Do I need a .243

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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by JimTom » 01 Jan 2018, 8:32 pm

If I end up with a 243 mate it will almost certainly be a Lithgow. I initially intended on purchasing a Lithgow 308 but ended up with a CZ, then decided to buy a Lithgow 223 but ended up with a Tikka T3x. After that I tossed up the idea of a Lithgow rimfire but managed to purchase my first ever rifle back which was a Brno Mod2 22LR so no Lithgow rimfire either.
I really like the Lithgow but on both occasions favoured the other rifles for different reasons.
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by Stix » 01 Jan 2018, 9:47 pm

Not that its of interest really, but ill most likely be getting a tikka...
...its a magazine thing...
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by JimTom » 01 Jan 2018, 10:06 pm

G’day Stix.
That is the reason I went for the CZ as it has an internal mag. 5 shots compared to the Lithgow 3 shot removable magazine. Only a minor detail I know but I like internal mags. I don’t have any particularly good reason, it’s just personal preference for me. I overlooked that when buying a Tikka though as think they are a great rifle all round.
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by Stix » 01 Jan 2018, 10:13 pm

Well i have a 7-08 in a tikka as a walk about hunting rifle & im pretty happy with it, & have a 10 shot mag for it.
So i want to set up the .243 identical...same scope & rings etc, & will be interchangable mags...
One will be the back up for the other...
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by Stix » 01 Jan 2018, 10:17 pm

If i cant get a good cond brno for my hornet i might end up with a cz though....!
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by Apollo » 01 Jan 2018, 10:27 pm

If it's a "Magazine Thing" then get a Sako 85. Flush 5 Shot S/Steel Magazine, safety lock so can't drop the magazine by mistake, can be Top Fed so pretty much the same as an internal mag as you call it. (Cartridge Box Brno called them). More accurate than a Tikka T3 even using the exact same barrel, how do I know....My Sako 85 .243W uses my old Tikka T3 Blued and a Stainless Varmint Barrel as well as it's own Sako Stainless Fluted Varmint Barrel. BTW...they all Headspace exactly the same and that's Tikka / Sako quality control.

To explain the barrels. The Tikka T3 Blued Varmint Barrel is used for general varminting / hunting, the Stainless Tikka / Sako is used for Benchrest Competition at 300m so reserved for that until they get a lot more rounds down the tube.
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by Apollo » 01 Jan 2018, 10:32 pm

Stix wrote:If i cant get a good cond brno for my hornet i might end up with a cz though....!


You do realize they are two different animals completely. The Brno most likely a Brno Fox II with double set triggers, the CZ a CZ 527 with Single Set Trigger which is what I have. Mate has the Brno, not quite as accurate but then his is many, many years older. Completely different feel too.

Both are very good.
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by Stix » 01 Jan 2018, 11:32 pm

Apollo wrote:
Stix wrote:If i cant get a good cond brno for my hornet i might end up with a cz though....!


You do realize they are two different animals completely. The Brno most likely a Brno Fox II with double set triggers, the CZ a CZ 527 with Single Set Trigger which is what I have. Mate has the Brno, not quite as accurate but then his is many, many years older. Completely different feel too.

Both are very good.


Thanks Apollo...yes im aware they are completely different...
Im a fan of the look of older rifles, so i would take a punt on an older one if it looked to have a good bore.
But not too many seem to come up so i may well end up with a new CZ.
Im not entirely sure of the difference between the fox 2 & zkw 465 though--other than age...
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by duncan61 » 01 Jan 2018, 11:42 pm

stix.Educate me.If you have same mags for .243 and 7/08 could you potentialy put the wrong ammo in.Just curious I have a .222 and if I am driving a shooter with a .223 I keep my ammo locked up as I have seen what happens if you put .222 in a .223.
.22 winchester .22hornet .222 .243 7mm rem mag cbc 12g
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by Oldbloke » 02 Jan 2018, 8:40 am

duncan61 wrote:stix.Educate me.If you have same mags for .243 and 7/08 could you potentialy put the wrong ammo in.Just curious I have a .222 and if I am driving a shooter with a .223 I keep my ammo locked up as I have seen what happens if you put .222 in a .223.



Duncan, if you go here you can download the case specs. A simple size comparison will tell you.

http://www.saami.org/specifications_and ... /index.cfm
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by JimTom » 02 Jan 2018, 9:02 am

G’day Apollo. I didn’t choose the CZ based entirely on the magazine configuration. Yes it was a contributing factor but not the sole reason. I have no reason to doubt the CZ will shoot as well as the Lithgow. It’s just I like the idea of an internal mag for the application of the rifle. I chose the Tikka for the reasons you stated. I believe they are great quality. Anything that comes out of the Sako factory can’t be bad.
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by Stix » 02 Jan 2018, 9:29 am

Hey duncan...yes i could potentially do that...mind you im not sure if the shoulder angle will stop any given round chambering or not...
But i use different coloured ammo boxes for different cartridges, & i will only have one out at a time when in the field anyway so shouldnt be an issue--maybe both out on the odd occasion at the range but on different benches.
Just like when i reload for multiple cartridges, i only have one powder on the bench to avoid mistakes...

Having said that, one day at the range i did wonder why i couldnt close the stainless bolt on 7-08--took me 2 or 3 mins to realise i was trying to chamber the round with the identical stainless bolt out of the .204... :wtf:

That was lesson learned for me- :oops: -when load testing/shooting multiple rifles at once, i document all shots & dont do anything else until that rifle, bolt & ammo are set aside--use a very methodical approach & concentrate...!

