BSA 243 at the range

so, reloading experts, here's my story with a conundrum.

First time I've shot this 243. Barrels a 1980s/1990s Collings 22 inch. Rifle is mid to late 1950s.

Shot 3 x 3round groups of factory 100g corelokt at 50m- about 1 inch /1.5inch.

Shot a bunch of 3 shot groups with 95g Targex at 100m- barrel never more than warm.
Node at 41 g of 2209 was half inch ish for 3 shots at 100m.

Shot some 90 or 95g Sierra Gamechangers at 100m
3 shot groups= 10 to 12 inches each group.

Boy this barrel does not like these Sierra pills- have read others have had same in 243.

Got home- Boretech Eliminatored the shit out of the barrel- 15 mins wet and rested- 4 x over- the copper fouling was heavy- but subsided towards the 4th set.

1. Will the problem be the Sierra pills, or my barrel is old and collects copper after 30 shots/ clean barrel seemed to shoot great with Targex pills.
2. Will polishing the bore with Bore paste help?


Thoughts?


P.S, geeze shooting a 243 is sooooo easy compared to me 300wsm Tikka :)

Greetings,
Most .243 rifles will have a 10 inch twist barrel. This may be marginal with some of the longer projectiles so it would be a good idea to measure the twist. Not surprised the Corelokt shot well as they are a short projectile. The sudden loss of accuracy would suggest a stability problem to me, unless something came loose. These days .243 rifles often have 8 inch twist barrels to stabilise the longer pills.
GPM.
Just checked. The 90 and 95 grain Sierra TMK which I think is similar to the Game Changer both require a 9 inch twist or better.

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Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings,
Most .243 rifles will have a 10 inch twist barrel. This may be marginal with some of the longer projectiles so it would be a good idea to measure the twist. Not surprised the Corelokt shot well as they are a short projectile. The sudden loss of accuracy would suggest a stability problem to me, unless something came loose. These days .243 rifles often have 8 inch twist barrels to stabilise the longer pills.
GPM.
Just checked. The 90 and 95 grain Sierra TMK which I think is similar to the Game Changer both require a 9 inch twist or better.

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yeah ive measured mine mate its 10 twist.Given what ive read previously, i sorta expected the GCs to not shoot well, and they didnt :)

Twist was my first thought too. Try a 90 grain Ballistic tip.

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Originally Posted by JohnDuxbury

Twist was my first thought too. Try a 90 grain Ballistic tip.

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Yeah I forgot to mention I shot 6 90g eldx superformance- they didn't group well either.

Well you have two loads better than an inch...stop fluffing around and use them lol...possibly try the Hornady ,85_87gtn so they had big following years ago when EBRG was very popular

Ive got a selection of .243 bullets you can try. Come around and have a look. Including I think 105 targex that shoot in a 1:10.

Speer 100g's shoot well

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Well you have two loads better than an inch...stop fluffing around and use them lol...possibly try the Hornady ,85_87gtn so they had big following years ago when EBRG was very popular

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Geeze mate you sound gruffer than Tahr :) yeah I have 90g targex that will get loaded -that I did try yest.

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Originally Posted by Tahr

Ive got a selection of .243 bullets you can try. Come around and have a look. Including I think 105 targex that shoot in a 1:10.

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Thanks mate- I'm tryn to keep it simple- I'll just try the 90g Targex in the BSA once ma Savage Lightweight 243 gets here next week :)

My 243 hates those Sierra 90 gr Gamechangers, I got some 100 gr Speer SPBT and they shoot around 15 mm at 100 yds, as do 95 gr SST, and 90 gr Nosler BT. At least you have plenty of options there.

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Originally Posted by Mooseman

My 243 hates those Sierra 90 gr Gamechangers, I got some 100 gr Speer SPBT and they shoot around 15 mm at 100 yds, as do 95 gr SST, and 90 gr Nosler BT. At least you have plenty of options there.

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yeah mate- thats what i had read about those Gamechangers.

Aparently as you have said that 6mm gamechanger is a mongrel projectile i remember a discussion around it a few months ago when their was a t3 for sale on trademe

Attachment 229009

Got back to the range with 95g Targex loads, 5 shots into less than inch @100m.
Pretty happy with that.
See how they go on reds in a couple weeks.

