.243 wssm

baydog

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Jan 11, 2014
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Hello. Does anyone do any long range shooting with a 243 WSSM and how do you like the gun??..It sure does seem like a small but NASTY caliber!..Thanks for your time and any help

baydog
 
try finding brass for them at present:rolleyes::rolleyes:

I've got a 25wssm and like it, but it feeds like a blind man designed the mag well.
lol.. thanks lefty7mmstw i seen a 243 wssm and a loaded round that goes in it this weekend and it looked like it would be a nasty little gun. do you know if it takes more powder than a 6mm or shoots any better than a 6mm because i know the only difference between a regular 243 and a 6mm is the case is same diameter and takes the same bullet but is a little longer so it uses a little more powder and they will in my opinion shoot a little better than the 243. I need to look up the load data on the 243 wssm.
 
lol.. thanks lefty7mmstw i seen a 243 wssm and a loaded round that goes in it this weekend and it looked like it would be a nasty little gun. do you know if it takes more powder than a 6mm or shoots any better than a 6mm because i know the only difference between a regular 243 and a 6mm is the case is same diameter and takes the same bullet but is a little longer so it uses a little more powder and they will in my opinion shoot a little better than the 243. I need to look up the load data on the 243 wssm.
We've had both the 6mm rem and 243... one of my pop's buddies has a 243 wssm... They are so close in performance I'd get what rifle you like and can actually find components to feed. It's a similar story to the 7rem and 7 roy; it's really more about what rifle you like than performance differences.
 
We've had both the 6mm rem and 243... one of my pop's buddies has a 243 wssm... They are so close in performance I'd get what rifle you like and can actually find components to feed. It's a similar story to the 7rem and 7 roy; it's really more about what rifle you like than performance differences.
That is really they key, get what you like.

Wildcatters don't wait for components, they make them. There will always be some way to get/make 243 WSSM brass.

You can't go by someone elses recommendations for what to choose. You can listen to why they chose. For instance, it would be bad to take a recommendation from me. Simple, I like everything so my recommendation can't be trusted.

Example: I already have a 50's Win M70 Featherweight in 243 and a 1964 Sako L579 Forester 243 new in the box but I have a 6mm/243 barrel and actions with standard and magnum bolt faces. When the back log of projects catches up, I'm not sure what I will make. The 243 WSSM is on the list but is competing with a 6-6.5x47L for one reason, small primers.

Why would I make another .243/6mm class rifle? Because I can, because I've got the M70 figured out, because I won't shoot the Sako, because I can, because I would make it for target/comp shooting.
 
We've had both the 6mm rem and 243... one of my pop's buddies has a 243 wssm... They are so close in performance I'd get what rifle you like and can actually find components to feed. It's a similar story to the 7rem and 7 roy; it's really more about what rifle you like than performance differences.
Yea Lefty I know I'm all over the board but after doing some reading and looking at ballistics and load data now I'm thinking that the 240 weatherby is about the best caliber if you want to shoot the 243 bullet. Like in need another gun..I have a remington model seven 243... had the same gun in 6mm and found the 6mm was a little better gun. Then bought a lot of guns in between 270 cal 25-06 cal 22-250 cal and wasn't to impressed with those guns so sold them, not that these guns are bad guns just not the guns for me. I still have my dads .308 remington 742 that came over on the mayflower lol.. thats a good gun but my favorite is my Remington Sendero 7mm mag. I've been shooting that for 10 years now and almost went with the stw but hard to find in the Sendero and pretty close to the 7mm mag also once you've owned a Sendero it's in your blood!..lol..So i have a Sendero 300 RUM coming. Not even going to take it out of the box.Sending it to gun smith to have muzzle brake put on it first. I also have in the back of my head a different small but bad *** caliber and now thats what got me on the 240 weatherby...I got to keep in mind that fishing season is around the corner too..lol..
gun)
 
Depends on what you consider long range. I won a little browning bedded it into a new B&C. Shoots well with Berger 95 Grains. Had it out to 660 yards, 10 inch, or less groups. I relegate it to 400 or less for hunting. Based on the charts that's my comfort level on deer sized game. It's a truck gun. I like the caliber, hate Winchester brass as it takes a lot of culling then prep work and Winchester service stinks.

Oh and yes, feeding is difficult even after being worked over.
 
Yea Lefty I know I'm all over the board but after doing some reading and looking at ballistics and load data now I'm thinking that the 240 weatherby is about the best caliber if you want to shoot the 243 bullet. Like in need another gun..I have a remington model seven 243... had the same gun in 6mm and found the 6mm was a little better gun. Then bought a lot of guns in between 270 cal 25-06 cal 22-250 cal and wasn't to impressed with those guns so sold them, not that these guns are bad guns just not the guns for me. I still have my dads .308 remington 742 that came over on the mayflower lol.. thats a good gun but my favorite is my Remington Sendero 7mm mag. I've been shooting that for 10 years now and almost went with the stw but hard to find in the Sendero and pretty close to the 7mm mag also once you've owned a Sendero it's in your blood!..lol..So i have a Sendero 300 RUM coming. Not even going to take it out of the box.Sending it to gun smith to have muzzle brake put on it first. I also have in the back of my head a different small but bad *** caliber and now thats what got me on the 240 weatherby...I got to keep in mind that fishing season is around the corner too..lol..
gun)
My Dad has a custom .240 Weatherby and there are some downsides to its greatness. One thing is that components for it are expensive and hard to find. The other is all of that velocity comes with a price, barrel life. Smoking 87s out of it at 3500 fps sounds amazing but you're burning 55gr of powder to achieve that. They are extremely accurate but so are .243s and 6mm Remingtons. I have never seen a .243 that wasn't crazy accurate. I don't know if you're talking about the .240 being small because of its diameter or its case size but it actually a pretty big overbore casing, close to the size of an '06.
 
