[Significent]

I'm planning to give turkey hunting a try this year. I don't have a turkey gun and I'm not ready to plunk down the cash for one until I'm convinced I'll be doing more turkey hunting. That's why I'm looking for the strange load in the title. I'd use a regular load in my .223 or .243 but I'd want to eat the turkey after I shot it. (I don't know if head shots are practical). I've read that reduced loads shoot accurately and keep a bullet in one piece. That sounds like the ticket. I don't want to lug my heavy-barrelled .223 around, so that leaves me with my .243.

I have a box of Hornady .243 58gr V-MAX bullets that would seem about right, but I can't find any reduced loads for them. My Speer manual has reduced loads for 85gr bullets, but nothing for lighter bullets. I understand the Lyman manuals have lots of info about reduced loads. Of course I don't have a Lyman manual. Does anyone have a reduced .243 load for 58-60grain bullets I could use as a starting point for working up a sub-2000 ft/sec. round for my 24" 1:10 barrel? Any help would be appreciated.

[steve4102]

PM Sent.

[griz]

I wouldn't use a V-Max for turkey even at greatly reduced velocity. They are just too soft to leave much edible meat. I would use one of the listed reduced loads with the heavier bullets. You can even load the bullet backwards if you don't want any expansion at all.

[Vern Humphrey]

Use whatever load you're using now in your .223 but substitute an FMJ bullet.