243 lbc barrel arrived from BHW today!!

204 AR

204 AR

Well-known member
I ordered from Ritch the last week of November, a 22" blackened 243 lbc barrel, threaded 5/8" muzzle. I figured it was due to arrive any time and sure enough it was waiting when I got home. Not one to lolly-gag around when there is an AR to be built I got busy. I had long since had the upper squared, the extractor corners rounded, gas tube installed in the Joebob's adjustable gas block, and was ready to go. Here it is:


The free float tube is the new Matrix key mod from Joebob, the bcg is a Radical Arms 7.62x39 also from Joebob. I figured for $100 complete I'd give it a try. The lower was robbed from my 264 lbc.

After firing two with gas shut off to get brass to set my resize die I started opening up the gas. So far I got to the point of ejection but not locking back . I threw a scope on, loaded 5 more rounds and decided I needed to get it dialed in and shoot a preliminary group before dark. Here it is, shot from shooting sticks at 100. Given that I'm not that stable off sticks, and the load was randomly concocted with 31 gr 8208 and 58 gr zmax seated deep enough that they looked about right, I'll take it for now! The low shot was a sighter at 25 yards, the last 4 from 100.



I have NO doubt, this is going to become my go-to coyote and all around rifle when I need something bigger than the 17/223!
 
I really liked mine! But when it came down to it or the Grendel when I was tight on money after my divorce the Grendel was the one I couldn't part with. Mine loved 87 grain Berger VLD's and 27.5 grains of 8208. It was about 1/2" and 2800 fps out of mine. It was an excellent rifle but I have a 5.56 AR that has been my coyote GO TO rifle for some time. I hated losing the expensive brass from the 243 LBC, and the Grendel and 6.8 were the obvious choices for me anyway when it came to hunting medium game with and AR. I may build another someday now that I'm back on track. I hope you love it!
 
Thanks guys! When I get the 58's and 75 gr Hdy hps (got a boat load of those) figured out I'm gonna move on up to 87's and 95's. Greg did you know Palmetto State has 95 gr smk for under $22 per hundred?
 
Originally Posted By: 204 ARThanks guys! When I get the 58's and 75 gr Hdy hps (got a boat load of those) figured out I'm gonna move on up to 87's and 95's. Greg did you know Palmetto State has 95 gr smk for under $22 per hundred?

I'll be buying a batch of those. Thanks.

Greg
 
Is that based off the ar10 I thought they were based of the ar15 platform? Looks like it should shoot good I'm waiting on a used 6x6.8 upper I bought off the forum here. Suppose to of been here yesterday according to usps tracking.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: zr600Is that based off the ar10 I thought they were based of the ar15 platform? Looks like it should shoot good I'm waiting on a used 6x6.8 upper I bought off the forum here. Suppose to of been here yesterday according to usps tracking.

It is a 6.5 Grendel with a straight neck down so it runs in the 15. Ritch designed it and it is probably tone of the top three in accuracy we shoot.

It and the 6X6.8 have almost identical case capacities but each have advantages and over the other in various areas. Coyotes cannot tell the difference.

Greg
 
Originally Posted By: GLShooterOriginally Posted By: zr600Is that based off the ar10 I thought they were based of the ar15 platform? Looks like it should shoot good I'm waiting on a used 6x6.8 upper I bought off the forum here. Suppose to of been here yesterday according to usps tracking.

It is a 6.5 Grendel with a straight neck down so it runs in the 15. Ritch designed it and it is probably tone of the top three in accuracy we shoot.

It and the 6X6.8 have almost identical case capacities but each have advantages and over the other in various areas. Coyotes cannot tell the difference.

Greg

Not trying to hijack or start an argument but I always thought that the .264 LBC originated with Les Baer Custom. Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
I did a little testing when I got home at 200 yards. Conditions aren't good with cold winds and I had to trudge through the snow but what the heck. Worked up to 32.2 gr 8208 so far with the 58 zmax. 2.13" oal iirc. my last group had 3 you could probably cover with a nickle, but one flier. All other groups were very good also. The only issue is the bolt carrier is not locking back. I isolated it to the bcg by swapping out for the one from my 264, which I noticed unlocks a lot easier. I will have to investigate the issue with the Radical bcg and correct it. Also am using 6.8 mags which work perfectly fine in the 264 but are less than reliable in this one. I incorrectly thought they were the same as 6.5 mags but Ritch informed me that isn't the case so I have the correct ones on the way.

