.243 Winchester

[Locksley]

.243 Winchester


The .243 Winchester is a popular sporting rifle cartridge. Initially designed as a varmint round, it is now more frequently used on medium to large game such as whitetail deer, mule deer, pronghorn, wild hogs, and even black bear and caribou. However, due to the smaller caliber bullet used, its suitability for large animals is dependent on skill level and the hunter's ability to make a clean and accurate shot. The .243 is based on a necked down .308 cartridge case and is known for its accuracy, flat trajectory, and relatively mild recoil.
History
This cartridge was first introduced in 1955 for Winchester's Model 70 bolt-action and Model 88 lever-action sporting rifles and quickly gained popularity among sportsmen worldwide.[1] Just about every major manufacturer offers rifles chambered in .243.

Since the enactment of the 1963 Deer Act in the United Kingdom, which stipulated a minimum bullet diameter of .240 in., together with minimum levels of muzzle velocity and bullet energy, the .243 is now perceived as the entry-level caliber for legal deer-stalking. Consequently, it is now the most widely used deer round in the United Kingdom.[citation needed] Firearms that would normally be chambered in .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO are sometimes available in .243 in. countries � such as France and Spain � whose regulations restrict or forbid private ownership of so-called military calibers.

In a non-sporting, non-civilian context, bolt-action rifles chambered for the .243 were utilized by the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) unit during its early years.[citation needed]

P. O. Ackley created an improved version of this cartridge called the .243 Winchester Improved (Ackley).[2] Like other improved cartridges, this created a steeper shoulder and blew the sides out, plus slightly lengthens the case, giving about 10% more powder capacity, and some small improvement in velocity. Both versions of the .243 cartridge are good for hunting deer.

Performance
The .243 produces a velocity of 2,960 feet (902.21 m) per second with a 100 grain (6.6 gram) projectile from a 24-inch (610 mm) barrel. Commercially loaded .243 ammunition is available with bullet weight ranging from 55 grains (3.6 g) up to 105 grains (6.8 g), typical bullets being in the 75�90 grain (5-6 g) range.

The .243 has gained substantial worldwide popularity, and commercially loaded ammunition is easy to find on every continent. Along with the .270 Winchester, the .308 Winchester, .223 Remington, and .30-'06, it is among the most popular and widely available of all centrefire cartridges

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.243_Winchester

.243 Win + .243 AI Cartridge Guide
High-Velocity 6mm for Long-Range, Varminting, and Tactical Use

243 Win--Multi-Purpose Precision
If you could have just one rifle to slay varmints, hunt white-tails, shoot paper at long range, and duel in tactical matches, it would be hard to beat the .243 Winchester. This versatile "little brother" of the .308 Winchester is a true triple-threat as a match cartridge, varmint cartridge, and game cartridge. With 115gr DTAC bullets, a .243 rivals a 6.5-284 ballistically out to 1000 yards. Shooting 80-100 grain hunting bullets, a .243 will anchor a buck with authority. Driving the light 55-75 grain pills, the .243 provides the flat trajectory and high impact energy varminters love. As a tactical round, the .243 is one of the best, offering excellent ballistics, moderate recoil, and stone-reliable feeding from a detachable magazine.

The .243 Win excels with a wide variety of powders, and excellent factory-loaded hunting ammunition is available. Off-the-shelf .243 rifles from Howa, Remington, Savage, and Tikka perform admirably with little or no modification. The "improved" version of the cartridge, the .243 Ackley, can do everything its parent can do, with more velocity, and greater brass stability thanks to its 40� shoulder. Among the Ackley variants, the .243 AI is rightly one of the most popular. It is easy to fire-form, and commercial dies are readily available. Barrel life is the downside of both the .243 AI and standard .243. These chamberings pump a lot of powder through a small bore. The result, typically, is rather short barrel life, sometimes less than 1500 rounds. A few folks have been experimenting with the use of very slow, cooler-burning powders. There is some evidence that the use of super-slow powders, combined with modified cleaning regimens, can result in significantly enhanced barrel life.

Brass--An Abundance of Good Choices
.243 Win shooters are fortunate as Lapua, Norma, and Winchester all make good brass for this caliber. We've shot all three brands. The Lapua and Norma both yielded excellent accuracy, and both brands were very consistent weight-wise. The primer pockets did stay tight a bit longer with the Lapua, and the neck tension stayed more constant after repeated firings. Since Lapua .243 brass is usually less expensive than Norma, Lapua is our first choice. But if you find some Norma .243 cases at a good price, don't hesitate to buy them. You may have to adjust your load a bit as the Norma we tried had slightly higher H20 capacity than the Lapua brass.

