243 AI Custom LRH Rig Thoughts

[Buffalobob]

I shoot a 240 Wby with a Berger 115 VLD. It is wicked fast and accurate. The 115 will penetrate from here to the other side of the mountain. One evening for a "trick shot", I put that Berger through a full grown boar hog and then completely through the adult sow that was standing alongside and behind him. That's about 36 inches of some of the toughest critter on the earth. That shot was made at 550 yards. I would not hesitate to take on the largest elk walking the face of the earth at 600 yards with that rifle and bullet from any angle the elk would give me. I do not actually hunt elk with that rifle being as I have several other toys to play with during elk season.

My suggestion is move up from the 105 Berger to the 115 Berger for elk. Use the 105 for antelope and deer, although I commonly shoot antelope and deer with the 115 myself. That's because I am simple minded and cannot always remember to take the right box of bullets if I have too many choices. Lots of people like the 243 AI and it seems really accurate from the few times I have seen someone shooting one at long range

 

[Kiwi Nate]

At long range, and in the absence of high velocity or high energy, all that is left is bullet mass and mechanical wounding (not hydraulic etc). Obviously, the greater the bullet mass and the more frangible it is, the wider the wound channel- again, strictly relevant to low velocity wounding.

The pic below helps explain this point. I shot this goat with the 190 grain .308 VLD from an MV of 2550fps, range was just over 200 yards for an impact velocity of 2230fps or there abouts. In this close up, you can see a large fragment of the VLD. This is a large bullet designed to produce large fragments. The wounding speaks for itself.

Now have a look at this pic of the .243 Hornady 87 grain BTHP, an equally frangible projectile. MV was exactly 3200fps, range was 349 yards, impact velocity was 2384fps. The wound is quite diffused and on observation you would have to agree, it looks like it should have been very effective. Nevertheless, this Billy Goat ran off and took several minutes to expire. I really did think I had hit him too far back but when I did finally track hime down, it became apparent that the shot placement was good. Soory about the pic quality, this is a still taken from video.

I get to shoot a lot of game, many species but lately, mostly pigs and goats. This morning, I shot 4 goats weighing 70kg (155lb), 4 goats weighing around the 40kg mark (90lb) and 2 young goats weighing around 10kg (22lb). Most of the carcasses were retrieved for dog food, a couple, plus the offal was left as pig bait. Tomorrow, I will have clients whom I will take after pigs, over these baits. The pigs here absorb .243, 6.5mm and low SD .308 projectiles, never to be recovered- even neck shots. I have since banned the use of 6mm calibers on our pig block. The .240 firing a 115 grain Berger would be unigue, high velocities plus high SD's.

Regarding the .284, the reason I mentioned it is because it is a cartridge so often overlooked these days, a nice option for a hunter wanting something a little different rather than the usual magnum class LR hunting rifles. I don't know why people get the .284 case and immediately want to neck it down. Ultimately, very few people use the parent cartridge but those who do, achieve fantastic results. Grant LoveLock, owner of True-Flite Barrels New Zealand, decided, on a whim, to give the .284 a go for F-Class shooting late in 2008. The results have been beyond all expectations and from a long target barrel, Grant utilizes the 180 grain VLD at 2950fps. This combo has literally been a winner. The .284 is quite unique, low recoiling when built in an appropriate rifle, wind bucking and on game, hard hitting. Bullet choice in 7mm is plentiful, from controlled expanding to frangible, from 140 grains to 180 grains if using a 1:9 twist. Like I said, the .284 is very much overlooked but for no good reason.

 

[elkaholic]

At long range, and in the absence of high velocity or high energy, all that is left is bullet mass and mechanical wounding (not hydraulic etc). Obviously, the greater the bullet mass and the more frangible it is, the wider the wound channel- again, strictly relevant to low velocity wounding.

The pic below helps explain this point. I shot this goat with the 190 grain .308 VLD from an MV of 2550fps, range was just over 200 yards for an impact velocity of 2230fps or there abouts. In this close up, you can see a large fragment of the VLD. This is a large bullet designed to produce large fragments. The wounding speaks for itself.

