The worst load in 30 or so years!

[buck1]

Hello all!
as some here may recall I bought my boys a Rossi combo rifle .243 win/.22/20GA, a wile back.
I just threw some mid range loads together with some Condums, .75 gr sierras and a lighter end charge of 4350. They shot fair enugh for break in of gun and shooter.
So when at the local gunshop I bought some Speer 85grBTs. As I was low on 4350 and had plenty of 760 I put together some test loads with that.
At 25 yds all was okbut not great , at 50 1" groups, at 75 yds 2 1/2 groups, and at 100 yards I could not even hit the 15"ish X 24"ish box (12 shots) and not a mark! I could see dird kicking up all over the place.
I thought the scope came loose , or loose screw etc. But all was well with the gun.
I shot some more of the 75/4350 loads and they were back to their 1"ish groups.
I cant belive the 760/85 grBTs loads were that unstable that they went that wild at about 75-100 yards!
I have had some bad loads when I started casting for rifles but man not that bad!!
:groner:

[jjamna]

Don't be to quick to blame it on the loads. I had a Rossi 243 that you couldn't hit anything with. Turns out the headspace was way out of wack. Got rid of that puppy.

[mroliver77]

What loads/speed were you pushing them 85s? Mebbe push them harder, slower? I have pushed lead too far and seen 2" groups turn into 10-12" groups by adding 1 more grain powder. Whole nuther animal though.
J

[buck1]

Headspace seems good on this one anyway. But it is throated for 500 grain bullets I think!
Almost a freebored kind a thing.

I ran from 42.0gr- 44 gr of 760 , and that SHOULD have put me in the 3K-31K range. But these are condums. No high press clues, except the recoil.
One thing I noticed is that the recoil was a bit much for a .243 . It felt a lot like my .270 win pushing 130s at 3000.
Something that I can not find is wrong so I stoped shooting them and pulled the rest.

[twotrees]

Just ran down and got my Nosler #4 manual and it lists 42 gr of 760 as MAX !!!!

42-43 of IMR 4350 should get you a good load.

I tried 760 in my 788 243 and never could get a load to shoot as well as IMR 4350 or IMR 4831.

85 Gr Bal tip or Partition 243 Win.

IMR 4350 39.5- max 43.5 gr(3240FPS)

IMR 4831 40.5 gr --Max 44.5(3150 fps)

Win 760 38.0gr-- Max 42 gr(3139FPS)

Reference Nosler reloading guide Number 4 (1996) C*

Good Shooting,

BTW try some Serria 85 HPBT at 38-42 gr of IMR 4350 It was my target go to load for years.

TwoTrees

[buck1]

YIKES!
Both of my Lyman books #s46 & 48 list 39.2 as starting and 44.5 gr as max.
But with that said I just checked a old win freebee manual and it listed 40 as max!
That just goes to show that published data is a rough guied only!
Thanks for looking that up for me!
I better break out my chronograph so I know more of whats going on. Thanks to all! ...Buck

[Bass Ackward]

YIKES!


What's that line? Always start low and .............. Gosh I wish I could remember the rest of that. :grin: