Thread: Down loading 243 win to 6x45 velocities

Ive been keen on a smaller case 6mm for a while.

Something burning a smaller amount of powder with light recoil, with a view to stepping my young kids up from rimfire and 223 eventually.

Something around the case capacity and bullet weight and speeds of a 6x45.

I had the opportunity a year or so back to pick up a nice model 7 in 243 from an old mates estate. My mates fav hunting rifle and i really liked the idea of having it and getting my lad hunting with it eventually, hes 8 years old currently.

Ive played with downloading both 260 rem 7mm08 and 223 using IMR 4198 a while ago, kinda in early prep for loads for the kids. So thought, why dont i try to replicate 6x45 velocities from the 243 using the same powder.

So i sifted through the cupboard and found a box of 80gr Speer SP's that came with a bunch of bits with the 243.

I double checked my source of load data for these light loads using this powder. (Remington used IMR 4198 for their factory reduced recoil youth loads) it gives way better accuracy than the old 60% of max 2206H load that adi talk about - and yep it sure does, ive tested it.

So i loaded up a handful of test loads with 30gr of 4198 behind the 80gr Speers seated to look about right.

I got out to the range late this arvo to quickly test them at 100 yards.

They seem to shoot pretty well. I didnt chrony them, but QL tells me to expect around 2700 fps. Perfect for what i want.

I was running a DPT with 5 x 7mm baffles on it (the only smaller cal baffles i have are 22 cal)

The recoil was very light, i reckon the young fella should be able to handle it.

Im hoping to get him onto his first goat and eventually deer with it this year.

A bit of research returned these pics of the same 80gr Speer SP recovered from a deer shot at 200 yards from a 6x45 at similar muzzle velocity.

I reckon it should all work well.

My lad gets a turn to shoot it on Sunday.

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