.243

B

bullethole1

Moderator
Im planning on heading to Bass Pro Shops on the 5th(first day of the savage sale) of August to purchase a Savage .243 and I was wondering what the best ammo there is for a .243 and how much should I expect to pay? Id like to treat this gun and feed it the best Ammo money can buy and not some cheap ammo that might not be as accurate as the high quality ammunition out there. Id like to get your guys opinions rather than google it since most of you on here are professionals when it comes to this stuff like long distance shooting. Thanks alot :cool:
 
Hornady Superformance works well in my Remington, but sometimes Remington Core-Loct is best in other rifles.
 
The last factory ammo I bought was for a .243. I picked up a used Savage and didn't have brass, dies, etc on hand to develop loads that day but I wanted to test it out right then. I bought 4 boxes of ammo. I bought a box of Remington cheapo stuff I can't remember the bullet weight, a box of Winchester 80 gr, a box of Hornady 100 gr Interlock SP ammo, and a box of Hornady Light Magnum 95 gr SST. This was before the Superformance stuff came out. As I recall, the Remington stuff didn't shoot very well, the Winchester stuff shot pretty dang good. Hornady's fancy Light Magnum was about the same accuracy as the Winchester. But the regular ole cheaper Hornady Custom 100 gr stuff shot unbelievably well. My first 2 groups of 3 were less than 1", so I called it good right there, in case I wanted to use it as hunting ammo that year.

Later on, I was able to match the Hornady factory ammo, and finally beat it with my handloads, but I am still impressed by how well it shot.
 
I haven't shot factory ammo in decades, but lots of folks like 95 grain Federal Fusion. One blogger friend of mine, Rivrdog, claims that it is very accurate in his rifle.

My Savage likes bullets in the 95-105 grain class.
 
good choice in rifles, great choice in calibers. as for ammo, there are plenty of high end factory ammos available. there are also a bunch of semi custom ammo makers out there. that doesn't mean any of them will be the best for your rifle.

most calibers including the 243 come in various loads and bullet weights. you have to figure what you want to do with your gun, target? hunting? what game, etc. your manufacturer, load, bullet weight might vary between these various activities. just because a bullet costs more does not always mean it is better for you, your gun or your activity. oh....you can also start reloading and work up your own loads and that may be the best option of all if you are looking for the absolute best for your gun.
 
truth is it all up to the rifle some like the high end some will shoot the cheapest bullet you can put in it. but most will shoot winchester 80gr soft points well and there a good all round bullet
 
Thanks everyone, Jason: mainly target but occasional hunting.
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For hunting medium sized game like white tails, I have never been disappointed in Remington Core Lokt for .243 Win or 6mm Rem, either one. I know it might fall in the category of a "cheap" round, but it's always been an effective bullet for me. I'm not sure about the long range ballistics of the Core Lokt in .243 chambering though. I live where the woods are dense and deep, so shots on white tails are rarely more than 100 yds, and more often than not, within 50 yds, so take that recommendation for what it's worth. I will defer to the others for target use of the .243. I've only ever used it for hunting.

Jason
 
Federal Premium w/ Nosler Partitions shoot best in mine for hunting, the 100 gr is all they make for the .243 with a Partion. Anyway it shoots lights out, they are pricey but man they shoot. I cant get Core Lokts or cheap Federals to shoot for crap, it does like Hornady ballistic tip which I use for hogs but they dont work well on deer. I tried them and did take a deer but wasnt happy.
 
The Federals with the Sierra 86-grain HPBT have proven to be sub-MOA, just like my handloads with that bullet. (The kids done good, didn't they? :D)
 
When I had my custom made (I made it) .243 years ago it loved Nosler 100 gr. partitions. 1/2" groups or smaller.

It shot factory loads well also.
 
I guess the Staff can close this post because I decided not to purchase a 243 but instead buy another 22 mag Marlin because .243 ammo just like any other centerfire ammo I found out now is too expensive for me and im not even hurting for money either. I remember a 20 pack of remington cartridges for a .270 would cost about 12-13 dollars about 10 years ago,now they got too expensive for fun,they are more like $20+ for a pack now .Thanks anyways folks! :)
 
I guess the Staff can close this post because I decided not to purchase a 243 but instead buy another 22 mag Marlin because .243 ammo just like any other centerfire ammo I found out now is too expensive for me and im not even hurting for money either. I remember a 20 pack of remington cartridges for a .270 would cost about 12-13 dollars about 10 years ago,now they got too expensive for fun,they are more like $20+ for a pack now .Thanks anyways folks!
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Oh how I feel your pain! Ammo prices are ridiculous these days.

The only solace I have is when I go to fill my vehicle up and see how low gas prices are... oh, wait :mad:


Jason
 
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