A couple bugs but there usually is with wildcats. I will get that worked out. The fact that it shoots very well with the only load I've tried so far has got me tickled pink. No speeds to report as the sun was too low for the ol crony to work.
 
Originally Posted By: SledgeOriginally Posted By: GLShooterOriginally Posted By: zr600Is that based off the ar10 I thought they were based of the ar15 platform? Looks like it should shoot good I'm waiting on a used 6x6.8 upper I bought off the forum here. Suppose to of been here yesterday according to usps tracking.

It is a 6.5 Grendel with a straight neck down so it runs in the 15. Ritch designed it and it is probably tone of the top three in accuracy we shoot.

It and the 6X6.8 have almost identical case capacities but each have advantages and over the other in various areas. Coyotes cannot tell the difference.

Greg

Not trying to hijack or start an argument but I always thought that the .264 LBC originated with Les Baer Custom. Correct me if I'm wrong.

That is correct. Les did the original 264 LBC. He never did anything in that line in variants. When the 243 LBC was done the battle of the Grendel trademark was in full swing.

Grendel brass is used because that's what is out there.

Greg
 
Last edited:
Quote:It is a 6.5 Grendel with a straight neck down so it runs in the 15. Ritch designed it and it is probably tone of the top three in accuracy we shoot.

It and the 6X6.8 have almost identical case capacities but each have advantages and over the other in various areas. Coyotes cannot tell the difference.

Greg

What are the other two most accurate?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: 204 ARQuote:It is a 6.5 Grendel with a straight neck down so it runs in the 15. Ritch designed it and it is probably tone of the top three in accuracy we shoot.

It and the 6X6.8 have almost identical case capacities but each have advantages and over the other in various areas. Coyotes cannot tell the difference.

Greg

What are the other two most accurate?

20 Practical and 6X6.8 IMHO. Although the regular 264 has been downright outstanding.

Greg
 
The 6mm AR by Robert Whitley is almost identical and was first. But the .243 LBC is every bit as good.
 
204 your 1st target should look closer to the one below since were are now pretty close to round size......:)
This is also a 22" BHW bbl. suppressed as you have seen.
 
Yeah Buddy, just wait till this gale force wind dies and I get a chance off the bench lol! I got some 200 yd groups in a 10mph breeze as small as 5/8 moa and no larger than 1moa. I tried to get a crony number this afternoon but the wind blew it over and broke a screen.
 
^^ Dang winds. I was shooting over my chrony at the range Sunday and had to strap a 1/2" 6' chain to it to keep it upright. Was only at 18-26mph. The winds may not stop until March sometime if we are lucky.
 
Originally Posted By: 5spd^^ Dang winds. I was shooting over my chrony at the range Sunday and had to strap a 1/2" 6' chain to it to keep it upright. Was only at 18-26mph. The winds may not stop until March sometime if we are lucky.

In Oklahoma I used those 1/2" X6' chains as wind flags.

Greg
 
I managed to get a couple of readings shooting thru the cronograph just now off the front porch. 32.2 gr 8208 with the 58 zmax is nearly 3500, 32.5 is 3550! Wow that is all I could hope for from a 22" ar. I haven't grouped the 32.5, I will have to load a few to try. The 32.2 so far seems to shoot great but I will verify if we ever get a calm day.

The loads don't seem hot but I'm not sure the normal signs of primer, ejector swipe, etc apply when the ceiling is 50k psi. Those all show up higher than that. I will have to see what case life is like and go from there. I know I can get a dozen loadings from Hdy brass in the 264 so my loads in it are definitely mild. I just don't want to break a bolt or extractor if I can help it.

On that subject where is the best place to get 7.62x39 extractors?
 
Back
Top