Hornady Custom Lite .243 Winchester 87gr SST Ammo Ballistics
Brass Case • SST
Hornady Custom Lite .243 Winchester 87gr SST Ammo Ballistics
Brass Case • SST
Solved from this product's advertised 2800 fps, 87gr bullet and G1 BC 0.400, with the sight 1.5" over the bore at standard conditions. Compare every zero for .243 Winchester, or read Maximum Point Blank Range for the .243 Winchester.
How to read it: filled circles are the near and far zero, where the bullet's path crosses the line of sight;the triangle is the peak (max ordinate). The shaded band is the 8" vital zone, ±4" either side of the line of sight. The dashed line marks the edge of the hold-dead-on window. The chart is zoomed to where the zero matters; the tables below run to 500 yards.
.243 Winchester 87gr with a 100-yard zero
Zeroed at 100 yards with a 1.5" sight height, this load touches the line of sight at 100 yards and never rises more than 0.1" above it (effectively a tangent zero), and is -13.8" at 300 and -31.3" at 400 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -1.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2,800 | 1,515 | 0.0 |
| 25 | -0.7" | -2.56 | -0.74 | 2,742 | 1,453 | 0.1 |
| 50 | -0.1" | -0.28 | -0.08 | 2,685 | 1,393 | 0.2 |
| 75 | +0.1" | +0.11 | +0.03 | 2,629 | 1,336 | 0.5 |
| 100 | 0.0" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2,574 | 1,280 | 0.8 |
| 125 | -0.4" | -0.32 | -0.09 | 2,519 | 1,226 | 1.3 |
| 150 | -1.2" | -0.74 | -0.22 | 2,465 | 1,174 | 1.9 |
| 175 | -2.3" | -1.24 | -0.36 | 2,412 | 1,124 | 2.6 |
| 200 | -3.8" | -1.80 | -0.52 | 2,359 | 1,075 | 3.4 |
| 225 | -5.6" | -2.39 | -0.70 | 2,307 | 1,028 | 4.4 |
| 250 | -7.9" | -3.03 | -0.88 | 2,256 | 983 | 5.4 |
| 275 | -10.6" | -3.69 | -1.07 | 2,205 | 939 | 6.6 |
| 300 | -13.8" | -4.39 | -1.28 | 2,154 | 897 | 8.0 |
| 325 | -17.4" | -5.12 | -1.49 | 2,105 | 856 | 9.5 |
| 350 | -21.5" | -5.87 | -1.71 | 2,056 | 817 | 11.1 |
| 375 | -26.2" | -6.66 | -1.94 | 2,008 | 779 | 12.9 |
| 400 | -31.3" | -7.48 | -2.18 | 1,960 | 743 | 14.8 |
| 425 | -37.1" | -8.33 | -2.42 | 1,913 | 707 | 16.9 |
| 450 | -43.4" | -9.21 | -2.68 | 1,867 | 674 | 19.2 |
| 475 | -50.4" | -10.12 | -2.94 | 1,822 | 641 | 21.6 |
| 500 | -58.0" | -11.07 | -3.22 | 1,777 | 610 | 24.3 |
87gr G1 .400 at 2,800 fps, 1.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
.243 Winchester 87gr with a 200-yard zero
Zeroed at 200 yards with a 1.5" sight height, this load first crosses the line of sight at 30 yards, peaks +2.0" at 117 yards, returns to zero at 200, and is -8.1" at 300 and -23.8" at 400 yards.
