.243 load with first time user and Lee Handloader w/Pics!

I think the target says it all, but I'll give you all the details of the load and the process I used.
I made a trade with Friedline for his .243 Lee Handloader for one of my predator calls. He's happy with his call and Boy I sure am happy with the Lee Handloader!
First time ever using one of these and I simply followed the directions included in the kit. First couple of rounds took me a few minutes, but after that it was a no brainer.
My goal was to see how accurate these loads would be by simply using what was included in the kit and I just supply the components. Because honestly if you were in survival mode and had to load on the fly with none of the comforts of home like a reloading press or a digital grain scale, your very life could depend upon the reliability of something like this Handloader kit. Right?
Well, I'm more than impressed!

The 4 loads were measured out by volume and not weight. Although I did weigh some charges because I had no idea what weight charge the scoop included in the kit would throw. Wouldn't you know it that a level scoop full came out to right at 38gr. of Varget which incidently is the exact load I have worked up for my 87gr. V-Maxes..........How convenient! Awesome!
Some were slightly under and some were slightly over, but I dropped what the scoop gave me and did not do any trickling or subtracting of powder like I normally would. I wanted to simulate an in the field experience where I would just have to rely on the scoop for an accurate and safe load. Then to test the accuracy of such a load that may vary from .5 grains to 1 grains one direction or the other, and most importantly could I trust those loads with my life and my survival.

Let me tell you that I have no doubts that I could make it just fine with the Lee Handloader.
The .243 is a preferred weapon of choice for many guides and trappers in places like Alaska where they need only 1 gun to pretty much do it all during the winter season on a trapline. They must travel light so typically it would probably be just 1 rifle and 1 big bore pistol of maybe .45 or .50 caliber. They almost always have their side arm on them at all times no matter what.
The .243 can be loaded down for smaller game with bullet sizes as small as 55gr. all the way up to a heavier bullet in the 95gr. and 100gr. size for larger game such as deer, elk, and even bear or moose. Wait.........I know what your thinking......Bear?!? Moose?!? Yes that's correct..........a well placed shot with a .243 right behind the ear has more than enough energy to drop such an animal with a brain hit right dead in it's tracks. If meat was of utmost importance, which I'm sure it would be to survive.....a .243 will get the job done nicely if your option was to only carry 1 rifle to do it all.

One last thing, if a guy were to have some cases already sized and primed........say maybe 50 cases or so thrown into a backpack along with some powder and spare primers, the loading would go much quicker since I could skip the deprime/resizing step and go straight to powder charging and bullet seating. I could see loading a box of these by hand in less than 15 minutes with practice.

Here's the pic of my target @50 yards where I always test new loads at. If they pass the test @50 then they will go out to 100 yard target. I can tell you that there is no need for 100 yard testing because I know what these 87gr. V-Maxes shoot like and with a group like this .600" 4-shots @50 yards, they will be 1" or less @100 yards from my Remington 788 .243 .............
Yes, this particular rifle just flat out shoots that good! It was my first ever high powered rifle that once belonged to my uncle and this was my first deer rifle when I was 13 yrs. old, I'm now 42 and the rifle was made somewhere around the late 60's. So I'm sure that it's older than I am.
Ok I'll shut up now...................can you tell that I'm just a bit excited and very pleased with the results?

Awesome deal....perfect for ,like you said, reloading on the fly or at a camp site.

I'd like to see the picture you mentioned....I'm sure you a frantically trying to get it in your post as I type this,LOL....nevermind, I can see it now.

I also agree with the 243....nice all around rifle. Too bad I sold mine.

Awseome Mo.... Anyway we could see a video of you using the lee handloader? I have been contemplating on getting one of these for my 270 or just get the lee hand press to do some load developing or to have in a backpack. May get em both!!!

Way to go Mo!! That there is slicker than possum grease I've never used one but the rave review you gave has got me interested. I have a lee shot shell loader that is all manual that was given to me 30 years ago but never done anything with it. Glad it worked out good for ya!

those are nice to have around i have one in 22-250,30-06,25-06,38/357 and they all work great i dont use them much but its what i started on and i keep them around for emergency's

Very tight groups Mo. I have read some posts elswhere, where the argument was made that loading by volume produces more consistant results. I was not convinced, it seemed counter intuitive. But I may have to revisit that theory after seeing this.

Nice Mo . Thats very impressive.I to have always liked the 243.
I had seen my old boss kill groundhogs out to 300 yards. And he only
made head shots. But to make your own bullets while in the field,That
makes you a true mountain man. Congrats.

I have a Lee Handloader for my .308. It is a very cool tool and was the way I first started to reload.

