Thread: .243 Varminting

i would be interested to hear anyones experience with the .243 for Varminting - loads - optics - rifle - anything your using i would be interested.

picking up a Tikka Varmint in the weekend, hoping to get get hits further out than i am getting with my .223 family of rifles . . it was either go to a fast twist barrel .223AI or try a 6mm . . . the Tikka came up at a good price so i thought lets give it a go, be mad not to, it was cheaper than getting a new decent barrel fitted . . i already have .243 dies / cases / powder / 75grn. VMax bullets to get started.

Lots you can do, think I have got some Sierra 60g pills I loaded up, haven't had a chance to use yet but will be looking to soon enough. Great little cal the .243

I run a 6x47 rem, cooper single shot, with 60 serria HP,(3300) 65 v-max (3180) or 70gr Balistic tip, bit slower than a .243, but accuracy is more important, on small game, in my view,
and a 6mm Remington, with 65gr v-max (3800)or 80-85gr Serria blitz or pro-hunter, great varmint gun, its just not accurate as I want, Moa, roughly, so off target, on a ground squirrel at 250M, have taken a few rabbits and coyotes at 400M plus, tried superformance and was getting a 80gr up over 3500fps,
Had a play with the 70 ballistic tip, shot a few gophers and rabbits and one coyote, not as accurate as I had hoped, 11 /4 inch but pink mist on a hit,
Just received a 6x45 (.223) in a cooper M51 repeater, and doing load development, before I bring it to NZ, getting 3200 fps with 65 v-max, and 75gr HP serria are 2990 and inside 1/2" at 100m.
The bigger 6mm cartridges, .243, 6mm Remington, 6x47 lapua etc, are very versatile, but more expensive, noisy and destructive, than really nessasay, Fun thought.
I have a swarvo Z5 3x18 and a swarvo Z6 2x12 BT fine, on the coopers, the 6mm Remington had the Z6, but I like the cooper single shot more, for small game/ predator rifle.
Don't know what scope you going for, but I think your would want to be, at 15 plus power and a fine reticle, to stretch it legs on small game, I have a Leopold varmint scope Vx-3 5x20x42 on My vartarg, fantastic scope for the money.
Post up a picture once you get it set up.

Depends really, I mean your varmint rig will probably be heavy enough to see hits at long range but the .243 is just a bit too fiesty for seeing good hits unless the rig is heavy.

The Hornady 87 hollow points and vmax perform well and are known to be accurate in the Tikka.

Does Bryn at Targex do an 87 grain pill? That would be accurate but if you're after the pure varmint destroyer then some naughty little explosive noslers or the vmax pills you have should be great!

Originally Posted by SlimySquirrel

Depends really, I mean your varmint rig will probably be heavy enough to see hits at long range but the .243 is just a bit too fiesty for seeing good hits unless the rig is heavy.

The Hornady 87 hollow points and vmax perform well and are known to be accurate in the Tikka.

Does Bryn at Targex do an 87 grain pill? That would be accurate but if you're after the pure varmint destroyer then some naughty little explosive noslers or the vmax pills you have should be great!

cheers for the replies . . much appreciated

i do wonder if the recoil will be a little to much to keep a good sight picture but hoping the Varmint model will be heavy enough, thinking i can add some weight into the stock later which may help, definitely dont want a suppressor on the end.

definitely considered the 87grn VMax for its better BC over the 75grn. but you have to start somewhere so chose 75grn. for the slightly higher velocity . . . the 87grn. is on the list

R.

Yep. Cool man...

Suppress that bad boy though.... It will definitely help!

You're experienced enough anyway to manage the recoil. It's not fierce by any stretch but definitely more than a 22-250.

