Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats .243 Win. vs. .243 AI

What's the real world difference between the two? Does the AI really have advantages worth the extra fuss? Will I see a significant gain over say my 6mm Rem.?

Thanks

1. None.
2. Lack of trimming - which in my book isn’t much of an advantage.
3. Same case capacity as 6mm, so no.

Real world difference is AI = no case trimming

I hate trimming and love my .22-250AI..

I wouldn't tear apart a good shooting 243 to AI it but If rebarreling I think it's a nice way to go.
A little more speed and never trimming doesn't hurt anything

There is no reason not AI if the gun is already apart.

I like the AI, but with the 6mm Creed and all the good factory ammo that will follow...I'd just go that route.

JMO. Unless you love reloading more than shooting.

Except for the added cost of new dies. Also time and money spent fire-forming.

LCD die works on AI brass. A bump die is really all a guy needs.

FF loads hit targets and critters just like any other load...

I’m aware of this, but it is something that needs done to an AI to allow full powered loads, that doesn’t need done for a regular 243. Though I will admit that fire-formed brass isn’t a bad idea for accuracy in either.

Believe I’m a dozen AI’ed rifles in at this point, so am well aware of the pros and cons. I doubt I’ll do another.

Always wanted a 6mm rem. More speed, longer neck, and no fuss.

Sounds like I might be better served by selling one of my .243's and building another 6mm Rem. Or maybe rebarrel my 70 Lightweight to 6mm. I've got a factory 70 Featherweight in 6mm but my daughter has laid claim to it. Decisions, decisions, hmmmm.

With modern bullets, the .243 or .243 A.I. with a 1 in 8 or faster barrel is pretty damn potent out to 1000 yrds and beyond, I have found the .243 A.I. very easy to get good speed and accuracy, fire forming is no big deal almost any brass will work, some brass is just better and lasts longer.

With a good hunting bullet the .243 A.I. will drop anything most of us will ever hunt, and a lot of critters most of us will never get a chance to hunt.

I heard a rumor somebody killed one of those bullet proof rocky mountain elk with a .243, must have been a lie,

I heard at the pool hall. Rio7

Just because you've killed more than one Gemsbok, plus Wildebeest and Elk, with Scenars out of your .243 AI, not to mention untold whitetails, hogs, coyotes and Bobcats, suddenly you've become an expert?

I heard that same rumor. I think someone was telling it either at the pool table in the bar or at the bar in the whorehouse...My momma told me to never hang out in pool halls, bad things happen there.

Ed

Fire forming is a non issue for me, i loaded plain jane 243 maximum loads( very accurate )and hunted till my brass was fire formed. You may tell me I'm full of it, but i actually gained velocity with the same load in the fire formed brass. I get maximum 243 velocity with less pressure. Im satisfied. Plus less trimming, and longer brass life.

You would not be the only one who has seen the exact same results. It may not turn the .243 Win into a .240 Weatherby, but it does make life better. IMHO...

Ed

Done the ackley thing on a previous build. Currently running a 1-8” 243 win. I don’t believe the minimal velocity improvement to be worth the components, barrel wear and time.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ClrsRhhjJsw

Buy this if you dislike trimming. Just get a 243 win twisted and throated to take advantage of the bullets you intend to use that fit the mag well.

I wonder if the sharper shoulder of the 243AI reduces the throat wear that is endemic with the standard 243?

I doubt it. The short neck is the culprit.

Not speaking from experience, but everyone I've talked to says longer bbl life in a cartridge that otherwise has a relatively short bbl life.

I'm going to find out--I replaced my burned out 243 with a new take off SS bbl and had my gunsmith chamber it to 243 AI. I'm still deciding how much money I want to spend on a new stock for it. I should just screw it into one of the stocks I have and take it out and start fire forming.