243 Win with a fast twist

[Rob01]

You will be just fine with a fast twist .243. 1000 yards will be easy for it.

 

[Jeff Porter]

John Whidden has been very successful with a .243 in Long Range.
I have a .243 gas gun that is way more accurate than a gas gun should be with 108 ELDM and his load of N160

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[spaniel]

It's a great cartridge to 1000 yards, though you won't win matches against things like 284Win. I started F-Class with a 243AI hunting rifle, I didn't do bad at all. Just lost a few more points to wind is all.

 

[Infrequent Shooter]

Build it. It will impress you. My custom build 243AI BR 700 has a 1 - 7.5 TW 26 inch Krieger barrel and I shoot up to the 115 gr. Bergers @ 1/4 MOA and 80 gr. Bergers @ 1/4 MOA at 100 yds. as well. Hoping to get it out to longer ranges soon.

this rifle deserves its own story. need history, stories and building thoughts.

 

[22vartarg]

So the barrel was delivered yesterday. It’s the Shilen with a 1:7.5 twist, ratchet rifled 4 groove, 28 inches long. Will be putting it on a Bighorn Origin action and mounting it in a MDT chassis. Picked up some Vihtavuori N160 Powder and have plenty of Sierra 107 gr. MatchKings on hand. Just have to get it put together hopefully over the weekend, mount the optic and see what it will do.

 

[Bill Norris]

this rifle deserves its own story. need history, stories and building thoughts.

Thought I'd respond to Infrequent Shooter here and give a tiny bit of history so far on this rifle. As of now it has a 200 round count on it and shoots most anything I feed it from 80 gr. Bergers up to the 115 gr. Bergers as shown in the post above really well. I shoot this rifle the least of any I have trying to take good care of the barrel. As listed in the description below Zack Donovant is the Builder of it and all my rifles as well. As long as he is building rifles he will continue to be my builder. Comparing his work as can be seen in the pics to a couple of un-named supposedly Top Builders in the past he wins hands down. No need to mention names so I won't but it would be great if all Builders paid as much attention to detail and workmanship as Zack does. Anyway, maybe sometime in the future I will have some stories created by this fine piece of work to share.

OLD DOMINION CUSTOM RIFLE BUILD 243AI REM 700 (WSMNUT)
================================================================
ACTION - Rem 700 S A Blue Print
BOLT - Spiral Flute w/custom knob PTG Alum. F/P Assembly w/Tubb Duo-Springs
CHAMBER - .243 A I .060 Free Bore .274 No Turn Neck
TRIGGER - Jewell B R w/safety and bolt release "C" spring installed
LUG - PTG .2285 Tapered
BARREL - Krieger 26 " L V 1 - 7.5 Tw. Target Crown w/ E C Tuner/Brake
STOCK - Revolution by Keystone Lam. wood B R w/3 in. Forearm
SCOPE - Arken EP-5 5 x 25 x 56 MOA W/20 MOA BASE
================================================================

 

[Drop Port]

Thinking of building a 243 Win with a 1:8 or 1:7.5 twist barrel for long range at 1000 yards. Shooting 105 to 110 grain bullet. Main issues would be low amount of recoil, very good accuracy with hand loads, good supply of brass and staying with a 6mm bullet. Am I missing another caliber? Already have a 6mm Creedmoor.

243 is a great cartridge but since you already have a 6mm Cr------ and want low recoil and accuracy a 6br would be my pick, or a variant.

 

[Infrequent Shooter]

Thought I'd respond to Infrequent Shooter here and give a tiny bit of history so far on this rifle. As of now it has a 200 round count on it and shoots most anything I feed it from 80 gr. Bergers up to the 115 gr. Bergers as shown in the post above really well. I shoot this rifle the least of any I have trying to take good care of the barrel. As listed in the description below Zack Donovant is the Builder of it and all my rifles as well. As long as he is building rifles he will continue to be my builder. Comparing his work as can be seen in the pics to a couple of un-named supposedly Top Builders in the past he wins hands down. No need to mention names so I won't but it would be great if all Builders paid as much attention to detail and workmanship as Zack does. Anyway, maybe sometime in the future I will have some stories created by this fine piece of work to share.

