I am looking for some information/help on possibly using a lighter load for my M77 in 243. My grand son is chomping at the bit to shoot it. He is now 12 years old, but very slight of build. I myself am dealing with some shoulder issues and would use it myself. I am currently using 87 gr. ballistic tips with 38 grains of 4895. That is what all my books and online say is max load. I read someplace about starting out load at 60% of max and work up from there. Can't find that now and am wondering if that would work???

This is the page you’re looking for:

https://www.hodgdonreloading.c...cks/low-recoil-loads


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Just use the lightest loads from a reloading book they will be plenty light enough.

In many cases I've used loads from a cast bullet reloading manual and they worked out just fine. They are usually much lighter loads than jacketed bullet loads. I substitute jacked bullets of the same weight for lead bullet data.

Hip

The old Lyman Manual 44th edition lists 7 to 11.0 grains of Unique with a 95 grain cast bullet. I have the RCBS 95 grain mold and it's designed for a gas check, but I can't tell any difference with or without the check. To whet a 12 year olds appetite, casting bullets if you don't already might be the way to go.

Are you allowed suppressors? Nothing removes recoil like a suppressor.

You can load that 87 or even a 100 gr. bullet at 2500 FPS and it kills whitetail very well indeed in a 243 and hardly any recoil up to 200 yards anyway..We cull a lot of does with such loads and 2500 to 2600 FPS seems to be the favorite load...Thats what I use in my 250-3000 and my kids and grandkids like it..

P-dog shooter said it all use the starting loads in the reloading books..those 85-90 gr. bullets kill deer really well at 2500 to 2600 fps at 100 to a 150 or so yards.

quote:

Originally posted by TX Nimrod:
This is the page you’re looking for:

https://www.hodgdonreloading.c...cks/low-recoil-loads

Yup. This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Back when you couldn't find 22 rimfire ammo anywhere I concocted a load utilizing Nosler 55 grain SHOT bullets in my 243. I contacted Accurate powder and they gave me a reduced load using A5744 powder, virtually no recoil and great for short range vermin disposal.