working up and testing loads for .243

[Shotgunner60]

Just looking for some options on loads for Mule deer with a Kimber 84m in .243 win.
For starters I have some once fired brass. Should I just neck size them? I'll be shooting them in the same rifle the second time around or should I fulllength resize new brass. Or should I load and fire the new brass with practice loads and neck size only?
So far I've got some CT balistic silver tips, Nosler partitions and some Speer BTSP 100gr. Any other bullets I should try?
Now for testing them. I've heard of using wet newspaper to test penetration and weight retention. How do I go about this ie. how much paper and should the sheets be standing on end or laying down. And how much do I need, how deep should plan on making the paper?
While I'm asking silly questions here's another. How far from the lands should I set the bullets? Books call for COL of 2.71" Fctory loads I've got are about 2.622". By pushing case with bullet into chamber to find lands then setting back .03", hand loads with the CT and Partitions run right at 2.71". Should I go just a touch deeper to ensure feeding while in the field?
Thanks for any advice, R

 

[Jim Watson]

I would full length size once fired brass for hunting ammo. It will still fit your chamber better than new, even a FL die does not size all the way back down to factory dimensions. .030" off the rifling OUGHT to be ok.

Just to be safe, I would run the actual ammo to be taken hunting through the gun to be absolutely sure every individual cartridge would chamber freely.

I have seen but not used wet paper. The guy I saw with it had about a foot of wet newsprint to shoot into and that was not stopping a 7mm-08, but was giving him an idea of an exit wound. Shoot into the face of the paper, slipping between pages from the edge would not give good information. And it should be WET. As in soaked in a tub overnight and taken to the range in bag or bucket so as not to drain much.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Reloading

Shotgunner 60--I'm a firm believer in neck-sizing-only brass if it was shot in the same rifle, and still chambers easily after reloading. I like the Lee Collet die for that purpose--Lee advertises "the most accurate reloads, guaranteed," and while I haven't done comparison tests, my reloads with the Collet die are nice and accurate. I second Jim Watson in his saying test every single hunting cartridge for chambering, before the hunt.

In the .243 for large deer you don't want to go below 100 gr. bullets. The .243 Nosler Partitions I have used, worked good. Can't comment on yr other 2 bullets. Mulies run large for deer I believe. (The reccommendation would be different for southern whitetails, which go about the size of a German shepherd dog.)

Backing off from the lands 0.03" would seem to be abt. right. Test 'em @ the range; does accuracy suffer. Also, most importantly, do they feed thru the magazine w/o a hitch--Unfortunately, the magazine takes precedence over absolute accuracy, in hunting ammo. You are allowed to exceed SAAMI specs with regard to OAL, to obtain the optimum distance in your rifle from the lands to the bullet, but the ammo MUST feed thru the mag. You probably know that the OAL thusly arrived at will be different for each different bullet you load.