3 bullets & 3 powders for 243 Ackley

S

Smiling_Jim

Guest
I have a new HV Kreiger blank in 243 caliber for my blueprinted REM action. My smith has a 243AI reamer, and I have brass and dies. The Kreiger is a 1:8 twist. Final length will be 28". Ultimate use of the rifle will be varmint and tactical matches out to 650 yards.

I have 3 boxes of bullets, and 3 cans of powder, and I am wondering which combination will give the best performance (accuracy & speed) for this barrel.

I have not given my smith a throat spec yet, so your advice there will be helpful as well.

Bullets:
Hornady 87gr VMAX
Nosler 95 gr Spitzer
Hornady 105gr AMAX

Powder:
Reloder 17
Reloder 19
H4831SC

I am hoping to get best performance out of the lighter bullets, but since the barrel is 1:8, that might not be the case.

So, what does the collective think? Thanks in Advance... ;)

P.S. I have searched this site and many others and have over 100 pages of notes. But trying to get a summary here...
 
In my limited experience with my 243 AI, H-4831sc and bullets as heavy as 107 grn to 117 grn work the best.

I have a Remington 700 with a Krieger 1-8 twist 236 bore tight necked at .268

I would start with the A-max bullet and the 4831 work up a load.

I generally start with the bullet close to if not into the lands and go from there.

At 200 yards I have shot numerous .5-.7" 5 shot groups. 100 yards accuracy is in the high 2's and 3's. Not BR record making accuracy, but every woodchuck that has been hit, can't measure a group to save his life.:D

Good luck,
Tony
 
Tony, Thanks, this is very helpful...

I have been reloading and shooting competitively for decades, but mostly with pistol, shotgun, and AR.

This will be my first custom bolt rifle. I will have my smith build a standard neck. I need to shoot factory 243 occasionally. The rifle will do varmint and tactical duty. I need a final configuration that requires minimal case work, if possible.

Thanks Again...
 
Why a 243 AI

I have same rifle but Hart BBL chambered in 6x284.I have nearly a thousand rounds through it and it still produces 1/4MOA at 100 yds. Mine have a 10" twist I can push 70gr Nosler BT 3,900 FPS+ and 87gr V-Max's 3600 out of a 26" BBL. I have a 22-250 AI and forming brass for the 6x284 is a cake walk compared to the AI. All I do is buy 6.5x284 Norma brass and run them in my 6x284 FL die and that's it. No trimming our neck turning. The AI I have to load a standard round and fire it and then load it to AI specs extra BBL wear. Some times I use the corn meal method and that is a debatable method some say it still produced throat erosion ???????
 
I like the 6x284 a lot...

In fact, the guy I bought the rifle from has one, and it is superbly accurate, plus, he has reamers.

Problem is, my rifle is a tactical rifle and has to be able to shoot factory ammo (for my purposes anyway).


If I get tied up with work, with no time to reload, I can still shoot a match on Saturday with factory 243 Win.
 
The reason why for the Ackley Improved is that we can still make a choice living in this country:) Through all the case forming and throat erosion issues and this and that, the fact remains is that we can do what we want. Not saying this to be argumentative, but some guys like Bud, some like Labatts, to each his own.

As for the reamer dimensions, talk with the reamer makers and see what is available and most popular. Do not try to recreate the wheel, I custom speced a reamer and got what I asked for! A nightmare in matching up a sizing die.
 
Agreed...

Depending on the reamer details, I may have my smith cut some dies as well.
 
Smiling_Jim said:
Depending on the reamer details, I may have my smith cut some dies as well.
Click to expand...

Just know that you can't cut a sizing die with your chambering reamer.

My advice for you is to get a set of Wilson neck dies and be happy:) This is what the .243AI likes, neck-size only and velocities around 2750-2800fps. You "can" make 2900 but you'll be pushing it for caselife.

You "CAN" get clear up to 3200, for two-three loadings per case......

Awesome looking round.

al
 
My 30" broughton is pushing 107 smk at 3100 fps. Using 47gr H4831sc. I have 4 loadings on the win brass and the pockets are still fine. The last I shot the gun in 600 f-class, it did 197-5x and 197-10x other 2 matches rained out. I have about 450 firings thru the barrel and the scope shows no excessive erosion. My other 243ai is a 28" 12 twist and when running 87 grain v-maxes at 3700fps brass life sucks! 3600 is in the realm of reality.
 
Al, Yes I realized that today...

I'll need a custom reamer to build a sizing die, so I may forgo that in the interest of keeping things simple.

I will definitely be shooting factory 243 Win, probably lots of it, so will have plenty of brass.

I am not concerned about brass life or speed. I just need the best accuracy I can get from a 10 round DBM rifle.
 
Smiling_Jim said:
I'll need a custom reamer to build a sizing die, so I may forgo that in the interest of keeping things simple.

I will definitely be shooting factory 243 Win, probably lots of it, so will have plenty of brass.

I am not concerned about brass life or speed. I just need the best accuracy I can get from a 10 round DBM rifle.
Click to expand...

Yo Jim,

I probably should just keep my mouth shut here :rolleyes: but I spent beaucoup on the .243AI at one juncture. I gave it the ol' alinwa try (mainly because ol' alinwa was trying to reinvent the wheel... A'gain....) a few yrs back and gave up on the round for "best accuracy."

I can speak from personal experience with several rifle platforms, three of them full-blown custom jobs, and 7 or 8 barrels. Lilja, Hart, Shilen and Krieger. I tried 5 reamers and the same number of dies.

IMO, based on this last post, my advice is to HAVE A RIFLE BUILT TO GOOD SPEC'S IN .243Win !!!

The .243AI WILL NOT have an accuracy advantage over the .243...... in fact the .243AI has some marked DISadvantages.

My advice....... order 500rds of Lapua .243 brass from Sinclair Intl or Powder Valley.

Grab out 5 pieces and make 5 dummies.

Measure the neck diameter
Measure the base diameter
Measure the case OAL (after pulling the bullets)


Now order your reamer .002 over neck diameter, .004 over base diameter and .010 longer than the longest case.

Go forth and beat upon .243AI's....

:D

al
 
Worker said:
I have a 6x284 and I get excellent "Varmint" hunting accuracy ?
Click to expand...


1/3moa, 5-shot groups with heavy bullets.......... consistently, no fliers, "called" or otherwise.

Anything less than that and you're just wasting lead for long range varminting.

In My Opinion.

I've found that you can push 105's @2800fps, maybe 2900, with the .243 and meet this accuracy parameter.

al
 
I have a 29 1/2" Hart barrel on a Savage Target action in .243 Win. Using Re22 and 107 gr SMK's, 3100 fps was no problem, no pressure signs. I backed down to 3050, consistent sub .3 MOA.
 
You don't hear much about this powder, but in the .243 AI and .244 AI IMR 7828 works wonders with the heavier bullets. It's clean burning, the slowest of the IMR's I believe, and it produces higher velocities with lower chamber pressures = longer brass life. I'm currently building a .244 AI, 1-13" twist Krieger, 75 gr. V-Max. Expected velocity of 3,850 with VV N-160.

I suspect you'll have good luck with 4831. Play with bullet tension; it's a key factor. The old rule - every tube likes something different. I've got a 6X284 which likes .001 neck tension, despite what the majority rules as too light of tension. 107 SMK's through a 30" 8.5 twist K&P barrel shoots nicely, very consistant. 48.0 grs. IMR 7828.
 
Jim,

I'm running mollied 115 DTACs at 3200fps with Reloader 22 for 1000 yard benchrest.
Barrel is a 29 inch Bartlein.

Cheers
Vince (UK)
 
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