Military v's factory ammo

User00007

Well-Known Member
Hi there I have been shooting military ammo through my rifle but I'm wanting to reload now 243 but the question is can I use the military casings is the 5.56 the same as 243 cheers jon
 
Jon I fear you are in danger of making a muck of things, 5.56 nato & .223 Remington are slightly different to each other , but can be used in the correct order, but I'm afraid .243 Winchester is nothing like usable as you worded your post.
 
Stupid me

Sorry what I was trying to say in not so many words was could I use 5.56mm casings to reload my 243 rounds into cheers
 
.243 Winchester.......... a necked down version of a .308 Winchester...... bullet diameter.... 243 hundredths of an inch......... .223 Remington / 5.56 Nato..... .223 hundredths of an inch..... bullets that can be shot from this case..... 224 hundredths of an inch & 223 hundredths of an inch, please make sure you know what you are trying to achieve, reloading should be preceded by reading AND understanding some basic principles, ignore advice at your peril. Steve.
 
Hi Jon,

223/5.56 and 243 don't just indicate the approximate diameter of the bullet in this case but they are also short terms for a specific type of cartridge. In general a rifle is designed and built to fire one specific cartridge and to attempt to fire any other in it stands a fair chance of blowing your head clean off your shoulders. It is for this reason that it is necessary to take great care when selecting ammo for your rifle.

The full name for the civilian 223 is "223 Remington" and this cartridge is similar to, but not the same as, the 5.56 NATO cartridge. You must not shoot 5.56 NATO ammo in a civilian rifle designed for 223 Remington unless it has also been designed to cope with the military ammo (This is one rare case where it is possible to design a rifle to shoot two different types of ammo) and that you are clear that this is the case. If you have a rifle designed for the 223 Remington cartridge then use only ammo of that type in it, if you have been shooting military ammo in it then stop immediately and confirm with the manufacturer that military ammo is safe to use in it.

The full title of the most common 243 is "243 Winchester" and this cartridge is in no way related to the 223 you mention. There is not, that I know of, any such thing as military ammo for a 243 Winchester. If you are used to military rounds then the 243 Winchester case is based upon the 308 Winchester case which is very similar to, but not the same as, the 7.62 NATO round. If you know the 7.62 you will know that it is a much larger case than the 5.56 case which is similar to the civilian 223. So, the 243 case is much bigger than a 5.56 case and the two are not interchangable or compatiable in any way. Although the 243 is based on the 308 case you cannot, at least without considerable and very technical reengineering, use a 7.62 military case to reload 243 Winchester. Do not even think about it.

Under no circumstances should you ever load 243 Winchester in any case other than a 243 Winchester case which is headstamped (writing stamped into the head to identify the cartridge) as 243 Win. If you have a 243 Winchester rifle then empty/used/fired military brass cases of any type or size are of no use at all to you and you must not ever use them.

If you are keen to start reloading your own ammo, and it is a great hobby, then in the first instance you should try to make contact with someone local to you who will show you the ropes, don't try to learn it from a book or the internet as it is a complex subject. There is a lot to learn and the implication of even a small mistake is that you blow your head off so it really is vital that you do a lot of homework before you start. You need to be clear what cartridge your rifle is designed for and you need to ensure that all the bits you assemble are designed for that specific cartridge.

Just out of interest where are you likely to be shooting your rifle? I'm sure quite a lot of us would be keen to know.
 
mauser your a class 1 Doyle!! that make the minority :evil: all i was asking was if specific cases could be re-sized to a round or even if they could be full length sized and trimmed, its a reasonable question there are many people quick to criticize but not actually see where people are coming from i would not try anything that could not be done nor would i take any chances on anything i didnt know, there are helpfull people on here and complete tossers.. we all know who is which i posted a reasonable question to be called a freekin iijit wel i tell you what mate mind your own buisness , those of you that have given factual info like case and bullet exact measurements etc many thanks it answeres what seemes now to be a silly question admittedly :oops: but at the end of the day if you dont ask you dont know better to ask than make a silly comon sense error but if people are riduculed and ribbed by foolish idiots then no-one will ask!! i think you come under the bracket for me as those muppetts that try to rip of half of the stalking community,, LIKE I SAID TO THE REST OF YOU MANY THANKS FOR THE HELPFULL INFO, ;)
 
THANKS FINNBEAR AND caorach I think i have just got myself confused and asked a stupid question but like i say there are some monumental muppetts abaout lol
 
Jon, you are missing the most fundamental ingredient of modern day stalking / stalkers, we all take the p*ss, it's what happens in the pub & the digs, on the hill, in fact no one really has anything like a real go at anyone mate....I think the proper word for it is the "Craic", you will get used to it or you will always stalk alone :lol:
 
ammo

sorry guys had a real bad day today and its just not what i needed mate never mind maybe i should just shut up :oops: lol fair doo's stupid question got ribbed my own fault just my head is properly confused it aint an easy thing to try and learn well not to me anyway, maybe an idea just sell the gear i have bought and stick with factory ammo lol i did alright he he ;)
 
Just a quick heads up.
If you want to reload get a reloading book most have cartridge diagrams
telling you all you need to know.
If you have one look at the difference between 5.56/.223 and 6/243
in the primer size and the case head size.
.223 case head .378
.243 case head .473

It,s not going to fit
If you want to reload get a reloading book read it then read it again and again
 
gamegunner said:
mauser your a class 1 Doyle!!

all i was asking was if specific cases could be re-sized to a round or even if they could be full length sized and trimmed,

there are helpfull people on here and complete tossers.. we all know who is which i posted a reasonable question to be called a freekin iijit wel i tell you what mate mind your own buisness

but if people are riduculed and ribbed by foolish idiots then no-one will ask!! i think you come under the bracket for me as those muppetts that try to rip of half of the stalking community,, LIKE I SAID TO THE REST OF YOU MANY THANKS FOR THE HELPFULL INFO, ;)

I laughed at the first bit. Disagreed with the second as that is not what you implied in your question. Took offence at the third. But you're way off the mark with the last bit. I'm an easy-going guy, but that's just not right and if you have a read through my posts, as crap / badly written as they may very well be, they are either inquisitive for my own knowledge, or helpful in passing on something I know or understand from a professional or amateur interest, or just a **** take - often at myself.

Take the ribbing that's given and don't sound off spouting such vitriole at people you don't know and if you did know would soon wire in to their sense of humour and get on very well with over a beer. Chill out fella, please. It's a good forum and there's enough grief day to day without it on the SD site.

No offence was intended, you just had myself and couple of others worried. And the way your first post was worded initially made me think that you were a **** taker or on the ****. It just made no sense - hence the comment in jest. Your second post on this topic had me genuinely worried for you.

Good luck with your reloading, stick at it and ask the questions we all ask of each other, regardless of experience, but be careful with your words and judgement on others. It is a small world and we all need as many friends as we can get - myself included. What you said was way off the mark and quite unnecessary. What on earth have I got to do with ripping people off? Call me a 'tosser' if you like - just be sure you'd say the same to my face.

All the best,

Craig
 
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