.243 barrel length

[njc110381]

I've just put in for a variation for a .243 and paid a deposit on a rifle. It's not screwcut so will need to have the front sight cut off before it can be done. How short can I take it and still get 1700ft-lbs from it? I don't need it to run 100grn bullets for Scotland as I have bigger rifles for that and most of its use will be Foxing from a vehicle (hence I want it short!).

 

Can I go down to 18", or is that pushing things? I don't want to ruin it but wouldn't mind taking a bit off.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[griffshrek]

njc110381

 

i cant answer for 18" barrel but my Sako in 243 with a 20" barrel shoots the 85gr hpbt at 3124fps/ave which produces 1842ft/lbs using RL19 powder .hope this is of help....neil

[njc110381]

Thanks for the info Neil. Supposedly the .243 loses an average of about 30fps for every inch cut so another two wouldn't be a huge issue with those figures assuming my rifle would run the same speeds? I can only assume it would be similar, although max load varies between rifles?

 

Does anyone else have a short barrelled .243? The new RPA woodland stalker is really short and supposedly that works ok?

[20Tac]

I think that the .243 16" RPA would be a great fox rifle, but it looks like it's really going to struggle to be 'deer legal'.

 

There was a 19.7" Blaser .243 in shooting times:

 

http://www.shootingtimes.co.uk/guns/267004...fle_review.html

[njc110381]

That was an interesting article, cheers. I was surprised at how some factory ammo didn't meet the minimum energy requirements for larger Deer. I wonder how many "buy a gun and some bullets and get on with it" type stalkers are unknowingly breaking the law?