Domestic (Remington and Winchester) brass is significantly less expensive than Lapua or Norma. If you sort the cases by weight and clean up the primer pockets and flash holes, Win brass can shoot very well indeed. Winchester would be our first choice if you need large quantities of brass, or are shooting tactical matches where it's common to loose brass in the weeds. One Midway user observed, however: "[I prefer] Remington brass over Winchester, due to the different internal volume of the brass. Since the internal volume of Remington is smaller I seem to get more consistent results from both the chronograph and down-range performance."

For varminters, the Sierra 70gr Blitz-King and Hornady 75gr V-Max offer a good combination of accuracy, BC, and explosive impact on target. The Berger 80gr Varmint bullet is exceptionally accurate but doesn't impact as explosively on target. For coyotes, the 80gr Nosler Ballistic Tip and Hornady 87gr V-Max both buck the wind pretty well and hit hard. For small to medium-sized deer, Sierra recommends its 85gr HPBT GameKing for soft-tissue shots out to 200 yards. Where deep penetration and better weight retention is required, you need bullets like the Nosler 95gr/100gr Partitions, Remington 100gr Core-Lokt? SP, or the Sierra 100gr SPFB Pro-Hunter. Click Here to download Nosler Partition Video (requires QuickTime).
Hunter and outdoor writer Chuck Hawks notes: "When using the .243 to hunt medium-size big game animals, bullet selection is paramount. Rapid (but controlled) expansion is very important, as the small diameter 6mm bullet has little shocking power if it does not expand and expend its energy inside of the animal. Two bullets in the 90-100 grain weight range that have earned a good reputation on medium size big game animals are the Remington Core-Lokt and Nosler Partition."
.243 Win For Tactical Comps We asked GA Precision's George Gardner why he chose .243 Winchester for his Tactical Comp Gun. He replied, "Why would I run anything else? Think about it. I'm sending a .585 BC 115 at 3150 fps--that'll shoot inside the 6XC and .260 Rem with ease. I'm pretty sure I have found the Holy Grail of Comp Rifles. There are no brass issues like you can get forming .260 brass. I don't have to worry about doughnuts, reaming necks--none of that. And the choice in brass is great too--run Lapua if you want max reloads and great accuracy. Run Winchester if you're on a budget, and so you won't cry if you lose some cases in a match. I can get 10-round mags, and feeding is 100% reliable, since the case is identical to a .308 except for the neck. Accuracy-wise, I don't think I'm giving up anything to the .260 Rem or the 6XC." We then asked George if he'd considered using a .243 AI instead: "Yeah, the cases look cool with that 40� shoulder, but I think the standard .243 feeds a little better. And I don't think I really need the extra performance of an improved case. Run the ballistics for my load--115 moly DTAC at 3150 fps. You've got less windage than a 2950 fps 6.5-284, with cheaper brass, cheaper dies, cheaper bullets, and less recoil."


http://www.6mmbr.com/243win.html

.243 Ackley Improved--More Velocity, Less Case Stretch

by Bob Blaine, Sinclair International

Parker Ackley reluctantly developed the .243 Ackley Improved ("AI"). Ackley finally gave in to his customers' requests to develop the .243 AI. He had always felt that the .243 Winchester was already an improved configuration, but he did say that the best thing to be gained by improving the .243 Winchester was to substantially reduce the case-stretching problems. The .243 Winchester parent case has always stretched brass, almost as bad as the Swift. Even though you get more velocity with the improved .243, I've also found that the improved version gives a bit more throat life than the parent case does.
The .243 AI delivers more velocity by virtue of enhanced case capacity--roughly five grains more H20 capacity than a standard .243 Winchester. The .243 AI has a water capacity of approximately 57 to 58 grains, compared to 52-53 grains for the standard .243 Winchester.

Fire-Forming
As always, fire-forming is done by one of two methods. Most of you will fire form the brass with loaded .243 Winchester. Ackley always said to use factory loads, or reload equivalent ammo to have a "snappy" load to form the case out properly. You never want to use a reduced load to form with, since you need the pressure to form properly. If your rifle is chambered properly, you should feel a slight amount of resistance as you close the bolt on a new piece of brass. If you do not get this "feel", you may need to seat the bullets out to .010" to .015" into the lands to make sure that the base of the case stays in solid contact with the bolt face. The fire-forming method I have been using more lately employs medium burn-rate pistol powders and Cream of Wheat. I will start by loading about 10 grains of SR4756 or Unique into the case, and then I fill the case up to the body shoulder junction with Cream of Wheat. I will then take a large pinch of polyester filler, which can be found at any fabric supply store, or sewing department, such as at Wal-Mart. I will then take the pinch of polyester and load it into the case so that it fills up the shoulder area of the case effectively making sure that the filler is held securely over the powder for fire-forming. During the fire-forming, I like to dry brush with a nylon bore brush every 10 to 15 rounds. This removes any loose debris from filler that has accumulated. [Editors Note: Do NOT seat a bullet using this "Cream of Wheat" method. You can cap the case with a bit of wax to keep everything in place. However, Bob finds the wax is not necessary if the polyester filler is placed securely.]

