243 win with 105s at a slower speed (2900-3000 fps), thoughts?

[mao0720]

So Im toying around the idea of putting together as mostly just a fun gun, but may use it in a practical rifle match here and there. I had a 243 for about a year a couple years ago and loved the low recoil and great ballistics. What i don't love is the relatively short barrel life. One idea I had was to load a 243 down to about 3000 fps with 105-107gr bullets. This would still afford me pretty good ballistics, but might help save on barrel wear. Has anyone here done something similar? Is this worth pursuing, or should I be looking at another cartridge like 6XC? If so what did barrel life turn out to be? Thanks for any experiences you have to share!

 

[R.Morehouse]

I don't have a barrel life round count for you but if you run H-1000 at those speeds you will definitely extend your barrel life a noticeable amount. I have a friend in Fla. that has run his 6 Comp. Match this way and has had long barrel life......I think over 3000 rounds. He may chime in here.

 

[linedrive301ft]

Running a 243 (1800 rds.) and a 6CM ( 3500 rds.) with H1000 and it has worked very well for me.
They have been run between the 2900-3000 fps spread.

 

[Dgd6mm]

So Im toying around the idea of putting together as mostly just a fun gun, but may use it in a practical rifle match here and there. I had a 243 for about a year a couple years ago and loved the low recoil and great ballistics. What i don't love is the relatively short barrel life. One idea I had was to load a 243 down to about 3000 fps with 105-107gr bullets. This would still afford me pretty good ballistics, but might help save on barrel wear. Has anyone here done something similar? Is this worth pursuing, or should I be looking at another cartridge like 6XC? If so what did barrel life turn out to be? Thanks for any experiences you have to share!

Back in '07 Jim Carr (teele1) turned me on to Joe Hendricks, the 6CM=Competition Match and H1000. This equals longer barrel life with excellent accuracy and decent speed. Joe also ran the .243 prior to the development of the 6CM for a number of years using slow burning powder. Right now I am running a .243 28" x-Caliber barrel with 105's and H1000. If this barrel serves me like my Krieger did it will go 3000 easy. I have another 6CM ready to go on another action, just haven't screwed it on yet. Go for it you will be happy.


Also linedrive and I shoot together and I can tell you his rifles are bad a$$.....

Don Dunlap

 

[spclark]

105's have several nodes ranging anywhere from 2,800 fps (6HAGAR my spacegun's chambering) up to near - maybe beyond - 3,200 fps (John Whidden's full-race 243's).

I like 'em in 6XC @ 2,975 out to 1,000 yards. Even running them on 8208XBR my chambers don't appear to be eroding particularly quickly. I shoot sling & irons so it's rare when I can 'machinegun' my way through 22 rounds, which likely helps.

 

[MarkS]

So Im toying around the idea of putting together as mostly just a fun gun, but may use it in a practical rifle match here and there. I had a 243 for about a year a couple years ago and loved the low recoil and great ballistics. What i don't love is the relatively short barrel life. One idea I had was to load a 243 down to about 3000 fps with 105-107gr bullets. This would still afford me pretty good ballistics, but might help save on barrel wear. Has anyone here done something similar? Is this worth pursuing, or should I be looking at another cartridge like 6XC? If so what did barrel life turn out to be? Thanks for any experiences you have to share!

mao0720,
I have ran a 6mm Br imp's for 15 years, the best speed for the 105 107 gr bullets is 2975 f/s. All of my guns worked out to this speed, with the best accuracy. The last 6BRX barrel I had done, I worked up the best load, it was 2975 f/s on the money. I would try speeds below 3000 f/s and see how it works.

Mark Schronce

 

[mao0720]

Back in '07 Jim Carr (teele1) turned me on to Joe Hendricks, the 6CM=Competition Match and H1000. This equals longer barrel life with excellent accuracy and decent speed. Joe also ran the .243 prior to the development of the 6CM for a number of years using slow burning powder. Right now I am running a .243 28" x-Caliber barrel with 105's and H1000. If this barrel serves me like my Krieger did it will go 3000 easy. I have another 6CM ready to go on another action, just haven't screwed it on yet. Go for it you will be happy.


Also linedrive and I shoot together and I can tell you his rifles are bad a$$.....

Don Dunlap

The 6CM has piqued my interest in the past, though not having a lot of sources for dies and reamers is less desirable to me. If I could get 3000 rounds out of a plain 243 win pushing 105 hybrids at ~ 3000 f/s I'd do it in a heartbeat.

 

[Dgd6mm]

Go with .243..... I would, wait I did......

 

[357Mag]

Mao -

Howdy !

Yeh... I did something similar.

I wanted to shoot a 6mm wildcat case w/ enough capacity for 1,000yd varmint or target work, w/ great barrel life; and not to high recoil.
My wildcat " DEEP 6 " has case capacity of 51.2gr H20, compare to .243Win @ 54gr H2O.

