Just curious: Would it make any sense to build one chambered for the .243 Win.? Your thoughts positive or negative. Thanks in advance for your observations.
.243 Win. for the AR platform.
- Thread starter W8RZ
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The only negative I can think of is that 243 will burn a barrel out a lot faster than a 308. I would want an 8 twist as well so I could use the heavier match bullets otherwise you are limited to the lighter varmint/hunting style bullets.
Thanks Dirty Dave! I had a model 700 sporter chambered in the .243 when I was a kid (teenager!) and I had a ball shooting it. Since the .243 is one of the offspring of the .308 Win., I was just thinking it would be a great setup for varmint hunting as well as general plinking without moving up to a .308 which I am a big fan of but consider it to be just a "tad much" for varmint size critters! I haven't ruled out just going with a .223 but still leaning more toward the .243.
BCP, I agree with you on the heavier bullets. I've always been a fan of the 100 - 105 grain loads but understand that there are many who prefer those below 100. With comparable MV's, wouldn't the .223 barrel wear out pretty quickly as well? Granted, the .243 is a bit hotter but is the barrel life expectancy of the .223 that much better (by leaps and bounds?)
It's hard for me to say a number but 3000-6000 would be a good guess. If you get a barrel that is nitride treated it should last a bit longer too.
Barrels are worn out by heat. 243 you have an overbore cartridge so it's harder on the throat than say a 308 and then since it's a semi auto you are shooting say 20 rounds at a time. That's why I think it would wear out an AR barrel a lot faster.
Plus some old fart at a gun show told me his went after 1500 rounds and old farts at gun shows are never wrong.
Barrels are worn out by heat. 243 you have an overbore cartridge so it's harder on the throat than say a 308 and then since it's a semi auto you are shooting say 20 rounds at a time. That's why I think it would wear out an AR barrel a lot faster.
Plus some old fart at a gun show told me his went after 1500 rounds and old farts at gun shows are never wrong.
As you suggest, believing anyone selling something at a gun show is like believing someone selling something at a carnival. Its foolish.
Do it, the 243 I mean. So what if barrel life is less than inferior performing cartridges. That's why. 243 outperforms them. No free lunch. Ever.
Tires on a stock Dodge K car will last longer than tires on a Z06 Corvette. Which one would you rather drive?
Get it. Shoot it. Enjoy it.
Use coated bullets if you wish, or not. Sufficient loaded ammo of precise grades available from Copper Creek, et al. Or, load hot or moderately. You get to choose.
Do it, the 243 I mean. So what if barrel life is less than inferior performing cartridges. That's why. 243 outperforms them. No free lunch. Ever.
Tires on a stock Dodge K car will last longer than tires on a Z06 Corvette. Which one would you rather drive?
Get it. Shoot it. Enjoy it.
Use coated bullets if you wish, or not. Sufficient loaded ammo of precise grades available from Copper Creek, et al. Or, load hot or moderately. You get to choose.
Great post Casey, most people aren't gonna shoot the barrel out within a couple years of shooting. Love the .243's I've built, they are hammers on coyotes.
I had a DPMS 243 with the 20" barrel.
I got 105 Amax to work in the 10 twist at distance however I live at 7000 feet. The velocity was low though in the high 2700's. It was reliable and grouped just over a inch.
In contrast my 26" 6mmART 40 degree got 2875fps with the same bullet in a 26" barrel with 30.2 grains of powder.
If you were building the 243 for long range I suggest getting a longer barrel. For that same purpose and getting better barrel life and same or higher BC + more energy I suggest a 6.5 of some sort. I'd rather have 6.5 or 7mm in large frame with a short barrel personally.
I got 105 Amax to work in the 10 twist at distance however I live at 7000 feet. The velocity was low though in the high 2700's. It was reliable and grouped just over a inch.
In contrast my 26" 6mmART 40 degree got 2875fps with the same bullet in a 26" barrel with 30.2 grains of powder.
If you were building the 243 for long range I suggest getting a longer barrel. For that same purpose and getting better barrel life and same or higher BC + more energy I suggest a 6.5 of some sort. I'd rather have 6.5 or 7mm in large frame with a short barrel personally.
Thanks to everyone for your input. There isn't a better group of people anywhere when it comes to getting answers and opinions related to the sport!
Unless you are dead set on the 243, the 6 Creedmore will fly the same bullets at nearly the same velocities but is set up better for the auto platform in case design.
I've got an older Armslite -10T with a 26" Mike Rock Bbl. I haven't tried the heavier VLD's in it, but it is wickedly accurate out to 400 yds with a variety of bullets. I may have to as im at 5200 ele. Keep your rate of fire down and you'll extend the life of your bbl. Brass is common and cheap, unless you're using Lapua or Nosler or Norma...well, it used to be.
A couple of things... if you want to stick with the AR 15 platform (rather than the 10), you can either go with .243 WSSM from Dedicated Technology (DTech) or a Grendel-based cartridge like the 6mmAR turbo improved (if that ain't a mouthful; 6mmar.com).
OTOH, I fully understand the desire to go with .243Win, as brass is more readily available than the other two I mentioned above (and can be formed from .308 brass, to boot).
OTOH, I fully understand the desire to go with .243Win, as brass is more readily available than the other two I mentioned above (and can be formed from .308 brass, to boot).
I want to do the same thing. I think an 85 gr Barnes TSx would be bad business for the local hog and coyote population around here. You will not find a bullet that out performs a 58 gr Hornady superformance v-max for coyotes. As long as you are not wanting to save the pelts.
Just a note. I have several 243wssm in the AR platform. I shoot a 12 twist in all of them. I shoot the 55 to 75g pills at anywhere from 3600 to 3900 fps and I just finally shot out my first barrel with a round count of 3300. In fact the rifling was still fine it was the chamber that was burned out. Had this barrel been on a bolt rifle I could have set it back, rechambered, and kept on shooting with the same barrel.
I came in here to post this. Supposedly throat erosion is better and performance is near identical. The main problem with 243 is that the factory barrels that were offered were never twisted properly for heavier bullets if that is what you want to shoot.
I had the same dilema when I did up my ma-ten build. I felt like 308 was a little much for coyotes, and .243 is a little light for deer, and settled on the .260 rem. I still think a .243 in an AR platform would be a lot of fun.
