243 or ? Help

TXCOONDOG

Well-known member
Looking to buy a bolt action in 243 for suppressed predator and P-dog hunting.

Was leaning towards a Rem SPS which I will have the barrel threaded and install a different trigger (2-3lbs).

I need a stock that has an adjustable LOP (12.5-13.25”) for winter (jacket, etc) and summer hunting. I will use a day time optic for p-dogs and thermal at night for predator hunting. The thermal sets 3/4” higher (need adjustable check riser) so leaning towards a Magpul 700 Hunter stock or an aluminum chassis system.

Note: I want a flat bottom stock/chassis.

Is there a better way to go ?.....Maybe a different caliber (22-250,etc) or rifle manufacture, etc ?

I need the stock adjustability and the rifle must be capable of sub MOA with handloads.





 
You are trying to cover a lot of bases.

Adjustable pull stocks are an upgrade.

Predator hunting usually are sporter rifles, P dog is usually heavy varmint rifles.

I would think that you want 1/2 moa for p dogs at least.

Barrel life on most factory 243's for 1/2 MOA is around 1200 rounds, lots of variables, and moa is great for a shorter range coyote rifle.
 
Are you set on a bolt gun? I would probably build or buy an AR-10 since you're going to be using it at night with thermal. The ability to keep your eye in the in scope for quick follow up shots is always a helpful at night. Plus less recoil in a dog town is more helpful so you can see where you're hitting if you don't have someone spotting for you.
 
I just ordered a bear creek 243 20” upper for $318 already threaded with a MOA guarantee. They have a heavy 22” version I’d recommend for $380. I have the heavy 22” and it shoots .3” groups at 100 yards with two different 55 grain handloads between 4/4100 FPS. It I were prairie dog hunting I’d rather just use my 223 LTR that shoots .3” at 200 yards with less recoil and longer barrel life.
 
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SPS varmint is med/heavy barrel. I shoot off a tripod, bibod, and shooting sticks, etc. while predator hunting and prefer a med/heavy barrel.

I’m fairly new to p-dog shooting and only get to go once a year (invite) to a friends farm. I will use a 223 for most of the p-dog shooting.

Even though I don’t own a 243, I knew it’s a barrel burner.

I’m open to any suggestions, etc.


 
Originally Posted By: OKRattlerAre you set on a bolt gun? I would probably build or buy an AR-10 since you're going to be using it at night with thermal. The ability to keep your eye in the in scope for quick follow up shots is always a helpful at night. Plus less recoil in a dog town is more helpful so you can see where you're hitting if you don't have someone spotting for you.

I use a 6.8 SPC II and the 30 Sabercat (AR 15 wildcat for hogs) for most of my night hunting so I’m not against an AR 10, but really like my bolt actions most of all when shooting suppressed.

I sometimes hunt fields with tree lines and most of the coyotes are 200-300 yard shots and thinking a 243 would be better for these areas.
 
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It’s only a barrel burner if you shoot light pills. I have 55 grain Noslers loaded up at 4100 FPS out of my 22” bear creek upper. It’s flat out to 400 yards. Nosler 70 grainers at 3650 FPS are flat out 350 yards in my 26” bolt. I just use common sense and don’t rapid fire with those loads in my AR. Heavy for caliber it will last like any other rifle imo. I like 70 grain noslers loaded loaded a little hot at 3650 FPS out out my 26” heavy barrel Rem. At least if you burn an AR barrel out you don’t have to pay $100’s of dollars to have a smith replace it. Replacement BCA 243 barrels are $143 and $184 depending on weight and length. I even have a short little 16” Remington 600 chambered in 243 from 1967 that is feather light. Great walking predator gun. I have it glass bedded, floated the barrel, and a rifle basics trigger installed. It will stack holes all in the place at 100 yards. I just ordered a 20” 243 BCA upper the other day. Got to have options.

Here is the upper I bought. You can get the blued upper for $384 and my complete lower minus a stock is $249 from Areo. You could go a cheap route and pick up a Ruger American already threaded. I love my 26” Remington VLS that I switched over to an HS Prescion stock as well. You just need to pick something and practice with it. Anything gun chambered in a 243 will work for you. Buy what you like. I’m partial to a bolt action myself. The first one always goes down but follow ups are always non existent with a bolt imo. You can spray and pray like most do here with AR’s on the rest of the running pack.

I like a 26” barrel to take advantage of the caliber. The problem is with a can it’s going to be way to long imo. If you start going to short then you might as well pick another caliber. Just like my little 600. Cool gun but the velocity loss is horrible. The 20” upper i ordered is short enough that it kills the velocity imo compared to a 26” optimum length barrel imo...and after throwing on a 6” suppressor you look like your barrel is way to long for an AR configuration imo.



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Yes, DPMS LR style uppers. It might be my fault the site is down. I gave them a list Friday morning of about 10 things that the weights were listed incorrectly and photos of the wrong uppers they had listed with descriptions after I wasn’t pleased to find out the 4 3/4 lb upper they listed actually weighs 6.4lbs when their tech weighed it. I still ordered it as it’s a great deal imo. I’m sure they are jacking up the prices with the panic as well. I’ll be Curious To see how much the 20” split rail upper I bought for $318 went up to tomorrow. The 22” heavy fluted blued side charging version of mine was on sale for $384.00, 20” side charger was $353, and last years 20” m loc upper was $312. They’ve been the same sale prices for over a year as I’ve been watching and procrastinating. I knew between the virus and election coming up there would be a shortage and increase so I pulled the trigger Thursday.
 
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I greatly appreciate it, but after thinking about it, I’m just not going AR 10 for now.

I (sure others too) would like to hear how the BCA group.

Anyone got a Ruger Predator in 243 ? How’s the accuracy ?

