Semi long range 243

[Dave Schenck]

I was on the range on Sat and amazed myself by knocking over 7 steel plates (A4 sized) with ease at 300m. I am using a good value for money 3 - 9 x 40 Lynx scope on a Musgrave rifle (local make from the 70's when South Africa was still in isolation) shooting 85gr sierras at 3300fps. My 11 year old son shot 4 down in 5 shots and made me very proud. My loads regularly print under half moa at 100m and are wonderful hunting rounds so long as you avoid bones! Bones = meat damage....big time! This is very encouraging for me as I would like to venture out to 400m and them 500m but I am worried about the next step. Do I buy another scope? Will these bullets do the job? I want to practice at these distances so I can start shooting Lynx and Jackals at night on some friends farms - their livestock is taking a hammering!
BTW - I also shot some 85gr and 100gr Rhinos at these steel plates at 100m and they punched right through. These are 10mm armour plates made up by the military NOT to have holes made in them. I was amazed by them and began wondering what the limit is on hunting with a 100gr premium bullet that has no respect for armour plates? These things will surely go through large bones with ease up to 200m - it makes the .243 far more versatile

 

[AJ Peacock]

Nice shooting, the 243 is a great round. I've not heard of the Rhino bullets, can you give us some more info on them? Where are they made, and can you post a pic?

Thanks,
AJ

 

[Dave Schenck]

Hello AJ,
The Rhinos are a locally made product in the form of a "semi monolithic
" with a small bonded core and they are very tough. They are not long range bullets - their bc is quite low and they have a blunt flat tip but up to 250m they are deadly. At 100m I am getting clover leaf groups with the 100gr bullets. You can visit the Rhino website at www.rhinobullets.co.za. It is certainly worth a visit. I have an idea that someone in the States imports them. Let me know if you visit the site and what you think.
Dave

 

[AJ Peacock]

Very interesting, unfortunately they can't import them into the states. I wouldn't mind playing with the 280gr 338 bullet if they get their import license straightened out.

Thanks,
AJ

 

[Savagebien]

the .243 is a great rifle to get u into long range shooting. i have shot my stock savage .243 out to 735 yards, and i just got started in this stuff in june. thats when i started reloading and going to the range and learning to dial and everything. try to learn a lot on here too, i did for a while b4 i could afford to reload and everything. have fun!

 

[zoeper]

Hi Dave,

Nice to meet a fellow countryman with similar aspirations online! where in SA are you based? I just ordered a new scope to mount on my .243 (away with the 6x45 Pecar and welcome to the 6-24x50) Hey i can only shoot as tight as i can see. I have a troop of baboons that sometimes comes to within 100yds of my house, but if i can touch them at 500 yards, i'm guaranteed a lot more fun! (i'm also considering building a silencer for this rifle in the not too distant future)
I prefer the lighter bullets and at the moment the hornady 87gr hpbt bullets does it for me - although i must admit that i have not tried much else.
Musgrave made some good actions and barrels and my father had a musgrave in .243 that was a real tacdriver. The barrel was very tight and i remember that compared to my steyr-manlicher the musgrave weighed a ton.

Pieter