what caliber

[brock2013]

I am going to build a rifle for target shooting and occasional varmint huntin. I cant decide between the 223 or 243. The most I will shoot will be around 300-400 yards. What caliber do you think would be better

 

[serial # 001]

brock2013,

If you go with a 9" twist .223, like in a Savage, you will be able to shoot 75 grain bullets about 3,000 feet per second. Also you can shoot 55 grainer at 3,450 fps. If you go with the .243 you can zip the 75's at 3,600 and the 55's at 4,000 fps.

The barrel on the .223 will last at least twice as long as the .243. If you switch to the 6MM Remington it will last more like the .223 because of the longer neck.

 

[15Tango]

.243 is perfect for what you're looking for and can also serve as a great 1000-yard cartridge if you want it to be.

I've always thought a 22-250 with a custom barrel with a faster than normal twist rate would be cool though because I bet it would launch the 75-90 grain pills very well. Maybe somebody that's done that will chime in.

Wayne

 

[Dgd6mm]

6CM

 

[Klong]

223 in a 1x8 twist will work great! Inexpensive brass, bullets, and ammo.

 

[MarkS]

6BR

Mark Schronce

 

[therifler]

mark says it all 6br will do everything you want out to 600yds . just pick the right twist and bullet weight . T.R.

 

[TestPilot]

Here's a quote from the site's Barrel FAQ on 6mm twist rates:

The most versatile barrel twist rate is 1:8". This will shoot everything from 62gr FB bullets to 107 VLDs with great accuracy. If you shoot mostly at 100-200 yards, a 1:14 twist will deliver 60-70gr match bullets with unrivaled accuracy. Take-off 1:14 6PPC barrels rechambered to 6BR work great at low cost. For shooting out to 600 yards, in calm conditions, you may get best accuracy with custom 75-85gr FB bullets. These work best in a 1:12 twist tube. A 12-twist is perfect for varminting with the 75-grain V-max and the Berger 80gr MEF. Our initial testing shows the 1:10 twist to be very effective with the new low-drag 85-88gr FB bullets, and 90gr boat-tails. The 1:10 twist is a great choice for varminting and Egg Shoots because you can run the 87gr Hornady V-Max and shoot Lapua's very accurate 90gr factory-loaded ammo. If you need a barrel to shoot both light and heavy bullets, the best choice is still a 1:8. For the 115gr DTAC bullet, 1:8 will stabilize in most conditions, but 1:7 is a better bet.

 

[snowpro440]

Why not a .30 BR ? Great accuracy past 400 yds and large enough to take varmits and barrel life of 5000 rounds plus, Easy to load for and cheap to shoot ..... just a thought