243 yardage

[J-Rod]

I just started sighting my 243, and I hit dead on at 50 and 75yds and it hit accurately at 100 so I left it there. I probably won't be shooting over 150yds. What is a good range to set the rifle?

[lefty o]

if your not going to be shooting over 150yds, dead on at 100 will do everything your asking of it.

[turkn8r1]

If you are pretty sure about shooting from 150 in why not zero at 150? The bullet will strike a little low 1" maybe at 150 if zeroed at 100 where as it will strike the same amount high at 100 if zeroed at 150. As long as you stay from 150 in it is just a personal prefference but if you have to go out to 200 the 150 zero will be better. Just a thought.

[texnmidwest]

With good loads the 243 is effective out to 500+ on lighter game and varmits. Deer size game I would limit it to 300 yards.

[Ron AKA]

Your thoughts about only shooting to 150 yards max are a bit unusual, as that is a cartridge that is good out to 300 yards or more. However if you are going to be shooting very small critters, then targeting for zero at 125 yards will give out about 1/3 inch low at 150, 1/3" low at 50, and about 1/8" high at 100.

I would tend to sight in for about 2" high at 100 and that would likely give you a realistic zero hold over/under out to 275 yards or so.

Ron

[calaper]

How many rounds can one expect to put through a .243 before the barrel is worn. I'm not talking stainless here, just good old fashioned blued barrels

[Silent Shooter]

General rule of thumb is somewhere between 6 & 7 thousand if you are looking for pin point accuracy...

[Ron AKA]

Originally Posted by calaper

How many rounds can one expect to put through a .243 before the barrel is worn. I'm not talking stainless here, just good old fashioned blued barrels

I would not expect more than about 1000 rounds out of a .243 before accuracy drops off quite rapidly. It is an overbore cartridge, not quite as bad as a 22-250 or .223 WSSM. It should be identical to the .243 WSSM which does not have a real good name for long barrel life.



Bit more info here.

223 WSSM vs the 22-250 Rem. -- Browning Information and News

If long barrel life is a big priority then a .308 would be a better choice. It is an underbore cartridge, and probably will be more up in the range of 3-4,000.

Ron

[mym1a]

Originally Posted by J-Rod

I just started sighting my 243, and I hit dead on at 50 and 75yds and it hit accurately at 100 so I left it there. I probably won't be shooting over 150yds. What is a good range to set the rifle?

you might want to look this up give you a ball park figure

[Bravo]

Zeroing at 100 yards will cause a 2.5" to 3" low shot at 200 yards.

Zeroing at 200 yards will only put you about 1.4" high at 100 yards.

This data was from a 95gr bullet. Shoot lighter bullets and you will get better results (flatter shot = smaller numbers as far as shooting high and low goes).

Ron, that chart is pretty scary. I didn't think accuracy would drop off that quickly in those calibers. Definitely something to think about when building a target rifle.

[.280Rem]

Originally Posted by Ron AKA

Your thoughts about only shooting to 150 yards max are a bit unusual, as that is a cartridge that is good out to 300 yards or more. However if you are going to be shooting very small critters, then targeting for zero at 125 yards will give out about 1/3 inch low at 150, 1/3" low at 50, and about 1/8" high at 100.

I would tend to sight in for about 2" high at 100 and that would likely give you a realistic zero hold over/under out to 275 yards or so.

Ron

I agree. For all my rifles I set my POI at 100 yards to cover the maximum point blank range. With most of my guns this is @ 2" high at 100 yards. Then it doesn't matter your ranges until you get past 300 or so, you can hold dead on and the bullet will never be more than 2-3" high or low from the line of sight. After 275-300 or so, you need to know your particular ballistics.

You can go here and calculate it. Handloads.Com Ballistic Calculator

[rdale501]

Ron, that chart is pretty scary. I didn't think accuracy would drop off that quickly in those calibers. Definitely something to think about when building a target rifle.[/quote]


I tend to agree, however I din't see anything indicating how hot those loads are. It is my understanding that even the 220 Swift, with it's reputation of short barrel life, got a bad name because of pushing it to the limit. I own a 264 win. mag. and have heard some simular things about it, I think most concerns are when things are taken to the max. A good accurate load doesn't require max. speed.

[.280Rem]

Originally Posted by rdale501

Ron, that chart is pretty scary. I didn't think accuracy would drop off that quickly in those calibers. Definitely something to think about when building a target rifle.

I tend to agree, however I din't see anything indicating how hot those loads are. It is my understanding that even the 220 Swift, with it's reputation of short barrel life, got a bad name because of pushing it to the limit. I own a 264 win. mag. and have heard some simular things about it, I think most concerns are when things are taken to the max. A good accurate load doesn't require max. speed.[/quote]

There are certain cartridges known as "barrell burners". The .264 is one. And it doesn't take over the top max loads to do it, as they're overbore. Even running a .264Mag at .260 speeds, you're still burning a lot more powder than the .260, and thus more bbl wear.

