I was reading another post in regards to the 243wssm cartridge. They were talking about the potential of hitting the 1000yrd mark. So it got me thinking about my toy. I have a Rem. 700bdl .243win. Anyone have an idea what I could expect from this gun? I am the second owner but I have never shot it personally. It is in stock form now but I am not open to the idea of some mods if they would help with its range and accuracy. Thanks.
Expected range & accuracy of .243win?
- Thread starter Jeremy
- Start date
I use a 243 varmint rifle sometimes out to the 700 meter range here. Works pretty good. 1-9 twist and 105 gr Hornady bullets. Less recoil then the 308, and works just as well with the right bullets. - dan
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windborne11
Regular
- Location
- SW Ontario
i'm not sure what the twist of your barrel is, but to shoot distance you must have a 1 in 9.5 in or quicker twist in order to stabilize the 105 gr vld bullets. so if your bbl twist is less than 1 in 10 then shooting 1000 yds is no problem. Now the big question is accuracy. You have to precision handload with target qty bullets. No target ammo available in .243. Have the action bedded, and see how it shoots at 300 yds. If you cant put 10 shots in under 2 inch group, plan on spending a ton of money to improve on it. Better choice would be to leave it for varmint hunting as intended and spend less money on a custom rifle.
"...No target ammo available in .243..." Nope, but there are lots of .243" match grade bullets.
1,000 yards is too far for a .243 with any bullet. A 100 grain bullet drops 45 plus inches at 500. A 105 drops about 52" at 500. Under 1800 fps for either.
1,000 yards is too far for a .243 with any bullet. A 100 grain bullet drops 45 plus inches at 500. A 105 drops about 52" at 500. Under 1800 fps for either.
not sure I would agree with this assertion.....check this link http://www.6mmbr.com/6BRImproved01.html
... lots of guys like the low recoil of the smaller 6mm cases (Remington, Norma BR) and have good success... I have seen a 243 improved do very well at the ORA matches (including 1000yd) so see no reason why a guy with the right bullets, twist and attitude wouldn't do well also...AP
I think if you stick with its intended purpose the cartridge is great. Highly accurate, low recoil, low muzzle blast and cheap to load for. I don't think it would be at the top of anybody's 1000 yard list. That being said, sometimes it is more fun to get good results with a marginal cartridge than anything else. I don't compete at long range or any range but have found the 6mm including my 243wssm to be good for bridging the gap between a 22-250 and the bigger centerfires for wet work with the gophers.
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a factory barrel would most likely have a twist of 1:10
dont think that will cut it with the VLD 105-107 gr. match bullets
so a 1:10 243 is better suited to shooting coyotes out to quarter mile +, and killing deer inside 300 yards with 100 gr. soft points.
dont think that will cut it with the VLD 105-107 gr. match bullets
so a 1:10 243 is better suited to shooting coyotes out to quarter mile +, and killing deer inside 300 yards with 100 gr. soft points.
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
The 243 will have zero issue making it to a mile!!!!!!!
The 6BR/wildcats is about 3/5 the case capacity and is doing very well in the 1000yd BR game. The 105/107/115gr bullets are the best but not necessary.
The twist in a factory 700 barrel will not work well with these bullets but there are many other choices. Top of my list would be the 87gr Vmax and 95gr SST.
If the rifle/barrel/load is well assembled, you will have no issue going as far as you have scope adjustment for. These bullets have quite high BC so you will need way LESS adjustment then the typical 308.
I had no problem hammering clays at 750yds using the itty bitty 6BR and 87gr Vmax. The 243 will launch these 200 to 300fps FASTER. So you will very similar ballistics to a 105/107gr bullet going much slower - will fly flatter but drift about the same.
The big reason you don't see more 243's in competition is throat wear. When you are shooting a few thousand rds a season, barrels wear out too fast. That is why the trend towards the 6BR and modified 22/250 cases. Less powder burnt at much higher pressures to get the same muzzle velocity with reduced throat wear.
