243 cast boolits

[DLCTEX]

I got serious about loading cast for my 243 yesterday and encountered a few problems. The first was the size die(244) I bought off Ebay a couple years ago would only lube the bottom groove with my lubesizer adjusted all the way down. I solved that by drilling more holes (it had only one set of holes) That took a few hours anealing, drilling, deburring, and retempering. The next problem is the Lyman 245496 boolit. In my Savage the boolit has to be seated in the top crimp groove to chamber, leaving a lot of boolit sticking into the case. I am using Ideal checks and they are crimped tightly on the boolit, but when I tried a longer seating the boolit was pulled from the case upon extraction and left the check in the case neck. There are no rifling marks on the boolit, so the boolit stuck in the throat. I would like to seat a boolit out to the rifling and not have any of the base stick past the neck. From the pictures in Midway catalog, the RCBS 90 gr. appears to be a bore rider design, leaving a greater portion of the nose without bands. Anyone have experience with the RCBS that can tell me if the nose is small enough to enter the throat of the chamber? I will give the Lyman more testing, but am uncomfortable with the thought of a check coming off inside the case. I had fired these boolits in the past using LLA and loading as cast. I was thinking that sizing them would permit longer seating. I should do a chamber cast I suppose to see what I'm dealing with. DALE

[NSP64]

I too have been at it with .243 I have the 95 gr rcbs, 100gr rcbs, lyman 89gr. the 95 gr (100gr as cast) looks like a bore rider but I found out it is too big for my howa 1500 and have to load it short. The rcbs 100 gr (105GR AS CAST) is a bore rider design.

[DLCTEX]

Part of my problem was some case issues. Duh! But with that solved I still have to seat past the neck to Be able to chamber the WDWW boolits with the first band engraving the rifling clearly across the band. Even with a hard crimp the rounds will pull most boolits upon ejecting a loaded round. That said, they shoot good, at least at 50 yds. in a 25 MPH and gusting wind, they appear to. They hit 20 clicks lower than my scope setting for jacketed 100 gr., so that's an easy change back. My Marlin 30-30 with the Lee 170 gr. also shot well. I have no qualms about either one to 100 yds. for hunting. 1 week to deer gun season and 4 new rifles will get their initiation. These two will be shooting cast boolits. I water dropped these 243 boolits after casting hot and had to bump some of them pretty good to make the gas checks stick hard enough a fingernail couldn't pull them off. I loaded 21 rounds and couldn't hear a check rattle when shaken after seating. DALE

[Maven]

dale, I also use #245496 sized to .244" in my Ruger #1. Maybe it's just my rifle, but it does well with that CB if I seat it so that only the first driving band is marked by the rifling (2.60"). If seated farther out, it is difficult to push the loaded round into the chamber using only thumb pressure. You may be happy to note that Jim Carmichael experimented with that very CB, but seated it so that all the lube grooves were within the case, i.e., to 2.28" - 2.29" OAL. The results were just as accurate as seating them "normally," with a modest boost in velocity. I've tried this and it does indeed work + I never had a problem with GC's or the bullet being somehow canted because it was below the neck-shoulder junction. Btw, 14grs. WC 820 or H/IMR 4198 is a good place to start, as is 13-14grs. AA 5744.

[DLCTEX]

I used 18 gr. R-7 for the loads today. I will try a little more with the next batch. I may have some 4198 left also. DALE

[Calamity Jake]

I have the Saeco 6MM, it's a 85gr bore ride design, 2 drive bands are as cast .246Ø and a truncated cone nose @ .237Ø with one lube groove.

Samples if you want some.

[Newtire]

I used 18 gr. R-7 for the loads today. I will try a little more with the next batch. I may have some 4198 left also. DALE

Hi Dale,

I have that 245496 Lyman also and used 17-18 grains H-4198 for it's most accurate load (18 gr. I believe).

I also have the 95 gr. RCBS and use the 12 gr. 2400 load recommended by Deputy Al (I believe) with very good results.

Don't waste your time with the 245498 if you ask me. I can't even get them on paper hardly at 50 yds.

I wouldn't think about using that .243 for deer with cast though. Check with Carpetman on that. J-word different story of course.

[9.3X62AL]

I have Uncle Ray (Carpetman, the cat lover) to thank for the recommendation of the 95 grain RCBS mould with the 243. I use the 12.0 grains of 2400 load quite a bit, but should note that the RCBS Cast Bullet Manual lists 13.0-15.0 grains of 2400 as the recommended powder weight. The light load UNDOES ground squirrels decisively, and probably runs 1600 FPS or so.

The Lyman #245496 shoots just about as well for me.

The 243 and the 250 Savage have been my "bright spots" when it comes to small caliber casting efforts.