Ive heard stories--one of a guy who's 308 all of a sudden went awal--spraying big groups.
Didnt realise why until someone elses keen eye realised the holes in the target were a bit small for 30 cal...he was apparently shootin his 243 ammo by mistake... :lol:

So what happened with .222 in .223...? Aside from having to FLSize...hehe...???
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by Stix » 02 Jan 2018, 9:56 am

Apollo wrote:If it's a "Magazine Thing" then get a Sako 85. Flush 5 Shot S/Steel Magazine, safety lock so can't drop the magazine by mistake, can be Top Fed so pretty much the same as an internal mag as you call it. (Cartridge Box Brno called them). More accurate than a Tikka T3 even using the exact same barrel, how do I know....My Sako 85 .243W uses my old Tikka T3 Blued and a Stainless Varmint Barrel as well as it's own Sako Stainless Fluted Varmint Barrel. BTW...they all Headspace exactly the same and that's Tikka / Sako quality control.

To explain the barrels. The Tikka T3 Blued Varmint Barrel is used for general varminting / hunting, the Stainless Tikka / Sako is used for Benchrest Competition at 300m so reserved for that until they get a lot more rounds down the tube.


I somehow missed this post of yours last night Apollo...
The "magazine thing" i talk of is for compatability with the lucky 13, 10 shot mag i have--it will be obviously interchangable with my tikka 7-08--handy for occasions on a decent mob of goats... (aside from that the rifle is a pain to carry with the 10 shot--especially if you have to sling the rifle over for both hands free when meandering steep terrain...!!!)
The CZ/brno i talk of is for a hornet--different rifle altogether.

I did use a guys older Sako in 243 (cant remember the model) for a day & bowled over a few goats with it--i fell in love immediately...!--really nice rifle, a little heavier than the Tikka & not as well balanced, but the action & trigger well made up for it...!!

The other reason as i stated earlier, was to have both walk-about hunting rifles identical in feel & balance--so the only difference would be recoil...same scope & eye relief, trigger weight, stock/lop etc...

You mention same headspace between barrels--i was amazed that i can use a case fired out of another guys Sako 85 22-250 to set seating depth in my new mod 85 22-250varmint...
I iniatally measured the cases fired from different rifles as an experiment, couldnt believe they were the same...!!!

If money & opportunity presents itself before i buy, i will go a Sako...if not ill start with the Tikka for now.

Dont want to hijack the thread, but any advice on the cheaper Sako A7's...?
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by duncan61 » 02 Jan 2018, 10:06 am

Thank you Stix.I have learned a lot from this site and now know that I know jack.My logic was that you would be able to chamber ,243 in 7/08 but not the other way round as the 7mm would not fit in the 6mm neck.What happened with my ammo mix was I was helping out at a tourist resort in the outback and a local kangaroo shooter needed loot to fix his ute so he was selling his .223 to the owner.I had .222 dies and figured I could reload .223 by having the die 5mm out.I made some rounds and the owner jumped on the quad bike and slipped of down the track to have a shoot.He came back with copper and brass sprayed over his face and I demanded and pulled all the rounds I made.Lesson learned.I scale load .243 and 7mm to .1 grain.I use the thrower for .222 and check every 10 as a bit here or there with .222 is O.K. as it is still less than.223 and I rarely shoot over 100m with .222.
.22 winchester .22hornet .222 .243 7mm rem mag cbc 12g
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by Stix » 02 Jan 2018, 10:18 am

Yes duncan, your logic is correct re the 243 going into the 7-08--although as i said i dont own them so not sure if the shoulder angle would stop that happening.

Im no reloading expert, but temember the smaller the powder charge, the greater the "small powder difference" will mean...
In other words, .2 of a grain for 22 grain oowder charge is 10% difference in charge weight, but the same difference in a 7mm mag is much less...
I guess there is also load density that comes into it too...

Im just saying, maybe if you be just as, if not more accurate with the .222 charge weights as with the 6 & 7mm, you might get better results...

I load all my 20 & 22 cal's down to the granule on my beam scale...!! (OCD is a curse i tell ya...!!!)

But again, im no expert...!! Its just my theory & happy to be corrected.
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by bladeracer » 02 Jan 2018, 11:25 am

duncan61 wrote:stix.Educate me.If you have same mags for .243 and 7/08 could you potentialy put the wrong ammo in.Just curious I have a .222 and if I am driving a shooter with a .223 I keep my ammo locked up as I have seen what happens if you put .222 in a .223.


I have the .243 and 7mm-08 both using the same AICS mags.
A .243 in a 7mm-08 chamber is probably not going to be a problem.
A 7mm-08 in a .243 chamber might be though.

.243 feeds and chambers fine in my 7mm-08 RAR. 7mm-08 in the .243 you could chamber the 100gn bullet with a very obvious amount of force as the bolt stops about 6mm short of closing. With the longer 7mm bullets it stops even further back than that.

I can't imagine any problem with firing .222Rem in a .223Rem chamber though. The other way around might split the case though.
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by Daddybang » 02 Jan 2018, 12:01 pm

duncan61 wrote:I had hornets and shotguns for years as they were legal on a low power licence,My first high power rifle is a .222 Ruger


:lol: :lol: :lol:
Not laughing at ya Duncan just that a shot gun is considered "low" and a .222 is "high"
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Re: Do I need a .243

Post by bladeracer » 02 Jan 2018, 12:31 pm

Daddybang wrote:
duncan61 wrote:I had hornets and shotguns for years as they were legal on a low power licence,My first high power rifle is a .222 Ruger


:lol: :lol: :lol:
Not laughing at ya Duncan just that a shot gun is considered "low" and a .222 is "high"
:thumbsup: :drinks:


It was that way for decades. Anything chambered for blackpowder cartridges was also classed as "low power".
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