Now have a look at this pic of the .243 Hornady 87 grain BTHP, an equally frangible projectile. MV was exactly 3200fps, range was 349 yards, impact velocity was 2384fps. The wound is quite diffused and on observation you would have to agree, it looks like it should have been very effective. Nevertheless, this Billy Goat ran off and took several minutes to expire. I really did think I had hit him too far back but when I did finally track hime down, it became apparent that the shot placement was good. Soory about the pic quality, this is a still taken from video.

I get to shoot a lot of game, many species but lately, mostly pigs and goats. This morning, I shot 4 goats weighing 70kg (155lb), 4 goats weighing around the 40kg mark (90lb) and 2 young goats weighing around 10kg (22lb). Most of the carcasses were retrieved for dog food, a couple, plus the offal was left as pig bait. Tomorrow, I will have clients whom I will take after pigs, over these baits. The pigs here absorb .243, 6.5mm and low SD .308 projectiles, never to be recovered- even neck shots. I have since banned the use of 6mm calibers on our pig block. The .240 firing a 115 grain Berger would be unigue, high velocities plus high SD's.

Regarding the .284, the reason I mentioned it is because it is a cartridge so often overlooked these days, a nice option for a hunter wanting something a little different rather than the usual magnum class LR hunting rifles. I don't know why people get the .284 case and immediately want to neck it down. Ultimately, very few people use the parent cartridge but those who do, achieve fantastic results. Grant LoveLock, owner of True-Flite Barrels New Zealand, decided, on a whim, to give the .284 a go for F-Class shooting late in 2008. The results have been beyond all expectations and from a long target barrel, Grant utilizes the 180 grain VLD at 2950fps. This combo has literally been a winner. The .284 is quite unique, low recoiling when built in an appropriate rifle, wind bucking and on game, hard hitting. Bullet choice in 7mm is plentiful, from controlled expanding to frangible, from 140 grains to 180 grains if using a 1:9 twist. Like I said, the .284 is very much overlooked but for no good reason.

Good post Nate! I'm surprised that your .243 lost that much velocity with the 87 gr. bullet?......Rich

 

[djtjr]

I love the 243ai. I think it's prob one of the best LR rounds for lighter game up to and including deer. I have no doubt that out to 600 it would be fine most of the time on elk but there are better cartridges for that purpose. Some of the larger 6.5 and preferable 7mm and up rounds would be better suited. Try a 7 wsm in the same setup and you can go to 600 easily and stretch it farther if you decide to later once you get comfortable at 6.
Good luck,
D

 

[Shooter264]

A 243AI with the right setup is a very capable 600 yard elk cartridge. I shoot a 243 AI and have taken several deer at 600 yards plus with very good results. My current set up is 26 3/4" Broughton 105 JLK, Fed 215 Primers, 52 grains Ramshot Magnum with a MV of 3260. I know people will say that a deer is very different than an elk and they are exactly right but..... I have a 360" bull on my wall that I successfully shot (one well placed shot) at 902 yards with a 6mmx284 and a 105 JLK with a MV of 3280. I have also witnessed my brother in law shoot a 372" bull at 735 yards with a 6mmx284 and a 105. My gunsmith (good buddy that I hunt with) shot a 311 bull at 1125, yes 1125 with a 6mmx284 and a 105 Berger VLD. One well placed shot behind the shoulder, the bull looked very sick and turned around and he boomed him on the other side and the bull fell. At that distance the Berger penetrated the entire width of the bull and was stuck on the offside shoulder. I say IF you can shoot your 243AI with great precision, it will be a 600 yard elk slayer all day long.

Here is how my current set up shoots. (it's in an 8lb rig at that). The complaint will be that a 243 AI is too small for ELK sized game and maybe unethical, but my question is this. Which is more unethical, shooting a gun that is comfortable and you can hit where you aim, OR, shooting something that people deem more appropriate but you cannot shoot as well? Let us know how hard that Bull bounces when you wack him with your 243AI!!

 

[Shooter264]

As far as animals dying in minutes with 6mm projectile and in seconds with a bigger projectile, get your stopwatch ready!! (This is NOT a dig on the guy that posted that this is just a fun video) Now I admit I hit her slightly higher than I wanted to but it was do to my range was slightly off. 243AI 600 yards.
YouTube - 09 Doe.wmv