.243 fmj

ziggy

Well-Known Member
a friend of mine is looking to get into shooting and requires something he can use on a range as well as for fox and the occassional stalk. he isnt a big fan of recoil and found my moderated .308 a bit much and is now thinking of a .243 if he can find fmj ammunition for range work. i know you can buy the bullets but does anyone know if its possible to buy a complete round or will it be a case of having to reload? if anyone has a suggestion to another calibre i shall pass it on to him but it must be something he can buy target ammunition for. cheers
 
90grn Sako & Lapua are widely available in .243. fmj . Ballistic Tip wise I have found Federal 95 grn particularly accurate. Reloading I use 90grn Berger fmj and 90 grn Nosler ballistic tips. I find my .243 prefers 90-95grn loads with for whatever reason 100grn Sako being particularly inaccurate
 
Just a thought have you considered the 6.5x55?

FMJ's amminition is easier, most likely, to get in this and of decent grade and the Swede is famous for it's pleasant shooting attributes and soft recoil. Equally at home on the target range and competition as well as the field ;) as I said just a thought.
 
That might be a thought. I recently shot some surplus Swede FMJ. It was darned accurate and 100% reliable from my Model 96 Target.~Muir
 
i did suggest it to him but i think hes worried about recoil in most things.....were at the range today so ill send him on a begging mission to try others peoples rifles out. thanks again
 
i did suggest it to him but i think hes worried about recoil in most things.....were at the range today so ill send him on a begging mission to try others peoples rifles out. thanks again

tell him i will put the 243 barrel on the blaser when he comes down with you on your visit .
he wont want to use another rifle after grassing his first deer with that :D:D

regards pete .
 
hahaha yeah but pete, he will be a sulky little sod when he realises he cant sell his soul to fund the darkside!!! besides which im thinking about it hahaha
 
He will probably have great difficulty finding a regular supply of .243 loaded with target bullets. Now if he were only shooting fox and Muntjac /CWD or Roe (Scotland) I would suggest a .223, as he would have no difficulty in obtaining fmj or target ammunition for that cartridge.
My suggested solution is that really your friend needs to be introduced properly to full bore shooting. He needs to be started off with a .22 and his skills and tolerance of recoil developed from there using calibres that generate slight recoil such as .222/.223 or even pistol calibre carbines, and gradually become acclimatised to a larger calibre such as the .308win. The other solution is to have both a .223 and a .243, the .223 being the one mainly used for target shooting.

He could if he has dark tendancies, even have a Blaser with two barrels one in .223 and the other in .243.
 
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Actually as one American shooter,writer, put it he boy never bothered about recoil as dad never told him it existed. I think there may be some truth in that. We tend to frighten new shooters with the idea that it's nasty.

You only have to look and listen to how many people tell you that the .270 Winchester has nasty heavy recoil :rolleyes: poor stock design and fit will make any reifle feel worse in the felt recoil department.
 
Couldn't agree more than poor stock design or fit plays a big part in perceived recoil, but I also think that new shooters shouldn't be thrown in at the deep end and need to be developed. I think back to the days as a 13 year old cadet being given an ill fitting No 4 .303 and a bit of cotton wool to plug my ears, and wonder why I wasn't put off shooting for life.
 
cheers guys, he does really like the .223 but unfortunately he wouldnt be able to use it on roe in sunny lincolnshire, i may have solved the problem judging by an email i recieved this afternoon but i wont find out for definate until the new year. i will keep you all informed
 
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