What barrel twist in a .243 stabilizes 100gr bullets best?

Robert28 · May 24, 2018

I see most 243’s come with 1/10 twist but I’m hearing conflicting reports about it being the ideal twist to stabilize 100gr rounds. Reason I’m asking is I want to pick up a new .243 that’ll be used only for deer, so I’ll shoot 100gr out of it probably 95% of the time. Maybe 95 grain the other 5% of the time.

GT-40 GUY · May 24, 2018

I have killed at least 50 deer shooting 80 grain bullets with 1 in 10" twist. They are devastating. Every one were dead before their knees buckled. They all dropped straight down without any trailing.

gt40

PS: I always reloaded Sierra 85 GRAIN HPBT Game Kings.

Robert28 · May 24, 2018

What brand of ammo was it? I’ll have to look next time I go to Academy and see if they have any 80 grain, I usually notice plenty of 100 and 95 though.

baddave · May 24, 2018

Robert , good question .. tell ya my experiences .. i have 2 - 243's.. a ruger m77 ftw w/ 20" barrel 1 in 10 twist - this won't shoot nothing over 87gr,but shoots those very well .. i have a rem 788 w/1/9.25 twist will shoot anything and i'm gonna use 100 gr hornady interlock for deer this year,., but that's a 788 . i really think you're spot on wondering about the 1/10

jmoser · May 24, 2018

My Savage is a 9.25 twist; it shoots great with 100 gr Sierra Game King boattails. I can also shoot good groups at 200M with 105 Amax but velocity needs to be maxed out to stabilize.

My 6mm BR is a 1:8; that would be a much better twist for .243 IMHO. Like the .223 with 1:12 twist you can still shoot the very light bullets in faster twist bbls; its a myth that a 50 gr .223 will come apart in a 1:9 or 1:8 twist. The .243 factory rifles should go the way of .223s and migrate to faster twist rifling.

wareagle700 · May 24, 2018

I wish my Tikka was a 8 twist. I can shoot 95gr NBT's but anything longer opens up groups pretty bad.

spurrs and racks · May 24, 2018

1"/9.00

or 1"/9.25

s&r

Philbow · May 24, 2018

A 1 in 10 twist should stabilize all the "normal hunting bullets". It's only when you use the heavier/longer monometal or extremely high ballistic coefficient bullets will the 1 in 10 run into trouble. It's not the weight of the bullets it's the length. My 243 1in 10 has no problem with any of the 90 to 100 grain bullets, but other rifles may not.

jglenn · May 24, 2018

pick one

http://www.shilen.com/calibersAndTwists.html

james243 · May 24, 2018

I have an interarms mark x in 243 that best I can tell has a 1 in 13.25" twist. With 100 grain flat base bullets I get pretty much 1 inch groups at 100 yards and 3" at 200. Nothing to brag about, but works fine on deer especially since I haven't shot at one over 100 yards in a very long time. Supposedly it shot 85 grain sierras very well but I have never tried them.

pdsniper · May 28, 2018

I have 1 in 8 in both my 6mm Norma Br rifles and the same in my 243 and they all shoot fantastic

Headshot · May 28, 2018

1 : 9.25 twist Savage with 100 grain Sierra Game Kings does very well on whitetail deer.

madie · May 28, 2018

I like the Barnes 80 grain out of my Savage Predator 1/9.25 twist..Hornady 100 grain shoots good out of it also..

jmoser · May 29, 2018

BTW the 87 gr Vmax shoots outstanding 200M groups in my Savage Predator 9.25 twist and will work just fine on deer and antelope despite being a 'varmint' bullet.

Don't overlook this fine bullet; also excellent at 200M in my 6BR.

Buckhead · May 29, 2018

I have two .243s, a Rem model 7 and a Tikka T3. Not a fan of 100 grain loads. In my experience, 80 - 90 grain are generally more accurate and effective on deer. Last 3 deer seasons I have been hunting with the Fed Trophy Copper 85 grain. Full pass thrus, good anchoring power, sub MOA.

Not sure what is gained with a 100 gr bullet. Whether you are going with 100 gr or an 80 gr bullet, not much energy at extended ranges with either. I feel like the .243 is a 250-300 yd caliber on deer.

jmoser · May 30, 2018

Buckhead said:
I have two .243s, a Rem model 7 and a Tikka T3. Not a fan of 100 grain loads. In my experience, 80 - 90 grain are generally more accurate and effective on deer.

Not sure what is gained with a 100 gr bullet. Whether you are going with 100 gr or an 80 gr bullet, not much energy at extended ranges with either. I feel like the .243 is a 250-300 yd caliber on deer.

I almost always hunt with the heavier bullets per caliber [165 .308, 160 7 mag, 100 6mm, 180 .300 mag etc.] Never had any regrets with terminal performance; I don't like to blow up meat with excess velocity bullets.

I have a 220 gr load for my .308 pump rifle; knocks em right down at 2100 fps.

.243 is easily a 300-400 yard deer/antelope rifle with the right bullets.

Jester896 · May 30, 2018

jmoser said:
.243 is easily a 300-400 yard deer/antelope rifle with the right bullets.

hard to argue with that

or this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY0w1c-gf18

GT-40 GUY · Jun 4, 2018

Here it is embedded. One shot one kill using a custom turret. Laze distance then turn elevation turret to yardage then hold for wind and shoot. Bingo give that gal a ceeegar.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

gt40

GunnSmokeer · Jun 9, 2018

I have a 15 year old Savage 10 in .243.
I read online that it has 1:10 twist.
I have not measured it myself.

It shoots 100 gr. soft point flat base bullets fine out to 200 yards. That's the longest distance I can normally shoot.

But tomorrow I will take this rifle and 60 rounds of Monarch brand 100 gr. SP ammo to a 600 yard range, and shoot 20 round "groups" three times, from a bipod-supported prone position, with my Weaver (China) hunting scope set to 9X.

We'll see how it does.

However, I agree that most shooters today who use the 243 caliber rifle will be using at least 65 grain bullets if not 90 or 100 grain. Therefore manufacturers should give them a faster rifling twist rate. I don't think anybody is using the 243 as varmint round anymore, with 55 grain bullets meant for turning woodchucks into pink mist.

GunnSmokeer · Jun 9, 2018

John Whittington a world class thousand yard rifle shooter, has long used a custom barreled 243. I think he shoots 105 or 108 grain bullets, VLD design, and I think his barrel is one -in-eight or maybe 1:8.5

I'd prefer to have a 1:8 twist, even if it meant never shooting 50-65 grain varmint rounds.

What barrel twist in a .243 stabilizes 100gr bullets best?

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