looking for a new rifle

[SSG Graybush]

looking to find a light weight, deer, varmint rifle in 243/243ai w/8tw bbl. Short of going full custom, would like to find a production piece in said features. Dont really mind paying for a higher end{Cooper,Bergara,etc} but unable to find what I want. Any help, suggestions much appreciated. thank you in advance.

Bergara Ridgeback in 6 cm

 

[vortech347]

It's all about those feels. Sorry if that offends but it's a ridiculous reason to hate on a inanimate object. Especially, one that fits the specific requirements posted.

 

[Floridaboy123]

looking to find a light weight, deer, varmint rifle in 243/243ai w/8tw bbl. Short of going full custom, would like to find a production piece in said features. Dont really mind paying for a higher end{Cooper,Bergara,etc} but unable to find what I want. Any help, suggestions much appreciated. thank you in advance.

I recently ordered a criterion 26 " 7.5 twist 243 ai barrel for a savage I have. Waiting for barrel, hope it shoots good

 

[vortech347]

If it's anything like my 30" 6.5 CM bull barrel from Northern Shooters Supply it will. Very good barrels.

 

[greenejc]

looking to find a light weight, deer, varmint rifle in 243/243ai w/8tw bbl. Short of going full custom, would like to find a production piece in said features. Dont really mind paying for a higher end{Cooper,Bergara,etc} but unable to find what I want. Any help, suggestions much appreciated. thank you in advance.

Just get a 6mm Remington from E. R. Shaw. It will be a semi-custom rifle on a Savage action, and you can have that Ackley Improved from the shop when you order it, including different twist rates. The 6mm Rem AI would basically be a magnum without the belt, and the rifle would be made with whatever features you want.

 

[Stgraves260]

Tikka T3, make life easy......

Question, to what ranges do you normally take your deer and varmints? (for that matter what kind of varmints?)

On deer I'll take them as long as my caliber rifle retains the 1300 FPS for the bullets to expand properly and the 600 ft-lbs of energy it takes to break the shoulder. The distance will change with elevation. On varmints like coyotes, I stick with just the 1300 FPS rule. Hogs are a different story. I like to lean towards the 1,000 ft lbs of kinetic energy. Hogs are very hard to judge on how big they are at distance. I shot what I thought was 125 - 150 lb hog at 997 yards. It took 2 shots to brig him down with my 260 Remington. The hog weighed in at 290 lbs and a 52" chest. Unlike deer type animals which you can train yourself on how big they are when using the proper equipment. There are just no absolutes on sizing hogs. Hope this helps.

 

[Lapuatom]

I still find it very disturbing people hate on creeds. Makes no sense at all. I have both 6mm creed and 243. The AI is a solid performer for sure but it's not a factory option. Unless you decide on a semi custom or made to order rifle package I'd go 6 creed and be done with it. It's dang fine cartridge and similar to the 243 with a better case design. Since you are not opposed to buying a higher end rifle, I'd build it off a big horn action. Now you have a 700 foot print, multiple bolt heads to change it out and you can order prefit barrels in any configuration you like. I've built a pile of savage action based rifles using this concept and really enjoy it. My current platform can be a small base to a magnum base cartridge inside 30 mins. I just swapped barrels last week and it took me 3 rounds to rezero. It was pretty close. I'll be swapping out again in a week or 2 to a new 223 trainer with 7 twist I ordered from x caliber.

Not hating on anything BrentM, but I want a 243, not a creedmore. It's equally disturbing when someone suggests that because I'm not interested in any given suggestion, then I'm a hater. Not so.

 

[greenejc]

I just checked their web site. They offer both 243 and 6mm Rem chambered rifles in either factory or AI. They offer twist rates from 7" to 10" in this caliber and lengths from 16" to 24-26" depending on contour. I have two Shaw barrels on two of my rifles, and they shoot inside an inch at 100 yards; some loads go inside 1/2 inch. One of these is a 30-06 with a very heavy 20" barrel (shoots inside 0.7" with most factory loads) and the other is a 26" 35 Whelen which shoots inside .7 in. with either Speer 250gr or Sierra 225gr bullets, and chronos over 2750 fps with either load. If you don't have deep pockets and you want a nice rifle check Shaw out. https://www.shawcustombarrels.com/

 

[Lapuatom]

I just checked their web site. They offer both 243 and 6mm Rem chambered rifles in either factory or AI. They offer twist rates from 7" to 10" in this caliber and lengths from 16" to 24-26" depending on contour. I have two Shaw barrels on two of my rifles, and they shoot inside an inch at 100 yards; some loads go inside 1/2 inch. One of these is a 30-06 with a very heavy 20" barrel (shoots inside 0.7" with most factory loads) and the other is a 26" 35 Whelen which shoots inside .7 in. with either Speer 250gr or Sierra 225gr bullets, and chronos over 2750 fps with either load. If you don't have deep pockets and you want a nice rifle check Shaw out. https://www.shawcustombarrels.com/

I have several shaw barrels now and I agree they both shoot well.