If a 308 can be used to 1000yds very effectively, the 6, 6.5 and 7mm are much better.
Bed the action properly, get rid of that barrel hump in the stock (no rubbing on the barrel), lighten the trigger as low as you can tolerate, good optics, good rests, good dies and loads/bullets, have a lot of fun plinking at whatever distance you care to go.
Save your money for barrels and bullets cause LR shooting is way too addictive.
Jerry
The 6BR/wildcats is about 3/5 the case capacity and is doing very well in the 1000yd BR game. The 105/107/115gr bullets are the best but not necessary.
The twist in a factory 700 barrel will not work well with these bullets but there are many other choices. Top of my list would be the 87gr Vmax and 95gr SST.
If the rifle/barrel/load is well assembled, you will have no issue going as far as you have scope adjustment for. These bullets have quite high BC so you will need way LESS adjustment then the typical 308.
I had no problem hammering clays at 750yds using the itty bitty 6BR and 87gr Vmax. The 243 will launch these 200 to 300fps FASTER. So you will very similar ballistics to a 105/107gr bullet going much slower - will fly flatter but drift about the same.
The big reason you don't see more 243's in competition is throat wear. When you are shooting a few thousand rds a season, barrels wear out too fast. That is why the trend towards the 6BR and modified 22/250 cases. Less powder burnt at much higher pressures to get the same muzzle velocity with reduced throat wear.
If a 308 can be used to 1000yds very effectively, the 6, 6.5 and 7mm are much better.
Bed the action properly, get rid of that barrel hump in the stock (no rubbing on the barrel), lighten the trigger as low as you can tolerate, good optics, good rests, good dies and loads/bullets, have a lot of fun plinking at whatever distance you care to go.
Save your money for barrels and bullets cause LR shooting is way too addictive.
Jerry
windborne11
Regular
- Location
- SW Ontario
My .243 with 105 gr vld matches bullet drop of 6.5 x .284 at all distances. Even with slightly lower B.C. rating on bullets. As to shooting 1000 yds, I hit a lot of V bulls at 1000 yds last year. A lot of them were consecutive.sunray said:
I do not believe that 1000 yards is too far for a 243 to shoot. They have always done fairly well at 1000 up here at out long range shoot. Myself, I do prefer the 6mm Remington, but that is not a big difference. I have shot some mighty nice groups at 100 with the 105 Bergers and 105 lapua bullets. Regards, Eagleye
EXCUSE ME!?
A .243 SMOKES a .308 from muzzle to 1000 yds and beyond. When the portly .308 falls flat on its face at about 1200 yds, the .243 is still going strong.
As Mysticplayer states, the .243 is quite capable out to a mile (1670yds). I actually hit a target at an amazing 1890 yds with a fast twist .243 shooting 107gr VLD's.
For a rifle with a slower twist rate you might want to look at the Lapua Scenar 95gr VLD bullet.
The .243 is a generally underestimated catridge that is actually a very impressive performer.
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
I think what we are seeing here are people who arre commenting on factory twist barrels that will not handle the longer bullets needed to make the 6mm cartridges fly "way out there".
The .308 can also be made to get out to the mile, but the bullets are the crucial componant,not the cartridge that carries them ( in a targett situation, anyway).
Max, the 243 WSSM is one of the newer factory cartridges that Winhewster marketed by shortening up the WSM case.
They are interesting rounds.
I have a reamer for a wildcat 6.5WSSM ( formed from the 25WSSM case).
This cartridge has been doing well on thhe thousand yard bench circuit, but I plan to use it in competitions out to 500 meters.
Cat
The .308 can also be made to get out to the mile, but the bullets are the crucial componant,not the cartridge that carries them ( in a targett situation, anyway).
Max, the 243 WSSM is one of the newer factory cartridges that Winhewster marketed by shortening up the WSM case.
They are interesting rounds.
I have a reamer for a wildcat 6.5WSSM ( formed from the 25WSSM case).
This cartridge has been doing well on thhe thousand yard bench circuit, but I plan to use it in competitions out to 500 meters.
