Looking to get a new 243. The miss likes shooting her 243 at 100 yards and wants tot step it up. She has shot 243 for years, so I can't seem to sway her into another caliber. I was thinking about getting her a new rifle built since she wants to get into long range. She wants to shoot factory ammo. Whats some factory loads to look at and what rate of twist should I look for in a barrel? Thanks in advance.
- Thread starter BigRed308
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Consider 6mm Creedmoor. Pretty much the same thing but with many more match ammo offerings.
Buy her a .243 and the cheap factory ammo and when she is missing at long range tell her it's from the garbage ammo and she wanted a .243. LOL Either that or start loading her ammo.
My Gen1 Ruger Precision is .243Win with a 1:7.5 twist and stabilizes 70 to 115 grain bullets very well. I haven't tried anything lighter that the 70 grainers. As Temper indicated in his reply, finding heavy bullet long range match ammo for the .243 Winchester may be kind of difficult. The following thread here in the Hide already covered this topic.
Take her out to long range with the rifle she is shooting now, with the ammo she is shooting now. Explain to her that the limitation is not the rifle but the ammo. If she still wants 243, remind her that she will need to start reloading to enjoy quality ammunition.
Google search for " .243 match ammo " yields this:
Go with 6CM
Go with 6CM
Trust me, if it were me. Id be debating 6.5 vs 6cm. But you know how the opposite gender can be.
I guess I should specify. Long range to her is 750 yards or so. She enjoys shooting groups at 100 yards. No plans to ever compete, if she did, I'd give her one of my rifles. Just an all around varmint/ target gun.
I wouldn't think it would require a real heavy projectile to shoot to 750. Maybe I'm wrong. My experience is in the 308 loads. School me if I am off.
I looked at copper creek. Somewhat pricey/somewhat reasonable, matter of opinion.
Anyone tried these? Clearly cheaper elsewhere.
www.federalpremium.com
I guess I should specify. Long range to her is 750 yards or so. She enjoys shooting groups at 100 yards. No plans to ever compete, if she did, I'd give her one of my rifles. Just an all around varmint/ target gun.
I wouldn't think it would require a real heavy projectile to shoot to 750. Maybe I'm wrong. My experience is in the 308 loads. School me if I am off.
I looked at copper creek. Somewhat pricey/somewhat reasonable, matter of opinion.
Anyone tried these? Clearly cheaper elsewhere.
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www.federalpremium.com copper creek makes some 243 match loads, but its also $50 per box
Hornady has their ELD-X ammo, its a 90 grain bullet though. That's probably the closest factory match option
Hornady has their ELD-X ammo, its a 90 grain bullet though. That's probably the closest factory match option
Scrap the factory ammo and get her a 243AI, still 243, but 10% faster. You'll have to load for it (can start with factory 243 and fire form) but you can get it cooking.
It's a sexy beast, and did I mention it is 243?
It's a sexy beast, and did I mention it is 243?
The issue is she’s lookinf for a do all 243. Groundhogs to yotes to deer and some target shooting. Hence why I was looking in the 90-100 grain projectiles.
So no one has ran any factory 243 with good accuracy? Not necessarily match grade but 1/2 to 3/4 moa at 100?
So no one has ran any factory 243 with good accuracy? Not necessarily match grade but 1/2 to 3/4 moa at 100?
Splain to her that the 6mm Creedmoor is actually a 243 Creedmoor, but to match up with the MIL scopes everyone is using for long range now, they need to give the bullet size a metric designation. Its all very complicated and you wouldn't have time to explain it fully..... 
Buy the 6 Creed and tell her it's a .243.... most guys can bring a new black gun home every month and unless she looks at the bank she'll never know.
If she catches you trying to pull a fast one then she's a keeper.
If she catches you trying to pull a fast one then she's a keeper.
Technically a 6mm is a 243, and 243 is a 6mm.
That would make it a "243 Creedmore", or something.
That would make it a "243 Creedmore", or something.
Maybe at 100 but a corelokt doesnt fly too well at distance. But they make other goo dbullets that do. They just dont put them in 243 brass for less than 50 bucks a box.
You can afford to buy 2x as much good 6 creed match ammo as you can good 243 ammo.
And you can pretend the gun store guy burned you. "Damn it, no returns, guess we gotta shoot it honey."
Let me ask this. What does it take to switch her 243 700 to a 6cm?
Just a barrel?
Just a barrel?
Yep. Pretty much all of the popular medium sized rounds use the same bolt face. 6/BR/6Gay Tiger/243/260/308/22=250/6/6.5 creed 30/06 all same bolt face.
Have her choose between these two diagrams
If she cant justify one over the other to you then she cant justify her choice of a 243 either meaning she should just go creed for the ammo availability.
If she cant justify one over the other to you then she cant justify her choice of a 243 either meaning she should just go creed for the ammo availability.
It really is probably just as simple as explaining to her, you can get better ammo for half the cost. She likes money, right? LOL
Take her to the store to buy the ammo. IF… a big if … they have any at all, compare the prices of a case.
That said, I have a factory 243 that shoots tiny groups with 105 Amax hand loads and very good groups with factory 100 gr core-lokt. Had it out to 900+ a couple times with the Amax But I hand load for it.
The 6 CM ammo isn’t stocked at all in my area, when I tell folks I shoot one, everyone says “you mean a 6.5”. They’ve never seen one.
You could just have her shoot one a couple times to see how she likes it. Or compare the two cartridges next to each other. Same-same for hunting or medium ranges.
That said, I have a factory 243 that shoots tiny groups with 105 Amax hand loads and very good groups with factory 100 gr core-lokt. Had it out to 900+ a couple times with the Amax But I hand load for it.
