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.243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

Rmitch223

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Full Member
Minuteman
Oct 14, 2009
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Oklahoma City
I'm about to begin load development with my Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .243.

I will be loading the 105gr Hornady Amax with IMR-4350.

My questions is this. My Lyman manual shows a starting charge weight of 35.2. Hodgdon's load data shows a starting charge weight of 36.7

Before I saw Hodgdon's data I was going to start at 36gr and work up to 39gr in .5 grain increments.

Is it safe to start with 36gr even tho that's below Hodgdon's starting load charge weight?
Once again it is higher than Lyman's starting load at 35.2gr


Thanks,

Ryan
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

Sorry, I left that out. I edited my original post.

IMR-4350
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

I would use Hodgdon's data and work up. I would also recommend to switching to H4350 as it's less temp sensitive than the IMR powders.
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

Ive worked up from 37gn to 40gn and the rifle is shooting very accurately with 40gn. I'm not sure I will push it anymore. I may try 40.5 and 41gn in the future but right now I'm pretty happy. Shooting 1/2" groups at 100yrds now and 1" groups at 200yrds. I'm very curious as to what velocity I'm getting with this load. Gonna have to get a chronograph asap.
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

Im telling you, I have the same gun, as does Nilescoyote, and we both are getting sub 1/2" groups with the 105 a max over near max H1000, and it still holds to 1k, and does beautiful at 700yds.
BTW start at 45g and work up, and USE MAGNUM primer. This will give you the extra 50-65fps. I load mine at .10" off lands. Average at 100 is .2-.4" at 700 my best is less than 3" with most around 5"s. It's a super accurate load. Niles was running regular LR primers, and after talking to Dan at OCW I tried the Mags and am getting 3050fps avg, and Nilescoyote said his vel jumped 50= fps. No signs of too hot yet, but always perform best at 60 degrees to 75. i dont know about any hotter, and this is at 2000ft alt.
4350, got me in the 1" range, but thanks to Dan Newberry, and NCoyote, it's a hammer now. This is in a light varmint BC stock
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: groundhogbuster</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Im telling you, I have the same gun, as does Nilescoyote, and we both are getting sub 1/2" groups with the 105 a max over near max H1000, and it still holds to 1k, and does beautiful at 700yds.
BTW start at 45g and work up, and USE MAGNUM primer. This will give you the extra 50-65fps. I load mine at .10" off lands. Average at 100 is .2-.4" at 700 my best is less than 3" with most around 5"s. It's a super accurate load. Niles was running regular LR primers, and after talking to Dan at OCW I tried the Mags and am getting 3050fps avg, and Nilescoyote said his vel jumped 50= fps. No signs of too hot yet, but always perform best at 60 degrees to 75. i dont know about any hotter, and this is at 2000ft alt.
4350, got me in the 1" range, but thanks to Dan Newberry, and NCoyote, it's a hammer now. This is in a light varmint BC stock </div></div>

Bought the H1000 and magnum primers tonight. I've got some 105 AMAXs on the way. I'm going to give this a try.
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: groundhogbuster</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Im telling you, I have the same gun, as does Nilescoyote, and we both are getting sub 1/2" groups with the 105 a max over near max H1000, and it still holds to 1k, and does beautiful at 700yds.
BTW start at 45g and work up, and USE MAGNUM primer. This will give you the extra 50-65fps. I load mine at .10" off lands. Average at 100 is .2-.4" at 700 my best is less than 3" with most around 5"s. It's a super accurate load. Niles was running regular LR primers, and after talking to Dan at OCW I tried the Mags and am getting 3050fps avg, and Nilescoyote said his vel jumped 50= fps. No signs of too hot yet, but always perform best at 60 degrees to 75. i dont know about any hotter, and this is at 2000ft alt.
4350, got me in the 1" range, but thanks to Dan Newberry, and NCoyote, it's a hammer now. This is in a light varmint BC stock </div></div>

What charge weight have you found most accurate with H1000?
I will still work up I am just curious.

