hedge hunter
Well-Known Member
Been looking at a lovely full custom rifle but it's only got a 20 inc barrel pros and cons please gents and thankyou
20 inch 243
- Thread starter hedge hunter
- Start date
Not too long, not too short - perfect.
salukiwhippet
Well-Known Member
Handy but will need careful ammo selection to get deer legal
Almost all factory options are now 20”
When tested about 50% of 100gr .243 ammo was deer legal by the old Scottish standards
That now doesnt apply
Any .243 factory ammo will make deer legal velocity and energy when required now
When tested about 50% of 100gr .243 ammo was deer legal by the old Scottish standards
That now doesnt apply
Any .243 factory ammo will make deer legal velocity and energy when required now
samdk
Well-Known Member
A 20” barrel in 6mm calibres isn’t optimal for velocity but is very practical in the field and will serve you well.
I would check the twist rate as a faster twist would give you greater options with heavy or monolithic bullets that tend to be quite long.
A 1-8 twist would be about perfect.
hedge hunter
Well-Known Member
It is a 1in 8 so good for copper
jthyttin
Well-Known Member
How's that? When energy and MV requirements have not changed (according to Nature Scotland), how the 100gr ammo that didn't make the limit before, will do it now?
My wife’s 20” .243 80.5gr does well at 1750ft-lb >3200 fps, what’s the question here?
jthyttin
Well-Known Member
Congrats to your wife, but the question was, how the 100gr load that didn't make the ME requirement before, makes it now.
RH Somerset
Well-Known Member
It took me a bit of work to get my 20” 1:10 barrel accurate and deer legal in England.
95gr SST and RS60 if anyone is interested.
95gr SST and RS60 if anyone is interested.
Energy isn’t mass & isn’t velocity either but it’s harder to get 1750 ft-tb from 100gr than 80gr if you’re short on diameter or case volume. I suspect you’re already aware of this but perhaps not.
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Energy is Mass multiplied the square of the Velocity.
In Scotland they have dropped min weight to 80 grains, and these lighter weight bullets achieve significantly greater velocities than many of the 100gn bullets. And by the time you have squared the velocity increase this more than makes up for decrease in bullet weight.
Also note that most loads are quoted for a 24” barrel. Depending on load, powder etc you will reduce velocity from 20 to 50 fps per inch reduction.
I’ve a 16” and a 20” 243. Both deer legal with copper or lead. What’s not to like 
hedge hunter
Well-Known Member
This is why I love this forum.total no bull s..t advice by people who know wots wot.thanks for the advice lads
So what is the rifle you are looking at?
jthyttin
Well-Known Member
Since there seems to be some reading impairment let me rephrase.
Ed was claiming that any 243 factory load makes the Scottish limit now. No they wont. Any load that didn't make the previous limit, won't make it now, since the energy limit that was the culprit hasn't changed. These would be 100gr, and by his own words about half didn't make it.
Looking at Hornady website, they list 6 loads at 80gr or over. Two of them clearly won't make 1750ftlbs ME out of 20" barrel. Then there's the 100gr load and almost similar ME 90gr ELD-X load. Let's say they either make it or not. Only remaining two loads have sufficient margin to say they will definitely make the limit.
Ed was claiming that any 243 factory load makes the Scottish limit now. No they wont. Any load that didn't make the previous limit, won't make it now, since the energy limit that was the culprit hasn't changed. These would be 100gr, and by his own words about half didn't make it.
Looking at Hornady website, they list 6 loads at 80gr or over. Two of them clearly won't make 1750ftlbs ME out of 20" barrel. Then there's the 100gr load and almost similar ME 90gr ELD-X load. Let's say they either make it or not. Only remaining two loads have sufficient margin to say they will definitely make the limit.
HonestJohn
Well-Known Member
I don’t think in the history of the .243 being used in Scotland, even 1 has ever been checked for ME meeting the requirements, by any authorities.
I had my 22” Sako 75 chopped by Mike Norris to 20” and, although it’s an old 1:10, fell in love with it again as my go to roe/muntjac stalling rifle as, with a F&D 149 on the muzzle, it’s incredibly well balanced and point-able. Took time to work up a legal stable copper load using 80gr Barnes TTSX but that has now reliably taken fallow too. Nowt wrong with a 20’ for normal stalling distances - I limit mine to 20m - 150m and the results are very pleasing 
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