Newbie Question: Would an AR10.243 be a quality Coyote rifle?

The Wssm is a laser and a hammer! Mine probably has 600 rounds through it, just an educated guess. No idea how long it will go, but honestly I don't shoot it every day so don't really care. I stocked up on brass, no issues there. If I have more than my barrel can use I'll either rebarrel, or sell the brass, no issues there either.

Having said that, I'm going to carry a 243Win this year, a DPMS g2. Almost as light and small as an ar15. It's proven to be a tack driver so far, but haven't taken my best load out farther than 200 yds yet.

No way would I lug a full size ar10 around, I don't care how cheap they are. I'd definitely go the wssm route before I did that again. Or go with one of the smaller ar15 rounds.
 
Originally Posted By: 204 AR[stuff deleted] Having said that, I'm going to carry a 243Win this year, a DPMS g2. Almost as light and small as an ar15. It's proven to be a tack driver so far, but haven't taken my best load out farther than 200 yds yet. [stuff deleted]
Can you get the DPMS g2 upper in 6mm creedmoor? You can fit 105/109gr berger hybrids at mag length in garden variety AR10 pmags and the default twist rate for 6mm cm is faster than 243, so it makes for a much better long range round. Just asking, not critiquing.
 
Last edited:
Mensajd, I get what your saying 100% but the OP used the term “quality” which to me says the OP is looking for a lower cost AR. I’m also the exact opposite when it comes to bullet weight choice. I load 55 grain Nosler Combined technologies. I have about 6 boxes left. They are clocking out of my 22” gun a Little over 4100 FPS with about 2 grains over max book load with zero pressure signs. Sighted in approx 1.5” high at 100 yards I can drop a coyote out to 400 yards without taking my crosshairs off fur. I don’t shoot much over 400 yards 99.9% of the time because I call my coyotes and like to see them almost in my lap before I shoot. I use light, fast, laser beam loads so I can put my crosshairs on a dog and not worry about the drops. I just like to point and shoot. I also don’t go out a dump mags through my AR’s with this load either and clean my gun after every range session to save on barrel life. I do like the 70 grain Nosler ballistic tips as well out of my 26” HB 700 It’s just that they don’t shoot as flat out of a short barreled AR. . Imo anything above a 70 grain bullet and your loosing the flat, laser beam trajectory this caliber is designed for. I do use 90 and 100 grain bullets for deer hunting. I have killed quite a few coyotes with 90 grain ballistic tips. They don’t kill and faster. They also make just as much of a mess as the lighter bullets when contacting bone and are the exact same results hitting like the hammer of Thor just like the lighter bullets do. I don’t save pelts. If I were shooting 700 plus yards I’d go with a heavier bullet but I just don’t shoot that far, and if I do I use one of my bolt guns with trigger set in ounces. At 400 yards hand loaded with a 55 grain bullet I’m sure there isn’t much difference in trajectory between all the calibers we are debating on. It just depends on what the OP wants to buy. The OP asked about the 243 Win so didnt want want to steer the person off course with a different caliber suggestion like it always happens on these posts. It would be nice to have a lighter gun though...and I realize the only way that would happen for me is buying a G2 or WSSM. But I can deal with 2 extra pounds for about a third of price it would cost me to upgrade and not worry about finding my low cost win brass.

I guess we should ask the OP what their budget is and what gun they are thinking of purchasing.
 
Last edited:
@rhino20 and @dultimatpredator - FYI, I'm not advocating that you use any of my preferred cartridges. To the contrary, I'm just providing additional options with cartridges that have similar external ballistics to the 243 so that you can make an informed decision.
 
There are three pages of "Good" options other than a 243. And yes, the AR10 platform is going to be a little heavier. If there is a plus side to this, if you get out in No Man's Land and realize you forgot your ammo, and it can and will happen, even the Mom and Pop gun store will probably have 243. I'm not saying one is better than another because we all have preferences. I'm just saying the 243 may be a little easier to find ammo for in a pinch. But this is just my thoughts.FWIW
 
Originally Posted By: mensajdOriginally Posted By: 204 AR[stuff deleted] Having said that, I'm going to carry a 243Win this year, a DPMS g2. Almost as light and small as an ar15. It's proven to be a tack driver so far, but haven't taken my best load out farther than 200 yds yet. [stuff deleted]
Can you get the DPMS g2 upper in 6mm creedmoor? You can fit 105/109gr berger hybrids at mag length in garden variety AR10 pmags and the default twist rate for 6mm cm is faster than 243, so it makes for a much better long range round. Just asking, not critiquing.

No, they never came out with the CM rounds. I would have gone 6 CM also. But, I did score 2 extra factory 243 barrels and a 260 barrel for $80 from cdnn. So I'm good for a while.

I've gone the ar10 route also, and still have one in 300 Saum. It's deadly accurate and runs well, but with those huge receivers and 2 lb bolt carrier it's too big and clunky to tote around.
 
I still don't comprehend the situation "forgetting" your ammo. I have several decades of experience plinking, competing and traveling, hunting, and just going to the range. Not one time have I ever forgotten my ammo. Then again, I've also never forgotten my gun, or forgotten to put my pants on before going to school/work. Seems a rediculous argument to me.

Running out of ammo is an entirely different argument. I know guys and have heard of big hunters who ONLY bring 4 cartridges on big backcountry hunts. There's no stores to resupply in the backcountry, but what if you take a fall and bang up your scope? Seems a good idea to me to bring a few extra rounds in case you need to check your zero. On local hunts, I always fill my mag and carry at least 10 extra rounds in my pack in a mag, why not, the weight is nothing. What if we run into some pigs, or shoot it out with illegal marijuana growers? I ALWAYS have extra ammo in a spare mag. There's no way for me to "forget" to bring ammo. On varmint hunts (ground squirrels in fields) just bring more than you need. I've even brought my reloading setup on a road trip and reloaded a few hundred rounds in the hotel at night. Didn't have time to prep in advance and only brought about 600 rounds loaded. There's no excuse to not have ammo.
 
^ I'm with you. I always have an old school 10 round folding ammo pouch in my pocket and full mag in my rifle. I have had my luggage lost twice that had my ammo in it. Doesn't make a fun way to start a trip especially with an oddball caliber that none of the LGS have ammo in stock for. Then you have to go out and zero your rifle in for what ever ammo you end up finding or borrow another gun in a common caliber. Been there...its not fun. I now send my ammo in the mail to my final destination a few weeks prior so there's no surprises. A couple boxes of lead BB and 50 rifle rounds will cost most more for an oversized or 2nd suitcase than to send it ground. I just leave extra ammo at my buddies house in AZ so i dont have to ship it back and forth all the time. I'm going to leave a few of my extra guns there permimately as well. It will save the normal airport drama of checking my firearms every time.
 
Last edited:
I agree 6mm Creedmoor has advantages over the 243 Winchester in the AR10. The case is more conducive to getting the big high BC bullets to be seated out in the case and still fit in the magazine. 6mm Creedmoor is a pretty mainstream round and you can get plenty of loads. Just search for 6mm Creedmoor on Midway USA and see all the offerings.

Also if doing a 6mm, I would do a longer barrel than 16. Even going from 16-20in you pick up +150fps depending on the bullet grain. Even more when shooting the heavier stuff.

https://rifleshooter.com/2016/04/243-winchester-effect-of-barrel-length-on-velocity/#:~:text=Average%20velocity%20reduction%20was%2039.6,a%20reduction%20338%20feet%2Fsecond.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top