18" to 20" 243 barrel ?

[Tugboater]

Ive read some stuff about this and it looks like there are mixed reviews. I was going to turn my 243 into a long bomber but i am thinking of switching plans. i have a thunderbeast suppresser on the way and im thinking of turning it into a short suppressed fast handling yote gun. i dont really do any shooting past 800 yards so... i know i will lose some velocity but im going to try and load for 87gr to 105gr. what do you guys have for shortys in a 243 and do you like them? is this a good idea or am i Just an idiot

 

[Bear24]

It will work but a cartridge like the 6x47 or 6 dasher would be better at those lengths. It would be a sweet hunting rig with a can ether way


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nashlaw]

Similar question asked recently. I run a 1-8 twist at 20" and LOVE it! As I have said in earlier posts, I don't lob 'em long, so velocity loss is not of great concern for me. What I really like about it is the reduced recoil compared to my .30 calibers and handling. Twenty inches is my favorite barrel length for general shooting. I run mainly #6 (lt target) and #7 (M40/M24) contours and having any more than 20" inches of barrel on my rifles makes balance an issue... too muzzle heavy.

 

[Ewen]

I run an 18" 1in7 twist Lothar in my DTA Covert. I call it my Q gun set up as it is tiny but with the 105 bergers with varget behind them is more than capable to 1000m. It freaks people out and shoots like a laser.

I love it so much I have another pile of barrels ready for when I kill this one (which may not be too long, one disadvantage of .243)

Ewen

 

[Tugboater]

I mostly shoot 87gr vld and 87gr vmax at a little over 3000fps. it just seems like it would be easier to handle with a 20" barrel than a 24" barrel with a 7" suppressor on it. i Would like to think i shoot long range but the truth is i just dont. i pack a big heavy rifle around hunting yotes. I have read other posts about this and thought i would bring it up again. thanks to all so far.

 

[tt66]

I had a Remington 700 VLS in .243 Win. Beautiful rifle, but I never used it because of the 26" heavy barrel. I recently sent it to Russell at Scout Supply Co, he did his magic on it and cut the barrel to 16.5". It is now bedded in a Manners T5 and it is one of my favorite rifles. I am shooting 105 Amax's with IMR4350. I hardly ever shoot past 250yd and the range that I belong to only goes to 350. It fits my needs perfectly.

 

[Tugboater]

I had a Remington 700 VLS in .243 Win. Beautiful rifle, but I never used it because of the 26" heavy barrel. I recently sent it to Russell at Scout Supply Co, he did his magic on it and cut the barrel to 16.5". It is now bedded in a Manners T5 and it is one of my favorite rifles. I am shooting 105 Amax's with IMR4350. I hardly ever shoot past 250yd and the range that I belong to only goes to 350. It fits my needs perfectly.

But it should be capable of say 600 to 700 yards? What velocity's are you getting?

 

[onethousandmeters]

Also, most standard Remington barrels in .243 are a slower 1:9.25 or so twist, so how does that affect the 105gr rounds? What kind of groups at just 200 are you getting with that? I like the 107 (just 2 grs different), but LOVED the .243 cartridge. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[tt66]

My barrel is the factory 1:9.125" twist. I do not have a chrono to test the velocity, but is shoots in the 1/2 - 3/4 MOA range when I do my part. The load that I have settled on is 38.5gr IMR 4350 with the 105 Amax. I have some of the 107 SMK, but I have not had a chance to test them.

 

[onethousandmeters]

tt66, THANKS!!!!!!!!!

I was always under the impression (from reading on here, anyways), that I needed at least a 1:8 twist, preferably the 1:7.5 twist for the 107gr. I like the the 107, but I also have a LOT of 75 and 95gr bullets as well from when I shot .243. I do miss that caliber, and would like the idea of a short, 18" rifle for how nice that would handle. Thanks again for sharing your experiences.

 

[bbcellars]

I have a 20" 6mm Creedmoor that Spartan built, and I love it. Built it as a truck gun. Super handy and shoots 105's at 3010 with 42 grains of H4350. Have taken it out to 1200 yards...

 

[Pinkycatcher]

My factory 700 won't stabilize the HDY 105gr HPBT. Some people have had luck with the 105 AMaxes though.

 

[texote]

I mostly shoot 87gr vld and 87gr vmax at a little over 3000fps. it just seems like it would be easier to handle with a 20" barrel than a 24" barrel with a 7" suppressor on it. i Would like to think i shoot long range but the truth is i just dont. i pack a big heavy rifle around hunting yotes. I have read other posts about this and thought i would bring it up again. thanks to all so far.

What load you using for the 87 vmax?

 

[Tugboater]

What load you using for the 87 vmax?

Im using 37.1gr of imr 4064 at right about 3000fps. that is my accuracy load.

 

[onethousandmeters]

My factory 700 won't stabilize the HDY 105gr HPBT. Some people have had luck with the 105 AMaxes though.

