Short barreled 243?

[Smokey262]

I am getting a rifle ready for one of my kids and am contemplating cutting a barrel down to 16.5" like the Ruger Compact rifles. Will be cutting some off the butt end of the stock too, and adding a Pachmayr decelerator recoil pad. Will be using 85 or 90 grain bullets at around 2500 to 2600 fps to start him out.

My concern is muzzle flip and blast with this short of a barrel.

Anyone here have experience with this Ruger, or similar rigs?

[steveinwv]

I cut of a Thompson Pro Hunter .243 to 18" for a truck gun. Muzzle blast is significant and it jumps the muzzle up quite a bit. Neither of which are a big deal for what I'm using it for.

[kweeks10045]

The 243 was my first deer rifle, and is now my daughters. I have an old Savage 110L from the mid 60's. It wears a 22" barrel. There are a few questions you probably ought to contemplate. Are you hunting from a box blind or vehicle? Moving the muzzle closer to an enclosed area makes it get uncomfortable very quickly. Even at these slower velocities, it is very significant. My daughter is nine and shot her first deer this year. She has been shooting my Savage model 16 is 221 Fireball for two years. The barrel on it is 20.5", which is great for a cartridge designed to be shot from a pistol. As I am sure you are aware, the 243 is a different animal. Although not a large cartridge by most standards, it does give a very significant muzzle blast.

Do you want to shorten the barrel for handiness or weight reduction? If it is strictly for weight purposes, I would pass. The lighter the gun the more recoil is felt. I know it is only a few ounces, which is not perceivable anyway. A 20" barrel may not be too bad, but for the cost, may not be worth it. My thought process leads me to think that I personally would not shorten my 243 barrel any more than it is. Judging from my own personal experience of starting with it at 10 years old, and now my daughter at 9, it works well the way it is from a box blind or vehicle (which is legal here in Texas), and is still handy enough and light enough to walk around with. Just my thoughts.