Posting this hoping we can have a chat about hunting related matters for a change.
I'm off to the range this morning to try out the 85 gr partition in .243.
I used 85 gr gameking hp last year and had very violent expansion.
Accuracy was great and they shot very flat, but they don'y hold together well.
I did'nt have a source for partitions in the UK, but they're comman as muck over here.
Anyone here used them in .243?
I miss using my 100 gr grand slam load, but my .243 likes lighter bullets now that I'm not allowed a moderator!

I use 100 gr nosler and they work great on black bear and deer. Not much meat damage but hold together like expected.

I use the 95 gr Partitions and they work pretty well. Also might be worth the effort to try out the Swift Scirroco II 90 grainers, their A Frames are great for limiting meat damage but they don't make a 6mm A Frame yet, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

I load the 95 grain Partitions for a friend, he likes them a lot for roe deer because they shoot well and apparently do not destroy as much game meat as the Ballistic Tips he used, too.

Another bullet equally precise and rather on the tougher side are the Norma Oryx.

Powder is RL19.

ok, so I fired off my 10 rounds loaded with 37 gr varget and I was'nt impressed. About 3 inches at 200 yds. It's hunting accurate, but the sierras were better.
I have some reloader 19 which I will try alongside some more(slightly reduced) varget loads.

i used the 95 partitions a while ago, i will try and dig out the recipe, pretty sure i used n150 or H414,

they worked very well, although my only gripe was that on shot all the roe i chested ran and some showed no sign of strike, they went down say anything up to 80 yds away, all had great entry and exit wounds, heart and lungs every time.

some might say that sounds like a perfect bullet, i do like a reaction to shot really and maybe im getting old but im going off the dragging idea nowadays.

just found the info,

39gns n160 sat 5 thou off lands.
41 gns h414 sat 10 thou off

I had a handful of 95 gr partition that I pulled from some loaded rounds I was given(crazy hot handloads)
I loaded them over varget and they shot pretty well. I was hoping to replicate the balistics of the 85 gr sierra load I used last year, but with a premium bullet. If I can't get the 85's to shoot I will try 95's.
Thanks for the input.

BT,
grettings from Pikey Central!Hope the Canucks are looking after one of our prize exports..

Never had a great deal of success with the Partitions,accuracy wise that is.
Jon2 likes the accubond and they work well for him, Me, I like the Hornady with the interlock ring, my 25 loved them for accuracy and even on the big reds it held together well..And more importantly they are reasonably priced..

regards
griff
Arran pikey

The wife and I have used the 95 gr Nosler Partition in the 243 for deer and antelope with excellent results, and excellent accuracy in 2 different 243's.

For hunting in Texas we used 40 gr of IMR 4350.

In Wyoming, where ranges tended to be longer we used 42 grains of IMR 4350.

Hey Pal!

Hope all's well with you.

I stumbled upon the joys of 85 grainers in Arizona where Whitetail aren't too large. They worked great in this cartridge using either the Speer 85 gr. SPBT's, or Sierra HPBT GK's. Nosler wasn't even making 85 grainers at the time (shortly prior to the extiction of Passenger Pigeon). Stateside I was using (like NE 450's reco) IMR or H-4350 in the 40+ grain range and got excellent accuracy.

Brought the .243 Win. to Europe and found it was a really good cartridge for Roe & such. Stayed with the same bullets 'cept had to purchase a carcass or two when I put one into the shoulders - Ugh! All the Fallow I've shot the past couple of years on our AR Weekends were with the Sierras without a hitch.

When Dom & I were preparing for Namibia we tried a number of recepies but I couldn't hit the funny button until @ 39 grains of Varget then the groups suddenly shrank. With zero Partitions remaining a week prior to departure I tried the same load with the Sierras - shot excellently. Took them to Namibia for Culling Springbok - worked great.

The best bullet/powder combo I've tried recently is the Nosler 85 gr. w/47.5 or 48.0 grs. of VVN560 but with all those good North American powders to select from I don't know that I'd be bothered with the really expensive double-based European imports.

hey Gerry,
i have had success with the 85 gr sierra gamekings, except for one failure on a whitetail buck with a bad quartering shot.
The gamekings just don't hold together well enough for my liking. They did great on broadside shots, but I have had much better terminal performance with speer grand slam, which will chew through a red deer from any angle, even in the lowly .243.
At least over here I have all summer to get ready for the season. Not sure if that's a good thing or not!

Hey BT,

Hope you are doing good out there. What are you shooting with your 243 out there? all whitetail?

I.m looking at loading myine with something like the partitions, as gurrently using 90g Sako gameheads which make a lot of damage but as a result I don't have much in the way of running deer. I use it mainly as a loaner for novice guests so it makes for an easy shooting gun, but still interested in what you find for the reduced damage.

When you back in this part of the world next?

FB,
So far 3 mule deer, 2 whitetails, a badger and a couple of gophers!
All with 85 gr sierra gk's. Meat damage was about the same as 100 gr interlocks or gamekings, but with bits of lead and brass everywhere. Had one fail to exit on a broadside 130 yd lung shot on a doe!
I will tinker around with seating and powder before I give up on the partitions.
I'd like to make the AR trip next year if there is one and I can pony up the cash.

quote:

I'd like to make the AR trip next year if there is one and I can pony up the cash.

We'd love to see you again at an AR Weekend - start saving!

Why don't you just use your 308 or win mag like any normal person would!!

Don't get me started! You know the .243 is the ultimate deer rifle, you're just jealous.

don't worry guys he's only joking, we all know the 243 is really his wifes gun! Brass Thief wouldn't use anything as small as a 243, he uses a 300win mag that makes your nose bleed every time you pull the trigger!! and that just for coyotes!

Funny enough my 85gr BTHP gameking 'failure' was limited expansion on a lung shot not killing a fallow doe for well over 90minutes (no follow up shot to complicate the autopsy - just poor expansion)

I've used the 100gr partitions on West country red hinds and calves - worked very well accuracy wise under RL19 and terminaly excellent.

The interbonds are really nice in this weight (85gr)- long and sleek unfortunately they are the only inaccurate bullet in my 243.

H4350/RL19 is probably a better powder than Varget which I regard as too fast for that bullet weight in 243.

quote:

The interbonds are really nice in this weight (85gr)- long and sleek unfortunately they are the only inaccurate bullet in my 243.

H4350/RL19 is probably a better powder than Varget which I regard as too fast for that bullet weight in 243.

I am going to try the Hornady's; for the reasons you've stated - we'll se how they work. I had the same issue with their SST's in my .30/06 Sprg. Used up 2 boxes for load development and never got a group worth looking at; regardless of all the witchcraft I tried. Guess my rifle just won't digest them.

I'm in complete agreement with your assessment of the slow(er) burning powders as favorites with .243 Win. I tried H-4350 & VVN-160 & VVN-560. The Varget load was only a 88% density load which always makes me suspicious.

Nevertheless it'll put 5 into a dime at 100 meters and that at good velocity too.

I have used the 100 grain partitions on fallow deer with good success. Would be interested to hear what differences there are with the 85 grain loads...