I've used the 107gr Nosler Custom Comp and in a .243 I had before, I took it out to 1000, but that was on a 20" Shilen Match barrel I had installed with 1:8 twist. I've not tried the 105 Amax bullets, but would be interested in seeing how they did on a factory 700 barrel. Food for thought, either way.

 

[Niles Coyote]

My experience with the R700 varmint and its 1:9.125 twist factory barrel.
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...56-update-243-remington-sps-varmint-105s.html

The good news it if the 105’s don’t work there are others that will in the 87-95 range while being 1k capable... 600 would be easy as pie.

FWIW, I don't know why but 105 Hornady BTHP refuse to work consistently well in my rifle while 105 Hornady A-max will... that is to say until I reach about 900 rounds. I've been to busy to play with my load and see if it just needs to be tweaked or if my good days are over with the bore.

 

[Tugboater]

ok. so it sounds like those of you that do have a 243 with a short barrel really like them. my Thunderbeast can should be here in a few months, ive been told that with a short barrel it wont be quiet. is that bull shit or true. i hope its bull shit otherwise whats the point.

 

[Niles Coyote]

ok. so it sounds like those of you that do have a 243 with a short barrel really like them. my Thunderbeast can should be here in a few months, ive been told that with a short barrel it wont be quiet. is that bull shit or true. i hope its bull shit otherwise whats the point.

As long as the bullet is supersonic you will always have the crack as the bullet goes down range but your bang (muzzle report) will be reduced.

 

[onethousandmeters]

Not sure how the .243 short barrel will work, but I had a 16" 'Shorty' in .308 and the blast was horrendous. NO ONE wanted to be around me at the range when I would shoot it. However, I also had an outstanding muzzle brake, which I'm sure also contributed to its immense noise, but the fact still remained: that short of a barrel wasn't enough to burn all the powder in the barrel, so it finished just outside it! LOL!

 

[tt66]

I have an 18" .308 Remington 700, the 16.5" .243 and a 16.5" .223 Remington 700. The short 243 has a good bit more bark than it did at 26". It is louder than the .308, but it is not offensive to be around. I do not have brakes on anything.

 

[Tugboater]

This rifle once I get the supresor will always be on it! I talked to the guys at Thunderbeast and they assured me it would be fine.

 

[Jackcrow73]

I have an 18" 243. It's a pretty much stock savage 11 with a cut-down barrel. It's very light and handy. I have shot the 95 gr berger VLD at about 2800 FPS, but I wasn't pushing it. The downsides are that it is very loud (I don't have a brake on it) and it has more recoil than I thought it would. Overall, it's a good gun for a specific purpose, but it has it's drawbacks.

 

[Capt Beach]

While your having the barrel cut back to whatever length you end up on consider having your smith rechamber it to 243AI...velocity gains might offset the velocity loss with cutting the barrel back...

 

[Tugboater]

While your having the barrel cut back to whatever length you end up on consider having your smith rechamber it to 243AI...velocity gains might offset the velocity loss with cutting the barrel back...

Not a bad idea. I have thought of that and am not sure witch way I'm going to go. I do know that I will be sending it to Longrifles Inc.

 

[texote]

While your having the barrel cut back to whatever length you end up on consider having your smith rechamber it to 243AI...velocity gains might offset the velocity loss with cutting the barrel back...

That's exactly what I did. I haven't shot it yet, but I figured making it an Ackley wouldn't hurt. I wanted to go with a 16.5 in barrel, but I was afraid it'd be too loud.

 

[hahco]

If you've got a suppressor on it, that will solve the concussion issue. At that point, it's just a matter of deciding if you can live with the velocity loss. I'm a big fan of shawty's from the carryability standpoint, not as much a fan from the shooting standpoint.

I can tell you that the .243 from an 18.5" unsuppressed barrel creates a concussion that you can feel all the way to the center of your brain, even with foam earplugs in, when shooting from a covered range.

 

[Tugboater]

If you've got a suppressor on it, that will solve the concussion issue. At that point, it's just a matter of deciding if you can live with the velocity loss. I'm a big fan of shawty's from the carryability standpoint, not as much a fan from the shooting standpoint.

I can tell you that the .243 from an 18.5" unsuppressed barrel creates a concussion that you can feel all the way to the center of your brain, even with foam earplugs in, when shooting from a covered range.

I think I can live with velocity loss at 150-200fps.It's going to be a coyote rig. I think and am not sure, but should do well out to 600. I don't plan on shooting it without a can! I bet it would rattle my brains.

 

[Captain Kirk]

20" is fine for the 243, you can still stay supersonic to around 1400 yds with the right bullet/load. I personally wouldnt go any shorter than that, the 243 really shines with velocity behind it, your just going to remove one of the best attributes the 243 offers by cutting off too much barrel.

 

[Tugboater]

20" is fine for the 243, you can still stay supersonic to around 1400 yds with the right bullet/load. I personally wouldnt go any shorter than that, the 243 really shines with velocity behind it, your just going to remove one of the best attributes the 243 offers by cutting off too much barrel.

thanks for the input captain. 20" is as short as im going to go.