Originally Posted by southernman

I run a 6x47 rem, cooper single shot, with 60 serria HP,(3300) 65 v-max (3180) or 70gr Balistic tip, bit slower than a .243, but accuracy is more important, on small game, in my view,
and a 6mm Remington, with 65gr v-max (3800)or 80-85gr Serria blitz or pro-hunter, great varmint gun, its just not accurate as I want, Moa, roughly, so off target, on a ground squirrel at 250M, have taken a few rabbits and coyotes at 400M plus, tried superformance and was getting a 80gr up over 3500fps,
Had a play with the 70 ballistic tip, shot a few gophers and rabbits and one coyote, not as accurate as I had hoped, 11 /4 inch but pink mist on a hit,
Just received a 6x45 (.223) in a cooper M51 repeater, and doing load development, before I bring it to NZ, getting 3200 fps with 65 v-max, and 75gr HP serria are 2990 and inside 1/2" at 100m.
The bigger 6mm cartridges, .243, 6mm Remington, 6x47 lapua etc, are very versatile, but more expensive, noisy and destructive, than really nessasay, Fun thought.
I have a swarvo Z5 3x18 and a swarvo Z6 2x12 BT fine, on the coopers, the 6mm Remington had the Z6, but I like the cooper single shot more, for small game/ predator rifle.
Don't know what scope you going for, but I think your would want to be, at 15 plus power and a fine reticle, to stretch it legs on small game, I have a Leopold varmint scope Vx-3 5x20x42 on My vartarg, fantastic scope for the money.
Post up a picture once you get it set up.

Yes, to accuracy is more important . . . i hope the Tikka has the potential in that department, if not its down the road.

which scope is a tough one, at this stage i will have to use what i have . . . . one of three 6.5-20 Leupolds on different rifles will have to donate its scope and become a safe queen for awhile.

For long range you will need the right twist to be competitive with a fast .22
Last time I ran the numbers, to me the .22 with heavy weight projectiles only needed to be 100fps faster than the likes of the 105 amax to be equal. Doing this with less recoil and probably less powder.
I choose the 80gr amax doing about 3200.
But I'm sure you will have fun and get good success from the 243 plenty of people rate the 87grain vmax in 6mm.

I am shooting 243 hornady 75 gr v max in mine. Seems to work all right as it s printing three shots clovers at a 100. But it is not my favorite rifle. I prefer th 204.

Originally Posted by SlimySquirrel

Yep. Cool man...

Suppress that bad boy though.... It will definitely help!

You're experienced enough anyway to manage the recoil. It's not fierce by any stretch but definitely more than a 22-250.

reason for not wanting a suppressor is it will be make the rifle to long and out of balance unless i chop the barrel and thats not an option, i want every fps thats on offer and the BOooooooM as the shot echoes around the hills . . . i love that last part

its not the recoil of a .243 that bothers me . . . but the idea i might miss seeing the hits

Originally Posted by Friwi

I am shooting 243 hornady 75 gr v max in mine. Seems to work all right as it s printing three shots clovers at a 100. But it is not my favorite rifle. I prefer th 204.

why would you prefer the .204 @Friwi

its cheaper to run - less recoil / noise ?

R.

Google The pope takes the cardinals hunting, or something like that, an aussie shooting rabbits way out with 243 a good watch

You could put a break on it so you can watch the hits. A breaked 243 wouldn't have much recoil or jump I would imagine. It would enhance the noise factor some what.

its not the recoil of a .243 that bothers me . . . but the idea i might miss seeing the hits.... Quote, that's because of recoil isn't it....
As far as scope I use 8-32 which is good but more is always better. A rabbit at 500 plus is very small. Also finding them at these kind of ranges with binos is challenging.

Originally Posted by bully

For long range you will need the right twist to be competitive with a fast .22
Last time I ran the numbers, to me the .22 with heavy weight projectiles only needed to be 100fps faster than the likes of the 105 amax to be equal. Doing this with less recoil and probably less powder.
I choose the 80gr amax doing about 3200.
But I'm sure you will have fun and get good success from the 243 plenty of people rate the 87grain vmax in 6mm.

in the future a fast twist .22 is going to happen . . . as you say the numbers speak for themselves . . . but right now the 6mm itch just has to be done.