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -1.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2,800 | 1,515 | 0.0 |
| 25 | -0.2" | -0.75 | -0.22 | 2,742 | 1,453 | 0.1 |
| 50 | +0.8" | +1.53 | +0.45 | 2,685 | 1,393 | 0.2 |
| 75 | +1.5" | +1.91 | +0.56 | 2,629 | 1,336 | 0.5 |
| 100 | +1.9" | +1.81 | +0.53 | 2,574 | 1,280 | 0.8 |
| 125 | +2.0" | +1.49 | +0.43 | 2,519 | 1,226 | 1.3 |
| 150 | +1.7" | +1.06 | +0.31 | 2,465 | 1,174 | 1.9 |
| 175 | +1.0" | +0.56 | +0.16 | 2,412 | 1,124 | 2.6 |
| 200 | 0.0" | +0.01 | 0.00 | 2,359 | 1,075 | 3.4 |
| 225 | -1.4" | -0.59 | -0.17 | 2,307 | 1,028 | 4.4 |
| 250 | -3.2" | -1.22 | -0.35 | 2,256 | 983 | 5.4 |
| 275 | -5.4" | -1.89 | -0.55 | 2,205 | 939 | 6.6 |
| 300 | -8.1" | -2.58 | -0.75 | 2,154 | 897 | 8.0 |
| 325 | -11.3" | -3.31 | -0.96 | 2,105 | 856 | 9.5 |
| 350 | -14.9" | -4.07 | -1.18 | 2,056 | 817 | 11.1 |
| 375 | -19.1" | -4.85 | -1.41 | 2,008 | 779 | 12.9 |
| 400 | -23.8" | -5.67 | -1.65 | 1,960 | 743 | 14.8 |
| 425 | -29.0" | -6.52 | -1.90 | 1,913 | 707 | 16.9 |
| 450 | -34.9" | -7.40 | -2.15 | 1,867 | 674 | 19.2 |
| 475 | -41.4" | -8.31 | -2.42 | 1,822 | 641 | 21.6 |
| 500 | -48.5" | -9.26 | -2.69 | 1,777 | 610 | 24.3 |
87gr G1 .400 at 2,800 fps, 1.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. Source: Manufacturer's advertised velocity and BC.
Product Overview
Hornady Custom Lite 87-grain SST is a polymer-tipped .243 Winchester load made for reduced recoil. Hornady names no game class and no target use for it, and loads a lead-core SST behind a lighter charge. It leaves the muzzle at 2,800 fps with 1,513 ft-lbs and a G1 BC of .400.
Zeroed at 200 yards, it drops 8.1 inches at 300 and 23.8 inches at 400 with 743 ft-lbs left. It kicks about 7 percent less than Black Hills Gold's 85-grain Barnes TSX HP, the next softest load compared, in the same rifle.
If you're cross-shopping, Federal's Trophy Copper 85-grain starts 400 fps faster on much the same G1 BC and drops 17.7 inches at 400 from a 200-yard zero. Winchester's Copper Impact 85-grain Extreme Point is faster again and arrives at 400 yards with 915 ft-lbs.
- The softest-kicking of the loads compared
- The highest G1 BC of the loads compared
- Carries 897 ft-lbs at 300 yards
- The slowest start in the caliber, and the most drop at 400 yards of every load compared
- A lead core, where all five loads compared are copper, so it is out where lead-free ammunition is required
- Hornady names no game class and no target use, so the SST bullet is the only guide to what it suits
Similar Products Compared
| PRODUCT | WEIGHT | TYPE | VELOCITY | ENERGY | BC | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 gr | SST | 2800 fps | 1513 ft-lbs | 0.4 |
$2.27
20 Rounds
|
|
| 85 gr | TSX | 3200 fps | 1932 ft-lbs | 0.333 |
$3.17
20 Rounds
|
|
| 85 gr | Copper HP | 3200 fps | 1932 ft-lbs | 0.233 |
$2.37
20 Rounds
|
|
| 85 gr | Copper Extreme Point | 3260 fps | 2006 ft-lbs | 0.344 |
$2.77
20 Rounds
|
|
| 85 gr | Trophy Copper | 3200 fps | 1932 ft-lbs | 0.391 |
$3.12
20 Rounds
|
|
| 85 gr | TSX | 3100 fps | 1813 ft-lbs | 0.333 |
$3.77
20 Rounds
|
All Hornady Custom Lite .243 Winchester 87gr SST Ammo Prices
| DEALER | QTY | PRICE | SHIPPING | TOTAL | PRICE/RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucky Gunner | 20 | $27.00 | $18.43 | $45.43 | $2.27 |
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