Thoughts on the accuracy of a 243

[andrews1958]

What are your thoughts on a 243 as an exrtreemly accurate round for 100,300 and 600 yard benchrest shooting. Can I expect to get the same type of accuracy as that of a 6br when using nothing but the best components for brass and bullets and taking extra care with the details when reloading?? How about a 1:8 twist from a 22” barrel? Would any one like to share their experience with building or shooting one and give me some ideas? Thanks to all of you.

 

[Forum Boss]

For long-range high-power matches, John Whidden has proven that the .243 can be a winner -- as good or better than anything out there.

For 100, 300 benchrest group matches -- the 6PPC is still king at 100 and 200. Eventually, at 300 yards,we predict, more shooters will see the advantages of a 6BR or Dasher with long, high-BC bullets, at least in windy conditions. Somebody has to prove the concept first. Lou Murdica may be the guy. But remember, there are very few 300-yard BR matches. It is predominantly 100 + 200 yards, or 100m + 200m (overseas). For benchrest score matches at 100/200, go with a 30 BR and don't look back.

600 yards -- American 600-yard benchrest is currently dominated by the 6BR and its improved cousins (BRX, Dasher, BRDX). It is hard to trump accuracy. But, at the club "fun shoot" level, where you can't set a lot of windflags, a good .243 could definitely be competitive. You have to ask yourself the question however -- why burn 10-12 grains more powder in every round, and give up a significant amount of barrel life to run a .243 vs. a 6BR or 6BR improved?

 

[WyleWD]

600 yards -- American 600-yard benchrest is currently dominated by the 6BR and its improved cousins (BRX, Dasher, BRDX). It is hard to trump accuracy. But, at the club "fun shoot" level, where you can't set a lot of windflags, a good .243 could definitely be competitive. You have to ask yourself the question however -- why burn 10-12 grains more powder in every round, and give up a significant amount of barrel life to run a .243 vs. a 6BR or 6BR improved?

andrews1958- JMHO, but when you said "extremely accurate" for 100-600 yd matches you all but eliminated the 243. I love the round and will never be without one, but when it comes to shooting matches, and especially matches that require more than about half a dozen shots per relay, definately go with the 6br or one of its offspring such as the Dasher or BRX. The 6xc is not a bad choice either.

Agree with the Forum boss. WD

 

[wapiti25]

The smaller cases foul the bore less, and match the powder burn conditions better for consistancy. You also have velocity nodes for accuracy, the trend is to use just enough powder. The OCW comes in here. Remington had a chart of the best accuracy of the 40X rifles, that showed the 222REM was more accurate at short range and the 300 mag was the least. Bigger is not always better. The 6 PPC is king for short range bench rest and the 6 BR is only 10 percent bigger, both have equal brass now.

 

[normmatzen]

From your question, I am guessing you already have a 243 with 22" barrel and 1 in 8 twist?

I started in BR shooting 3 years ago with a 243, 28" barrel with 1 in 8 twist. I chose to use velocities similar to the 6BR and used H1000 powder for longevity purposes.

I'm not a national class shooter, but I managed to finish mid-pack the last southwest 600 yd and 1000 yd nationals and have a ribbon or two from club matches.

So, don't sell your rifle short. Spend some time doing ladder tests to find the best load and go for it!

After 2500 shots, my barrel is toast. I replaced it with a 6BRX and I'm happy with it. Nationals are in 2 weeks!

 

[watercam]

I have had two 243s and one 6XC in the last four years of shooting Long Range - my current Long Range rifle is a .243. Lengthened the throat 0.100", otherwise it is a conventional chamber done well when chambering. SMK 107s @ 3160 fps does the trick. It is a habitual .25 moa rifle. Unfortunately I am have a 1 moa hold with a sling!
Better than the other way around!

 

[Scott Harris]

Have only been shooting for 2+ years in F-class and wanted the 243WIN to be my go-to for everything: hunting, F-Open, Sling. It just seemed like a good thing to focus your energies on developing the most out of one cartridge. Well, I'm about to take delivery of my first 6BRX rifle.....so that's my bottom line on this discussion. Maybe it's not as critical for sling shooting, but for F-class accuracy is everything and getting a little extra barrel life is a nice plus.

 

[mattri]

Scotharr, what do you expect the difference in accuracy between the two to be? For example, at 300, 600, 1k yards what do you see with the 243, as opposed to what you hope to see with the brx?

 

[Scott Harris]

I expect the 6BRX to be a little more consistent in elevation and less finicky with the load. I would expect a few points extra: but that makes the difference between 1st and 6th. Since it will require about 8-9 grains less powder for the same velocity,I expect 500-1000 rounds extra barrel life....time will tell. Ultimately, this is an experiment. So, I want to see for myself what the difference is. I can say that quite a few top shooters are using the 6BRX/Dasher, and that is enough to make me want to try for myself.

 

[mattri]

Very interesting- look forward to seeing your results. I'm debating another 6mm myself.