/powder combo as much as possible. The 87 V-Max seems to have a fairly good B.C. for longer range shots, reaches reasonably high speeds out of a .243, now all it has to do is shoot well

Anyone out there have any experiences to share as far as this bullet is concerned?

Thanks,

Monte

My local gunsmith uses the 87 grain V-Max in his .243 Winchester and is quite happy with it.
He and I have gone to South Dakota to shoot prairie dogs and he shot them a hell of a long ways off with that bullet.

I was so impressed that when I got home I bought some to try in my 6mm Remington. Well, while they did not shoot lousy groups, they were not very good in my rifle. I gave him the rest of the box.

You just don't know till you try them. My particular 6mm just does better with Sierra's or Nosler's.

R F

Monte,
I shoot a Remington 700VLS, with a 26" barrel and 1 in 9 1/8" twist.
I've gotten very good groups (less than 1/2" @ 100 yards) with 37.5 grains of Varget and Federal 210M primers with the 87 grain HPBT bullets. I seat them .020" off the rifling, and they fit in the magazine, too.
Regards, George.

I have shot over 30 coyotes as well as other varmints with them in the past 5 weeks. I have a .243 Win with 45.5 gr of H414 @3350FPS. On the running shots they would drop the coyotes with back leg and stomach hits, some times they would make a big hole other times not. Except on length wise shots they would always pass through, Over all I am happy with them. Better than the 95 gr BT I used last year, but thats a different kind of bullet anyways.

For the last three years I have used this bullet in my 6mm Ackley Improved @ a chronographed 3718 and have taken rockchucks out to 600+ yards and last year made a "head" shot at a lazer measured 398 yards. It is a great bullet stay with it. Sorry I have no loads for you but you have the problem half solved you got the right bullet. Good Hunting, "Z"

I've only shot my 243VLS at paper but the 87gr V-Max get's the nod. It's very accurate, wind resistant and works with most powder combinations. My favorite powder turns out to be Varget for the 87.

For ultra long shots look at the 105gr A-Max... It has a pretty impressive BC but you need a long barrel, a lot of powder, and some cajones to push it fast enough to get it there quickly. I use H4350 for this pill because it seems like the hotter I load it the better it shoots.

$bob$

Well, I've got the barrel screwed in, headspace looks ok. Test fired a few medium loads to fireform some cases and check resulting case growth... seems the same as the .308 Win barrel that came off to make room for the .243. I've got both Sierra 85gr HPBTs and Hornady 87gr V-Maxes standing by. As well as a buttload of Varget, and some other alternatives (H414, Win760, 4064, Big Game, etc.) Now I've just got to finish prepping the brass (probably tomorrow night) and get busy putting the gun on paper. Biggest internal debate I'm having right now is the struggle w/ whether or not to break in the barrel. I got it used, w/ ~150rds or so down the pipe already. Cleaned up a darn sight easier than my .308 barrel, which was the first one I actually did a full blown break-in on. It shoots like a house afire, *despite* jumping a magazine length (2.810") 175gr SMK about 155 thou to the lands. This barrel (the .243) seems to have the lands almost right at magazine length, which I would presume to be a bonus (all of my other Remingtons have longish throats, though none as extreme as the .308). Hopefully in a few days I should have some (good) news to report back on the results.

Thanks,

Monte