22-243????????????????????

manitoban

manitoban

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Not sure about everyone else but I never heard much about the 22-243. Seems like an excellent choice for varmints and long distance. Is the barrel life really short? Keeping velocity under control, would this caliber last a guy a while if he was shooting a 60 or 70 grain bullet?

22-250 AI have this one beat any where or just personal preferance?
 
22-243 generally has slightly more case capacity then the 22-250 AI. I have both, my 22-243 being the Middlestead version. These are also known as the 22 CHeetah Mk I and Mk II (small and large primer pockets). Theres also the 224 Clark, which is a 257 Roberts case necked down to 22 and this also can be had in an improved version. In any case, you need a 9 or tighter rifling twist to run the longer (heavier, generally) bullets. Probably a 1-7 would be best for 80 gr 22 bullets. In the 22-243 you can push these up to 3500 fps and at those speeds (read pressures) if you fire rapid consecutive shots, you will burn out your barrel fairly quickly. For LR coyote hunting and such, I doubt you'll ever notice the difference in barrel wear, but you will notice the difference in LR trajectory. - dan
 
dan belisle said:
22-243 generally has slightly more case capacity then the 22-250 AI. I have both, my 22-243 being the Middlestead version. These are also known as the 22 CHeetah Mk I and Mk II (small and large primer pockets). Theres also the 224 Clark, which is a 257 Roberts case necked down to 22 and this also can be had in an improved version. In any case, you need a 9 or tighter rifling twist to run the longer (heavier, generally) bullets. Probably a 1-7 would be best for 80 gr 22 bullets. In the 22-243 you can push these up to 3500 fps and at those speeds (read pressures) if you fire rapid consecutive shots, you will burn out your barrel fairly quickly. For LR coyote hunting and such, I doubt you'll ever notice the difference in barrel wear, but you will notice the difference in LR trajectory. - dan
Click to expand...

Interesting, I am in the middle of building a 25-243AI, I planned to use this for long distance varmint, but also wanted to have something that could shoot heavier bullets and be useful for game such as deer. So many choices.......:D
 
If you are going to use a 60 to 70 grain bullet I would recommend a 6mm BR... a no neck turn chamber for Lapua brass.

... you can not beat that combination of great accuracy and good barrel life and excellent velocity...
 
6 br is the way to go

I run a 6br that pushes 70 gr SMK @ 3400 fps. This is extremely accurate as long as I am doing my part and the wind is friendly out to about 600m. I have made gopher hits to 750 but I was really pushing my luck. @ 300 the gun maintains sub .5 min. 1-13 twist and a 22" barrel. This has served me well.
 
I agree with 6mm BR. Excellent results even if loaded to 3,000 fps and 70 gr bullet (Sierra Match Kings work for me !!).
 
22-243 generally has slightly more case capacity then the 22-250 AI. I have both, my 22-243 being the Middlestead version. These are also known as the 22 CHeetah Mk I and Mk II (small and large primer pockets). Theres also the 224 Clark, which is a 257 Roberts case necked down to 22 and this also can be had in an improved version. In any case, you need a 9 or tighter rifling twist to run the longer (heavier, generally) bullets. Probably a 1-7 would be best for 80 gr 22 bullets. In the 22-243 you can push these up to 3500 fps and at those speeds (read pressures) if you fire rapid consecutive shots, you will burn out your barrel fairly quickly. For LR coyote hunting and such, I doubt you'll ever notice the difference in barrel wear, but you will notice the difference in LR trajectory. - dan

Dan If you are saying that the 22-243 Middlestead and the 22 Cheetah are the same cartridge I think you are wrong. The Cheetah is based on a 308 br which has the small primers but you can use 308 win and the Middlestead is on a 243 Win. The Mk1 and the Mk11 are the same only with different shoulder angles. I may be reading your post wrong.
Willy 1
 
243 = 308 as far as wildcatting goes. Necking up down sideways is all part of the fun.

Just make sure that the bullets you want to use will handle to extra velocity.

Many match VLD bullets don't like going over 3200fps at desired twist rates.
Jerry
 
That is true just mentioned that for the people that may not know that and get the wrong idea. If a person is using 243 to make the Cheetahs out of you just have to do that much more trimming.
Willy 1
 
True. I'll have to look through my notes from a long time ago, but I'm reasonably sure that the Mk II CHeetah uses the regular primer pockets. It was the hot ticket around here back in the 80s. As for the 243/308 thing, as mentioned, from a wildcatting viewpoint it's pretty much the same case. You are correct that it's easier to start with a 308 case for it, less case work, but again, up, down, sideways, you can make a lot of things work if you have the time and patience. - dan
 
I shoot both the Cheetah and the Middlestead and have found this is the only simple way of not mixing the brass up. 308 for the Cheetah and 243 for the Middlestead.
Willy 1
 
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