I also believe in shooting w/ high load densities, when it is possible.

My thought was to use a powder that not only produced good groups, but would give reasonable & useful vel while having safe pressures.
I set out to find a powder that could fill the case completely to base of chosen bullet(s), and still satisfy the goals just listed.

My rifle has a 29" SS Broughton 1-8 5"C" rifled barrel.
For my loads in my gun, I was able to fill the case w/ IMR 7828 w/ just a hint of compression, under 6mm VLD bullets of 95-107gr.
IMR7828SC would fill the case w/o needing any compression. Accuracy obtained was superb !

I also found I could very-nearly fill " DEEP 6 " cases under the same bullets; when shooting RL-22.
My personal best ever 5-shot 100yd group came when shooting RL-22 under 105s.

When I read about the new IMR4955, I was very interested in trying it out, as its listed burn rate seemed to be close to that for 7828 & RL-22.
Moreover, I wanted to use a powder w/ low temp sensitivity.

Last weekend's range cession showed that DEEP 6 loads using IMR4955 spiked on pressure much sooner than I thought they might.
Another poster here has informed that 4955 produces comparatively more pressure, due to its nitro glycerine coating ( I believe ).

My positive high load density experiences have biased me away from potential use of WW780, Superformance; and the like.
It looks like I'll be sticking w/ RL-22, as it has demonstrated solid node in the 41.5- 41.7gr range, for all 6mm bullet weights I tried from
85 - 107gr.

I DK if that helps any ?


With regards,
357Mag

 

[ncboiler]

The 6CM has piqued my interest in the past, though not having a lot of sources for dies and reamers is less desirable to me. If I could get 3000 rounds out of a plain 243 win pushing 105 hybrids at ~ 3000 f/s I'd do it in a heartbeat.

6CM reamers are out there, or prints anyway. JGS is making my reamer now and it should be done in about a week. Long Rifles Inc (LRI) makes a full length bushing die and you just use a normal 243 seating die.

 

[Dale700]

I personally like the 243 , I have been shooting one since 1970 and have a 700 that was built in 67 , my first attempt to accurately print a 243 was in 1977 with a H&R ultra mentalist, they came factory with a Douglas heavy barrel with a weird contour, fadjen stock and a shilen trigger. 1in 9.25 twist. I shot 85 Gr sierras bthp at 2750 to 2825 respectively and printed .235 at 100 and 3.90 at 400 . The barrel lasted beyond 3000 rounds and was printing fine when she went to her new home.
The truth is that the average 6mm barrel lasts approximately 38 seconds so 243 to 6 slr may give you a half second more life but all the baggage that goes with some of the wildcats is not a good trade for me.
Just shoot what you can comfortably reload for and gain confidence in . Quit sweating all the hype, have fun and shoot often.

 

[Albany Mountain]

If you can nail down a good accurate load, sure do it. Most of the time milder loads (for me), shoot better, less recoil, better barrel life.

 

[shootnjunky]

Running a 243 (1800 rds.) and a 6CM ( 3500 rds.) with H1000 and it has worked very well for me.
They have been run between the 2900-3000 fps spread.

This

 

[stacy]

243 AND DONT LOOK BACK IT WILL SHOOT 4 SURE !!!!!!!!

 

[Eric Leonard]

my fun rifle has a 243 bbl right now shooting 105 VLDH bullets and a stout load of H4350 at 3200 fps,,that is the most accurate load I tried and I love the ballistics of the 105s at 3200,,

I may get some of the new Lapua 6.5 Creedmoor brass and neck it down to 6mm and get a reamer made to match it but by the time I got everything required to switch I could get 2 more 243 bbls so I will probably stick with the 243,,

 

[long40shot]

42.4 of H4350 with a 105 a-max in my 243 gave me excellent accuracy. The speed was right at 3030fps. Barrel life was pretty good.

Matt

 

[majohnson]

6XC is a more efficient case.

The 6XC's 30-degree case shoulder retards case growth (less trimming required).

I have found that velocities attainable with the 6XC are equivalent to those attainable using .243 Winchester. Barrel life is much better than .243 Winchester due to the fact that the 6XC has about 7 grains less powder capacity.

 

[comagutsa]

i ran my old 243 with 105gr hunting vlds with 40.3gr of 2213sc (equivalent H4831) in a 27 inch HV barrel and got 2950fps and it only lasted 1000 for my bench work, i then switch to 6BR and same bullets with 30.6gr of 2208/varget at 2930fps 30inch krieger HV barrel and got 3000 rounds out of barrel and better accuracy .. ..my 243 is only a hunting gun now
just built a 6BRX so will let you know how its going once i start working up a load for it but its looking great so far even from just FF cases

 

[Dgd6mm]

Boy one thing is for sure, the powder you burn definitely makes a difference in barrel life.

 

[spclark]

... the powder you burn definitely makes a difference in barrel life.

YEP!! And how MUCH of what you use too!