sav 243

[herman]

Just bought a savage Mod 16 special run 243 with ss,fluted barrel friday,took it home gave it a 200 stroke jb's treatment,mounted a scope.
Allready had some bullets loaded for another 243.So was dieing to see what it would do.
Was at the range at daylight but didn't have to stay long to see that it was going to shoot.

[jims]

First time out, nice shooting.

[mike3132]

Nice groups. Savage always have been shooters right out the box. Ive got a .243 Striker and Ive been working on loads. I cant get it under an inch but close using 95 grain noslers.

[ozark]

.243 is an accurate caliber and Savage an accurate rifle. Put the two together with a good shooter and you get excellence. With mine I consistently kill crows at 170-190 yards. That was good shooting

[RAF]

I've got a Savage 110E in 243. Worked up a load and it'll drive tacks. Right now it's set up a deer rifle but I was considering finding a load for varmints. Something around 60 grain bullets. ;D. Another project

[wilmsmeyer]

RAF,

For those light bullets, here are my favorite loads that shoot with excellent accuracy: Both loads are with 55 Nosler Ballistic tips.

My gun is a Rem 700 1-10 twist 26 inch bull barrel laminated stock. Leupold 6.5 - 20 fine hair. (bought it on the trade blanket a while back) Gun is out-of-the-box other then a skim coat bedding job on the recoil lug area only.

52 gr H414 - Rem primer. Velocity 4,050 in the summer heat. Usually hovers around 1 inch for 5 shot groups. Have shot numerous 5 shot groups of under 5 inches at 500 yds so it holds its accuracy way out there.

44.5 gr H4895 - rem primer. Velocity is 3,950 in summer heat. This load is the cats behind for accuracy in my gun. One ragged holes groups at 100 all the time. Not much long range testing as my super long range area is now off limits for target practice (State land where folks were burning AR-15 ammo by the ton....people were getting in trouble...long story) However, woodchucks became my testing ground and this year has been unbelieveable with this load. I rarely shoot chucks at under 200 yds with this gun as I go with a small arsenal and use other guns for closer stuff. I've shot at about 15 chucks this year with this load and I've only missed one. Ranges were 200 to about 400.

The .243 is a great cartridge and if I could use it for deer I would probably do so and only use my 10ml in the muzzleloader season. However, no centerfire rifles where I hunt.

Not sure how "into" reloading you are but I trim my cases to 2.048, clean my primer pockets each time, tumble my brass, neck resize only and seat my bullets just off the lands. Not much bearing surface in the case but enough. I shoot this gun 1 shell at a time so it's not as big an issue as it would be in a gun that has a magazine full. if you know what I mean.

By the way, I'm thawing out a nice pack of Gouin Reservoir Walleyes as we speak. Cheekless..... as we ate all those in the seafood chowder before we came home a few months back.

[RAF]

wilmsmeyer said:

RAF,

For those light bullets, here are my favorite loads that shoot with excellent accuracy: Both loads are with 55 Nosler Ballistic tips.

My gun is a Rem 700 1-10 twist 26 inch bull barrel laminated stock. Leupold 6.5 - 20 fine hair. (bought it on the trade blanket a while back) Gun is out-of-the-box other then a skim coat bedding job on the recoil lug area only.

52 gr H414 - Rem primer. Velocity 4,050 in the summer heat. Usually hovers around 1 inch for 5 shot groups. Have shot numerous 5 shot groups of under 5 inches at 500 yds so it holds its accuracy way out there.

44.5 gr H4895 - rem primer. Velocity is 3,950 in summer heat. This load is the cats behind for accuracy in my gun. One ragged holes groups at 100 all the time. Not much long range testing as my super long range area is now off limits for target practice (State land where folks were burning AR-15 ammo by the ton....people were getting in trouble...long story) However, woodchucks became my testing ground and this year has been unbelieveable with this load. I rarely shoot chucks at under 200 yds with this gun as I go with a small arsenal and use other guns for closer stuff. I've shot at about 15 chucks this year with this load and I've only missed one. Ranges were 200 to about 400.

The .243 is a great cartridge and if I could use it for deer I would probably do so and only use my 10ml in the muzzleloader season. However, no centerfire rifles where I hunt.

Not sure how "into" reloading you are but I trim my cases to 2.048, clean my primer pockets each time, tumble my brass, neck resize only and seat my bullets just off the lands. Not much bearing surface in the case but enough. I shoot this gun 1 shell at a time so it's not as big an issue as it would be in a gun that has a magazine full. if you know what I mean.

By the way, I'm thawing out a nice pack of Gouin Reservoir Walleyes as we speak. Cheekless..... as we ate all those in the seafood chowder before we came home a few months back.

Wilmsmeyer thanks for the information. I'm thinking of selling my 22-250 and if I do I'll want to turn to the 243. It's a great deer rifle too and took my biggest whitetail ever with it a few years ago. Some say not much punch with a 243 but this buck, a 180 class dropped in his tracks at 170 yds. I'm also envious about the walleye you going to eat. Haven't had any for a while but hope to this weekend.

[ozark]

In MHO the .243 comes close to ideal for whitetail deer and is an excellent varmiter. It is flat shooting,does well at longer ranges and recoil is mild enough to make accurate shooting easier. Last two deer i took with it were 120 and 170 yards. One dropped in its tracks and the other made a ten foot circle before falling at the spot it was hit. Both down so quick I didn't rechamber anoter shell. I have taken several crows from close range out to 170 yards. When I zeroed it in on the range and seen moa groups at 100 yards i knew I had a dependable deer rifle. I don't shoot enough to pay me to get into reloading but I would have to really have to do something good to beat over the counter ammunition. Mine is a Savage witht he accutrigger which I like.

[herman]

Thanks for the loads will give then a try.I have a rem classic in 243 also and it is a great shooter,been shooting the 55 sie in it with 51.5 grs of H380 think it is right at 4000fps.For deer I have used the 87gr hornady and sie 85 gr bthp,have taken several deer at 300 + yds with them.
I really got the savage to build a 260 with if the 243 keeps shooting good I will keep it and change the barrels when needed.
Let one of my buddies use the classic last year and he took his first long distant deer at 270 yds with it.
Below is a group I shot with the classic when I used to carry a horse shoe in my back pocket.

[billc]

Herman,

Dang, whadda group. Do you still own that horse?

Bill

[herman]

Yes still have it.And it still shoots good my buddie took his first long distant deer with it last year at 270 yds.But that is a very lucky once in a lifetime group for me.

[Rifleman]

Nice shootin Herman.

Mike, that Savage Stryker, thats a handgun correct? What are your overall impressions of that gun?

[mike3132]

Rifleman,

I'm loving it! Mine is stainless with a brake and recoil is almost non existent. When I got it the trigger pull was bad and after a few adjustments its at 2.6 lbs with just a little creep, not bad for stock trigger. I did a bedding job and added a 3x12 Burris scope.

I bought two barrels off a guy in Alaska for it. One is a 30/06 and the other a 7mm08. Ive been working on a .243 load but its just to hot to shoot lately. I'm close to under one inch at 1.047 group.

The guy in Alaska builds custom hand cannons and he told me he just bought a bunch of left hand Savage actions with Accutrigger from the factory and is going to make the Striker again using custom Montana barrels. If you are interested in these hand cannons here is a good site. mike

specialtypistols.infopop.cc/eve/forums

[Rifleman]

Thanks Mike, sounds like you have a winner.