OLD DOMINION CUSTOM RIFLE BUILD 243AI REM 700 (WSMNUT)
================================================================
ACTION - Rem 700 S A Blue Print
BOLT - Spiral Flute w/custom knob PTG Alum. F/P Assembly w/Tubb Duo- Springs
CHAMBER - .243 A I .060 Free Bore .274 No Turn Neck
TRIGGER - Jewell B R w/safety and bolt release "C" spring installed
LUG - PTG .2285 Tapered
BARREL - Krieger 26 " L V 1 - 7.5 Tw. Target Crown w/ E C Tuner/Brake
STOCK - Revolution by Keystone Lam. wood B R w/3 in. Forearm
SCOPE - Arken EP-5 5 x 25 x 56 MOA W/20 MOA BASE
================================================================

Mr. Norris, thank you for the info and update. Great endorsement of Old Dominion rifle builder. Very helpful for rifle-making input. Component list is super. Cheers.

 

[Bill Norris]

Mr. Norris, thank you for the info and update. Great endorsement of Old Dominion rifle builder. Very helpful for rifle-making input. Component list is super. Cheers.

Thank you Sir for the kind words.

 

[22vartarg]

I considered a 6BR but the issue of quality brass availability is what changed my mind.

 

[22vartarg]

It is all put together and looks sweet, but I have not been able to get out to the range. Got a rather severe cold, and that has limited me. Hopefully that will rectify itself soon but I thought I would share the picture. It had a MDT XRS stock and a Arken 5–25 EP-5 optic.

 

[urbanrifleman]

So the barrel was delivered yesterday. It’s the Shilen with a 1:7.5 twist, ratchet rifled 4 groove, 28 inches long. Will be putting it on a Bighorn Origin action and mounting it in a MDT chassis. Picked up some Vihtavuori N160 Powder and have plenty of Sierra 107 gr. MatchKings on hand. Just have to get it put together hopefully over the weekend, mount the optic and see what it will do.

44.5 grains of n160 with a 107 is killer.

 

[22vartarg]

I do be we have a shooter. This is from load development, 5 shot group at 100 yards. The one drop shot could have been me. Got as high as 42.7 gr of N160 but got a heavy bolt lift, so I stop there.

 

[Bill K]

You will really like it with the faster twist. You just did what the factory makers should have done with their orginal 243 Win rifle bores. Enjoy and let us see your followup with photos and group shots.

I thank everybody for their suggestions and ideas. Since I’m already set up for a factory 1:10 243 Winchester, I think I will stay in that direction because I have plenty of brass and I already have a dies set. I have ordered a faster twist barrel and will put together the build and see how it performs.

 

[SteveOak]

I thank everybody for their suggestions and ideas. Since I’m already set up for a factory 1:10 243 Winchester, I think I will stay in that direction because I have plenty of brass and I already have a dies set. I have ordered a faster twist barrel and will put together the build and see how it performs.

You will be very happy with a 243. As Rob01 said, the 243 gets a bad rap due to factory rifles with slow barrels. A nice aftermarket barrel with a twist fast enough for 115's will be great.

 

[Bill Norris]

It is all put together and looks sweet, but I have not been able to get out to the range. Got a rather severe cold, and that has limited me. Hopefully that will rectify itself soon but I thought I would share the picture. It had a MDT XRS stock and a Arken 5–25 EP-5 optic.View attachment 1421841

Nice looking rig. That Twist will handle the 115 gr. Bergers with no issues if you get around to trying them. This is typical of my 243AI with H-4831.

 

[Infrequent Shooter]

John Whidden has been very successful with a .243 in Long Range.
I have a .243 gas gun that is way more accurate than a gas gun should be with 108 ELDM and his load of N160

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Porter, that would make some good reading regarding your 243 gas gun.!

