.243 calibre swap.

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fivehole

Well-Known Member
Looking to the future, my .243 barrel won’t last forever.
When it’s time to replace the barrel l was wondering if there’s a better option.
The rifle is a sako 85 stainless varmint .243.
Crow bashing and a bit of steel targets are the main interest.
Bucking the wind is high on the list, easy shooting,easy to load for, good barrel life would also be nice.
Range would be around the 300 to 600 yards.
 
Sorry, fat fingers,pressed the wrong button. I was going to say the obvious answer 6.5 cm but I keep thinking about a fast twist 22.250 .
Looking forward to hearing any suggestions.
 
fivehole said:
Looking to the future, my .243 barrel won’t last forever.
When it’s time to replace the barrel l was wondering if there’s a better option.
The rifle is a sako 85 stainless varmint .243.
Crow bashing and a bit of steel targets are the main interest.
Bucking the wind is high on the list, easy shooting,easy to load for, good barrel life would also be nice.
Range would be around the 300 to 600 yards.
Click to expand...
You have a few options. Depending on if you reload or not.
So least hassle is another 243, but I would go with a faster twist. You can launch the heavier bullets then to stretch out your range.
Pick a 6.5 chambering that fits in your action is another, good choice of bullet/ammo depending on what you choose. Plenty of options that will do what you’re after. The above also keep you any deer legal wherever you choose to go shooting.
22-250 or if you’re feeling that way out (& like a wildcat round) 20-250 40gn Vmax at silly speed crows are just puffs of feathers.
If you don’t reload your choice would sensibly be based on what ammunition you can reasonably get hold of easily (my thoughts anyway) in a weight range that suits your quarry.
 
Cheers for the reply so far.
Yes I do reload.
Not worried about being deer legal.
It’s the wind which catches me out.
So I suppose another way of asking the question would be, what’s the best wind beating option?
 
fivehole said:
Cheers for the reply so far.
Yes I do reload.
Not worried about being deer legal.
It’s the wind which catches me out.
So I suppose another way of asking the question would be, what’s the best wind beating option?
Click to expand...
20-250, fast thin for weight bullets. Well regarded for varmint shooting the other side of the pond.
 
fivehole said:
Will have to google that one.😳
Click to expand...
Which is a an older wildcat version of the 25 Creedmoor (yes, brass is available, or can be formed in a single pass from 6mm CM brass). 25 Creedmoor ammo is rumored to be released commercially in the near future. But with the run on components, I suspect it may be delayed. And if ammo is released, I'd bet rifles will be made available.

The "best wind beating options" are at odds with your desire for long barrel life. Less wind drift is generally accomplish via speed and BC. Speed is at odds with BC, because high BC bullets tend to be long (heavier) for caliber, which then works against getting the bullet up to high speeds. And in order to get it to high speeds, you'll need more pressure...which eats barrels.

There is no free lunch. You just need to establish how many rounds you desire to get out of the barrel, and how often you're willing to replace barrels. Then decide where you'd like to compromise. Hence why I mentioned a 25 caliber. The "quarter bore" is that compromise, between 6mm and 6.5mm, while finding a better medium in the velocity range.
 
Worth looking at 6xc, been delighted with mine. Very accurate with a wide range of bullet weights (I’ve used 65gn to 105gn in mine), easy to work up a good load for, good brass life when you’re reloading and easy on barrels too by all accounts (mines only had about 1200 through it so early days).
 
We Re-barrel a lot of rifles at work,usually in the existing caliber but sometimes something different.If it were me,I would re-barrel in .243 but perhaps you could pick a twist that specifically suits the weight and type of bullets you are using.We have plenty of reamers for wildcats but I believe there is little to be gained from them and its always best to fit a new barrel in a caliber that factory cartridges are readily available for.
 
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