The 6 CM ammo isn’t stocked at all in my area, when I tell folks I shoot one, everyone says “you mean a 6.5”. They’ve never seen one.
You could just have her shoot one a couple times to see how she likes it. Or compare the two cartridges next to each other. Same-same for hunting or medium ranges.
Here are a couple of links to cheap loads that would cross for LR and hunting. The second link is for GECO/RUAG which is a proven manufacturer.
www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com
www.foundryoutdoors.com
Perfecta 243 WIN 100 gr Soft Point 20/Box
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I agree with the above, life is much easier if you just go with 6mm Creed to start.
Then again I'm not always the brightest bulb on the tree... Got the 243 last year because I reload, but time to play my games is getting harder to come by this year and reloading isn't how I want to spend it. Pic is all of the semi-reasonably priced high BC options I thought might be worth a shot before I toss the barrel for a 6mm Creed. I'll let you know the results this weekend.
Then again I'm not always the brightest bulb on the tree... Got the 243 last year because I reload, but time to play my games is getting harder to come by this year and reloading isn't how I want to spend it. Pic is all of the semi-reasonably priced high BC options I thought might be worth a shot before I toss the barrel for a 6mm Creed. I'll let you know the results this weekend.
Sounds familiar, I bought an RPR in 243 when I couldn't find one in 6.5CM. I'll be damned if it isn't one of the best factory barrels I've ever shot. I thought I would just shoot the barrel and out replace it with 6.5CM but I'm having such a good time I might just stick with 243. If factory ammo was more reasonable, I wouldn't give it a second thought.
Spark Munitions has 243 match using 95 and 107 match kings. Not sure on price, but I'm thinking the 95gr was around $30+ a box when I looked. I've been wanting to try a box but haven't had a chance.
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www.midwayusa.com There's quite a variety of factory ammo listed here with 90 grain bullets or heavier. You just have to do a search so you can see for yourself. Spark Munitions would be the other place I'd look too since they usually have quality loads.
As far as twist rate goes, i would personally like something twisted fast, anywhere from 8 to 7.25. However, not many factory offerings come like that. I've never owned or shot .243 so I can't tell you how a 10 twist will stabilize anything near or around, plus or minus the 100 grain zone.
I did however just place an order for a .243 that I'm still not sure if I'll end up keeping. If I do, I might run Fusion 100 grain for hunting and possibly try loads from Spark.
Good luck!
Just because a bullet is heavier than 90grns doesn't make it a long range bullet.
Bottom line is it will cost more to shoot the .243 with factory match ammo with the small amount of factory offerings for actual long range ammo. If you don't want to load then plan on spending more money.
Bottom line is it will cost more to shoot the .243 with factory match ammo with the small amount of factory offerings for actual long range ammo. If you don't want to load then plan on spending more money.
Exactly, a bullet heavier than 90 grains doesn't mean much if it wasn't designed specifically for LR but I also think that heavier bullets will be pushed around LESS in the wind. In the link I posted, there's a ton of ammo options, most of which were designed for hunting. Because the OP is looking into .243 and not 6CM, he will have to look at what is available for that particular chambering. I also recommended Spark Munitions as others have done so too. I think that is probably the better option though.
If a 100g bullet has a lower B.C than a 90g bullet, the 100g should drift more in the wind. Its about the B.C not the weight.
I agree that 6mm creed would be a better choice but if you stick with 243 try some of that Geco 105 sp ammo. I have had good luck with geco ammo from a accuracy standpoint and it is cheap.
Buddy of mine tried that with a different hobby, and no, she, might not be able to tell one from the other, but she can count.
Lol, that's why we buy a big safe for all those files and fire protection! I guess not all hobbies can fit in a safe...
Yup he could go with Spark and get a box at $32 as I mentioned and going at only 2800fps for a 107 SMK. Anyway to look at it the .243 is a hand loaders round for long range. You are giving up to much performance and money if you plan to use it with factory ammo.
Sounds like she just wants to spend your money!
Now's the time to push for the 6CM... Or hell, nobody shoots that dirty old 308 anymore, its too outdated.I thought the reason for the 243 was because that’s what everyone else used around here on deer. Being like everyone else was part of the reasoning, no?
Perhaps now is the time to introduce a new hobby? We need one to agree on, so we don’t spoil the ones we don’t.
Hornady Factory 6 CreedMoor 108 ELD M can be had for $25ish/box. I just bought some from Mile High last week on sale. It's going 50 fps slower than the DTACs I used to load in 243, but shoots great - and I don't have to waste my weekends! Inside 800 I can't tell the difference in my handholds and Hornady Factory as far as accuracy.
Trust me, if it were me. Id be debating 6.5 vs 6cm. But you know how the opposite gender can be.
I guess I should specify. Long range to her is 750 yards or so. She enjoys shooting groups at 100 yards. No plans to ever compete, if she did, I'd give her one of my rifles. Just an all around varmint/ target gun.
I wouldn't think it would require a real heavy projectile to shoot to 750. Maybe I'm wrong. My experience is in the 308 loads. School me if I am off.
I looked at copper creek. Somewhat pricey/somewhat reasonable, matter of opinion.
Anyone tried these? Clearly cheaper elsewhere.
Buy Berger Hybrid Hunter for USD 56.99 | Federal Ammunition
Shopping for the Berger Hybrid Hunter - Learn more about the latest Berger Hybrid Hunter and other hunting or shooting gear at Federal Ammunition.
Hornady 87gr V-max will be about as good as it gets for factory ammo to 750 yards.
Yup it can and works great. In my 6 Creed it is at about 3020fps and has shot great to past 1000 in matches. I load my .243 right in that same area. It's a good velocity area where you get good performance but don't eat barrels as fast as guys pushing 3200fps.
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