My Dad has a custom .240 Weatherby and there are some downsides to its greatness. One thing is that components for it are expensive and hard to find. The other is all of that velocity comes with a price, barrel life. Smoking 87s out of it at 3500 fps sounds amazing but you're burning 55gr of powder to achieve that. They are extremely accurate but so are .243s and 6mm Remingtons. I have never seen a .243 that wasn't crazy accurate. I don't know if you're talking about the .240 being small because of its diameter or its case size but it actually a pretty big overbore casing, close to the size of an '06.
i know for sure the 6mm is a great gun and the 243. About 20 years ago a buddy of mine that I grew up with, we went and bought guns one day together. They were Remington model sevens. He was waited on first by the same guy we still buy guns from today and he got the 243 when he was done the guy that run the gun shop said ok do you want to be just like your buddy and I said no! I want to be just a little bit better and he said ok you're getting a 6mm !!.. We really trust this guy so I just said ok and it was a great move. My 6mm would out shoot his 243 by about 50 yards hehehe!!..What i meant by small gun is i have a 30-30 and a 308 and a 243 a 7mm mag sendero and a sendero 300 RUM on it's way . We all know what the 30-30 is capable of, great brush or in the woods gun for 100 yard woods shots and the 243 or 308 to me without really getting down to the nitty gritty 200 yards and those guns loose knock down power and start to drop but are lighter and pleasant to shoot and carry around, but the 240 looks like it could shoot a little further and have more energy on the other end but still have all the things that make the 243 and 6mm great guns, I'm not sure because I don't own one...yet... But I really don't know so i got to ask , does a 240 and 243 and 6mm use the same bullet??..Sorry for such a knuckle head question but I really don't know and that would be a deal breaker for melightbulb
 
i know for sure the 6mm is a great gun and the 243. About 20 years ago a buddy of mine that I grew up with, we went and bought guns one day together. They were Remington model sevens. He was waited on first by the same guy we still buy guns from today and he got the 243 when he was done the guy that run the gun shop said ok do you want to be just like your buddy and I said no! I want to be just a little bit better and he said ok you're getting a 6mm !!.. We really trust this guy so I just said ok and it was a great move. My 6mm would out shoot his 243 by about 50 yards hehehe!!..What i meant by small gun is i have a 30-30 and a 308 and a 243 a 7mm mag sendero and a sendero 300 RUM on it's way . We all know what the 30-30 is capable of, great brush or in the woods gun for 100 yard woods shots and the 243 or 308 to me without really getting down to the nitty gritty 200 yards and those guns loose knock down power and start to drop but are lighter and pleasant to shoot and carry around, but the 240 looks like it could shoot a little further and have more energy on the other end but still have all the things that make the 243 and 6mm great guns, I'm not sure because I don't own one...yet... But I really don't know so i got to ask , does a 240 and 243 and 6mm use the same bullet??..Sorry for such a knuckle head question but I really don't know and that would be a deal breaker for melightbulb
Yup, same bullets. I would like to say though that a .243 and 6mm are definitely more than 200yd guns, more like 500yds for deer, when loaded right. We loaded up some 100gr Sierra Soft Point Boat Tails this year going 3050fps and this load generated over 900lbs of energy at 500yds, at my elevation. Didn't shoot any deer with the .243 though, but hopefully will next year. There's nothing wrong with the .240 just hard to get stuff for and not very efficient, if that matters.
 
Yup, same bullets. I would like to say though that a .243 and 6mm are definitely more than 200yd guns, more like 500yds for deer, when loaded right. We loaded up some 100gr Sierra Soft Point Boat Tails this year going 3050fps and this load generated over 900lbs of energy at 500yds, at my elevation. Didn't shoot any deer with the .243 though, but hopefully will next year. There's nothing wrong with the .240 just hard to get stuff for and not very efficient, if that matters.
Good greef man!! you mind me asking what kinda recipe you're shooting to get that kinda results out of it. And when your deer hunting do you have to neck shoot or do ya put them in the engine room..
 
Good greef man!! you mind me asking what kinda recipe you're shooting to get that kinda results out of it. And when your deer hunting do you have to neck shoot or do ya put them in the engine room..

42.0grs of IMR-4350 out of a 26" factory Remington barrel with 1-9 1/8 twist. To be honest, this was my first year owning my .243 and never had the chance to get any deer with it. The good ol' .270 did all the work. If I was to shoot one at any distance up to 500yds, I would place the shot in the pump station via the shoulder or behind it.
 
I have a 25 wssm in a Browning. Bought because I liked the size for what I wanted. Very light, small rifle that packed close to 25-06 punch. Carried many miles, always fed well from mag. Downside, stock was too small, barrel was too light. Not very consistent. I keep saying that I may buy a new Bell & Carlson stock, they make one for the Super Short action, both for Browning and Winchesters. And maybe even change the barrel. Always like the quarter bore, first hunting rifle. Even though I usually shoot a 6.5 or 7mm now, the 257 always will always be my sentimental choice(the Bob).

I know the 243 wssm is a screamer, for hunting, may be the ticket. Should be point blank to 300 yards+. And depending on how it(and you) shoot, good for deer sized animals to 500+ yards.
 
I shoot a 243 win and can tell you it is no slouch on out there. My longest shot has been on a whitetail doe at something over 400. The load was a Speer boat tail 100 gr don't recall the exact load but it was moving out at approx. 2950. The deer dropped after taking 3 or 4 steps.
I can't see the 243 wssm doing anything less. Barrel might not survive a lot of load development though.
 
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