Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Spec me a 243 AI pweeeze

My favorite from a few years ago was a SA700, SS #3 Pacnor Fluted, McM Classic in Campfire Camo, VX3 3.5-10x40 with Ele turret. Tuned old style trigger, all coated in OD Cerakote.

balance is OK in my books.

Some might find it a tad muzzle heavy.

Balance point an inch or two in front of the action screw?

can't check now,....I just cropped the barrel to 22" and sold the barreled action...:-)

now I have an empty Micky Classic Edge......what to do?...:-)

700
Swirl Rem. hunter
#3 contour

Or

700
Edge mountain rifle
#2

All stainless^^ and a coin toss between 2.5x8x36 or 6x42 leupy + talley LW.


On the cheap:
700 SS mountain rifle
used edge
used leupy 6x42 + tally lw

700
McMillan Sako Hunter Edge ADL
#3 Kreiger Contour cut @ 24" w/ 6 Flutes

If you want a heavier setup go with this. I think its 8 pounds 12 ounces with a loaded 5 round mag.



Factory SS takeoff barrel (24")
Mcmillan Sako Hunter stock
Atlasworx DBM and AICS mags
FX3 6X42 with M1 turret

Bingo!

Craft your rifle around the bullets you want to shoot. For whitetails, three come to mind that are stone cold proven killers:

85g Barnes triple shock
95g Nosler Partition
100g Hornady BTSP

If using these three bullets, don't have the gunsmith throat the barrel for a 115g bullet...you will not be able to touch the lands and use the magazine. Std throat with a 105g bullet is 0.100 of freebore.

I use R#19 with the 85g triple shock, and 4350 with the 95 partition and 100g Hornady BTSP. The case is no where near full of powder, so stuffing the bullet down in the case is not an issue....short throat=long barrel life with exceptional accuracy.

If you care to own your own reamer, contact Pacific Tool and Grinding or Loon Lake for reamers. I have mine ground with Minimum SAAMI spec with no turn neck, .2435 throat, and send them dummy rounds with the bullet seated at the length that you would like, they will match the ogive on the reamer to the bullets sent. The reason that I mention reamer specs is that it relates to magazine length of your loaded cartridge. If you go 243 AI, then accuracy is probably going to be of importance for you for some longer shots. Being able to maintain a particular bullet jump in your loaded round, will extend the life of the barrel in as far as extreme accuracy is concerned...every gun is different.

Two years ago, a buddy talked me into shooting an 85g triple shock, he has killed a LOT of deer with this bullet. I worked up a load on my SS rem, and 44.5g of R#19 with a win primer shot 1/2" within tweeking the load 20 shots...accurate bullet/powder combo.
I had the chance to shoot a doe about 100 yds out, broadside shot and then she quickly turned and started walking away from me. I needed the meat, so I shot her straight up the butt. She collapsed on the spot, graveyard dead to my amazement. I found the bullet underneath the hide after it had traveled the length of the body, and had broke the front shoulder.

I have killed many, many mulies and whitetails with the 95g partition. In my limited experience shooting partitions, the 243 Win with the 95g is the most accurate of all the partitions that I have shot, second by the 25caliber 100g partition. Deer shot with the load of 43g of IMR 4350 with the 95g partition in my old Ruger 77- 243 Win, just massacred deer...as bad as a 30/06 with 150g Sierra at 3000 fps. I killed several Nebraska heavy bucks at 300+ yards with this bullet, none of them traveled more than 30 yards. Also, the 100g Hornady BTSP is a sleeper bullet that few know of, wicked on large hogs, and we have killed large Kansas bucks at 300-320 yards with it.

I will tell you that the AI is loud, for that reason, I leave a barrel at 24"-26" due to the concussion of the load on your ears. For stand hunting, longer barrel are of no concern. For a truck gun...that is another matter. My first custom 243 had a 22" barrel, an I swear, it sounded like I was lighting off a stick of dynamite two feet from my head...I traded it off...to each his own.