Range Report
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 12:04 am
Today I tried out some loads for my 243 with Hodgdon "Superformance" powder, and had some of my tried and true H4350 loads along too for comparison.
I was shooting my heavy barreled .243 Winchester Savage.
I was optimistic about the Superformance powder because it was a lot easier to measure, being fine granules or balls as opposed to the H4350 which looks like pieces of broken pencil lead. I weigh each load individually and use a powder trickler, and the Superformance powder is a lot easier to work with.
I tried to make both loads to the same velocity with the 70 grain Nosler ballistic tip bullets my rifle likes. - 3450 fps.
The two loads were very similar in performance but the H4350 still had an edge, shooting a bit tighter than the Superformance loads.
There was a 1/4" difference on the groups. The H4350 loads grouped around 3/4" and the Superformance loads went around 1" or so, all with five shot groups at 100 yards.
Lately I've been looking to buy a new rifle, and kind of neglecting my 243, so today I thought I'd better go out and have a little fun with it.
Have been looking at the Winchester 1885, the Sako 85, the Mauser model 12 and the Browning A-Bolt Stainless stalker with the BOSS barrel tuner.
The best cartridge (Mule Deer hunting ) that the 1885 has is 6.5x55... On any of the others, I would get a .270 Winchester.
My wife has a job where sometimes she gets off late at night... A few nights ago around ten o'clock I ended up following a mule deer buck down the next street over from mine. He got confused and just kept running down the street ahead of my van for 75 yards or so.
I slowed down for him and hung back a bit. Eventually he stepped off of the street into somebody's yard, so I stopped there and took a good look at him. He seemed smaller than the other mule deer I've seen here, but he had a nice rack.
During the winter, they come down out of the mountains at night and walk around town looking for forage around the neighborhoods.
Anyway, I had a good day at the range. A young fellow showed up with a new Browning BAR that had really nice wood, and I talked with his Dad while he went out to set up a few targets. Usually I have the place to myself, so I enjoy getting to chew the fat with another shooter, every once in a while.
It was about 70 degrees, and there was an intermittent 10-15 mph crosswind so I would have a good excuse about my groups not being up to par. A month or so ago I was shooting 1/2" groups, but today I guess I wasn't holding my mouth right.
Oh that's right, I forgot, it was the crosswind that got me. - It sure is good to have an excuse like that.
I was shooting my heavy barreled .243 Winchester Savage.
I was optimistic about the Superformance powder because it was a lot easier to measure, being fine granules or balls as opposed to the H4350 which looks like pieces of broken pencil lead. I weigh each load individually and use a powder trickler, and the Superformance powder is a lot easier to work with.
I tried to make both loads to the same velocity with the 70 grain Nosler ballistic tip bullets my rifle likes. - 3450 fps.
The two loads were very similar in performance but the H4350 still had an edge, shooting a bit tighter than the Superformance loads.
There was a 1/4" difference on the groups. The H4350 loads grouped around 3/4" and the Superformance loads went around 1" or so, all with five shot groups at 100 yards.
Lately I've been looking to buy a new rifle, and kind of neglecting my 243, so today I thought I'd better go out and have a little fun with it.
Have been looking at the Winchester 1885, the Sako 85, the Mauser model 12 and the Browning A-Bolt Stainless stalker with the BOSS barrel tuner.
The best cartridge (Mule Deer hunting ) that the 1885 has is 6.5x55... On any of the others, I would get a .270 Winchester.
My wife has a job where sometimes she gets off late at night... A few nights ago around ten o'clock I ended up following a mule deer buck down the next street over from mine. He got confused and just kept running down the street ahead of my van for 75 yards or so.
I slowed down for him and hung back a bit. Eventually he stepped off of the street into somebody's yard, so I stopped there and took a good look at him. He seemed smaller than the other mule deer I've seen here, but he had a nice rack.
During the winter, they come down out of the mountains at night and walk around town looking for forage around the neighborhoods.
Anyway, I had a good day at the range. A young fellow showed up with a new Browning BAR that had really nice wood, and I talked with his Dad while he went out to set up a few targets. Usually I have the place to myself, so I enjoy getting to chew the fat with another shooter, every once in a while.
It was about 70 degrees, and there was an intermittent 10-15 mph crosswind so I would have a good excuse about my groups not being up to par. A month or so ago I was shooting 1/2" groups, but today I guess I wasn't holding my mouth right.
Oh that's right, I forgot, it was the crosswind that got me. - It sure is good to have an excuse like that.