I am looking into building a .243 for varmints and for a starter gun for when my girl gets old enough to shoot. I have an idea of what I want but I would like some advice on what you would do if you built a .243. Or would you build something else. My goal is I want a varmint / deer gun with some distance capabilities.
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.243 build ideas
- Thread starter helopilot89
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- custom rifles
If you plan on shooting it until she is ready, I would recommend tracking your round count. .243 is a barrel burner. If using a custom barrel, there is the option to set it back when the throat is eroded by the gasses torching it. For this reason, I would suggest looking into 6.5 Creedmoor or .260 which will give you similar ballistics with a longer barrel life. In addition to barrel life, the 6.5 and .260 can be loaded with heavier bullets for hunting use (heavier bullets usually carry a higher BC as well)
As far as build ideas on either, I would suggest at least a 22" barrel to achieve the velocities that set these calibers apart from the .308. Get an adjustable stock or chassis that you can fit to her when her time comes to get behind the rifle. For your contour, a Brux #5 or Remington Varmint is a good medium for hunting and target use.
As far as actions/triggers and such, that should be personal preference, though I would suggest an adjustable trigger so that she can choose a desirable pull weight.
Good luck! Glad to see another female shooter heading for the range and I hope she enjoys it!
As far as build ideas on either, I would suggest at least a 22" barrel to achieve the velocities that set these calibers apart from the .308. Get an adjustable stock or chassis that you can fit to her when her time comes to get behind the rifle. For your contour, a Brux #5 or Remington Varmint is a good medium for hunting and target use.
As far as actions/triggers and such, that should be personal preference, though I would suggest an adjustable trigger so that she can choose a desirable pull weight.
Good luck! Glad to see another female shooter heading for the range and I hope she enjoys it!
Thanks texAZ. I have never heard the 243 been called a barrel burner but never looked into that so thanks for pointing that out. The .260 was actually on my list of options of well although I have never shot one. How is the recoil on it compared to the .243. The last thing I want is to scare my girl away from shooting and/or teach bad shooting habits because of a gun that kick a bit to much.
Depends on game and range.
I shoot a ton of varmints, three trips to Colorado just this year to do so, plent of trips in years past. Mostly prairie dogs. I started with a 40x .220 swift shooting 52/55g in a 1:14. It's good for about 500-600 yds, on not so windy days. That bullet will completely fragment and lose all its energy on impact resulting in a much more dramatic kill than with heavier bullet from a .243 or .260. The last two trips I took my AI .260 shooting 100gr varmint bullets, it did the job and wind wasn't as much a concern, but left largely recognizable varmints rather than scattered pieces of entrails.
I still shoot my .220 well, it's had a few thousand rounds through it.
Lighter and faster is better on varmints, a .243 and my .220 is what I will be using next year. If I were to use it on deer as well, a .243 would be my choice.
I shoot a ton of varmints, three trips to Colorado just this year to do so, plent of trips in years past. Mostly prairie dogs. I started with a 40x .220 swift shooting 52/55g in a 1:14. It's good for about 500-600 yds, on not so windy days. That bullet will completely fragment and lose all its energy on impact resulting in a much more dramatic kill than with heavier bullet from a .243 or .260. The last two trips I took my AI .260 shooting 100gr varmint bullets, it did the job and wind wasn't as much a concern, but left largely recognizable varmints rather than scattered pieces of entrails.
I still shoot my .220 well, it's had a few thousand rounds through it.
Lighter and faster is better on varmints, a .243 and my .220 is what I will be using next year. If I were to use it on deer as well, a .243 would be my choice.
Also, my reloading books are old enough the 6.5 creedmoor is not part of it. What are the major differences between the 6.5 creedmoor and the 6.5x284 in velocities, energey and everything else? I know the 6.5x284 is a bit much for a varmint gun but just curious with the difference between the two.
Go to your local gun store and pick up a Savage model 10. 243 predator series. Great gun. And good to learn on. Has a 24" barrel. For good ballistics and low recoil. Will kill all the deer and varmints you can hit. When/if she outgrows a 243, knock the barrel off and throw on a 260 barrel in 10 minutes. Its really easy. And it will work the same as a 243 in the magazine. Its uses the same case.
308220 the only issue i have with that is if i do go with the .243 i want to shoot at least the 105 vlds that require a 1 in 8 twist. Doesnt savage runs a 1 in 9.25 twist in their .243?
You mean like this?? [emoji4]
700 trued and built by GAP
Manners MCS-T with BDL mini chassis
24" Krieger 1/8 twist.
Thruster brake
I have got 2500+ rounds out of the last two 243 barrels, and they both ran 115 DTACs at 3k-3025 fps. They both actually were still shooting even though they lost 50 fps or so, but I did notice a little more copper build up, and the bore scope showed some significant fire cracking but they were under 1/2 MOA still. Some may consider 2500 rounds to be unacceptable, but with that level of performance and the ability to stay supersonic out to 1600 + yards with light recoil, I think it is a perfect combination.
I wouldn't call the 243 a barrel burner, but just like pushing a performance engine to the edge, you sacrifice life (wear) for peak performance.
6mm 105 vld's call for a 1 in 8 twist, also if you plan on going 115 vld's they call for a 1 in 7. Has anyone shot the 115 gr vlds out of their. 243?
Not the VLDs, but I run DTAC 115s through a 1-7.5 which also shoots the 105s very well
I had Bartlein make me a 7.7 twist barrel for my 243. Runs both the 105 Hybrid and 115 VLDs and DTACs with ease. If you need a barrel sooner rather than later a 7.5 twist will work just fine. Also, I believe GAP stocks 7.7 twist barrels so maybe a GAP Non Typical in 243 would fit the bill.