Recommended Loads
I'm often asked, "what gunpowder do you recommend"? I generally recommend medium-slow or slow burn-rate powders for the .243 Ackley. I have found, with my rifle, that H414 is pretty much my first choice for use in the .243 AI. H414 tends to give me great accuracy, with good velocity. Saying this, I have tried many other propellants and have found the following powders to be worth looking at for your needs: AA-2700, H414, H4350, VV N150, VV N550, VV N160, VV N560, RL19, H4831sc, and VV N165, to name a few of the powders that I have tested over the years.

Different Reamers, Different "Improveds"
One thing that you need to watch for is what version of the .243 Improved that you have. This depends, for the most part, on whose reamer you will be using for the chambering of your barrel. It is easy to determine if your .243 Improved is the .243 Ackley Improved, or the .243 Winchester Improved. If you have the .243 Ackley Improved, the shoulder-body section will measure .460" dia. at this point. If you have the .243 Winchester Improved, the shoulder-body section will measure .455" diameter at this point. Both cartridges have the 40-degree shoulder. I have used both versions and found that you can use any data developed for either version interchangeably.

The .243 Ackley Improved is one of the best long range varmint rounds going, and can add some extra punch for your light big game rifle as well. One would be hard pressed to ignore a cartridge as versatile as the .243 Ackley Improved.
Matt's Screamin' Yellow Ackley--The Need for Speed

.243 AI Speed Demon
In a long-range varmint rifle, speed kills. Ultra-high velocities deliver flatter trajectories and more explosive hits. And that's where the .243 Ackley really shines. While we don't advocate "pushing the limits" with factory actions, Matt Bianchini has explored the upper limits of .243 Ackley performance with his Farley-actioned long-range rig, fitted with a 29" Lilja 3-groove, 8-twist barrel. Using a stout load of Reloader 25, Matt's "Screamin' Yellow Ackley" has topped 3340 fps with Clinch River 106s. That is serious speed for heavy 6mm bullets. This shows a well-built .243 AI leaves Dashers and 6XCs in the dust when it comes to pure velocity.



Dies and Reloading Gear
Since the .243 Win is such a popular cartridge, all the major die-makers offer reloading dies. It's hard to go wrong with a Redding Type 'S' Full-length bushing die--item 77114 for the standard .243 Win and item 77420 for .234 AI (40?). This will both resize the case (and bump the shoulder) as necessary, and allow you to adjust neck tension with bushings. Alternatively, you can go with a body die (item 75114), and a separate neck bushing die (item 71114).

If you load primarily one brand of bullets, another slick set-up is to buy a Forster full-length .243 sizing die, and then send it off to Forster to have the neck honed for your desired amount of tension. Forster charges just $10 plus shipping for this service. This elegant one-pass sizing solution produces very straight rounds with low run-out. We also believe that doughnuts (in the neck) form less readily if you full-length size with non-bushing dies as opposed to using bushings. Bushing dies leave a little bit of the neck unsized, and that's where the brass can build up.

For bullet seating, both the Redding Competition Seater (item 55114) and the Forster Ultra-Seater (item U00034) work great for the standard .243 Win case. If you shoot a .243 Ackley, Redding's .243 AI Comp Seater (item 55420) costs quite a bit more than the standard version and Forster doesn't list a .243 AI seater in their catalog. However, you can just run your chambering reamer into the inner sleeve of either die to fit the Improved case.

If you want the "Cadillac" of production seater dies for the .243 Win, order the Wilson Stainless Micrometer seater (item 50-1114S) from Sinclair International. Costing only a few dollars more than a Redding Comp seater, this die is a joy to use, providing very positive control over bullet seating depth. When used with a quality arbor press, the Wilson offers unrivaled "feel" for bullet-seating force. This can help you monitor neck tension, one of the most critical factors in maintaining low ES and SD for long-range accuracy.


http://www.6mmbr.com/243win.html

 

[infoman jr.]

I've killed a lot of deer with a .243 M700. That's a heck of a round, especially for younger hunters!

 

[Locksley]

I have 2 rifles in 243 one a Ruger stainless steel heavy barrell Varmint and the other a Winchester m-70 Varminter with heavy barrell. I liked them for groundhog hunting on long shots on windy day in the Spring . The rifle will kill deer but I have never used them for that my 30/06 and 7mm rifles handle that just fine.

