243 AI-Any Input?

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

What’s your barrel length?

I’m really liking the results

He reamed a 20" tikka barrel.

 

[PathFinder]

It's a 20" factory Tikka barrel

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

2900 fps, which is ideal for quick drop at the DA range I typically hunt.

Naïve question I expect but how is that a good match? I assume you're hunting CO based on being in the front range wouldn't the drops be something like this:
300 = 1mil
400 = 1.7mil
500 = 2.5mil
600 = 3.3mil

I thought ideal quick drop matchups was more 1:1 IE 400yd = 2mil, 500yd = 3mil

My guns don't match up well with what I assume to be "ideal" so I'm genuinely curious how you are applying it as it could be useful to me.

 

[PathFinder]

Naïve question I expect but how is that a good match? I assume you're hunting CO based on being in the front range wouldn't the drops be something like this:
300 = 1mil
400 = 1.7mil
500 = 2.5mil
600 = 3.3mil

I thought ideal quick drop matchups was more 1:1 IE 400yd = 2mil, 500yd = 3mil

My guns don't match up well with what I assume to be "ideal" so I'm genuinely curious how you are applying it as it could be useful to me.

In this case, it starts to line up at 600. Not sure if that's how it usually works, but when I noticed that dropping to 2900 would make that work, it seemed worth a try. The following is for a NR DTAC (G7 .295) at 8000 DA:

• 200: .35
• 300: 1
• 400: 1.6 (memorized as 1.5 for simplicity)
• 500: 2.3 (2.5 for simplicity if in a hurry)
• 600: 3.1
• 700: 4
• 800: 5
• 900: 5.92 9 (Basically 6)
• 1000: 7

They aren't perfect, but in a hurry they're all close enough to kill beyond 600. Not having to mess around with the app is really nice, especially for fall bear. It's a 9mph load out to 700 yards as well. Moving forward, my plan is to utilize this correlation with as short and light a rifle as possible.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Naïve question I expect but how is that a good match? I assume you're hunting CO based on being in the front range wouldn't the drops be something like this:
300 = 1mil
400 = 1.7mil
500 = 2.5mil
600 = 3.3mil

I thought ideal quick drop matchups was more 1:1 IE 400yd = 2mil, 500yd = 3mil

My guns don't match up well with what I assume to be "ideal" so I'm genuinely curious how you are applying it as it could be useful to me.

You can adjust your zero range to line the numbers up better. My buddy’s 16” 308 for example with 155TMK. We sighted in 1” high at 100 which allows him to use the formula:
First number of yardage minus two = mil hold.

300 yards: 3-2=1mil etc with a +/- .1mil tolerance. Worked out really well at his DA up to 600 yards.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

You can adjust your zero range to line the numbers up better. My buddy’s 16” 308 for example with 155TMK. We sighted in 1” high at 100 which allows him to use the formula:
First number of yardage minus two = mil hold.

300 yards: 3-2=1mil etc with a +/- .1mil tolerance. Worked out really well at his DA up to 600 yards.

If the change between 100yds is ~.7mil I don't think adjusting the zero range would line up things, it would just change which one was lined up. If the 100yd mil difference is .9 to 1.1mil I can see that working though.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Please keep posting on your development. I have been analyzing every pro and con on my next rifle project and a 20” 243AI with an Airlock can is what I’m really leaning towards.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

In this case, it starts to line up at 600. Not sure if that's how it usually works, but when I noticed that dropping to 2900 would make that work, it seemed worth a try. The following is for a NR DTAC (G7 .295) at 8000 DA:

• 200: .35
• 300: 1
• 400: 1.6 (memorized as 1.5 for simplicity)
• 500: 2.3 (2.5 for simplicity if in a hurry)
• 600: 3.1
• 700: 4
• 800: 5
• 900: 5.92 9 (Basically 6)
• 1000: 7

They aren't perfect, but in a hurry they're all close enough to kill beyond 600. Not having to mess around with the app is really nice, especially for fall bear. It's a 9mph load out to 700 yards as well. Moving forward, my plan is to utilize this correlation with as short and light a rifle as possible.

I believe in an ideal world your bullet BC and velocity (slower is required) would line up 300-600yd with the minus 2 formula. 350yd = 1.5mil, 480yd = 2.8mil, etc.

Past 600yd I wouldn't be using quick drop for anything other than follow up shots on a wounded animal imho.

Anyways, that's a discussion for another thread no need to derail further on this one, I was just wondering if I was missing a trick.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Please keep posting on your development.

This.

As much as I have in the past said "just go 6cm if starting from scratch" I impulse acquired some 20" threaded tikka 243 1:8 and 243ai (vs leaving alone, punching to 6-284) keeps fighting back into my fore front of tinkering thoughts. I got a 1:10 243 that probably has 500rds on it, I have the thought creeping in I should send out that and those other barrels and have them all chambered at once to the same headspace/reamer. Use the 1:10 for fireforming brass.

Or leave them alone... or 6-284... round and round the thoughts go.

 

[PathFinder]

This.

As much as I have in the past said "just go 6cm if starting from scratch" I impulse acquired some 20" threaded tikka 243 1:8 and 243ai (vs leaving alone, punching to 6-284) keeps fighting back into my fore front of tinkering thoughts. I got a 1:10 243 that probably has 500rds on it, I have the thought creeping in I should send out that and those other barrels and have them all chambered at once to the same headspace/reamer. Use the 1:10 for fireforming brass.

Or leave them alone... or 6-284... round and round the thoughts go.

There are a lot of good options for mid-capacity 6mms. Reality is, that especially with Alpha brass, the 6 Creedmoor and standard 243 can get really close to the higher capacity cartridges. Especially for this version of a quick drop load, if that can be done in a 16" barrel then the scenarios where more velocity would be an advantage are few and far between.
That's my thinking for now, but I tend to let my thoughts go round and round back to the drawing board every couple of years Maybe some scenario will push me back to a 6 UM again.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

That's my thinking for now, but I tend to let my thoughts go round and round back to the drawing board

I know the feeling haha.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

What I don’t like about std 243 is the case flow. My experience with the 243 is always having to trim. I like the idea of AI because that issue would be mitigated, while gaining some performance, and at the same time being able to shoot factory 243 in a pinch.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

What I don’t like about std 243 is the case flow. My experience with the 243 is always having to trim. I like the idea of AI because that issue would be mitigated, while gaining some performance, and at the same time being able to shoot factory 243 in a pinch.

Right, but I didn’t like the loss of barrel life and fire forming involved from the perspective of one barrel. But if having multiple cut at the same time from same reamer and headspace opens up more potential in my view. Esp when the first one is one I wouldn’t care about babying.