Cat
Rate of twist may be the limiting factor for a factory stock 243W 1000yd capable rifle. Ruger (factory standard) uses 1:9 for their 243W and are available with a 26in barrel .. a 95gr VLD should be able to get out of that muzzle at 3000fps and that should easily keep it supersonic at 1000yds...no?
Anyway ... I have seen a fellow do very well with a 243W (albeit "improved") in an otherwise "stock" Ruger....in "F" class competition. I guess I never "met a cartridge I didn't like" ... AP
Anyway ... I have seen a fellow do very well with a 243W (albeit "improved") in an otherwise "stock" Ruger....in "F" class competition. I guess I never "met a cartridge I didn't like" ... AP
Are we talking .30 caliber or .308 Winchester? Cause I'd sure like to see a .308 Winchester stay supersonic to a mile. At sea level a 168gr .308 Win crosses the sonic barrier at around 1000 yards. Up here in Calgary that same combination can actually get out to 1300 yds.
Wow, you need to get a ballistic computer and start plugging in different values to see what some of these catridges and bullets can really do. So many people wildly underestimate what a high velocity, high BC bullet can accomplish.
I had the 95gr VLD's coming out the muzzle of my .243 at 3280 fps. And that combination will stay supersonic to an amazing 1900 yds in Calgary (4400 ft alt).
Like I said before, a good .243 will SMOKE a .308 from muzzle to 1200 yards and beyond.
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
No, I'm talking about a 308 Win.
There is a story in Precision shooting at 1,000 yards about a couple of feellas that are going super long on gons Stateside.
One of them uses a 308AI.
As soon as the bullet gose sub sonic things tend ot level out again.
it is a lot farhter than I would taake a 308 myself however, I have bigger stuff for that.
Ballistics discussions are great, but the biggest factor in the whole mess is the shooter!
I thhink we somettimees spend too much time worrying about the "best" cartridge and not enough time actually shooting.....
Myself, i wouldn't even HOLD a rifle chambered in 243 Winchester unless I knew I could swear the winesses to secrecy!! ( but then, I hate the dammed round! Just me, however)
Cat
cat
There is a story in Precision shooting at 1,000 yards about a couple of feellas that are going super long on gons Stateside.
One of them uses a 308AI.
As soon as the bullet gose sub sonic things tend ot level out again.
it is a lot farhter than I would taake a 308 myself however, I have bigger stuff for that.
Ballistics discussions are great, but the biggest factor in the whole mess is the shooter!
I thhink we somettimees spend too much time worrying about the "best" cartridge and not enough time actually shooting.....
Myself, i wouldn't even HOLD a rifle chambered in 243 Winchester unless I knew I could swear the winesses to secrecy!! ( but then, I hate the dammed round! Just me, however)
Cat
cat
Well you are hating a round that plain outperforms your beloved .308 in every way. If you want to settle for second best while resenting something that works better, that would be your problem wouldn't it.
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
YUP, my problem !
The 308 BTW, is not my favorite cartridge, and it doesn't really matter if I like the 243 or not, there is always someone with something better than the next guy, that is one reason why we have som many different cartridges.
Besides, it is not the dcartridge that will outperform, it is the man behind it.
Many unpopular rounds rounds have won matches because of the person shooting them!
I have some very good reasons not to like the 243, I do like the 6mm caliber though. (Don't own one of those at the moment either, but have a barrel off a B78 in 6mm Rem that is a very good one.)
cat
The 308 BTW, is not my favorite cartridge, and it doesn't really matter if I like the 243 or not, there is always someone with something better than the next guy, that is one reason why we have som many different cartridges.
Besides, it is not the dcartridge that will outperform, it is the man behind it.
Many unpopular rounds rounds have won matches because of the person shooting them!
I have some very good reasons not to like the 243, I do like the 6mm caliber though. (Don't own one of those at the moment either, but have a barrel off a B78 in 6mm Rem that is a very good one.)
cat
