243 ai - thinking out loud

[n4ue]

Hi, I have ordered an Axis in 243. It's the new 'heavy barrel' model. It won't be into the lgs for a week or so.
I currently have 2 other rifles in this caliber and it's one of my all time favorites. So, I have plenty of brass, dies, etc. After I get it and get bored with it, which won't take long (retired old fart here), I thought about the 243 ai.
6mmbr has a lot of great info on this. I have the tools necessary to do the rechambering. I rechambered/rebarreled 5 Axis rifles last year.

Just wondering if anybody has experience going from the 243 to the ai version.........

Just a tinkerer at heart.......

ron

[scope eye]

When you AI a 243, it is one of the chamber that offers the most gain, you won't be disappointed,

Dean

[bootsmcguire]

When you AI a 243, it is one of the chamber that offers the most gain, you won't be disappointed,

Dean

+1, I have one and love it. 58gr V-Maxes over 4000fps are accurate and a ton of fun. Prairie Dogs go splat like you wouldn't believe. Personally I feel the biggest benefit to going to the AI on most cases is the greatly extended brass life, and eliminated trimming. Mine is a 1:9.25" twist same as your barrel should be, and it shoots the lighter bullets fine and handles most of the heavier ones too.

You will like it.

[n4ue]

Thank you guys. Yes, I read the initially, P.O. didn't want to AI the 243. He then later stated he was very happy with it for exactly what Boots said about the case life.
On 6mmbr there were comments that the regular .243 case stretches almost as bad as the 220 Swift. I haven't had that problem, but I rarely shoot +P+ loads out of my rifles... ha ha

ron

[calib]

You will like it, i have run 95 bergers at 3225 and 87 v maxs at 3320 both did great work on my small game targets and coyotes. I also did a slower twist that i ran the 70 ballistic tip at i want to say 3700 and that thing was pretty wild too.

[n4ue]

Well, you guys talked me into it. Although the rifle won't be here for a week, I just ordered the PTG chamber reamer, etc.
I realized I had 150 pieces of new 243 brass, I'll probably dedicate either 50 or 100 cases to the AI. Gonna load some up and after I shoot it a bit, I'll pull the bbl.....
I have a lot of 243 dies, including a Lee Collet Neck die. I was going to order a FL sizer die, but was kinda surprised at the $. NOT that I'm cheap, ha ha
What do you guys use to bump the shoulder back???

thanks

ron

[bootsmcguire]

What do you guys use to bump the shoulder back???


Since you have the 243 Collet Dies, the collet die does the neck, the Dead Length seating die that came with the LCD will seat it fine, so all you need is Redding Body Die for the 243AI and you are set.

[243LPR]

Wish I would have known that before I bought a Redding 3 die set for my 243 AI. Oh well, live and learn.

[Savage6x284]

Wish I would have known that before I bought a Redding 3 die set for my 243 AI. Oh well, live and learn.

Isn't a thing wrong with owning top quality stuff. That Redding set will work well as is.
If you add a cheap LCD and cheap RBD into the mix however you'll likely find little further use for the FL die.

[Rooster 50]

Just a thought but why not just pull the barrel when you get it and set it back a couple of threads and then rechamber it. I am no gunsmith but have always been told to rechamber a new barrel before you put a bunch of rounds through it.

BTW I have a J series long action that I rebarelled a few years ago with a Kreiger barrel in 6mm Rem imp. Now that is a beast. Don't hold me to this cuz I can't find my book with my chrono readings in it but I am pretty sure I was getting 3350 with the 95gr VLD's and not really pushing them that hard. FWIW I use the same setup as bootsmcguire for sizing brass.

[scope eye]

[QUOTE=Rooster 50;267821]Just a thought but why not just pull the barrel when you get it and set it back a couple of threads and then rechamber it. I am no gunsmith but have always been told to rechamber a new barrel before you put a bunch of rounds through it.

Actually I had a 308 barrel that I rechambered to a, 30-06 and then to a 300 WinMag, they all shot lights out.

Dean

[n4ue]

Small update. My buddy and I have put 40 rounds through the new 243 AI HB Axis. These were 'standard' 243 loads that were just used being used for fire forming purposes.
I can't wait to get the AI reloads ready. The new HB Axis is AWESOME!
Do the $1 trigger mod and you are ready to go. Of course, I only use HBN bullets and and coat the bbls with HBN also......
Never, ever to shoot another naked bullet here!

ron