243 reloading for coyotes

What do you guys think of the vortex diamondback HP in a 4x16-42. That would be a little more glass power for those long shots. What do you guys like for a medium range style scope?
 
Originally Posted By: B14bsbWhat size of scope would you recommend, most of my shots are within 200 yards but I'm wanting to be able to shoot past 300 if a coyote hangs up on the hill side. You guys have any opinions on vortex optics. This was the first vortex I've been around. Kinda have a thing for Zeiss, they've never done me wrong. Do you guys like to zero at 200 yards? I'm going to test these loads this weekend again and see what results I come up with as far as group size and velocity. After all this load work is finished I'm going to have a hard time waiting until fall comes to try a 68 grain out on a dog. Anxious to see what kind of damage it will do.

I run 4.5-14X on all my calling rifles. This to me is the perfect mag for a hunting rifle. Low enough for great field of view at 4.5 and 14X is enough for me to hit milk jugs all the way out to 500 yards. I start calling on low power and can turn it up for any dogs that hang up at longer distances. Usually enough time to turn the mag up but never enough time to turn it down. In my experience.....the mid to upper class Votex are great glass. Yes, i generally zero at 200 yards. This puts most of my rifle around an inch high at 100. You also might want to do some research on "maximum point blank range" use 4"-6" as you kill zone for coyotes.
 
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I agree with the advice others have given. In simple terms your 10x scope setting will work to 400 yards+ for me, not for others,hunting coyote and larger game. Is it enough for your eyes only you know the answer. For load work at 200-300 yards I prefer 12x or more and a fine reticle or dot(1/2 inch) @ 200. My 17 rem is setup in a marriage of target and hunting, Leupold vx2 4x12 ao cds fine duplex, this is not a low light reticle. Also typically as we age our eyes will need more magnification and or adjustability of focus. Plan for this when considering optics.
 
Check these out, the red dot is centered in the crosshairs and is adjustable brightness.

Vortex Crossfire II 3-12x56 AO
Hog Hunter Scope
V-Brite (MOA) Reticle | 30mm Tube
Duplex crosshairs / adjustable red dot

$300 Full UNCONDITIONAL LIFETIME WARRANTY
 
Originally Posted By: Pa. MickVortex Crossfire II 3-12x56 AO, Hog Hunter, V-Brite (MOA) Reticle, 30mm Tube, adjustable red dot

..+1 ..
that's on my 243 RAP, excellent for low light targeting, but not a fan of AO
it sets on 3X most of the time while hunting, and 12X is for load development at the range.
 
Well guys still having inconsistent groups. What is your steps for load testing and finding a load. I know my scope is mounted properly and I clean religiously. I've even tested under a Fowled barrel with thirty plus rounds fired. I loaded up 39,39.5,40,40.5,41, and 41.5 grain loads again. Five rounds each guess I'll test them at 200 again and see what happens. I shot some 100 grain soft points and a 75 nosler yesterday. The groups opened up so I think my rifle is liking the 68 grain herger, just having trouble finding that sweat spot. I'm loading consistant, match brass as close as I can and seating bullets close to the same. This time I'm going to test with once fired brass see if that makes a difference. Do you guys fire form your new brass? Yesterday I shot three round groups at 200 and 100, I wish I would've shot five round groups. My 200 yd groups had two almost touching and a flyer, five rounds would've helped determine the best load. I'm still stuck on two loads that shoot close together, I'll take the best loads and shoot um at three hundred that should tell something I would think.
 
I shot quite a few coyotes with 69 gr bergers. Probably the best bullet for saving fur out of a 243, that I have tried. And probably one of the most accurate also. I think my load data was 40.3 gr of varget, 2.745 oal.
 
The way a buddy taught me years ago is different than other posts recommended on here. I do mine in tenths instead of .5 increments. I'm just a novice and don't do much anymore BUT you might find a pleasant surprise by trying it. Guys say .5 is close enough while i have found that sweet load in between loading by tenths.

I also used to load test loads 5 to a time then switched to 3. I load more up and try when i see something i like.

Best of luck to you & happy shooting !
 
There is several things that can affect your accuracy. For one that 10 twist barrel will do better with 95g and smaller pills. I have seen a few that shot the 100s but most dont like anything that heavy. Another thing is how much neck tension are you using? I remember years ago i only neck sized for my bolt guns. When i first started full lenght sizing my accuracy went south bad. I discovered it was the die had to small of a mandrel and i was sizing my necks down to much. Also do you know how far off of the lands you are? Seating depth makes a big difference as well. Some bullets will like more of a jump than others. And you can change your brand of primers and get different results. Also i try not to waste alot of componets so if i dont get any accuracy with a load soon i will switch powders and start over. Hope this helps feel free to pm me if you have any questions.
 
