Boolits in a .243 Win?

[Kraschenbirn]

Been casting (and shooting cast) for quite a few years but never anything smaller than 7mm...and, then, only practice loads in a 7 TCU Contender. Anyone had any current success with cast in a .243? Tried the search engine but didn't find anything less than three or four years old...and not much of that.

I want to load for an early-70s M700 (factory 22" barrel, 1-10 twist) that's a tack-driver with 100 gr. Sierra JSPs but has never had a boolit down the tube so I'm pretty much starting from scratch. Mold recommendation(s)? Starting loads(?) Lubed or PC?

Bill

[MT Gianni]

Never tried PC in the 243. I used either Lymans 85 gr or RCBS 95 with 2400. Started with 11 gr and went up a little. IIRC about 1600 fps, lots of fun consider it a 22 lr replacement.

[Calamity Jake]

Haven't shot cast in 243 but have in 6MM BR 1-10 twist using 2400 with the Lyman Loveren and Saeco #243
Gun is a Rem short action setup with pull off bench rest barrel acquired from a long time BR shooter.

[GregLaROCHE]

This is going to be an interesting thread for me, because I’ve been wondering about casting for my 6mm Rems, that I haven’t shot since I started casting. I’ve casted and PCed 6.5, so I guess 6mm won’t be much different, unfortunately Lee doesn’t make a 6mm/243 mold, so I’ll have to spend a bit more for one.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have been having success with a 93gn loverin style powder coated boolit (RHS) in my Remington 722. Only getting 1945fps so far but I will reload and push the velocity higher.

[Maven]

Bill, I've successfully used Ly. #245496, an 87gr. Loverin in my .243Win. for years. Powder charges are typically low, usually 14 - 15gr. IMR 4198 or 9.5 - 10.0gr. Unique, but accuracy is excellent and I get little/no bore leading in my Ruger #1. Btw, I've tried the RCBS and Lyman bore riders, but their noses didn't cast large enough for my bore.

[reloader28]

I like the 95gr RCBS SP. Running about 1770fps in two rifles with excellent accuracy.
Drilled with a 1/16" dia 3/8" deep hollow point it is explosive on small game to 100yds

[quilbilly]

My wife shoots better than I can when she is shooting her 243 with CB's. Her boolit come from an old Lyman Loverin mold and is launched by 11 gr of Unique. Her rifle is a Mossberg.

[RKJ]

I got the RCBS 95 SP and it's a shooter in my Grandson's M700 .243 with 8.5 grains of 700x. That mold drops some nice shooting bullets.

[Rich/WIS]

Have used the RCBS 243-095 and NOE 246-105 in several 243 rifles. Still use the NOE in my M70 FWT backed by 12 grs of Blue Dot.

[Kraschenbirn]

Thanks to everyone for their inputs. Sounds like cast in a .243 is doable so I'll have to start looking around for a mould and some gas checks. Unfortunately, though, all the Lyman 6mms have been discontinued and the 95 gr. RCBS is currently 'out of stock' everywhere I've looked. Also checked into the custom makers; NOE is backlogged and doesn't list anything in the 90-100 gr. range, Accurate doesn't show anything under the .270s, and Arsenal jumps from a 60 grainer to a 115 in .243, so it may be a while before I get this project off the ground.

Bill

[Maven]

Krash..., You may well find that gas checks for .243" CB's are difficult to find, as that caliber was never as popular as say .30cal.'s. If so, once you obtain a mould, I suggest you size to the dimension your rifle's bore requires, but shoot them without gas checks and at a lower velocity. E.g., instead of 9 - 10 grs. Unique, for ex., try 6 - 8 grs. If using Blue Dot, use a grain more. Btw, I've tried a PB 6.5mm NOE mould against the same design with a gas check and got VG results, albeit at lower velocity. Additionally, a Saeco #315 (177gr. flat tip, tapered Loverin) performs as well @ 50 yd. without a gas check as it does with one, but with 9 gr. Unique instead of 12.5 (Win. Mod. 70). Hope this helps!

[Kraschenbirn]

Krash..., You may well find that gas checks for .243" CB's are difficult to find, as that caliber was never as popular as say .30cal.'s. If so, once you obtain a mould, I suggest you size to the dimension your rifle's bore requires, but shoot them without gas checks and at a lower velocity. E.g., instead of 9 - 10 grs. Unique, for ex., try 6 - 8 grs. If using Blue Dot, use a grain more...

Last time I checked (yesterday?), both Midway and Grafs had Hornaday GCs in stock...like you said, the 6mm's haven't been generally popular since the 1980s which is probably why Lyman discontinued all their .246 molds. On the other hand, I've shot quite a few Lyman 311466's without checks as 'gallery' loads from my Savage 340 .30-30 and my '98 Krag carbine. Both combinations are potent rodent eliminators out to 50 yards or so without being all that noisy.

Bill

[Shopdog]

Got 3 or4,243's that all behave nicely with cast.

The one I'm shooting now is a 1980,R700V 6mm Rem.

Saeco 85g,mildly prepped cases... last batch of Remington cases the necks were pretty dang consistent on thickness so call it "no turn". Shooting the body as cast for the most part. The Hornady GC gets crimped on in a .244 die but the body doesn't enter.

Nose gets run into a 3 or 5(CRS) degree,included, die on a small jewelry C frame press. This is a tapered die so you have some options on how far in you run them. This is a tapered nose mould from Saeco but,it's only tapered just above the first drive band. I do roll/knurl on the lube groove vertical sides,and the small space above GC on the bttm of groove.

Lube is 3-1,BW to Vaseline(which is some base stock stuff,it's what vaseline gets made from). Lube is applied with small pen knife in just the line over the GC.

IMR4831 at starting JB book load. Too lazy to chrono but is knocking on 3KFPS. If I told you what the 5 shot group sizes @100 agg you'd call me a liar. All I've got to say is they're in one hole. And yes,I will shoot for $$.... just sayin,when some big mouth starts flapping their gums I let them shoot one of my bughole rigs. And if that doesn't sorta squelch their puffiness,let me rip off a 5 shot group.



Gun is pristine. 1 1/2# factory trigger, cpl other tweaks but pretty durn stock. 6-18 5* Redfield on top.

[GregLaROCHE]

Bill, I've successfully used Ly. #245496, an 87gr. Loverin in my .243Win. for years. Powder charges are typically low, usually 14 - 15gr. IMR 4198 or 9.5 - 10.0gr. Unique, but accuracy is excellent and I get little/no bore leading in my Ruger #1. Btw, I've tried the RCBS and Lyman bore riders, but their noses didn't cast large enough for my bore.

I have beguiled a RCBS 6.5 mould to get the boolit a little larger. A few layers of aluminum foil in the mould is all you need. It works. You can run the boolit through a sizer to get it back to perfect round if you want.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I've used the Lyman Loverin in a Mossberg 800 and a Savage 99 243's with good results, sized .244, gas check, 'NRA Alox' with 15gr 4227 for good results.