PS I bet old groundhog that was on here has shot a few with the 243 Winchester.

 

[rdl65]

All a man needs for deer down to ground hogs.

 

[bobthebowhunter]

coyote round if you ask me. I like my deer to tip over.

 

[Hogbear]

I like my deer to drop dead in their tracks. That's why I use my .243!

 

[buckdead]

I like my deer to drop dead in their tracks. That's why I use my .243!

Amen!!
Ive killed a pile of deer with a my .243s and probaly over 75% of them feel in their tracks.

 

[10mm4me]

It's all about placement folks. .243 is a fine, light rifle round. easy on the shoulder too

 

[Locksley]

I had a Remington M-788 in 243 Winchester once and it feed those 243 cartridges slick without any jams or other problems. That was a fast loading accurate rifle and a strong action too. I got some bad reloading info once and the primers were pierced on the first two cartridges I fired which caused me to stop testing them and pull the bullets on that batch. That little rifle took those hot loads just fine and was just as accurate later on trips to OWL HOLLOW range. I traded it on a horse later wish I had kept the rifle as the drought of 1986-1987 caused me to sell my horses and walk on hunts in Colorado , man that was a bad drought here in Tennessee.

 

[buckdead]

I like my deer to drop dead in their tracks. That's why I use my .243!

heck i can do that with a 17 rem fireball or a 204 ruger

Ive dropped two dead in thier tracks with a 22 hornet, but they wasnt shot behind the shoulder. Dropped pleanty with shots behind the shoulder with the .243 tho.

 

[Locksley]

The User-Friendly .24/6mm Cartridges

By Chuck Hawks



During my lifetime the 6mm tribe has become one of the larger groups of cartridges on the market. Here in North America we can now buy factory loaded ammunition for the 6mm PPC-USA, .243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, .243 WSSM, and .240 Weatherby Magnum. In Europe they have the same cartridges plus the 6x62 Freres and 6x62R. The handloader has access to all of these plus the 6mm-222, 6mm TCU, 6x45 (6mm-223), 6x47 (6mm-222 Mag.), 6mm BR Remington, 6mm International, 6mm-.284, and 6mm-06. All of these cartridges use standard .243" diameter bullets.

This is an amazing selection of cartridges for a bullet size that was represented by one (1) factory loaded cartridge, the long obsolete 6mm Lee Navy, from 1900 until the introduction of the .243 Winchester and .244 Remington galvanized the shooting world in 1955. The 6mm Lee had not exactly set the world on fire when it was introduced in 1895, even though Winchester offered sporting rifles and ammunition for the cartridge and it was adopted as service standard by the US Navy.

But things began to change after the end of World War II when wildcatters like Warren Page (then gun editor of Field and Stream magazine) and Fred Huntington (founder of RCBS) started experimenting with .24 caliber cartridges based on necked down .308 Winchester (Page) and .257 Roberts (Huntington) cases. These experiments were widely reported in the firearms press, and were eventually commercialized by Winchester as the .243 and Remington as the .244.

The .243 became an immediate commercial success, and remains one of the best selling cartridges in the world. Remington misjudged the market when they introduced the .244 and, through no fault of its own, sales languished. Things eventually got so bad that Remington took the extraordinary step of discontinuing the .244 in 1962, only to re-introduce it the next year as the 6mm Remington in the then new Model 700 rifle.

The big advantages possessed by the 6mm cartridges are that they are extremely efficient varmint cartridges, probably better for long range shooting than either the .22's or the .25's, while remaining adequate for hunting the popular medium size big game animals. The 6mm's are modest in recoil and fun to shoot, at the range or in the field. Because 6mm bullets have relatively good sectional density and ballistic coefficient, as a group the .24/6mm cartridges offer high velocity and a flat trajectory. They are also highly accurate cartridges. The combination of light recoil, high velocity, flat trajectory, and outstanding accuracy make the .24/6mm tribe easy to hit with. And cartridges that are easy to hit with bring home the gold from matches and the venison from the field.

The lightest 6mm bullets, from about 55-80 grains, are usually frangible bullets intended for varmint shooting. The 85-87 grain bullets may be intended for either varmints or medium game. The 90-115 grain bullets are intended for the medium size species of big game. In addition, specialized bullets for target shooting are produced in a variety of weights.

Bullet selection is paramount when hunting big game animals with any of the 6mm cartridges. Rapid but controlled expansion is necessary for quick kills, as the small 6mm bullet does not have adequate shocking power without substantial expansion. At the same time, the bullet must penetrate deep into the animal's vitals to strike a fatal blow. Fortunately, modern bullet design has made it possible to combine these necessary attributes.