Lee Load alls are very good tools for bolt action rifles. I have an 30-06,243 and 30-30 Lee Loader they are amazingly accurate for what they are. It should be noted that they only neck size so if you get yourself one be careful in autos and pump action rifles with them. I have never used the shotgun ones I had a friend who had one I think it made quality ammo but was very labor intensive. Great Job Mo

thats some pretty darn good groups those lee hand loaders are cool looks like it would be fun to tinker with but i wouldnt want to try to load volume with one it would take a year to load a 100 rounds lol

Thanks guys, yeah this was my first time ever using one and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another one in 22-250 or .270 if I found a good used one. They are very accurate for what they are and I have to admit that I was very skeptical at first. I was thinking probably 1.5" or 2" groups at best, I never expected clover leafs from it.

Wallenba- You and me both, this was the first time I have reloaded relying on volume alone. Normally I'm kinda anal about getting my charges all perfect to within .1 grain, but this just proves that it doesn't have to be that close. My 4 loads varied at least .5 grains +/- so one load may have been 38.5gr. and the next may have been 37.5 gr. and that's a full 1 grain variation! I know one thing, from now on I'm not going to worry so much about getting the powder charge dead nuts, if it's within .5 gr. its going in the case.
With rifle only, I still try to get pistol loads within .1 gr. of course because there's not as much room for error.

dartfreak75 wrote:thats some pretty darn good groups those lee hand loaders are cool looks like it would be fun to tinker with but i wouldnt want to try to load volume with one it would take a year to load a 100 rounds lol

It doesn't take as long as you think cause I thought the same thing.
A couple things I might also mention......

1) The bullet seating is adjustable just like a die and it's fairly self explanatory and the bullet seater itself did not damage the polymer tip of my Vmax bullet for those of you who like to shoot polymer tips like Vmaxes and Ballistic Tips.

2) Don't base your opinions solely on my results because it's not safe to say that you would get the same. This particular Remington 788 .243 is a shooter, I ain't lyin' about that. It has been from day 1 and it's the most accurate and forgiving rifle I own next to my 22-250, some .243's can be picky about what you feed them, but mine has always digested anything I ran through it except for the light wt. bullets.
It's got a 1:9 twist so it doesn't like anything under 65gr. and it will shoot anything from there up, I guess you can tell that it really likes anything around the 80gr. range though.

Also that .600" group is Including that one I pulled to the left slightly, if I just measured the one ragged hole it's not but about .350"

I have been searching every where I can think of. I remember reading somewhere that a lot of national matches were won using the Lee Loader. But I'll be danged if I can find them. I can vouch for them they are good tools. and y'all know im no lee lover LOL. I have had the Lee Loaders for 30+ years and still use them from time to time.

I wouldn't have any problems what so ever going out west somewhere in the mountains on a pack in hunt for a month with one of these. It's like having a tiny reloading press in your pocket.

About 100 primed and sized casings, some extra primers, a box of bullets, and a 1 pound jug of Varget and I'm ready to rock doc!

wow thats good Mo My first reloading kit was one of those Lee handloaders had it in a .270 good to see someone still useing them . They are a great little reloading tool . Good job MO

those are nice groups.....

was your lee loader the one that looks like a giant nut cracker that takes standard dies???

I have one of those i have never used but I have been meaning to try it out....

No, this is an old, old school one that you have to beat the case in the die body with a mallet and seat the bullet the same way.........by beating it in.
That's why I was so suprised at how well they shot.

ok I have a few of these old lee original handloader sets.... i used them all the time with my 30-30 winchester....

The only thing I can say about these little sets which always worked good for me is be sure to use a rubber or rawhide mallet... as the punches will mushroom out if a heavy hammer is used....

awesome....

the advantages of the .243 you mentioned I had never realized the versatility of that cartridge.... I will have to look into the round... thank you for the heads up...

my goto, do everything round is the 30-06 it can be loaded way down to 45gr bullets to 220gr elephant killers....

The 30-06 does have a wide range of bullets available, but when you get down into ultra light loads you run into a problem with to much wasted space inside the case, which could be dangerous. Then you would need to use polyfil or a powder like Trail boss, something along those lines.

The .243 doesn't have those problems with the smaller case capacity, but then I don't shoot anything smaller than 65gr. bullets anyway because of the 1:9 twist rate my rifle has. I really likes anything from 80gr. and up.

The .243 was born off of a .308 case, whos parent case is the 30-06, so you could think of the .243 as the mutant little step child of a 30-06 I guess?

nice..... mutant cousins twice removed...hehehehe.

I really like my .38/.357 hand loader kits so far. Instead of using that priming system you get with it I use the Lee auto prime instead to be safe. I heard that manual system is known to accidentally set off primers occasionally.

the only primes i have ever set off loading were with the lee loader. did no damage to anything but soil my under wear LOL

Reload3006 wrote:the only primes i have ever set off loading were with the lee loader. did no damage to anything but soil my under wear LOL

I'm sorry, but I just found that really funny for some reason. (Mental picture I guess) lol