.243 Coyote Lite

[Jim1011]

Just purchased a .243 M70 coyote lite - my first .243 after a lot of years w/ a 22-250. I purchased some Winchester factory rounds to get started fireforming brass. Shot great at 100 yds, right under an inch. I thought this would be a cinche to bleed some more accuracy out.

FYI, I've already changed out the trigger spring in the MOA trigger assembly. I'd rather have the old M70 trigger anytime.

Bought some Hornady 22420 75 grn v-max, split a cartridge neck, put a bullet in and started looking for the riflings. Can't get to the riflings and still get a caliber of bullet seat.

Tried some Sierra and same thing. Even bought an RCBS cartridge guage and the chamber at the datum line and the headspace is right at min specs. The chamber length is out a bit at +.015, but that just means less trimming to me. Haven't Cerro cast the throat yet.

After years with .308s, 22-250s, 7mms, and .280s, this is the first time I haven't been able to seat on the riflings.

Is this something that's typical to the .243 - maybe a long throat? According to the SAMMI specs and after playing with a bullet comparator (geeze, all that math), I think I should be able to reach riflings. Although I can minimize the bullet jump quite a bit, I've still got some and that bothers me.

Maybe I should move on up in weight until I get there or else shoot out this barrell and then get it right on the next one.

Any advise on the .243?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[farmboy]

I have been loading for the 243 for quite awhile. The very first one I loaded for I couldn't get anywhere close to the lands. It made no difference. My go to load of 42gr Big Game behind a 70gr SMK shot concistantly at .3" at 100 from this gun. I had less than a cal of bullet in the case.

That load has killed a lot of predators over the years without a bobble. For me, if a gun won't shoot that load it isn't going to shoot.

Best of luck!!

 

[CanusLatransSnpr]

I'm going to have to say your chamber has a long throat Jim! I have a McGowen barrel with a fresh .243 SAAMI spec chamber, less than 50 rounds through it, and I can almost reach the rifling with a 55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip. Were that bullet a flat base bullet, I think I could. Also I have heard of guys, myself included, getting away with only .100" of bullet in the neck and still shooting just fine. Make sure you have a .002" of neck tension and you will be fine. Another very accurate bullet to try is the 70gr. Speer TNT. That bullet on top of 46 grains of H414 jumped just .005" shoots .25 MOA at 100 for me consistently! Good luck with that new rifle!

Mike

 

[Kenny474]

Towards the end of my 6-.284's life, I only had .100 of bullet in the neck with no loss of accuracy. I had even pushed them farther out later on as well, but by then the barrel was so toasted it didn't matter as it just wouldn't shoot for beans anymore. But it was due to severe erosion, fire-cracking and 1200+ rounds of hot ammo, not seating bullets out too far.

If you can hit lands with even .150" in the neck, try it out and see how it does. Just stick 'em out as far as they need to be and give it a shot. If it's not accurate, just seat deeper in the neck. Either way, just go with what shoots best.

And yes, occasionally a factory chamber will have an overly deep throat. Just something that happens.

Kenny

 

[243jimb]

I had exactly the same problem when I first started with the 243. My eventual solution was to replace the barrel and have it chambered without a throat then have a reamer just touch the throat very lightly. This was set up to use the 55gr Noslers. A cheaper option is to have the barrel set back a few threads and rechambered using a reamer with no throat or lead just using what little remains of the original one. For this you have to find a gunsmith willing to grind off the throat area of his reamer. Or you could have it without any throat whatsoever, similar to the WSMs. What you have to be aware of is that as you go up in bullet weight the pressures will be much higher than with a standard throat, tread carefully!

Jim.