The .243 Winchester and 6mm Remington are the best choices for the hunter who wants to combine varmint and medium size big game hunting. Both of these cartridges are very accurate, offer light recoil (in the vicinity of 10 ft. lbs. with most loads in most rifles), and flat trajectory that makes them suitable for long range shooting. These are short action cartridges, designed to function in all short action rifles that can accommodate the .308 Winchester.

In my estimation the big case .24's, including the .243 WSSM, 6mm-284, 6mm-06, 6x62, 6x62R, and .240 Weatherby, burn too much powder to be ideal varmint cartridges. But they are good long range cartridges for hunting the medium size species of big game such as deer, sheep, goats, and most antelope species. The 6x62 and 6x62R are factory loaded in Europe, and rifles are produced by Blaser. In North America, Winchester offers .243 WSSM rifles and ammunition and Weatherby offers .240 rifles and factory loaded ammunition. The 6mm-284 and 6mm-06 remain wildcats at this writing. All of these except the (fat) short action .243 WSSM and 6mm-284 wildcat are standard length cartridges designed to function in rifles with standard (.30-06) length actions.

The third group of .24/6mm cartridges are the very short (approximately .223 length) target and varmint cartridges. The best known of these is the 6mm PPC-USA, but this group also includes the 6mm-222, 6x45, 6x47, 6mm BR Remington, 6mm TCU, and 6mm International. Only the 6mm PPC is factory loaded (both in North America and Europe), but factory rifles have been produced for all of these except the 6mm-222. Remington has loaded runs of 6mm BR ammunition in the past. These are all basically target rounds, featuring extreme accuracy and moderate ballistics.

The 6mm-222, 6x45 (6mm-223) and 6x47 (6mm-222 Mag.) wildcats were all developed specifically for bench rest competition. They also make good varmint cartridges that, because their 6mm bullets have superior BC's, can out perform their .222, .223, and .222 Mag. parent cartridges at long range.

The 6mm TCU, developed by Thompson/Center for their single shot pistols and rifles, falls into the same general class. So does the 6mm International, based on a modified .250 Savage case. The 6mm-222, 6mm TCU, and 6mm International seem to be fading in popularity, while the 6x47 seems to be hanging in there. However, with the .222 Magnum discontinued in the late 1990's by Remington, it would seem that brass from which to form 6x47 cases will become increasing hard to find. This does not bode well for the future of the 6x47.

Of these 6mm wildcats, the 6x45 appears to be the most viable. It seems to have carved out a niche for itself as a bench rest cartridge. It is based on the very common .223 Remington case, and therefore a plentiful supply of brass is assured far into the future. I would not be completely surprised to see it adopted as a factory load some day as a combination target and varmint cartridge. The 6x45 can launch a 70 grain target or varmint bullet at a MV around 3200 fps and a 90 grain bullet at a MV above 2700 fps. Ballistically, the 6x45 is virtually identical to the 6mm PPC (see below).

As I write this, the 6mm PPC-USA and 6mm BR (for Bench Rest) Remington dominate the Sporter Class in bench rest shooting. These two are very similar, and offer ballistics similar to the 6x45. Both are intended for use in single shot target rifles only. Their case geometry is very unfavorable for use in repeating rifles. The 6mm PPC is the standout among the short 6mm cartridges in terms of popularity and the only one regularly factory loaded. It is based on the .220 Russian case and factory ammunition is offered by A-Square in North America and Sako in Europe. PPC brass for reloading is available from Norma and Sako.

The .24/6mm tribe has become large, versatile, and popular. Readers interested in more information about the 6mm PPC and 6mm BR, .243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, 6x62 Freres and 6x62R, .243 WSSM, and .240 Weatherby Magnum will find articles about these cartridges on the Rifle Cartridge Page.


http://www.chuckhawks.com/friendly_6mm.htm

RCBS, Inc. was founded by Fred Huntington in 1943 in Oroville, California and later became one of the world's largest manufacturers of reloading equipment. The name RCBS is derived from the name of the dies the company was founded to produce: "Rock Chuck Bullet Swage."

As few good varmint bullets were produced prior to the early 1940's Huntington decided to make his own and designed dies to swage .22 rimfire cartridge cases to form jackets for those bullets.

Below is a reprint of chapter 13 in Sam Fadala's book, "Great Shooters of the World".