 
I shoot a Ruger Predator in 243 with a Silencer Central (Dakota Slencer) Banish 30 (Varminter 4.0) with 58 V-max as my main night hunting outfit. Averages about .5 to .7 MOA at between 3,800 and 3,850 fps.
 
Originally Posted By: TXCOONDOG

I (sure others too) would like to hear how the BCA group.





.3” 100 yard groups with my 22” barrel with two different powders I tried with 55 grain NBTs. I did a post on it last year. They were pushed hard. Max loads with both powders. Actually one was .2 grains over max. The loads I used were around 4100 FPS and 4000 FPS. Don’t plan on running them through rapidfire and wrecking my barrel prematurely but will be a great Yote load especially if there are buddies that are with him to catch on the run when the first one drops.


Found the post with group pics...

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3209599


I was pretty impressed for 55 grain bullets in this cheap upper. I know Varminter 223 and his buddy both shoot sub MOA with theirs as well.

I had a Ruger American 450 bushmaster. The gun rattled apart and went back to Ruger 5 times for repair. It was replaced by Ruger with the scout model. I’ll never buy another American if it comes with a plastic proprietary magazine. Very accurate gun but that magazine is garbage and the metal they use for the action is too soft. The scope rail kept coming loose, the trigger housing rattled loosely from side to side because the pinned holes that hold it into the action hogged out from recoil, the bolt catch pin got so loose it fell out, and the bolt needed to be replaced because the gun would nor extract rounds...Evan after a new extractor kit was installed. Everything on that gun was replaced accept for the barrel by Ruger. Imo the guys that haven’t had issues have not put enough rounds through them yet to see the outcome. I had feeding issues with 6 different mags and had one that would fall out when firing. I believe their 223 model takes AR mags. This happened after about 120 rounds were through the gun. I noticed my scope shift after 60 rounds. I loc tighted the base screws two different times and it still come loose after three shots. Ruger replaced the rail, torqued it down, test fired it three times and sent it back. The rear rail screw was finger loose when I got it back! The Ruger tech told me that the 450 BM American was not made for target use and plinking!!! He said the gun was designed for the average person to go cited in at the range and maybe put three or four boxes of shells through in their entire lifetime.... What does that tell you? They let me upgrade to the 459 BM scout model for $110 bucks after the 5 time back in a year and a half. I did fix the scope rail coming loose eventually. I Acuraglassed it to my action.

Like I said I’m still partial to a bolt action myself just because I don’t have enough behind the trigger AR time. I did take 9 yotes with my POF the last time I was in AZ calling. Imo whatever you pick I would get a metal magazine or a 700 that drops out the bottom. I can tell you 99.9% of the time I only need one shot anyways when I’m calling.
 
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Txcoondog,

To expand on Rem 700 SPS... there's an SPS which is a sporter weight 24" barrel and there's a SPS Varmit which is a medium Varmit contour barrel and 26" long. Either rifle in 243 Win should have a 9 1/8" twist. I have a VLS Rem 700 in 243 which is a laminate stock and shinier blurring than the SPS models but it's a shooter! My load has been the 105 AMax or the 108 ELDM and it stabilizes them fine; my elevation is 2,500 ft.

I ve got some SPS rifles in larger calibers and they ve all delivered sub MOA groups. The synthetic factory stocks are pretty flimsy but work ok. If you put it in a stiffer stock it should shoot great for you. Also, I ve had good luck adjusting the factory Rem trigger as long as you don't try going too light. I ve had no problems getting down to 3-3.5 lbs and still being safe and not have creep.

Good Luck however you proceed!
 
Sorry for not mentioning this in above post; I ve also had good luck with the Weatherby Vanguard S2. ( built on Howa action) I ve got a 223, had a 6.5 Creedmoor and have a 240 Weatherby and all sub MOA shooters. Friend got one in 243 Win and first 3 shots out of it went 3/8" with 75 VMax. Only thing negative about the 243 in the Vanguard is they re s 1-10 twist so top end of bullet weight is going to be 95, maybe 100 grain IF that matters to you. Triggers are two stage so not my preference but they are crisp. Other caution is aftermarket parts ( think stocks) hard and expensive to come by!! That's where the popularity of the Rem platform shines.
 
The 243 with 20 degree shoulder doesn't help hold back the fireball from ignition the way sharper shoulders do. You can mitigate this by reloading with slower powder like 4831SC or even as slow as H1000.

2 guns is probably the easiest way to optimize your fun but it isn't required.

You might consider a platform where you spin on and off the barrels after removing the factory barrel which is potentially mission difficult. After that barrels can be mounted and changed rather easily.
Gauges make it safe to do.
A 308 bolt face short action can shoot all kinds of rounds

Consider that Remington 700 will have all kinds of compatible parts including triggers. Savage is very accurate for the money but the availability of replacement triggers is much smaller ie Rifle Basix and Jard. Other brands including Ruger, TC to name 2, all have their merits but are harder to upgrade as parts aren't as available.

Good luck with your project!
 
I’ve decided that since I predator hunt the most (90 plus days a year), I will start with a dedicated predator bolt action rifle.

Here are the specs on my build:

Trued/blueprinted Remington SS action, precision ground heavy duty SS recoil lug, and a 20” threaded Criterion (Remage) light varmint SS barrel in .243 with a 10T. I also went with a TriggerTech Special trigger and a Magpul hunter stock with the Magpul magwell kit.

All parts, dies, Laupa brass, headspace gauges and tools, etc. has been order. The barrel has a lead time of 10-16 weeks.

I appreciate everyone’s feedback. I will follow up with my complete build and load development.

Note: Being that I don’t care about hides (bigger the hole the better), I’m going to start with the 75 & 87 grain V-Max bullets.



 
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