Off the top of your head what could a 243 Winchester be rechambered for?

[DalesCarpentry]

Off the top of your head what could a 243Winchester bolt action be re-chambered for? I plan on buying a Savage Stevens some time this spring (when I get caught up with the bills) in a 243 Winchester. I figure I can put a new trigger,stock and barrel in steps as I can afford to do so. My plan is to some day have it re-barreled to a 6.5 Creedmoor. There is just something about that cartridge I really like and I can get a tack driving rifle this way as I can afford it. I have been sitting around doing a little reading on the Internet and wondering what could a 243 Winchester be re-chambered for? I love fast and flat!!! I also got to thinking if after the barrel is shot out, well maybe not the barrel being shot out but the throat eroded enough where it is no longer as accurate but the barrel may still be good. To maybe just re-chamber it to something else if the barrel was still good. Like I said this could only be done if the throat was bad but the barrel was still good. Do people even do this type of thing or am I just thinking crazy? If they do what would the options be off the top of your head? I think it would have to be some type of wild cat cartridge that is still a 6mm and the case would have to be larger than a 243 Winchester case. So any ideas? Thanks and take care Dale

[DalesCarpentry]

So far I think I have found 4 that would work. That would be the 6mm BR , 6mm Dasher, 6mm PPC and the 6mm Remington. So far I like the 6mm Remington the best of the ones I have listed. Let me know if you know of others. Dale

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6_mm_BR_Remington

http://www.6mmhot.com/6mm_Dasher.html

http://www.reloadbench.com/popup/cart/260.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6_mm_Remington

[rebel49]

.243 A I for one, 58 grain @4200FPS, or heavier weight bullets fast. In a pinch you can always use standard .243 winchester or Remington cartridges and the cases just fireform to .243 A I.  Reload with a .243 A I neck size die. Simple build with Savage/ Stevens 200 just ream barrel and re-install. I went nuts with mine and it shoots an honest 5 shot .375 group at 100 yards.
Rebel49

[quickdtoo]

6mm Rem Improved too.

Tim

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek042.html

http://www.angelfire.com/sd/6mmackley/

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek021.html

[gunnut69]

I'd have to check to be certain but I believe the PPC and other short rounds wouldn't clean up the 243 chamber. The standard 6mmRem will also not clean up the chamber leaving an ugly knot in the new chamber where the 243 shoulder is located. The AI (ackley Improved) version would however likely work OK but would not remove enough of the throat to fix a problem there. A 240 weatherby or 6mm-06 would however take care of the problem. There are several others that come to mind and a purchase of 'The Cartridges of the World' book would add more. The 244 Apex is a monster as is the 240 H&H. Unsure of the names here but you get the drift.. Of course you understand that there will be several changes neede in the savage rifle to alter for some of these round..bolt head, bolt stop, mag box,, etc..

[DalesCarpentry]

I'd have to check to be certain but I believe the PPC and other short rounds wouldn't clean up the 243 chamber. The standard 6mmRem will also not clean up the chamber leaving an ugly knot in the new chamber where the 243 shoulder is located. The AI (ackley Improved) version would however likely work OK but would not remove enough of the throat to fix a problem there. A 240 weatherby or 6mm-06 would however take care of the problem. There are several others that come to mind and a purchase of 'The Cartridges of the World' book would add more. The 244 Apex is a monster as is the 240 H&H. Unsure of the names here but you get the drift.. Of course you understand that there will be several changes neede in the savage rifle to alter for some of these round..bolt head, bolt stop, mag box,, etc..

It kind of sounds like I would be best off shooting out the barrel and then just rebarreling it. Thanks Dale

[Siskiyou]

Take a look at the 6.5-284 Norma.  A simpler and less costly conversion would be the 260 Remington round.
http://www.6mmbr.com/SixFive284.html

I believe it is harder to move a rifle chambered for a wildcat cartridge when the need comes to sell a rifle.  A wildcat is of interest to a smaller segment of the shooting population

Your thought on rebarreling the rifle sound like a practical option.

[RayO]

6mm-284 would clean out that chamber.

http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/w6mm284.html

[DalesCarpentry]

6mm-284 would clean out that chamber.

http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/w6mm284.html

That one sounds like a good option but it says it can be done in a medium length action and the 243 is a short action. If it means I can't use the magazine that is no big deal to me just loading one at a time. Because when I am at the range that's how I do it anyways and when I am out shooting Groundhogs you rarely get a second shot due to the fact if you miss the first time the bullet zips by close enough to make them run for their holes. Thanks Dale

[Rangr44]

AFAIK, .243's & .284's use the same action lengths - they just need different magazines.(Win 88/100, for two)

.

[gunnut69]

The 6-284 will surely clean the chamber but will not significantly more the throat foreward... The 243 is a rgeat cartridge just the it out and rebarrel as needed!