New 700 Lam. Varmit in .243, how it performed today....

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  With all the talk of problems with new guns, I was not sure about my Varmit .243 after I ordered it...most of my stuff is older actions with rebarrel jobs..but Thurs. the gun arrived..very nice..similar to the lam. Varmiters I bought when they first hit the market only the wood is stained a bit darker...Put a 12x Leupold with dots on it and then a quick trip to the gunsmith to set the trigger...I was worried about this...but NO PROBLEM..He set it for a bit less than 3 pounds..my choice on all my rifles...put together some 75 grain Horn. HP over a load of IMR 4350 and headed for the range...the last three shots went into about 7/8's of an inch..Nothing great, but good for the first load fired down range and a rifle with less than 20 rounds though it..a short drive from town, and I dusted 2 p. dogs with it..just to blood it..Cleaning was a snap..no rough spots, and cleaned up almost as easily aas my custom barrels...I had no real need for this rifle with a   .25-06 and 270 in the safe for windy day coyotes, and a slew of .22-250's and swifts, but it kind of fills in a void..and I always wanted to try a heavy .243..Looks like a winner....

[eastbank]

these are my older 700vls in .223 and 308 and they both are sub moa. eastbank.

[Silvertp]

Coyote hunter....good to hear your new 243 is showing promise.  Lots of apprehension when waiting for a series of bullet holes to appear in a cluster.  Now if you can only smooth it out a few tenths in the "tighten" direction you will have it made. 

Cheers
Silvertp

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  Hey, thanks for the good wishes...I think it will be a shooter..I only had 75 grain Horn. HP on hand so used them..In the past they have been good bullets..I hope with a little work, it will group much tighter...the .22-250's I had would cut one hole with good loads...but I have never had that kind of accuracy from any .243 I owned, but I never owned a heavy barreled one either...will find out more this week and next ..my pal picked me up three boxes of bullets in Casper..I get them Fri..85 grain Serria HPBT(an old favorite) , some 70 Blitzkings, and his favorite 65 grain Horn. Vmax..Should have picked up a box of 80 grain Nosler BTBT, that is his other favorite, but there is time for that later in the year....

[gunnut69]

I bought a slow twist 244 in a 722 several years ago. Its one of the few I've checked that actually had the 1-12 rate. It shoots the 75 grain Sierra HP's into tiny little groups (< than 1/2'' CTC) and they are pure poison on coyotes to 300-400 yards..
 
 

[oneoldsap]

            You just gotta love the 6mm s , they do it all !

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  I just realized I have been with out a 6mm for about 15 years...for many years I shot hot .22 cal. for coyotes coupled with a heavy rifle for wind or very long range...then about 8 years ago barreled up a .25-06...it is a great coyote killer..so when I discovered I had all this .243 brass ready to load, what could I do?

[Brithunter]

I just realized I have been with out a 6mm for about 15 years...for many years I shot hot .22 cal. for coyotes coupled with a heavy rifle for wind or very long range...then about 8 years ago barreled up a .25-06...it is a great coyote killer..so when I discovered I had all this .243 brass ready to load, what could I do?

Ohhhhhhh dear what a quandry to be in all that shiny brass and no rifle to use it in  .

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  Well, I have been shooting some groups with the 700 Varmiter in .243...Looks like a real winner...The plastic tipped bullets have come out ahead with 65 gr. Vmax and 70 gr. Blitzking at the top of the list...finally found a fairly good load for the 85 gr. Serria BTHP, my old favorite...and the 75 grain Horn. HP went into a nice one hole cluster this afternoon...maybe it just took some shooting to smooth things out..replaced the 12x Leupold with a 6.5 to 20 Leu.. with dots from 200 to 600 yards...decided this may be a antelope/deer/turkey rifle also..so put the bigger glass on it..So far only p. dogs have been shot with it, as coyotes seem to be laying pretty low...but they will start moving when it cools down, and we are ready...

[nomosendero]

Sounds like a dandy

[pjeffreys]

do you know it they ever made this model in a 25-06?

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  I don't believe they have..all of the Lam. Varmiters I have seen have been the short actions