Originally Posted By: 243kimberIt's like having Kate Upton at the house, but you still look at the checker girl at the 7-11!
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Now that's some funny stuff right there.......and SO true!
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Well just picked up a hornady bullet comparator, I'll seat bullets a little more accurately. Found out my caliper was messed up, bought a new rcbs dial and my measurements were all over. My original test loads resulted in just over moa at 200 yards, we will see if loading fireformed brass and seating off the ogive will tighten some groups up. I don't know if I will have enough bullet to find the lands with the 68 grain berger but I'll get a hornady oal gauge and make sure. Guess if it touches the lands with enough bullet in the case I'll have to adjust loads completely while keeping my magazine in mind. Since I'm a fairly new reloader, I was amazed how much of a difference in length there is in a box of 68 grain berger match. Anyone have any tips on modifying a fireformed piece of brass to find the oal of the chamber. Should I use my die or saw the neck on a case?
 
I did some messing around in the reloading room this morning guys, found out some info at least I believe I did. I modified three fireformed cases by just neck sizing for enough tension to slide a bullet. Measured the three over all lengths of the rounds after verifying lands scratches and used a hornady bullet comparator for ogive measurements. Taking and average of the three, to my understanding if I seat berger 68 grain match targets off the ogive at 2.267 this puts me fairly close to bergers book coal of 2.71. most of the overall lengths averaged anywhere from 2.697 to 2.72 with the varying bullet tips. I haven't had any heavy bolt handle or pressure signs at this length so I'm going to continue this batch of 30 test rounds unloaded up. I've got five rounds each of 39,39.5,40,40.5,41, and 41.5 grain varget loaded to as precise measurements I can do with my equipment and experience. I have a few rounds that are varying three or four thousandths long on seating of the ogive, after I get those seated a little better I'm going to spend a day shooting. This time I am going to clean between every load of five and fowl barrel. Ill also allow barrell cool down for a half hour or so. I was thinking trying at 100 yards or should I try 200 yards? I'm confident that my ammo is as close to match as I can get, if this don't show accuracy then back to the drawing board.
 
Good job. Sounds like you're on the right track. I usually start at 100 until i find a promising load, the move to 200.
 
Shot five rounds per load this afternoon. Cleaned between each load. I shot over bags in the prone position at 100 yds. 39 grain load put four rounds in a dime sized group besides the first fowl round for the barrel. 39.5,40,40.5 were over two inches. 41 grain load was about 1.5 or so minus the fowl round. 41.5 was back to shooting tight again. Four rounds touching and one flyer. So 39 and 41.5 look like the two loads to push to the next step. I load um ten rounds of each and try um at 200 and maybe 300 with the same clean and shoot method. Hoping for atleast moa at 300, that should be enough to shoot a coyote or a prairie dog once in awhile.
 
Sounds like you are on the right tract. Just dont forget when you think its the best you can get try changing seating dept or neck tension. You seem like you are determined. Good luck!!
 
Shot the 39 and 41.5 grain load at 300 today. Grouped pretty good but those 68 match bullets ricochet something terrible. I might switch to berger 69 high BC varmit. Load data is almost identical and I would think I would load up pretty close to the 68 berger. I hunt around alot of cattle and he ricochet concerns me when the ground get froze or just shooting on flats. Anyone had any experience with the Berger 69. It was my next option if I couldn't get the 68 to work. I've got a 5x5 piece of steel set up at 300. That little 68 was ringing that plate every shot, kinda bummed to switch now that I finally got it figured out.
 
Originally Posted By: B14bsbShot the 39 and 41.5 grain load at 300 today. Grouped pretty good but those 68 match bullets ricochet something terrible. I might switch to berger 69 high BC varmit. Load data is almost identical and I would think I would load up pretty close to the 68 berger. I hunt around alot of cattle and he ricochet concerns me when the ground get froze or just shooting on flats. Anyone had any experience with the Berger 69. It was my next option if I couldn't get the 68 to work. I've got a 5x5 piece of steel set up at 300. That little 68 was ringing that plate every shot, kinda bummed to switch now that I finally got it figured out.

I shot quite a few of the 69 gr bergers. Them matched with varget are amazingly accurate and fur friendly, but they ricochet also. I really noticed it when I was shooting prairie dogs.
 
Ricochet must be a berger thing. Without a ballistic tip must just be more of a possibility. After figuring my chamber and Berger bullets out I found out that bergers book coal of 2.71 is in the lands. I must of had a little longer bullet seated in a round yesterday because I got one stuck in the lands and had to knock it out with my cleaning rod. Should I try to seat deeper away from the lands? I'm not having magazine issues but I compared an hsm 75 vmax to my reloads and they are seated way deeper. My reloads grouped really well yesterday I wonder if I will get the same results if I seat off the lands. Can barrell erosion or problems occur if seated in the lands all the time? The bergers are longer bullets compared to others it seems. If I seat deeper bet my powder charge will vary again. What coal did you guys like with the 69 grain bergers? You guys in the lands or off a little bit?
 
I had a 2.745 coal in my gun, which was .010 off the lands. I prefer to stay out of the lands, so you don't have to worry about pulling a bullet out of the case. I would start .010-.015 off the lands, and I'm guessing around 40 gr of varget will be the sweet spot.
 
Found this thread in a search for .243 reloading information. Very good read and relative what I needed to hopefully narrow down some reloading questions I had. .... Thank you.
 
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