Good shooting. 243 has always been a firm favourate of mine too.
Was the back of your target covered in clay backblasted by the bullets striking the backstop? I think me and a matee were admiring your BSA this morning at Kaitoke.

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Originally Posted by Jaco Goosen

Good shooting. 243 has always been a firm favourate of mine too.
Was the back of your target covered in clay backblasted by the bullets striking the backstop? I think me and a matee were admiring your BSA this morning at Kaitoke.

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Hah- yep that was me mate- you were the sth African accent Range Officer ?

Attachment 229015
Here tis- BSA Viscount

currently playing with a 243 mohawk. Tossing up weather to thread it or not. Its not a minter but short and loud

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Originally Posted by blip

currently playing with a 243 mohawk. Tossing up weather to thread it or not. Its not a minter but short and loud

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yep do it- I raccoon "not a minter" rifles are far better to my eye than minters- i love the look(and half the cost) of a well used shooter.

Problem with my BSA is, the stock LOP is very short- need to chop the original red concrete butt pad off and install something else- not for recoil, cos there is nearly none, but for LOP sakes.

Yea the older ones have a bit of character to them.

That's a nice old rifle!
Did you chrono the 95gr targex by any chance?

Yup. Thats me. 5years here and still have the accent.

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Originally Posted by Jaco Goosen

Yup. Thats me. 5years here and still have the accent.

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You don't have to. Its one accent Kiwis' seem to like. Especially when it's accompanied with "we were beaten by a better team". :) :)

that is quite some change - did you fire some good stuff after those horror groups - what were they like - its simply that something may have come loose to cause that - so if you shot the horror groups and then did not shoot rifle again I would give it a good once over - it justs seems an excessive group size to be projectile related but I could be wrong -

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Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

that is quite some change - did you fire some good stuff after those horror groups - what were they like - its simply that something may have come loose to cause that - so if you shot the horror groups and then did not shoot rifle again I would give it a good once over - it justs seems an excessive group size to be projectile related but I could be wrong -

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nah nothings loose- i fired great groups after the bad groups :)

more importantly...have you blooded the old gal yet???

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Originally Posted by Jaco Goosen

Yup. Thats me. 5years here and still have the accent.

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mate my dads from Liverpool, been here near 60 years and people can still pick where he's from:)

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

more importantly...have you blooded the old gal yet???

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not long now mate

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Originally Posted by makka

That's a nice old rifle!
Did you chrono the 95gr targex by any chance?

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nah I didn't, not really curious- takes so fricken long setting up a chrono :) it'll get used in the bush so don't really need to know.

Fair enough, I'm pretty keen to give them a go in the 243ai I'm currently building

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Originally Posted by makka

Fair enough, I'm pretty keen to give them a go in the 243ai I'm currently building

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wowee they'll be humming in an AI !

Darn. I had my Magneto speed sitting under my bench. Dave used it earlier in the moring on his 243AI and 6x45 I think.

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Originally Posted by ANTSMAN

wowee they'll be humming in an AI !

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Thats the plan!

On your experiences with reloading, would you recommend diving into it? Or does the cost outweigh the benefits?
TIA

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Originally Posted by Tikkatok

On your experiences with reloading, would you recommend diving into it? Or does the cost outweigh the benefits?
TIA

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depends entirely on your end game... you can make bullets cheaper than buying factory but when you factor in the purchase of gear to do it...you need to shoot a fair bit for it to pay off.... but YOU CAN MAKE LOADS TO SUIT YOU.
the most cost effective is to use a mates gear and your components
if you go through 20-40 rounds a year.....and can actually find factory loads...its probably cheaper to just keep buying factory stuff

Of course you justify the purchase of the reloading gear by saying it’s cheaper than factory
And then you fire twice as much ammo ‘tinkering’ with the load
Or at least I did, with about 7-8 different calibres
But hey, we’ve all got addictions ��

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Originally Posted by Frogfeatures

Of course you justify the purchase of the reloading gear by saying it’s cheaper than factory
And then you fire twice as much ammo ‘tinkering’ with the load
Or at least I did, with about 7-8 different calibres
But hey, we’ve all got addictions ��

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That's what happens.

true that @Frog features..... but once you have the big bits it makes buying factory stuff look VERY unattractive.... the lee whacamole sets are the ideal way to get into it cheaply....