 

[mauser284]

I have done this with the 243 for Silhouette and F-Class back when David Tubb was a house hold name and dinsours ruled the Earth along with man.

The only thing standing in the way of the 243Win historicaly was the slow twist that all factory rifles came with due to SAAMI and their archaic older than Dinosaurs and Adam and Eve standards.

Even with David Tubb DTACS wind is always the enemy. On a calm day a 243WIN or 243AI will shoot inside of a lot of traditional F Open cartridges prior to the last 10 years and especially post covid.

When it comes to competition you always have to ask yourself do you want to just show up and have a great time and stay sharp or do you want to finish in the top 10? I do not compete hoping to finish in top 10 not since about early 1990's pre-college. I just do not have the time to devote to it. Today I also choose not to afford the craft on the level it would take to finish top 10. I compete for fun and to keep my skills sharp. If you want to actual place aka podium you have to go all in as if you had a terminal illness and where going to devote every moment to the endever anything else and you are unlikle to have a chance today.

The competition today is the fierist it has ever been.

The 243 and 25-06 are incredible cartridges for 1000 yards when the wind is not an issue. By todays standards the 6mm and 25's are considered mid range cartrridges for 600 yard mid range courses.

When David Tubbs won Silhouette with 243Win I was a kid or young man and I jumped on it like white on rice or stink on poop. It is my favorite cartridge to this day for coyotte up to deer. I campaigned a 243Win in Silhouette and F-Open but I would not use it today in F-Open. It is marginal for Rams in Silhouete. That said it is one of my favorite hunting cartridges even if it's competiveness is over at this stage in history. Take this with a grain of salt from a man that is almost 51 and started competing arounf 1982 in Ft. Benning Ga. with the AMU at the time as my mentors!

My Oldest son a Combat Vet loves the 243Win and his Ruger American in 243Win is the one rifle he will never sell. That is a hell of a testment comming from a GWOT veteran! When I gave him his Ruger American I gave him like 6 boxes of 109gr. Winchester Soft Point or Round Point. I did not hype it up at all. He came to that conclusion on his own.

So sum up 243Win is not competitive today no matter waht twist you use at F-Open level! For everything outside of 1000 yards and beyound the lowly 243Win and 243AI and the 6mm CM deserve some attention!

 

[G Love]

I use to shoot a 243 factory sako. Switched from factory to a custom built in 6SLR. Pushing 105s in an 8twist. It shoots scary little groups.

Last summer I built a 6T for my son on a 7.5twist to shoot the 88grn hammers and 105 bergers. It shoots them both very well, just not with the speed of the 6SLR. I'm still a huge advocate of the 6SLR. It gives you velocity with a long neck and 30 degree shoulder, its basically a 6xc long.

Brass is easy too, just run your brass through a sizing die and it does everything, you have to run new brass through a die anyhow to straighten out the necks, so why not make something of the trip. Just cheap 243 brass reshouldered with a long neck.

There is another one called the 6 CM (competition match) not creedmoor! It utilizes a 243 brass also but blows out the shoulder to 31 degrees, so fireforming is involved, much like a 243AI at 40 degrees.

I did a ton of research on 6mm performance and all the benefits turn back to the 6slr. Its just easy.

Xdeano

You don't have to turn the necks? I've read a lot about the SLR and it seemed the general consensus was that Win brass was the only brass that had consistnet thickness throughout. Lapua and the like had to be neck turned. If that isn't the case I would def take some interest in an SLR.

 

[Rubberduckie]

It is all put together and looks sweet, but I have not been able to get out to the range. Got a rather severe cold, and that has limited me. Hopefully that will rectify itself soon but I thought I would share the picture. It had a MDT XRS stock and a Arken 5–25 EP-5 optic.View attachment 1421841

I built something very similar this year. 6 slr, on defiance action, shilen sm 8 twist with a sightron scope. I've struggled with brass. My reamer has 275 neck and I was under the impression it's a no turn size. That hasnt been the case. So getting out to play with it has been hampered. I'm considering having it set back to standard 243, so I can just load and play.