Rebarrel .243

[BigPat]

So here is one of those can of worms threads....

I am going to ask Ronin to rebarrel my custom built .243 and I want it to handle the nice shinny new copper rounds, it will be used for all UK deer species and the odd fox along the way. I already have a couple of .308's, a 6.5x55, a .204 and a few other bigger calibres so this doesn't necessarily need to knock over the big reds but will need to take Fallow through to Munty and Fox.

The question is do I go for another 243 or maybe 6XC, in 6mm, or a 6.5x47, 260 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor in 6.5 mm or a 7mm-08 in 7mm. I don't want to get involved with reworking the bolt so these are probably my main choices. I am thinking a nice short barrel of 20"...22" at a push and I want it to be a nice gun to handle. It is currently built on a blueprinted Remy700 action with a MacMillan stock and Timney Elite trigger.

What would you guys do in my situation....by the way I do reload.

 

[NickJ]

If you might ever find yourself in Scotland where there is reds and want to use non-lead I'd avoid .243 given the current legislation.

I mainly use a 6.5x55 these days. I loved my .243 for roe but given the above if I was going to get one of my rifles rebarrelled I think I'd go for Creedmoor. Anything that is used widely in the US evidently has more ammo (inc heads) availability and superior ammo development, my head got turned Saturday before last when I saw the evidence.

It's many years since I was shooting a lot of fallow. I used .243 on private ground and .270 with the FC. I think the .243 felt a little light on big bucks.

And...I'd get Ronin to do the work.

 

[Sako75Hunter]

I mainly use a 6.5x55 these days. I loved my .243 for roe but given the above if I was going to get one of my rifles rebarrelled I think I'd go for Creedmoor. Anything that is used widely in the US evidently has more ammo (inc heads) availability and superior ammo development, my head got turned Saturday before last when I saw the evidence.

As another happy 6.5x55 user it pains me to say it, but I reckon I'd go for 6.5 Creedmoor too if I had a .243 I was looking to rebarrel.

It just seems way more future-proof to me.

 

[NigelM]

I was in your situation.....my solution was to ask Ronin to build me a 6XC. Which he did. And it's bloody fantastic. 7.5 twist Sassen cut barrel at 23". 95gr LRX at 3100 fps and 80.1gr Yew Tree at 3300 fps. If someone makes a high BC 100gr 6mm bullet one day the 7.5 twist should be enough to stabilise them. It works very well and is lovely to shoot.

I have 280ai for the Red and Sika in Scotland. I wanted a rifle specifically for Muntjac, Roe and Fallow in the south. I have no doubt it would happily take Reds south of the border as they are obviously not nearly as hard as the ones in Scotland.

If I wanted a one rifle does all solution it would have been a 6.5CM, but I don't.

 

[Sako75Hunter]

I missed the fact that @BigPat already has a 6.5x55 and other bigger cal rifles, so yes another 6mm of some sort makes most sense.

 

[HandB]

I am a big fan of the ordinary common or garden .243 as ammo is so readily available and it shoots flat and hits hard with minimal recoil, hence in real world performance it is not much different from more exotic and modern 6mm short action cartridges. My 1980s Tikka M55 in .243 has a 24 inch barrel and produces approx 3050fps with 90gr Sierra Gamekings. I tried target shooting at 900yds with the .243 just for fun and it turns out to perform better ballistically than my 7x57 or my .308: at 900yds the .243 required 25MOA of elevation to dial up from a 300yd zero, whereas the 7x57 required 28.5MOA and the .308 needed 31.3MOA. The Tikka has the original barrel with 1 in 10 twist which seems to do the trick. So in other words imho the traditional .243 is like Gandalf: a familiar old face who turns out to be more powerful than expected lol

 

[lochty]

I had my .243 rebarrelled into a 7mm 08 a few years ago. With 140 grain soft points, it's a sweet shooting, low recoil gun that's also hard hitting.

 

[SussexSteve]

Keep it as a 243

 

[Bowland blades]

fast twist 6mm creed or 260 rem ( maybe improved ) 1-7 or 1-8 260 rem has extra free capacity over the 6.5 creed and an improved a tad more again ( without being silly ) By 260 runs 100 grnTTSX at 3200 fps. I would not have another 7-08 though ammo is easier to get today , too near to the 6.5 mm cartridge on one side and too near the 308 on the other . Good thing about the 260 is just run a straight expander into a 243 case ( factory copper though is a tough ask at any dealer)

 

[Dawnrazor]

Keep it at .243, anything bigger is for poorly endowed men.

 

[Ronin]

There are a few choices that would be my own preferred option over the 243 simply because of modern and perhaps more efficient design / ease of reloading and inherent accuracy (if there is such a thing)

6mm Creedmoor - the smaller sister to the ubiquitous darling of the moment

Fast and accurate but can be a pig to get shooting consistently

6mm BR - yes they will load from a magazine or floorplate type (preferable)
Inherent accuracy and easy to load

6mm XC (my own choice ) - very easy to load, stupid accuracy from the onset in many that I’ve had a hand in building and speed up there with any other

(My own XC is giving accuracy in the low .2’s consistently, with speed circa 3000 plus using 115 DTacs (so easy 3200 plus with the magical 100 g solid)

These offer a viable alternative to the 243 (yes it kills and does the job but it’s a little dull in my own personal view )

If you want a traditional 6mm - look no further than 6mm Remington ,,,,,,

 

[User00040]

@BigPat

If you already have all the .243 loading gear, dies brass etc, why change?

Is it really 'shot out', or do you just want to put a new barrel on?

Keep in mind that you can get a Howa Barreled action in 6 Creed for about £500 and Hornady factory ammo if you want to try the cartridge. Add a KRG or MDT chasis and you have a great test bed for well under £1k. If you don't like it, stick it up on here or UKV and you'll lose very little.

 

[cjm1066]

keeo the 243 and get a faster twist for those new fangled bullets.

 

[NullMac]

I was there. FWIW, I went 243 because I was more interested in loading for accuracy than flat out speed; I am not convinced the case geometry makes much difference, my view is it just holds the powder; brass and dies more readily available and cheaper.

Ended up with a tack driving Sassen barrel. V happy.

 

[Klenchblaize]

I missed the fact that @BigPat already has a 6.5x55 and other bigger cal rifles, so yes another 6mm of some sort makes most sense.

Indeed. It’s called a Winchester 243.

K

 

[Sako75Hunter]

Indeed. It’s called a Winchester 243.

K

That's one of them alright.