BORN TO SHOOT
Fred Huntington couldn't remember when his interest in firearms began. "I have always loved guns and gun collecting," he said when asked about his early shooting career. Huntington is the champion of reloading. He made his mark in the industry when he designed and constructed a better reloading press. Fred concocted numerous other innovations that promoted the art of handloading ammunition. But Fred Huntington was not always involved in providing reliable reloading tools. He spent more than half his life in another trade.

Fred Huntington's father, also named Fred, was born in Bloomington, Illinois. He was a salesman who moved west in 1906�way west, all the way to Oroville in northern California, with Mrs. Huntington, who was born about 100 miles from St. Louis, Missouri. In Oroville, the elder Huntington opened a laundry and dry-cleaning plant. He was no laundryman, but he took possession of the plant in lieu of a $5000 loan. It seemed the only way to collect on the debt. Huntington Sr. learned the business and turned the establishment into a thriving operation.

Young Fred, born 20 days before Christmas in 1912, enjoyed his early years in Oroville. Although his father preferred fishing over hunting�and although "He was usually too busy with the laundry to take me out shooting," Fred Junior found the opportunity to push hundreds of bullets downbore. Shooting was his passion. When Fred finished high school, he attended laundry and dry-cleaning school for one year and went straight into his father's business. Fred liked Oroville and planned to live his life there. The most direct route to success and to remaining in the California town was to continue with the laundry business. And that's what our reloading captain did�for quite some time.

Fred recalls beginning with serious shooting in 1937. His endearment to firearms, reloading and hunting was a continuous involvement. Fred Huntington Jr. was pulled like metal fragments to a magnet by "the back room," where his deepest interest rested�the nucleus of a tool-and-die empire was maturing. Fortune sometimes wears a crooked smile. Fred Huntington had a terrible time getting all of the ammunition he wanted in the early 1940s. Had this dearth of ammunition not prevailed, our man may never have embarked on a new career. At this juncture, in 1941, Fred came across a book written by W. F. Vickery, a well-known gunsmith of the era. The book, Advanced Gunsmithing, changed Fred's life. Between its covers was an explanation of how to make both a press and dies for the creation of 22-caliber bullets. In the rear of the laundry was an old Seneca Falls lathe. Fred Huntington went to work with the lathe, and when he was finished, he was in the bullet-making business. He contacted W. F. Vickery, who took an interest in Fred, shipping him a set of Vickery-made 22- bullet dies so that the young man could compare them with his own creations. From a study of the Vickery dies, Huntington knew he was on the right track. He was happier in the work of making bullets than he had ever been in getting clothes clean.

A year later, Fred's die-building prowess had expanded not only in units produced, but also in quality through experimentation. Huntington was working on a set of bullet-forming dies that would function with the original Pacific press made in San Francisco. When he had completed his work, he brought the resulting product to Frank Stratinsky, who was then the chief tool-and-die man for Pacific. Stratinsky played a major role in the Huntington saga by introducing the young inventor to Captain Grosvenor Wotkyns. Wotkyns' name is today linked with the development of the 22 Hornet, among other shooting accomplishments. Wotkyns engendered an immediate appreciation for the Huntington die. He wanted a set. He also wanted to buy a set for a shooting friend. Huntington complied. He made the two sets of dies and delivered them to San Francisco. A truly good product will, in part, promote itself. Soon, Huntington was driving to San Francisco on a regular basis delivering his wares. Now his dies needed a name. Wotkyns said why not call them the "Rock Chuck Bullet Swages?" After all, Fred's dies were for the 22-caliber bullet that was used mainly in the varmint rifle. The name, albeit unwieldy, stuck. Fred decided to reduce the title to its initials, RCBS. If you haven't heard of RCBS, you don't reload.

Papa Huntington was a reasonable man who wanted his boy to be content. But, after all, Fred was supposed to be in the laundry business, not the tool-and-die trade. The young man spent much of his workday in the back room of the plant, grinding away on one piece of metal or another. Furthermore, the back door was almost as busy as the front door, with shooting enthusiasts coming and going. After trying to convince his son to continue with the laundry plant, Mr. Huntington decided it would be good if Fred moved his enterprise to a new location.