True enough speed has nothing to do with accuracy, and you don't need it to punch paper.

[samuel]

If you heat the barrel and keep on firing you will have short barrel life.However,I have both 6mm rem. and .243win..s that have tpooed 3000+rds and still shoot sub MOA.!000rds is rediculus unless you intentionally mistreated a barrel,as most of the people who test and then write about it do.What about the torture tests where these same people write about firing 10,000rds+ and the gun is still shooting great?When it comes to field testing,there is more BS out there than facts.They just need something to write to get paid. sam.

[Ron AKA]

Originally Posted by samuel

If you heat the barrel and keep on firing you will have short barrel life.However,I have both 6mm rem. and .243win..s that have tpooed 3000+rds and still shoot sub MOA.!000rds is rediculus unless you intentionally mistreated a barrel,as most of the people who test and then write about it do.What about the torture tests where these same people write about firing 10,000rds+ and the gun is still shooting great?When it comes to field testing,there is more BS out there than facts.They just need something to write to get paid. sam.

I understand Browning no longer sell the .223 WSSM, chrome plated barrels or not.

Ron

[Paper]

Originally Posted by .280Rem

True enough speed has nothing to do with accuracy, and you don't need it to punch paper.

Why punch me?

Anyway, I think you're completely right about the speed of the rounds and barrel life..
When it comes down to it, unless someone's a diehard target shooter, and typically shoots a very few amount of guns, it'll take some work to put enough rounds through a rifle to degrade accuracy..

My current .243 isn't what I call the greatest quality of external rifle, being a Remington 710, but internally, the damn thing shoots Winchester 100 grain PowerPoint factory loads exactly where I point it, over and over again.
Since I only put 40-50 rounds a year through it, tops, I doubt if I'll shoot it enough to ever see the barrel degrade, but it's very interesting to see that some of the speedier rounds can wear a barrel out in that amount of shooting..

I guess I feel safe with the fact that my faster shooting rifles also happen to be my expensive rounds, so I tend to shoot my 7mm Mag and 300 Win Mag less than my .308's.. Dunno.. But it also makes me wonder how long the barrel life is on an AR15, which gets heated up and fired often..

Then again, nothing lasts forever..

[.280Rem]

Originally Posted by Paper

Why punch me?

Anyway, I think you're completely right about the speed of the rounds and barrel life..
When it comes down to it, unless someone's a diehard target shooter, and typically shoots a very few amount of guns, it'll take some work to put enough rounds through a rifle to degrade accuracy..

My current .243 isn't what I call the greatest quality of external rifle, being a Remington 710, but internally, the damn thing shoots Winchester 100 grain PowerPoint factory loads exactly where I point it, over and over again.
Since I only put 40-50 rounds a year through it, tops, I doubt if I'll shoot it enough to ever see the barrel degrade, but it's very interesting to see that some of the speedier rounds can wear a barrel out in that amount of shooting..

I guess I feel safe with the fact that my faster shooting rifles also happen to be my expensive rounds, so I tend to shoot my 7mm Mag and 300 Win Mag less than my .308's.. Dunno.. But it also makes me wonder how long the barrel life is on an AR15, which gets heated up and fired often..

Then again, nothing lasts forever..

Yep, I load and shoot to get ready to hunt. I don't shoot much for fun. Burning out a bbl isn't a major concern for me.

By the way, Bacon rocks...pork fat rulz! One of my buds went on a honeymoon cruise. He and his wife decided the most decadent thing they could order poolside one day, was a plate of bacon. They did! A plate of bacon, and drinks in the afternoon sun! Nothing more decadent!

[calaper]

Hmm, i had no idea that the .243 could wear out so fast but i am also glad to hear that as long as i'm not pushing my loads, i should get a decent life out of my firearm. Thanks a lot for all your input.

[samuel]

Originally Posted by calaper

Hmm, i had no idea that the .243 could wear out so fast but i am also glad to hear that as long as i'm not pushing my loads, i should get a decent life out of my firearm. Thanks a lot for all your input.

You still have no idea that .243 barrels can wear out so fast because they cant if they are used properly and reasonably.Further more,the burnout is in the throat and the barrel can be shortened and the chamber set ahead very easily.The 'burnout' that causes inaccuracy is the riflings flaking or advancing down the bore causing the bullet to be seated further from the riflings,which will cause inaccuracy anyway.It takes thousands of rounds to harm the rest of the bore. sam.

[daniel900]

Well you can do alot with your .243 if you are a handloader take a 95 Gr berger VLD bullet and punch holes in paper at a 1000. Or with the right bullet take a deer at 300 yards. The .243 is a great round and as you can tell I love it.

Range Elevation Velocity Energy Drop Max Y 10mph Wind Deflect

Good old .243 600 yds -64.81 in 2153 fps 978 fpe 83.52 in 23.06 in 20.60 in


.308 Range Elevation Velocity Energy Drop Max Y 10mph Wind Deflect
600 yds -92.00 in 1769 fps 1168 fpe 114.41 in 32.40 in 27.69 in