Has anyone worked up a good load for the new Savage Edge in .243? I am thinking about a 100 grain bullet for whitetails. The twist is 1 in 9.25" for the .243 so I am thinking that it will stabilize the heavier bullet just fine. What primer, powder (type and grains), and bullet would you recommend for a beginner?
Load for 100 grain bullet in Savage Edge .243
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I was actually hoping someone else had already done the hard work of finding the right load for this gun, then it hit me, I am cheating myself out of all the fun of handloading. Thanks, guys, for the suggestions and for not spoon-feeding me. I have work to do....
Well, we'd be glad to give you some of our findings, but without knowing what direction you're heading (bullet make and/or powder) it's hard to even get started. Most guys have a bullet they prefer or a pound of powder already on-hand, so that's how these threads usually get off the ground.
If you want to get the best from your rifle, there is little chance in H*** someone else's load is going to do it. Yea, you might find one that's more accurate than a cheap factory load but to find one that's going to be right load for you're rifle, chances are, it ain't gonna happen. You also have to consider you might be making a bomb when you start using others data. Some rifles can shoot loads a whole lot hotter than another similar rifle will handle.
I don't own a Savage but have a 6mm Remington, a 243, Model 700 Remington and a 243 Tikka T3 Lite. About 95% of the time I shoot Sierra 85gr BTHP's. They're are somewhat inexpensive and I've not found a bullet that shoots any better. I have one load I use 95gr Nosler Balistic Tips in but that's a load I only use for hunting so I've not punched paper with it since I developed it.
I've found that you can take two indentical rifles and the same load is not going to work the same in each rifle. Years back when I bought the Model 700 243, I bought three, one for my son, one for my brother and one for his son and built loads for the three. Not one of the three would shoot their best groups with the same bullets. Each one shot better with a different powder than the other. There was almost a 200fps velocity difference in what worked best in them.
Take my 6mm Rem, it shoots one big hole at 100yds with IMR4350 and shoots like crap with H414, which also shoots like crap in my granddaughters custom 260, it like RL-17, but the Tikka T3, 243 luvs the H414, however it likes hot loads with it.
I don't own a Savage but have a 6mm Remington, a 243, Model 700 Remington and a 243 Tikka T3 Lite. About 95% of the time I shoot Sierra 85gr BTHP's. They're are somewhat inexpensive and I've not found a bullet that shoots any better. I have one load I use 95gr Nosler Balistic Tips in but that's a load I only use for hunting so I've not punched paper with it since I developed it.
I've found that you can take two indentical rifles and the same load is not going to work the same in each rifle. Years back when I bought the Model 700 243, I bought three, one for my son, one for my brother and one for his son and built loads for the three. Not one of the three would shoot their best groups with the same bullets. Each one shot better with a different powder than the other. There was almost a 200fps velocity difference in what worked best in them.
Take my 6mm Rem, it shoots one big hole at 100yds with IMR4350 and shoots like crap with H414, which also shoots like crap in my granddaughters custom 260, it like RL-17, but the Tikka T3, 243 luvs the H414, however it likes hot loads with it.
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An exact load would be difficult to pick from the hat, but there are some combinations that always seem to work. I'm on my 4th or 5th .243 in about 40 years, and have loaded most of the available 100gr bullets in them over time.
It's a rare .243 that won't shoot well with 4831 or 4350. R22 has been very good in a couple rifles, so has 7828. Of the ball powders I'd go with W760 or H-414, which ever you can find. I never bother with magnum primers. I've yet to own a .243 that didn't shoot the best with Hornady 100gr SP's, Sierra right close behind, a couple didn't like BT bullets.
If you are willing to gp for peak accuracy at the price of 100fps or so, W760/H-414. The best bet for accuracy and top end speeds according to my notebook, H-4831.
It's a rare .243 that won't shoot well with 4831 or 4350. R22 has been very good in a couple rifles, so has 7828. Of the ball powders I'd go with W760 or H-414, which ever you can find. I never bother with magnum primers. I've yet to own a .243 that didn't shoot the best with Hornady 100gr SP's, Sierra right close behind, a couple didn't like BT bullets.
If you are willing to gp for peak accuracy at the price of 100fps or so, W760/H-414. The best bet for accuracy and top end speeds according to my notebook, H-4831.
Max load of H-4831 under speer's 100gr grand-slams is my favorite deer load. Lotta people question why a premium bullet ?? I normally shoot deer under 40yds and love exit wounds(50cent sized) regardless of angle or the bone encountered. Plus these bullets tend to kill very quickly if not instantly. Accuracy with'em is just over half an inch out of my favorite 243 and around an inch from the other. I'll probably never switch from this load for big-game in my 243's. Dave
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Yeah my brother in law likes exit holes with his .243 too. He uses 100 gr. Partitions in his with IMR3031. He says it works really good. He tried Ballistic Tips and said at close range they was like a grenade inside the deer.
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