Subsonic .243 Winchester?
Subsonic .243 Winchester?
Does anybody have any experience of loading subsonic ammo for this caliber?
I have not tried it in my 243 as my experience with same case size in 308 with heavier bullets was only really satisfactory when I got some reduced capacity cases from Liberty.
As the energy envelope is restrained by the speed of subsonic loadings you have to go with a heavier bullet to compensate for reduced velocity so the 243 is about like a 223 or other small bore - for the cost I just use 22LR subsonic in either 40 or 60 grain bullets - much cheaper - I do use my Cyclone on my 243 and it works pretty well.
If you want to experiment with this you could start with Trailboss powder but I think from the energy delivered standpoint vs cost you might want to explore other calibers.
As the energy envelope is restrained by the speed of subsonic loadings you have to go with a heavier bullet to compensate for reduced velocity so the 243 is about like a 223 or other small bore - for the cost I just use 22LR subsonic in either 40 or 60 grain bullets - much cheaper - I do use my Cyclone on my 243 and it works pretty well.
If you want to experiment with this you could start with Trailboss powder but I think from the energy delivered standpoint vs cost you might want to explore other calibers.
"Trying to tax yourself into prosperity is like standing in a bucket and trying to pick yourself up by the handle." - Winston Churchill
The other problem you'll probably run into is, as Artful said, you want the heaviest bullet in the caliber for maximum down range energy.
Since your velocity is limited to 1070 fps or less & your barrel's rate of twist will most likely not stabalize a heavy slow bullet & you do NOT want a baffle strike.
Since your velocity is limited to 1070 fps or less & your barrel's rate of twist will most likely not stabalize a heavy slow bullet & you do NOT want a baffle strike.
.243 Subsonic
Thanks for the responses.
To give a bit more background:
I have loaded subsonic with .308 very effectively with cast bullets (150gr and 180gr RCBS) and fast pistol powders (red dot, bullseye etc).
The reason for for trying .243 is that here in the UK the police who administer our firearms licensing, will 'clear' the land where you are shooting for a a maximum caliber.
I am shooting foxes and rabits on a golf course in a suburban setting just outside London. The police have cleared the land for max caliber of .243.
I have been using a suppressed .17hmr, however the distances at which I am shooting the foxes is getting longer (when I started last summer the average distance was 50-75yds now more like 75-125yds as the shooting pressure on them has increased).
As these distances have increased so has the number of wounded 'runners'...now I will happily admit that some of them may be
down to poor shot placement, but I am sure that a bigger bullet might be more forgiving of 'operator error'.
The golf course is surrounded by a lot of (expensive) houses with residents that love to complain. Therefore, I do not want to risk
using moderated full house 243 loads because of the 'crack' (really is a huge difference between moderated .17hmr and .243 in terms of noise)
Apologies for the long winded explanation.
I did try loading subsonic .243 last year but ended up with a stuck round which I had to hammer out. That was a 100gr jacketed bullet over 5 grains of red dot, so I am approaching this with some caution.
I am thinking of trying the RCBS 95gr cast bullet with a start load of 8 grains of 2400 (which quickload predicts at cira 1200 fps
Also considering using a filler like Pufflon to keep the powder in place...
Regards
Billyb
PS Quickload/Quicktarget showing about 200 ft/lbs @ a 100 yds for .243 doing 1000fps vs 135 ft/lbs for .17hmr
To give a bit more background:
I have loaded subsonic with .308 very effectively with cast bullets (150gr and 180gr RCBS) and fast pistol powders (red dot, bullseye etc).
The reason for for trying .243 is that here in the UK the police who administer our firearms licensing, will 'clear' the land where you are shooting for a a maximum caliber.
I am shooting foxes and rabits on a golf course in a suburban setting just outside London. The police have cleared the land for max caliber of .243.
I have been using a suppressed .17hmr, however the distances at which I am shooting the foxes is getting longer (when I started last summer the average distance was 50-75yds now more like 75-125yds as the shooting pressure on them has increased).
As these distances have increased so has the number of wounded 'runners'...now I will happily admit that some of them may be
down to poor shot placement, but I am sure that a bigger bullet might be more forgiving of 'operator error'.
The golf course is surrounded by a lot of (expensive) houses with residents that love to complain. Therefore, I do not want to risk
using moderated full house 243 loads because of the 'crack' (really is a huge difference between moderated .17hmr and .243 in terms of noise)
Apologies for the long winded explanation.
I did try loading subsonic .243 last year but ended up with a stuck round which I had to hammer out. That was a 100gr jacketed bullet over 5 grains of red dot, so I am approaching this with some caution.
I am thinking of trying the RCBS 95gr cast bullet with a start load of 8 grains of 2400 (which quickload predicts at cira 1200 fps
Also considering using a filler like Pufflon to keep the powder in place...
Regards
Billyb
PS Quickload/Quicktarget showing about 200 ft/lbs @ a 100 yds for .243 doing 1000fps vs 135 ft/lbs for .17hmr
Another BIG problem that I've found w/subsonics is ricochet even after penetration of critter.
Cannot use .308 subsonic data due to smaller bore diameter & pressure will spike quicker.
A generally safe technique is:
Fill cartridge w/Trail Boss uncompressed to Base of bullet then weigh - this is max
Start 30% below & see where it is.
It may or may not be subsonic.
You can go up or down just watch for erratic velocities.
Do you have a chronograph?
Cannot use .308 subsonic data due to smaller bore diameter & pressure will spike quicker.
A generally safe technique is:
Fill cartridge w/Trail Boss uncompressed to Base of bullet then weigh - this is max
Start 30% below & see where it is.
It may or may not be subsonic.
You can go up or down just watch for erratic velocities.
Do you have a chronograph?