Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Loooonng Range 'Chuck' - cartridge choices? Help please!

Experienced varmint shooters, especially wood or rockchuck slayers .....

I have a .243 M700 I picked up to have made up into a long-range anti-rockchuck rig. Thought when I got it I would stay with the .243 Winchester as my cartridge of choice, but I do have an opportunity .....

What cartridge would you long-distance varmint slayers choose if you were building a dedicated shooter for 'chucks or whatever other vermin you were trying to hit at 400-500-600 yards?

Of course the M700 action in question is a short action with a .473 diameter bolt, and when my smith builds my rig I'll have him put in a blind magazine floor. Weight isn't a concern, nor trying to keep the barrel light weight.

In .243 caliber I would expect to shoot bullets NO heavier than 80-85 grains, and in a .257 caliber cartridge choice - bullets not heavier than 85-90 grains.

I hope to develop a rifle-round-load-combo that will generate 3400-3500fps at the muzzle and can hit chucks at distances further than I'm presently capable. But that's part of the purpose of my project - to learn how to shoot that far!

Cartridges I would consider .....

std .243 Winnie
.243 AI
std 6mm Remington
6mm Ackley I
.257 Rbts
.257 Rbts AI

.224 duties will be handled by a .223R, and I'm not interested in jumping up to .264 cal.

What say you? Comments please?

What cartridge would you choose? Please include barrel dimensions and make? Twist rates? Favorite boolits?

This rig will be for shooting at vermin in the western mountain states, and not at all for any deer or big game.

Thanks in advance.

Go with the 243 AI.

Your biggest issue will not be with having enough ooomph at the extended range, but delivering a bullet that will buck the wind.

I would lean towards the 243 AI with the slowest burning powder that will deliver an 85/87/90 grain bullet.

You could run a 75gr VMax out of a regular old 257Bob at 3400 or so, works good on Idaho rockchucks... grin

Something to consider is being able to spot your own shots. This is a topic I have been meaning to start but since it applies to long range shooting I will present it here.

As of late I have been able to spot shots made on game. Now I might be wrong about this but it started when I got the 243 Kimber Montana and shot the 58 gr bullets. I think its the high comb of the Kimber, fast barrel time, and firing the shots with the scope set at a lower power.

All that I am saying is that if your stock has not been already selected that you pick one with a high comb and perhaps a scope height greater than the typical 1.5" over the bore.

I hope all this is relevant to what you want to accomplish.

As to the bullets I would select a 6mm twisted to shoot the long high BC bullets available these days along with a cartridge that would not wear the barrel fireforming brass.

Good luck and keep us informed with how your project is evolving.

I'd favor a big cased 22 , like the 22/6mm , with a fast twist and shooting such bullets as the 75 gr A-max .

StubbleDuck,
My favorite for that type of work is the 22 CHeetah.I have two and a third in the works.Mine always run the orginial set up of a 1-16 twist.Pretty much always run a 52g Berger at about 4100 with IMR 4064.I know that this does not fit the profile of a long range head popper.But you will be very hard pressed to find a more effective round for under 600 yards.Nelson Berger built my first one in 1985.
There are some draw backs.Brass is hard to find now and the case is alot of work.Barrel life is short.That being said 243 cases work fine and you will get 600 rounds before velocity starts to drop alittle.Accuracy stays pretty consistant.Accuracy?
Hammonds built my second one and it would put 5 rounds into a .25 at 4260 fps.I get much better case life at 4100 fps.Its not uncommen to get 25 reloads per case.
In the field you have to see it,to believe it.Theres like a clock in your head.You pull the trigger and at say 500 yards.You wait for the bullet to "get there".With the Cheetah its just instant.I mean right now.Takes some getting used to.At 600 yards a Berger bullet exits a chuck every time.... ask me how I know?
I know it does not "fit" the conventional mold, but in over 30 some years, its the most effective round i've found.
dave

Here is an Option sell your 700 and buy this.http://cqbarms.com/photos/albums/userpics/40full.jpg
It is on http://www.predatormastersforums.com website and would be an excellent choice for a long range rifle.

6mm AI run a Wyatt box to set the bullets out or run it as a single shot�

240 Weatherby...If you want a fast 6mm go all the way! The rest of the 6mm's just split hairs (which this gun looney does all the time!).


Dan

StubbleDuck



Why?? You are ruling out up front the best class of bullets for long range shooting.
FWIW, do the .243 AI in a 1:8" twist barrel, and throat it for the 115 DTAC or 105 AMAX. These bullets will out fly and out kill any of the lighter offerings at ranges out past 400 yards or so. 1200-1400 yds is not out of the question for these bullets, where the lighter bullets start dropping off quick out past 600...If you want to discuss this issue on the phone, PM me your number and we'll talk... CJ

Won�t fit in his action.

Rem 6mm AI - a little more capacity than the 243AI. There's not much that's not been done with a 6mm bullet.

After you select the caliber, you'll have drop tables developed in no time at all. Your big enemy will be wind drift, and using lightweight bullets in any sub 6.5 caliber will make it worse.

Ditto what Jamison said.

Wayne

A 243/284 would be interesting, would be close to a 240 Weatherby. the 240 wont fit in a short action.

Doc

"I have a .243 M700 I picked up to have made up into a long-range anti-rockchuck rig. Thought when I got it I would stay with the .243 Winchester as my cartridge of choice, but I do have an opportunity ....."

I stand corrected...I need to read a little more carefully before shelling out advice.

How about a 250 Savage AI. The round is short, inherently accurate and I believe one of P.O.'s favorites.

Dan

Dan

I'll second the fast twist and heavy bullets if longer shots are possible. I don't understand why anyone would handicap them selves with light bullet when better ones are there....
I have experience with those issues when there were no good LR bullets in 224 for the 223..... and now I shoot 90 jlks in the 223...

Jeff

The A-max's have the BC andd frangibility to be the bullet to build a long range chuck gun around. The ranges you listed are chump change for a fast twist 22-250 or the AI version with 75 gr. a-max's. All things considered I don't think there is a finer long range chuck cartridge/bullet combo.

Here the game. 75 gr. A-max carnage

I know the 22-250 wasn't listed in your inital choice....but I have to agree with FVA, I have an 1-8"tw 22-250 and when you are slinging 75amax's, 400-600 yards is chump change. It would probably be my choice for what you want to do. Good luck with whatever you decide on.

You have a .243. That's just fine. I have a .22 ppc, and it is accurate beyond description. I would not hesitate to sight in some 52 grain Bergers at 400 yards for woodchucks, heck I shoot them out to 100 with a bow. You've got a good cartridge, you find out what it'll do on paper and you may be set already. If I had to pick a cartridge out of all cartridgedom to shoot woodchucks at 400 yards, I'd look at .243 Win. Just start with good bullets.