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Author Topic: 243 Heavy Barrel  (Read 916 times)

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Offline rickt300

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243 Heavy Barrel
« on: March 27, 2013, 04:49:48 PM »
I decided I needed another 243 mostly because I have several hundred bullets so I bought this one from LongTom. It was exactly as advertized, locks up solid and the barrel is in very good condition. I bedded the foreend with Black automotive silicon and lucky for me the plastic piece on the forearm didn't touch the action saving me some sanding. I mounted a 3x9x Bushnell Trophy on it and loaded up a favorite varmint load using the 75 gr. Hornady HP and H414 popped with Wolf Magnum primers. I went to the doc this morning and was diagnosed with walking pneumonia but decided to start acting sick tomorrow and shot the rifle at 100 yards on my backyard range. Man it was windy! Mostly it came from behind me and from the left a bit causing me to string shots a bit horizontally as the wind was enough to actually blow me to the right a bit. I still got several 3 shot groups of around 3/4 of an inch! Strung in an almost straight line to the left. I had some loaded ammo that fit so I shot it up. One of these loads was the 100 gr. Nosler Solid Based bullet on top of 40.0 grs. of IMR 4350. I could keep these inside 1 1/2 inches but there was a flyer every 3 shots or so, could have been the wind I guess. I was weakening some from walking downrange so maybe my concentration was getting bad. I am looking forward to doing some shooting when I feel better and in less wind. This is the best shooting Handi in 243 I have laid hands on, had two others that were adequate shooters but certainly not prairiedog or nutria rifles.
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Offline bigvarmnt

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2013, 05:20:57 PM »
Take a little break, get to feeling better and I bet IT will shoot better ;)


Glad you got a 243 to shoot ;D

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Offline rickt300

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2013, 06:05:39 PM »
Well I tested the definition of insanity, trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. This prooves I'm not crazy!
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Offline bigvarmnt

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2013, 06:31:49 AM »
Shooting in the wind with walking pneumonia: Insane ;D


I've never had W.P. just Walking Insanity.


Feel better= shoot better ;) 
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Offline rickt300

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2013, 06:38:02 PM »
Guess your right! Ain't worried about it yet but maybe late on.
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Offline cwlongshot

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2013, 11:34:25 PM »
Mine shoots your 4350 load VERY well right at 1'' and has accounted for dozens of white tails and Coyotes here in CT. :)  Most form my good friend, who has falled head over heels for the H&R 243.























ALL of these fell to that 4350 loading with a Hornady Bullet from three different 243 H&R HB rifles.  ;)  I think its fairly well proven. ;)

CW



CW
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Offline rickt300

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2013, 05:35:27 AM »
Beautiful pictures!  My hunting use of this rifle will be night hunting of feral hogs and I need to limit penetration because of the cattle on the property. I will first use the 75 gr. hornady load until my 70 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips get here. Head and neck shots only at 100 yards or less mostly around 75 yards. Testing on hogs will tell me if I need to reduce velocity to get somewhat better penetration but I bet 3300 fps will work just fine. I need a non Schnable style forearm for my rifle so I can put a bipod on it. Hmmm.
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Offline cwlongshot

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2013, 05:43:28 AM »
I recommend you stay UNDER 80g. I have had good luck with accuracy on the Nosler 70g BT back when they where first released.

I also like the Sierra 85 HP. BUT I worry about penetration.... This is a excellent bullet for long range big game. It tends to hold togather like any good game bullet should. This is why I worry about its use under your conditions.

CW
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Offline hoytcanon

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2013, 06:12:19 AM »
I have a pair of HB .243's that shoot great with H4350 and CFE-223...
Hey CW, how do you get so close to all those sleeping bucks??? I can understand the one that fell asleep in the back of your truck and coyotes too!!! I have only seen one sleeping deer in 40+ years of hunting... and I've never seen a coyote sleep in a tree before... do you live in Narnia or something? They even pose with you and your gun... weird.
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Offline Couger

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2013, 11:33:45 AM »
Quote from: bigvarmnt
..... Glad you got a 243 to shoot.

 
Fir shur!
 
Once upon a time I wanted a Handi barrel in .243 WW.
 
 
 

Till I noticed their reputation for openness!
 
(altho these reports about Handi .243's shooting lighter bullets well
deserves further research!  ;)  )
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Offline cwlongshot

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2013, 01:01:03 PM »
Quote from: hoytcanon on March 29, 2013, 06:12:19 AM
I have a pair of HB .243's that shoot great with H4350 and CFE-223...
Hey CW, how do you get so close to all those sleeping bucks??? I can understand the one that fell asleep in the back of your truck and coyotes too!!! I have only seen one sleeping deer in 40+ years of hunting... and I've never seen a coyote sleep in a tree before... do you live in Narnia or something? They even pose with you and your gun... weird.

LOL  Its a art my friend  a lost art... ::) ::) ::) ;)

CW
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Offline stewmagoo

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #11 on: March 29, 2013, 01:54:02 PM »
4350 all the way!  I shoot Sierra Game king BTHP 85gr and are awesome. But the Sierra 75gr Varminters with 4350 is my choice in 243 for whitetail. Taking 2 different .243s to the range on Thursday. One true Superlite and one youth compact. Both Superlites in my book. Anxious to see how these loads shoot in 20" barrels. If they don't well standard barrels here I come. Great trophies by the way.
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Offline theratdog

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #12 on: March 29, 2013, 08:13:14 PM »
yep the 243 is sweet ;)
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Offline rickt300

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Re: 243 Heavy Barrel
« Reply #13 on: April 05, 2013, 08:29:03 AM »
Found the forend I needed. However I tried this barrel on my other SB2 frame which has had the trigger reworked and it fits perfectly! It also has a Boyds Thumbhole laminated stock on it. Next range session is saturday and I will be working up a load with the 70 gr. Ballistic Tips for it.
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