Is .243 Win Competitive

[jcevans]

I'm thinking about getting into 3-gun shooting and would probably shoot limited. My question is whether anyone uses a .243 WIN rifle (click here for an example). Other than a little more recoil, would there be any other disadvantages? Would I run into substantial increases in cost to run a .243? I'm not really into shaving tenths of seconds from my time, even though I generally like to be competitive.

The main reason why I'm thinking of a .243 WIN over .223 is because I reload and already have a .243 bolt action for deer hunting. Rather than multiplying calibers, I'd like to learn all the ins and outs of the calibers I already have. Even so, it wouldn't take much to twist my arm into picking the .223.

[ken hebert]

Mag capacity, recoil, shot to shot time, cost of reloads, parts available, maybe weight(?). Methinks not very competative vs standard AR's. However, I'd like to have one for my own collection, just not for 3-gun.

[jcevans]

Mag capacity, recoil, shot to shot time, cost of reloads, parts available, maybe weight(?). Methinks not very competative vs standard AR's. However, I'd like to have one for my own collection, just not for 3-gun.

The .243 mag capacity appears to be 19 rnds, and the mags go for about $35 (using DPMS as an example again). So, this is a drawback over the .223. I'm not sure about parts availability for a .243 WIN, however. I'll have to look around a little.

[BigDave]

Can a .243 be pushed to Major PF? Unless it can, I'd say no. If it can, Kelly Neal shot a 260 Remington in a FAL a few years ago and finished 2nd I (I think) at a major match and he said it wasn't worth it over .223.

[jcevans]

Can a .243 be pushed to Major PF? Unless it can, I'd say no. If it can, Kelly Neal shot a 260 Remington in a FAL a few years ago and finished 2nd I (I think) at a major match and he said it wasn't worth it over .223.

I'm not sure if a .243 WIN could make major. I'll have to check some reloading tables. Maybe someone else can answer this.

I've never shot a .260 REM, so I'm not sure how it stacks up against a .223 in recoil. Nonetheless, your comment about Neal is telling.

[smokshwn]

The component cost of .243 over .223 would kill it right there. Not to mention that although you can make a .243 reach major it is getting pretty close to the edge so there would be very little benefit there as well because you would need 24-28" of barrel to get it.

[Religious Shooter]

You can make major with a bolt. I'm sure you can make major with heavies with an AR.

You hear of 115 DTACs being pushed to 3100 fps (357 PF) all the time out of a bolt. With 115 grain you would need to push it to 2782 fps. I think that it would be achieveable out of a 20" gas gun.

[smokshwn]

My bad I was thinking 350 instead of 320pf.

However 2782 still leaves you shooting minor

[blkbrd]

Dont forget when pushed hard the .243 has a reputation of being a barrel burner even in bolt guns. 3-gun rifles tend to shoot many more rounds quickly than Hi-Power rifles.

[kellyn]

DON'T DO IT!!!!

I considered a .243 for my major experiment. It's as costly to shoot as a .260 with the added headache of being a barrel burner to boot. But you probably can make major with Sierra 115 match bullets.

So you can get one, zero it, practice a couple of times, shoot a couple of local matches, go to a big match, buy a new barrel, repeat as necessary. I suggest buying barrels in bulk.

[jcevans]

DON'T DO IT!!!!

I considered a .243 for my major experiment. It's as costly to shoot as a .260 with the added headache of being a barrel burner to boot. But you probably can make major with Sierra 115 match bullets.

So you can get one, zero it, practice a couple of times, shoot a couple of local matches, go to a big match, buy a new barrel, repeat as necessary. I suggest buying barrels in bulk.

Kellyn, thanks for the warning. From everything posted so far, it sounds like I'll have to get a .223. Oh, the sacrifices one has to make

[ken hebert]

You can always solace yourself by purchasing something else with the $$$ you just saved by sticking with .223 for games and .243 for hunting. Maybe a Benny Hill blaster...?

[jcevans]

You can always solace yourself by purchasing something else with the $$$ you just saved by sticking with .223 for games and .243 for hunting. Maybe a Benny Hill blaster...?

Yes, it's tempting, isn't it? But I think will I solace myself by buying more reloading supplies. Like my children, my 550 gobbles down all the goodies I can feed it.

Edited April 10, 2007 by jcevans

[Chills1994]

There's got to be something readily commercially available (that is not a handload only option, not the .260) between the .243 and the .308, that also measures at most 2.81 inches long that will make major PF.

I guess it all depends on where you do your 3 gunning / multigunning matches and their stage designs. If you're out west w/ 300 yard shots on paper w/ iron sights, then, yeah, a major PF gun might make the difference for you.

Otherwise, not!

(newbie mode on again)

Is there or was there any rationale behind picking 320 as the major PF cutoff?

(mode off)

Edited April 14, 2007 by Chills1994

[richardschennberg]

There's got to be something readily commercially available (that is not a handload only option, not the .260) between the .243 and the .308, that also measures at most 2.81 inches long that will make major PF.

I guess it all depends on where you do your 3 gunning / multigunning matches and their stage designs. If you're out west w/ 300 yard shots on paper w/ iron sights, then, yeah, a major PF gun might make the difference for you.

Otherwise, not!

(newbie mode on again)

Is there or was there any rationale behind picking 320 as the major PF cutoff?

(mode off)

I think 7mm-08 is the most available, but the supply is a bit sparse. Some 7.62x39 with heavy bullets (150-154 gr) makes major in some guns, but you best chrono each lot of ammo in the rifle you actually shoot. Perhaps 320 only makes sense as being much higher than the minor PF floor, and to keep 7.62x39 122gr ammo (which shoots a lot softer than the heavy stuff) from making major and scoring equally with .308.

[George]

Out west with 300 yard shots on paper?

Only match I have seen in the western US with shots on paper further than 100 yards in the last 15 years was at the 2007 Bay Area Rifle Championship last weekend where I had 190 yard shots on IPSC Classic targets.

Back in the late 80's I remember a stage at one of the old Wily Coyote 3gun matches in Oakdale, CA where we shot IPSC Metric targets at 250 to 300 yards.

There was paper beyond 50, but under 100 yards at the 2005 and 2006 US Multigun matches. Farthest paper I saw at the 2003 and 2004 RM3G's was under 75 yards.

The farthest paper I have seen at the 2003 and 2004 MGM IronMan was still just under 100 yards.

Let's face it, we just don't shoot much/any paper at distance here in the US, so a major rifle is a major waste of time, money and muzzle energy ;-)