If one was looking to get a .243 barrel, ackley it and push out pills from 58gn to 87gn what length and twist rate would you all go for?

all opinions would be welcome,

thanks

A factory Cooper in that caliber would be more than adequate for your needs. Also a satisfactory shooter as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Alex.Y:
If one was looking to get a .243 barrel, ackley it and push out pills from 58gn to 87gn what length and twist rate would you all go for?

all opinions would be welcome,

thanks

depends if it's a bench gun or walking gun
twist to be 1-12.....length 24-26"

vapodog,
more a walking/ shooting from the truck gun,

was thinking maybe 26" to even 28" on the heavier side of profiles

Go 24 inches and a #3 contour,in 1-10 twist.

I ummed and aahed for a long time about this before I rebarreled my sako 243 AII classic.

I chose a 26" cut rifle Border in chrome moly to the exact same factory profile, I chose a 9twist to allow me to well stabilise 105gr bullets and a standard (min SAAMI) chamber not the AI

The rifle shoots factory Federal 85gr at 3,300fps (22" factory barrel managed 3175fps) into such tiny holes that I haven't bothered with 85gr homeloads. The standard slim profile makes for an 8.5lb rifle with scope etc which balances well enough for deer and with a bipod makes a fantastic walking varminter.

I will probably have no intention on pushing anything bigger than 90 grain,
am coming round to the thought of a 26" straight taper to 18mm crown with either 10twist or 12twist, sat in a thumbhole varminter stock,

not sure just yet

The slower twist probably has some theoretical advantages if you intend to shoot only the lighter bullets. That said, many 1-9" barrels do just fine with the ultralight pills.

There's no great advantage to the .243 AI, but there's no great disadvantage, either. A good friend has a factory Sako sporter so rechambered and thinks the world of it, but it is the way the gun shoots and not necessarily the contours of the chamber that he likes so much.

A .708" muzzle is pretty heavy on a 26" barrel if you intend to walk around with it, and a thumbhole stock is not particularly handy for a gun you will use offhand some of the time. What you're describing sounds like a great bench gun for long range prairie dogs, but shooting them from all the way across the North Atlantic may be stretching it a bit! So if you do intend it as a "walking around" gun, I would lighten the barrel a bit and use a conventional pistol grip stock.

I have a Ruger M77 6mm that was rebarreled to the 243AI, 24inch, 1 to 10 twist. McMillian stock, Timmney trigger.

The reason is the ruger magazine on this gun would not allow me to load the bullet close to the lands and still fit. I went with the 243AI since the case is a bit shorter (can now load bullet for best accuracy), and is also close to the same powder capacity of the 6mm.

What action are you planning on using?

My favorite load to date is 70 gr Nosler BT with H414 ~ 3650 fps. Very accurate gun now.

I have a 1:12 used specifically fro 65-75 grain bullets on a Stiller Predator action wth a Pac- Nor #5 contour barrel and McMillan Sako Varminter pattern stock.

mntngoat, is that a 3 groove or 5 groove 1 in 12?

how well does it shoot?

I'd go 1-10 in a 22-24" barrel, length would somewhat depend on barrel contour.

i think i have pretty much settled on a 1 in 10.

i see pac-nor do a 1 in 10 in either 3 groove or 6 groove, what groove would benifit the 70 to 90 grain bullets?