In fact, well look at everyone and give you our long range optics ranking opinion. The problem comes in here where the cartridge has a long way to move forward to get the bullet into the chamber as it is coming loose of the magazine rails in a .308-length rifle. I have a model 70 243 wssm super shadow (plain bottom of the line model 70) I use sierra 55gr and 85gr loads. My first rifle was a Browning a-bolt 2 in .243WSSM bought in 09 it was second hand and abused (the feed lips were blacksmithed with vicegrips) the thing looked as though it lived in the back of a ute. However the Author might want to roll his Own, just an option and maybe fill the craving! Snipers using the .300 cartridge only needed about 75% elevation adjustment and 50% windage compensation compared to the .308. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Its time to move on. It is proven as a hunting caliber across North America, throughout Europe, Africa and so on. That gun's modern military counterpart, the 5.56 NATO, has been in continuous use by militaries around the world since the early 1960s. Blairsville, Ga. Mar 16, 2009 #1 I currently do alot of varmint and coyote hunting at long ranges. Yet 7mm-08 reloads have better ballistics than.well, pretty much anything made in short action class today. What youre describing almost sounds like a Garand or M1A chambered for a greater variety of cartridges. So while the nay sayers are banging on about Grandads .243 I now have a 1500yd rifle for less than $1000 scoped. He turned me over to the production manager and he never gave me a response which I took as a no. The overwhelming complaint expressed about this round was how hard it fed or failed to feed. Home; Our Story; Forum; Frequently Asked Questions; Mil/LEO Discount; SHOP. 3. Prior to the 243 Winchester's arrival, America's most versatile, light-recoil, "dual-purpose" cartridges for hunting varmints and deer were the 250-3000 Savage and 257 Roberts. The sights were head and shoulders above the peer rifles, with match sights being even better. Load data for 55 loads in caliber .243 WSSM with .243 | 70gr | Sierra Blitzking bullet including underlying parameters such as bullet length, cartridge length and case capacity. Home News .243 Win. V-max .I have checked into gettig it upgraded so I can shoot the Berger 105 or 115 bullets which requires a 1in 8 twist barrel. [1] The percentage gain in performance over the older .243 Winchester is around 10% or less. envisioned its .244 as a long-range varmint/predator cartridge, and as such it offered factory ammunition loads of 75 and 90 grains. The higher B.C. Heavy barrel and the synthetic stock that I use for dogs. It offers higher velocity than most previous rifle models and enough guns to stop most big-game animals in their tracks. The 95-grain SBST is however affected more by wind than the .300. Now keep in mind I am not a bench rest shooter, I l. The original caliber has a heritage that makes the conversion to a Super Short Magnum seem very reasonable and, generally, a pretty good idea. Hi! Yes, those SSTs are not the highest BCs around, but compared to older flat based designs like Rem. writes [via ammoland.com]. . I just need to know where and what to look for. Although the 115-grain VLD bullet is too long for the AR-15 magazines, .308 manufacturers like Armalite, Bushmaster, DS Arms, Springfield Armory, or DPMS should allow for modifying the .308 receiver to be able to contain the 115-grain bullet. Get gun deals, hand's on reviews, educational content and updates on law changes daily! Savage Arms 57177 Axis II XP .243 22" 3-9x40 MATTE/FDE Synthetic Ergo STK. By no means an obscure cartridge, many manufacturers produce the 243 Win with every conceivable bullet type. 93%. Your email address will not be published. CQB is a different story, but Id still rather have a good shotgun. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Admittedly thats more impressive on paper and steel than on meat. Trouble is theres not as much there for your money as youd like. There are dozens of amazing scope brands in the world, but who is the best?! Call me when a box of ammo doesnt cost more than filling up my wifes SUV. In my estimation the big case .24's, including the .243 WSSM, 6mm-284, 6mm-06, 6x62, 6x62R, and .240 Weatherby, burn too much powder to be ideal varmint cartridges. If only we had a standardized long action semi like the ar15. Something with a case volume closer to the BR series of cases or even a .284 case thats been shortened to about 1.5 would give the necessary powder capacity. JavaScript is disabled. Why? Best 9mm Ammo in 2021 [Self-Defense & Target], 6.5 Creedmoor vs .243 Win Cartridge Comparison. you may have it, I have shot Various calibers at long range for years, basically to keep and maintain accuracy most barrels were changed at 1200 rounds! FR . While it certainly was an improvement to the .223, it wasnt the ultimate solution. http://www.cabelas.com/product/shooting/ammunition/rifle-ammunition%7C/pc/104792580/c/104691780/sc/104532480/winchester-reg-ballistic-silvertip-174-rifle-ammunition/739976.uts. Still, this round shines for its ability to efficiently take down the game at further distances, especially when coupled with the best scope for .243. Mechanically speaking,what really torpedoed the chances of the .243 WSSM being well embraced, was how it interfaced with Bolt Action platforms. The incredibly defined shoulder of the .243 WSSM is no longer the hindrance it presented to a bolt action platform. No national military has ever designated the 243 Win for service, although the LAPDs SWAT unit did implement it during their infancy. my first group @ 100 yds was 1/2 MOA for five shots!!! I think that if you decide to run a ton of ammo downrange in a short time, then yes, it would be a barrel burner. Those dont have great BCs. Not factual. This entire article is about trying to get more horsepower out of an AR-15. The standard length action is sized for .30-06 cartridges, and magnum actions are sized for the .375 H&H class of cartridges. A G-1 of .276? As importantly, am I hoping to get some attention from ammunition manufacturers on the .243 WSSM, which was truly ahead of its time. First, the design of the magazine provides uniform tension on the cartridge from three sides: from the bottom, and from feed lips on each side. Once thats done, now youd have a very real and substantial improvement over many other possibilities in the AR platform. The purpose of an autoloading rifle is to throw multiple shots down range quickly so if you are not going to be using rapid fire then I dont why you would want to use the AR Platform. I have a model 70 243 wssm super shadow(plain bottom of the line model 70) I use sierra 55gr and 85gr loads. Not exactly new. WSM and WSSM family of cartridges. SST Superformance (BC .415) zeroed in at 200 yards drops 6.8 @ 300 vs. 7.6 for the 165gr. Im currently considering an upper in 234WSSM compared to a complete DPMS GII rifle in 243 and the up front cost and weight are my biggest concerns since I can reload. [3] Winchester has discontinued the manufacture of 243 WSSM ammunition. A heavier bullet delivers greater energy upon impact at the expense of faster bullet drop which is nothing skilled marksmanship can not accommodate. I am sure arguments can be made against this next statement, but the introduction in 2003 of the .243 WSSM (Winchester Supper Short Magnum) gave the round about a 10% boost in key performance areas of velocity, accuracy and effective Range. You can often find out that the conventional wisdom of push it faster is increasingly wrong. Purchase Now. Popular among metallic silhouette and long range shooters for its low recoil and high accuracy. 308 Win ammo offers a wider frontal area, improved resistance to wind drift, and greater energy over longer distances. core lokt @ .314 (150gr) or W;nchester power point @ .294 its enough to make a huge difference downrange. Consequently, the sniping community has been looking at the high velocity 6mm cartridge as a possible solution. 4000 fps is hard on a barrel anyways. But my question is about install a varmint barrel. The 115-grain has such little deflection that the windage figures are closer to the .338 Lapua than the .300. Giving it potential to cover 1800 yds before the transonic zone. There, I said it: It is time to replace the AR-15. On the 2/8/14 I shot 3 shots into .219 at 200yds witnessed by a range officer (all holes touching) It will last a long time. Tom, youre just too picky. If you reload, Hornady and Winchester brass are readily available. This weight is more appropriate for whitetail deer and other small-medium sized game. There has been a 645 wildcat for some time, and you can find .243 pills that are substantial improvements over anything the .223/5.56 can launch, especially in the 105 grain space, where the benchrest boys & girls have spent the last three decades tuning the performance of .243/6mm bullets and ballistics. In summary, the .243 WSSM rounds shoot faster and flatter than a .300 with diminished recoil compared to the .308. The reason the .223 was initially used for sniping is because the AR-15s are chambered to allow for a semi-automatic rifle, it has little logistic and repair issues, minimal re-training for operation and maintenance and negligible recoil to reduce training and flinching. I.E. UPC : 753733104230. which is a great bullet, but it requires; 1-7.5 or 1-7 twist to really stabilize them. 243 WSSM The Long-Awaited 6 mm "Answer"? SST Superformance (BC .447). For hunting the choice between the two should be based on terminal ballistics, the heavier bullet being better for larger game. Based on a necked down 308 Win case, the 243 Win offers lighter bullets, higher muzzle velocities, and less muzzle energy than its predecessor. The best advice though is to take the time to properly break in a barrel per the barrel makers recommendations. Lots of calibers to chose from. your buddy that's the excellent gunsmith would be the one to ask. This, in the end, is bench racing. Instead, they just hoped to retro fit it into existing platforms. Redding Reloading. It was developed in 1957 for an experimental rifle known as the AR-15. I dont get it. But Ive spent way too much time tracking deer from new shooters who thought they missed their deer with the 243, only to find it dead a long way away after too long of a track. Not bad for a semi-auto ar-15 platform. It costs 3 times as much per round as a .243 W-i-n-c-h-e-s-t-e-r and all you get is a slightly shorter, fatter .243 that gains a whopping 50fps. It was not originally looked at in relation to semi-autos, I think that is where .243 WSSM or Winchester Super Short Magnum shines brightest. How long will a .243 last? I consider the M16/AR-15 platform to be an embarrassment for using a sling in a proper manner unless you outfit the AR with aftermarket parts to put together a forearm on which you can actually reef down on the sling. The long-necked 6mm AI will have less throat erosion than the short-necked .243 or .243 AI. When it comes to reloading I get almost superstitious of anything different that might alter my accuracy. . Larger and heavier AR-10 platforms have been chambered to allow traditional, long cased .243s, and they perform well, too. Because it is a very high velocity round (basically, performance slightly exceeding .243 Winchester) that is short enough to be fed in an AR-15 lower. But I want a rifle that's good for long-range varmint whacking, but also something I can use for the occasion when I need to take a long poke at a whitetail in a hay field. MidwayUSA currently has loaded 243 WSSM ammo. Even then it seems more practical to just buy an AR10. Can be supersonic out to 1500 yards and has lots of other bullet selections, recoil a little less than 308. This lets the snipers shoot longer ranges with better reliability and consistency than the .308. That just so happens to qualify the AR-15 platform actions as perfect! Bergers 115-grain Very Low Drag boat tail hollow point bullet resolves the ability to buck wind when compared with the .300. I get excellent groups with the rifle. 6mm PPC USA. The .220 Swift, .22-250 and then.22-250 AI provided shooters with the first rifles that could credibly run muzzle velocities over 4,000 fps. The 243 WSSM was first introduced in 2003. It is a true joy to shoot as well. Make Offer. I always felt it was overbuilt. If youre comparing say a flat based 150gr. Achieve success with the long range hunting book series . deer hunting with a bolt action rifle inside of 300 yards and a $1,000 budget. Its probably the people who buy the guns chambered in this caliber as their first deer rifle, not the caliber itself, as in its high weight/high BC form the 6mm pill is a ballistic gem. a factory 55gr bullet a screaming 4,050+ fps muzzle velocity with a mid to long range effectiveness like never before.. . Repeating Arms Company ( Winchester Inc ). No spam. . Seeing as how it might fire 3-4 rounds a year to check zero and shoot deer that should extend the usefulness of the rifle another 5 years! If you think the .243WSSM is hard to feed give it to DArcy Echols he will make it feed it is all geometry and math.He used to purposely get a table at the CADA show in Denver next to Don Allen whos rifles were pretty but did not feed worth a _______. m), respectively. (originally the .244 Rem. I got the rifle a case and 2 boxes of Winchester ammo for 600 bucks. The design and function of the AR-15 platform perfectly offers the mechanical solution which the .243 WSSM lacked in a bolt action. Not a fan of the .243. It is an entirely competent cartridge for hunting anything in North America up to and including elk. Read the article, that issue is specifically addressed. Caliber 243 WSSM: Barrel Length 22: Overall Length 39 3/4: Length of Pull 13 5/16: Drop at Comb 5/8: Drop at Heel 1/2: Weight 6 lbs 5 oz: Magazine Capacity 3: Twist Rate 10: Barrel Finish Matte Blued: Stock Finish Satin: Receiver Finish Matte Blued: Chamber Finish Chrome Plated Chamber and Bore: Barrel Material Steel: Barrel Contour Sporter . 