 

[greenejc]

Not hating on anything BrentM, but I want a 243, not a creedmore. It's equally disturbing when someone suggests that because I'm not interested in any given suggestion, then I'm a hater. Not so.

I'm not a big fan of the Creedmoor cartridge either. I think of it as either a .260 Rem lite of a .243 lite. If I have to go to 6.5 cal, I'd rather shoot the 6.5-06, as it is MUCH more powerful, highly accurate, and fairly easy to hand-load. But the .260 Remington loaded to its potential in a fast twist barrel is also quite a bit more powerful and just as accurate as the Creedmoor. So is the 6mm Rem and the .243. The problem with factory barrels in both calibers is twist rate. But Shaw offers barrels in faster twist rates for both the 6mm and the .260, which means these larger casings can be used with the long-for-calibre bullets that are becoming popular. I got my .35 in a 1 in 14 twist just for heavier bullets. You can send one of your rifles to them to have it re-barrelled and head spaced or order their semi-custom rifle in their faster twist rate and get at least 100 to 150fps over any Creedmoor cartridge in the same bullet weights, with the same accuracy. I've seriously thought about having William Trotter in Colorado Ackley Improve both of my .35 Whelens, but I already get velocities over 2675fps from one and 2750fps from the other in two highly accurate loadings, and can hit 12" steel plates at 600 yards with both. One is a 24" Remington barrel and one is a Shaw 26" Heavy Sporter; 1 in 16" and 1 in 14" respectively.

 

[Lapuatom]

I'm not a big fan of the Creedmoor cartridge either. I think of it as either a .260 Rem lite of a .243 lite. If I have to go to 6.5 cal, I'd rather shoot the 6.5-06, as it is MUCH more powerful, highly accurate, and fairly easy to hand-load. But the .260 Remington loaded to its potential in a fast twist barrel is also quite a bit more powerful and just as accurate as the Creedmoor. So is the 6mm Rem and the .243. The problem with factory barrels in both calibers is twist rate. But Shaw offers barrels in faster twist rates for both the 6mm and the .260, which means these larger casings can be used with the long-for-calibre bullets that are becoming popular. I got my .35 in a 1 in 14 twist just for heavier bullets. You can send one of your rifles to them to have it re-barrelled and head spaced or order their semi-custom rifle in their faster twist rate and get at least 100 to 150fps over any Creedmoor cartridge in the same bullet weights, with the same accuracy. I've seriously thought about having William Trotter in Colorado Ackley Improve both of my .35 Whelens, but I already get velocities over 2675fps from one and 2750fps from the other in two highly accurate loadings, and can hit 12" steel plates at 600 yards with both. One is a 24" Remington barrel and one is a Shaw 26" Heavy Sporter; 1 in 16" and 1 in 14" respectively.

I live close to, and have done business with er Shaw in the past. Going to check them out again. Ty

 

[Dvldad]

Not a need more fan,lol.

I was not one for a creedmoor either. But I've been shooting one now for half dozen years. It is the same ballistics as the 243ai but no fire forming and there is a giant abundance of brass when things slow back down. My coyote load is a 80gr Berger traveling along at 3556fps. And my long range round for that same rifle is 108eld m and they are moving just over 3100. I would not buy a 242 if I could get an 8 twist 6creedmoor.

 

[greenejc]

Shaw's MKVII rifle starts a $990.00 and goes up to about $1,600.00 with all the extras. You can get it in any chambering they offer, and any barrel length up to 26". Its on a modified Savage action, and is a custom rifle on a beer pocket book.

 

[greenejc]

I was not one for a creedmoor either. But I've been shooting one now for half dozen years. It is the same ballistics as the 243ai but no fire forming and there is a giant abundance of brass when things slow back down. My coyote load is a 80gr Berger traveling along at 3556fps. And my long range round for that same rifle is 108eld m and they are moving just over 3100. I would not buy a 242 if I could get an 8 twist 6creedmoor.

What's your barrel length? Most .243 Win barrels are 22" unless they are varminters and then, normally only 24".