Excuse my ignorance but what is OCW?

Why the magnum primer? Because with H1000 you are near a compressed load? Is H1000 a slower burning powder than IMR-4350?
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rmitch223</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
What charge weight have you found most accurate with H1000?
I will still work up I am just curious.

Excuse my ignorance but what is OCW?

Why the magnum primer? Because with H1000 you are near a compressed load? Is H1000 a slower burning powder than IMR-4350?
</div></div>

OCW is "Optimal Charge Weight" read Dan Newberry's site here: OCW site

See the Load Recipes page regarding the magnum primers
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

This my current load for 105's either amax or vld's in Winchester case , cci -250 primer, and H1000. I have two and found 46grs and 47.5grs (which is over book max) without any pressure signs. As groundhog said it flat out shoots great. Other powders that work well too are H4350, and Retumbo..
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

Rmitch223,

In my Remington varmint 243 the node is 45.9 of H1000 with both a-max and berger vlds both 105 grains in Lapua brass. I was using standard primers and like groundhogbuster has stated mag primers are good for an extra 50fps, I just have not had the opportunity fully test the mag primer out at distance yet.

Below is my thread on my 26” Remington varmint and what it will do at distance with standard primers.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthre...488#Post3731488

And I will give you a heads up, Hornady 105 grain BTHP (the non a-max) suck in my rifle, YMMV but I just can’t keep them consistent in my rifle one day they are fine the next day they are trash.
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

Just go look at all the load data posted on this site. It will give a good range of where you will end up. It did that and settled on 38gr of H4350 which gave under a inch. Shot that for a bit then decided to go to 39 which is Sierras accuracy load. That got me half inch accuracy and sub moa at 500.
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Niles Coyote</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Rmitch223,

In my Remington varmint 243 the node is 45.9 of H1000 with both a-max and berger vlds both 105 grains in Lapua brass. I was using standard primers and like groundhogbuster has stated mag primers are good for an extra 50fps, I just have not had the opportunity fully test the mag primer out at distance yet.

Below is my thread on my 26” Remington varmint and what it will do at distance with standard primers.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthre...488#Post3731488

And I will give you a heads up, Hornady 105 grain BTHP (the non a-max) suck in my rifle, YMMV but I just can’t keep them consistent in my rifle one day they are fine the next day they are trash. </div></div>

Could not have said it better myself. +1 Ncoyote good to see ya again.
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

Hybrid HV 100 works wonders for me on 105 amax and 105 berger.
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

I sent Dan at OCW a email and he replied saying that he recommends 48.1 grains of Retumbo and CCI 250 magnum primers.
He said it would out shoot my IMR-4350 load for sure.
 
Re: .243 Win 105 amax - starting charge weight

I got 3130 fps with Retumbo 49.5 g...105 amax
 
I'm running the 105 Amax at 2925fps with 39gr of H4350. As accurate as I can shoot, sometimes 1/2, sometimes 3/4 inch
 
Im telling you, I have the same gun, as does Nilescoyote, and we both are getting sub 1/2" groups with the 105 a max over near max H1000, and it still holds to 1k, and does beautiful at 700yds.
BTW start at 45g and work up, and USE MAGNUM primer. This will give you the extra 50-65fps. I load mine at .10" off lands. Average at 100 is .2-.4" at 700 my best is less than 3" with most around 5"s. It's a super accurate load. Niles was running regular LR primers, and after talking to Dan at OCW I tried the Mags and am getting 3050fps avg, and Nilescoyote said his vel jumped 50= fps. No signs of too hot yet, but always perform best at 60 degrees to 75. i dont know about any hotter, and this is at 2000ft alt.
4350, got me in the 1" range, but thanks to Dan Newberry, and NCoyote, it's a hammer now. This is in a light varmint BC stock

Tag
 
I'm using retumbo with cci200's in a stock rem barrel and I'm getting excellent accuracy.

ETA- I also did not get great accuracy with Hornady 105 HPBTs. The Barnes 105s and SMK 107s shoot much better in my gun.