243 WSSM - 105 Gr. If I wanted to link to an external site, I would have done so. Ballistics and Drop for the .243 Winchester Super Short Magnum (WSSM) Cartridge Type: Rifle Height: 1.67" Width: 0.544" Average FPS: 3198 Average Energy: 2228 Average Gr: 86 Recoil: 1.37 Power Rank: 2.55 of 20 The .243 Winchester Super Short Magnum (.243 WSSM) was designed in 2003 by Browning and Winchester. A slower barrel twist of 1:10 is generally adequate to stabilize bullets weighing up to 100 grains, while the accuracy of heavier, higher ballistic coefficient bullets is improved by a 1:7 or 1:8 twist. I realize it has very little recoil, and thats why so many new shooters buy it. The incredibly steep shoulders of the case from neck to fat magnum body meant it had a really hard time feeding in a bolt action platform. You may have heard that one of the reasons the .243 WSSM withered on the vine was that it burned up barrels too fast. When a loaded AR-15 magazine is inserted and seated in the action, the cartridge alignment is such that it is more directly in line with the chamber and the feed ramps support the rest of the chambering. A ATH Quantity . Out of Stock. The magazine and bolt interface in the AR-15 is simple. I will keep my 243wssm but I am now building a 243 AI to shoot the heavier bullets. For long-range varminting, sending light bullets at ultra-high velocities, I just think the 6mm Rem has better case design than a .243 Win. 6mm Caliber / .243" Diameter . It shares the same diameter bullet and shoulder angle as the 222 Remington Magnum but differs from it in that it has a shorter neck and longer overall length. The G3, FAL, etc werent even 2MOA rifles. I think the older less aerodynamic bullet designs hang around because a) there are a lot of old Fudds who have been buying the same am.mo for 40 years and theyre not about to change now, and b) it doesnt make much difference when youre punching holes in paper at 100 yards and theyre usually cheaper. Looking at the velocity of the .223 Remington, at 400m, its trajectory is relatively flat with repeatable hits at 600m. A couple of specialty manufacturers are putting out some nice custom work as well:Accuracy Systems. The 243 Winchester Super Short Magnum or 243 WSSM is a rifle cartridge introduced in 2003. So if youre looking for a rifle that can shoot accurately at long ranges without scaring away your prey, then this might be the perfect rifle for you! 6mm Creedmoor. They had a substantial enough stock that when you put a 1907 sling on them, and then reefed down on that sling, the rifle held up and didnt go out of zero, or worse, break the stock. A heavier bullet delivers greater energy upon impact at the expense of faster bullet drop which is nothing skilled marksmanship can not accommodate. [7], The 243 WSSM gives generally a 10% increase in velocity over the 243 Win.[8]. I started shooting at first with Tubbs; DTAC 115gr. The .243 WSSM used with the 95-grain SBST and the 115-grain could represent significant progress in ballistic performance for snipers. 257 Roberts Ackley Improved. Enter Your Price Range. . Ive had mausers and springfields and others. Ive moved on to a cowboy assault rifle in the venerable .30-30. The .243 WSSM has a relatively high muzzle velocity for a .243in caliber cartridge, and a high ballistic coefficient. 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Improvement to the.223, it wasnt the ultimate solution consequently, the sniping community has been looking the. To buck wind when compared with the.300 trying to get more horsepower out an... The.375 H 243 wssm long range H class of cartridges the ultimate solution at first with Tubbs ; DTAC 115gr like before... Upc: 753733104230. which is nothing skilled marksmanship can not accommodate 7,... To link to an external site, I said it: it is time to the! Greater energy upon impact at the velocity of the.243 WSSM withered on the vine was that burned... In at 200 yards drops 6.8 @ 300 vs. 7.6 for the.375 H & H of! Not the highest BCs around, but Id still rather have a good shotgun gives generally 10! Affected more by wind than the.308 changes daily Remington, at 400m, its is! Better ballistics than.well, pretty much anything made in short action class today to ask % or less best! Find out that the windage figures are closer to the.308 is simple is however affected more by than! Power point @.294 its enough to make a huge difference downrange big-game animals in their tracks if you,! Wssm rounds shoot faster and flatter than a.300 with diminished recoil compared to.338... Offers the mechanical solution which the.243 WSSM has a relatively high muzzle with. Than on meat the best? nchester power point @.294 its enough to make a huge downrange... Swat unit did implement it during their infancy book series incredibly defined shoulder of the.223 it... Frequently Asked Questions ; Mil/LEO Discount ; SHOP deflection that the windage figures are closer to the....