So in 1948, Fred had his own shop. It was very small�only 20 feet by 20 feet in dimension, but in it wondrous things were happening. In my opinion, there's not a great businessman who hasn't an affinity for attracting intelligent people to help promote his ideas. Fred Huntington gathered such men around him: Jack Ellis and Al Swift, to name two. These fine technicians helped Fred with his die work, as the shop expanded to offer gunsmithing. Although neither man remained with the Huntington operation, both contributed to the Huntington story. Frank Stratinsky wrote his chapter in the Huntington biography as well. With Jack Ellis doing firearm repairs and working on special die-making problems, and Al Swift machining dies, Huntington's shop flourished. Next Stratinsky came on board, making a full line of reloading dies. Huntington had already earned a patent for his bullet-forming die invention of 1940. He soon received a second patent. Working with Swift, Huntington designed a new press. Initially called the New Leverage System Model A RCBS Reloading Press, it would change all major machines in the future. Fred stated recently, "Quite a few of the reloading firms at the time badmouthed the Leverage System, but when the patent ran out, I had two firms paying me royalty and two or three more jumped on the bandwagon, copying what I had invented and furthered." The most popular reloading press design of the hour stems from the Huntington style, which speaks for Fred's tremendous impact on reloading. Jack Ellis wanted to return to San Francisco, which he eventually did. Standing by to take his place was Don Tucker. "Don told me that he could learn how to grind a reamer in a month if Jack Ellis would teach him. I had reservations, but I gave him a chance. He did it. His reamers were excellent," praised Huntington.

At about the same time, Huntington inherited another man in the shop. If it was unlikely that Don Tucker could grind a beautiful reamer in only 30 days of training, what were the odds of this new worker learning the tool-and-die trade? After all, Bill Keyes came out of the lumber business, where he had worked for a sawmill. But Bill wanted to do the work, and although he had never touched a lathe in his life, he took to it like a bear to honey. Fred has said more than once that in his opinion Bill Keyes is one of the finest special die makers of all time. The RCBS operation was on a roll. The popular�famous would not be too strong a term�"Reloader's Special" came to life. Anyone doubting Fred Huntington's impact on the world of shooting need only remind himself that thousands of prospective reloading fans moved from the shadows of, "I would sure like to handload," to the sunshine of, "I'm reloading my own ammo," on an RCBS "Reloader's Special" kit. There was no doubt�RCBS was for real. The Rock Chucker Press, along with the "Reloader's Special" added to the fame of the company. Here was innovative, high-quality reloading machinery built by people who loved what they were doing.

Fred's father could see the future now. In 1952 he told his son that should the handloading enterprise fade out, he, Mr. Huntington, would help Fred establish a dry-cleaning business. The senior Huntington was in the process of selling the laundry at that time. But Fred was finished with laundry. He was a businessman in his own right. And his business was reloading, not redoing collars. Furthermore, he would make the greatest impact on handloading that the general public of shooters had ever seen. Fred's story is one of continual success. He never backtracked. He suffered no major setbacks. His is not a tale of toil and failure, followed by glory. It was simply one success after another. How successful? Not everyone drives a Rolls Royce. Fred does. His second love, following shooting/hunting, is the automobile, and resting behind his reloading tool plant are about 50 collector's cars. The last time I counted my vintage Mercedes autos, I came up with exactly-zero. Fred's not sure how many he has.

Fred's small shop could not accommodate the great demand for his products. He had to impound his own garage for more shop space. That move helped for only a short while. In 1954, Fred built a larger shop, 30 by 60 feet, right next to the old one. Since he owned the adjacent land anyway, he figured he might as well use it. "This plant, I felt, would serve our needs for many years,' he predicted. But it didn't. While Huntington's RCBS company needed a larger facility within two years, Fred waited until 1958 to build his full-scale RCBS operation. The new establishment began as a 7500-square-foot factory, soon expanding to 50,000 square feet.

In 1976, Fred sold the RCBS interest to Omark Industries. "I had hired 250 people by then," Huntington said. "From about 1965 to 1976, my company had the largest payroll in Butte County." Today, Fred's two sons, both of whom have deserved reputations as sterling as their father's, have followed him in the reloading business. Fred Huntington Jr. supervises production in the RCBS plant, while Charles "Buzz" Huntington serves as general manager for Huntington Die Specialties.

In the time frame from the late 1 940s to the present, Huntington proliferated many innovations in reloading tools. He isn't finished yet. His new Huntington Compac Press is witness to the man's continued interest in the reloading game. This is a compact, portable reloader's press "designed for the back packer, benchrest shooter and those that require a small portable tool."

