243 ai

[zgardner]

What is everyone's opinion on this round?

Shooting 105 VLDS or 95 VLDS. Maybe through in 70 or 80 grain Nosler BTips.

For anyone who has built one: Do you see an advantage to 26" tube or could you run a 22" barrel without much change in velocity?

What have you seen with feeding problem's and OAL with the Berger bullets in SA or would it be better built on a LA?

 

[westcliffe01]

If you are going to go to the trouble of going with an AI 243 and fireforming the brass, and expect to shoot heavy for the caliber VLD's, then I think you are wasting your time with a short barrel.

It would seem to be defeating the object of spending all that money and time building a custom rifle. Because the factory rifles like the model 12 or 10 will shoot the other bullets you are talking about just fine, all the way up to 95gr, provided you stick to the shorter 95gr hunting VLD which is designed for a 10 twist.

But if you want to shoot the 105's or possibly 115 VLD's then you will need the extra capacity of the ackley case and the custom 8 or 7.5 twist barrel for sure and slower powder and that means that a long tube is best for developing maximum velocity.

I am very satisfied with my model 12 and its Shilen 26" varmint barrel. Back calculating from my 100-300 yards bullet drops, I am sending a 95gr (long) VLD downrange at 3400fps while fireforming my brass. So I am not even into ackley charge weights yet. Yes, it is a heavy gun, with the long barrel, laminate stock, steel one piece rail and vortex scope + 27" bipod but I'm not doing spot and stalk...

 

[zgardner]

That' s what I was sort of figuring on the heavier 100+ pills. My thought with this gun would be to have a compact calling/truck gun. Mostly designed for coyote stands and coyotes at longer distance. An occasional deer or goat might be thrown in aswell.

I would like to see a rather heavier contour barrel but have nice balance in the stock. Say maybe sendero contour.

I would like to have a laser within 3-400 yards but still be able to reach out there.

Think it is possible to run a 95 gr VLD out of a 22" tube at decent speed?

Has anyone built one in a Bell and Carlson tactical stock? Any problems with feeding and putting dbm in it? All off of savage short action?

 

[westcliffe01]

Have you run the ballistics on those heavy bullets ? They are good, but no laser. As I said in my previous post, my 95's are running at 3400fps and get 6" of drop from 100-300 yards (285 to be exact). To 400 yards the drop is 17" and at 500 it is 31.9".

The problem with the whole laser concept is that the super fast bullets which have little drop also bleed energy fast and the wind blows them all over the place. If where you hunt you seldom have much wind, then your in luck. Stick with the factory barrel and look at lighter boat tail bullets. But if the wind blows or you need to kill things at 400 yards then the heavier VLD's will shine and you will just have to range and dial up your scope like the rest of us....

 

[87predator]

I run the 87 vld in mine@ 3365 and at 300 yds it had just shy 5 in drop. Works great on coyotes, but I'm also running a 26 in tube. I don't think you can hit the really good velocities with a short one, but you only lose around 19-33 fps per inch depending on powder twist ect.

 

[westcliffe01]

You don't mention at what distance you zero...

I ran some numbers on the Berger 87gr hunting VLD running at 3267fps (highest speed listed in the Hodgdon manual) and zeroed at 100yds. The 100-300 drop is 8.5". If the zero gets moved out to 200 yards, then you end up 1" high at 100 yards and drop from 200-300 is 5.5". The velocity you list is slightly higher so I can see that a 200 yard zero could certainly take the 5.5" closer to 5".

I run the 87 vld in mine@ 3365 and at 300 yds it had just shy 5 in drop. Works great on coyotes, but I'm also running a 26 in tube. I don't think you can hit the really good velocities with a short one, but you only lose around 19-33 fps per inch depending on powder twist ect.

 

[87predator]

I zero at 200, the numbers on my program say is actually 4.8. I've never shot it at that distance at target, but used it for 500 and 800 yd and it was dead on. I was using varget powder and couldn't go much faster cause was showing pressure signs i was 4 gr over 243 max list value. I have the 95 and 105 to try now. Just need to find some powder.