Thread: Varmint rifle

have you looked at running a 110gr pill thru that 270 of yours?
that will basically make it a 25-06 IE 270 winchester is a 28-06

243s dont have much left in the tank at 400m but im sure that dusnt matter much with roos.

243 will not damage its barrel as much with strings of shots like a 25-06 will.

weight and recoil go hand in hand, heavy rifles are easier on the shoulder.

25-06 will have a shorter life than the 243. as its rifling will start to dissipear over time. 243 is better but not that much.
with a thousand shots every year that is some really high use, if you could get away with a 223 that would last alot longer

just to add to the hoard of information

if you allready have a 270 id find it hard to justify a 25-06. its the same as having a 7mm08 and a 243. same class.

running reloads and the 105 amax (1:8 twist required) 243 is good to well beyond 400 yards Its still going over 2000 ftps past 600 yrds and has plenty of energy to 800+ for roo's

even with my 22" 1:10 twist barrel I have with 90gr ballistic tip pills I get bang flops at 400 and its not until you are out around 500 that they walk a few steps but still good kills, I have changed to the 87gr Vmax as it will open better and still has ok BC for the weight but I have yet to try it past 300 yards

Even the 223 with heavy high BC pills will work past 400

It comes down to the ammo and twist, If you dont reload are there people that do custom loads in your area? it works out close to factory costs but better ammo or if you reload yourself it will be cheaper!

It sounds like a .243 or 243AI would suit your needs well.
Great range of bullets ranging from very light varmint to heavy, high BC and sectional density giving you the opportunity for extended ranges and deer if you want.
Factory ammo is readily available and with the other rifles you own it seems to sit in the gap well.
The .22 cals are probably a little too small for long range roos and larger deer but I do know people who take reds with a .243 but they tend to use 100 grain soft points which wouldn't be the best choice for varmints.
As you do reload, the .243AI would make brass trimming a rare procedure, give you around 100-150fps extra, allow you to shoot normal .243 factory ammo and be something a little different without burning through barrels or the extra work involved in some wildcats.

whats the best choice for a one in ten twist 243 leathel?
an 18.5inch barrel isnt going to help me tho I suppose

I wouldn't use the 270 for it, I love the old girl and i wouldn't burn her out it's done a fair bit of work. I wouldn't go a 223 because it's just not legal for any deer and getting caught with that it would be bad to get caught. 243 seems to be getting all the love here!

Originally Posted by Bill999

whats the best choice for a one in ten twist 243 leathel?
an 18.5inch barrel isnt going to help me tho I suppose

for what purpose? would depend on the range you want and intended target, 87-95 gr pills should work and 87- 90's is what I get best groups with... 18.5 will loose a fair bit of speed

fallow, red, tahr

Iv yet to run it thru a chrony to see what speed I get, not that critical at the moment while Im still burning thru the pile of factory ammo I have

90gr Nosler ballistic tip is one of the firmer ballistic tip pills with OK BC and should go OK (goats is all I used them on and they realy worked well at 350-400), 87gr Hornady always is a favorite but less range due to BC, 90-95gr Targex in the right place have performed well but you need to slip it in the ribs on a big animal rather than smash the leg... Or Barnes for TTSX closer stuff but again low BC so not a long range pill

are the 90gr ballistic tips strong enough to hold together for shoulder shots?

I used the 150BTs thru my 7rem mag and they really impressed me

Originally Posted by Bill999

are the 90gr ballistic tips strong enough to hold together for shoulder shots?

I used the 150BTs thru my 7rem mag and they really impressed me

My 243 is not my deer rifle so I never tested them on a larger shoulder, goats from pretty much any angle they worked well... Lots of goats dropped but very few were looked at to see how they went as most ended up in gorges or hung up in bluffs etc, we were culling not hunting for meat and most shot from 350-400, the odd one 30-200 yards and they died OK but not as well as the ones further away.. Not sure why, Close exited fine still

Howa .223 would fit the bill. Does all three of your main target species just fine. Isn't a 243 (most important) and will tidy a deer up when needed, and cheap to run.

Originally Posted by Wirehunt

Howa .223 would fit the bill. Does all three of your main target species just fine. Isn't a 243 (most important) and will tidy a deer up when needed, and cheap to run.

Why the 243 hating? Everyone else seems to think it's a good idea for what Jack's after.

223 is already off the cards if you've read the thread (can't shoot deer in Aussie with them).

Can't shoot deer with a 243 there either by law except in a couple of spot as minimum is 270.

The reason for 243 hate rf, seen to many animals get away after well placed shots.

Originally Posted by Wirehunt

The reason for 243 hate rf, seen to many animals get away after well placed shots.

So you suggest something significantly less capable instead?