HUNTING AND SHOOTING MAKE A DIFFERENCE
"Everyone should be taught to hunt and shoot," Fred contends. He believes that shooting is a skill-sport that builds character, and that hunting lends tremendous self-confidence and self-esteem. Fred ought to know. He has been a hunter all of his life. Varmint hunting undoubtedly helped to further Huntington's interest in the bullet-making business when he was a young man. Hunting also made a traveler of Fred. He would eagerly drive hundreds of miles for a rock-chuck or prairie dog shoot. He hunted for many years with the great gunsmith, Vickery, looking for rockchucks in the Boise, Idaho, area. He happily drove all the way from California to Wyoming for prairie dogs. "I started prairie dog hunting in the early 1950s with Bill Matheney of Recluse, Wyoming," said Huntington. "I also hunted deer and antelope with him. I took several nice hunts with Jack O'Connor, including a great trip Into Moose Creek Lodge, and then to the Yukon In 1956 for 30 days with Jack." These two trips were the subjects of Outdoor Life articles penned by O'Connor (see separate chapter). Fred hunted with Warren Page as well, with Pete Brown and other firearms authors, too. His hunting adventures led Fred to many other parts of the world�to Iran and Africa, too. Although he has never claimed to be a "mountain man," Fred Huntington has always stayed on the trail until the last rays sunset visually announced that the hunt over. Today, the Huntington game collection consists of almost 100 trophy big-game specimens that are honored in the Oroville store.

My guess is that Fred Huntington would have been a starburst success had he remained in the laundry and dry-cleaning business. He's the kind of guy who probably would have come up with a way to bleach raspberry stains out of white shirts. Fred is inventive, energetic and willing to take a chance. He would have made it in any business because of his talent and tenacity. He could have been a success had he opened an ice cube factory in tile Arctic Circle. His abilities all furthered his efforts. The ability to design ingenious tools, the ability to organize people, a knowledge of the manufacturing process, and the art of selling combined to make Fred Huntington the leader of the reloading industry. People like the Huntington product, and Huntington, the man. "I made not only customers for our products but many friends!" Fred reflected one day.

When this author was in South Africa, an enthusiastic big game hunter and shooter by the name of Elroy French showed me his reloading room. Myriad well-located tools and components graced the inner sanctum of his handloading chambers. Two presses occupied proud positions, well-fastened to a rigid handmade bench. I was not surprised to see the brand name showing on these tools. The name read RCBS. "Know what RCBS means?" I asked the owner of the room. He said he did. It meant some of the best reloading equipment you could buy, anywhere. "No. It means Rock Chuck Bullet Swages," I was going to say, just to show how erudite we American handloaders were. But before the words left my lips, I canceled them. "That's right," I said. "It means some of the best reloading equipment anywhere." Many thousands of shooters are happy because Fred Huntington decided to court his true love from a youthful dream to a lifelong reality. His industry and genius have provided high-quality reloading tools at affordable prices, promoting not only a lot more shooting, but also more accurate shooting for marksmen all over the globe.


http://www.huntingtonsports.com/specialinterest.html

Warren Page

Byline: David E. Petzal

FIVE WHO CHANGED HOW WE THINK ABOUT SHOOTING

BEHIND MANY GREAT GUNS, successful cartridges, and popular gun designs stands a gun writer who made them so. Successful gun writers have to have some kind of personal credo that they espouse ad nauseam through unrelenting praise, constant championing, and even (hard as it is for me to admit it) a bit of hyperbole. Above all, though, they have to be right about what they believe in. These five post-World War II writers have done just that.

WARREN PAGE

The Accuracy Populist

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-167851306.html

 

[Buck Assassin]

cant stand the round at all

Cool Post! I love my 243! never had a deer run over 50 yards with it!

DA, what do you not like about the round???

 

[bobthebowhunter]

coyote round if you ask me. I like my deer to tip over.

I'll be honest I've not shot at deer with this round but have seen folks that have and had a hard time traking. If you don't lay em down there is little blood. Agreed that shot placement is crutial with this round. That being said lets be honest, very few people who hunt are considered marksmen especially under hunting conditions. I'm not directing that towards any partiular person here so let's not get deffensive. I generally don't shoot out of shooting houses or stands with rests ect. So I prefer a round that has knock down power even if I miss my intended mark. My fav is my Ruger m77 30-06. Overkill? Yes Probly in tn hardwoods, but I like that rifle and I have plenty of power if I need it. And who cares about recoil. I like to let them rifles beat me up. lol and I'm a little dude.

Now Coyote hunting the .243 is a great round. A little overkill even for that, but they explode when you hit em. And I don't care about pelts I just want them dead. But IMO for this type of hunting I like the .223 or say a Hornet. Not that the .243 recoil bothers me I just want to be able to stay in the scope after a shot. So for me .243 round just kinda falls between the two types of hunting that I do and what I excpect from the round. Too much for yotes and not enough for deer(unless you are a great shot or shooting of your back porch). But I definately dont' have a problem with the round it searvs it's purpose and a lot of folks love it. My 2cents

 

[.243 works]

I own 2 243 one h&r was my 1st ever rifle dropped a field dressed 205 lb 8pt with it ive shot 7 deer with it and found 4 or 5 of em. Then i got a savage .243 for christmas 2 years ago. Aint never shot a deer with the savage.

 

[Locksley]

heck in ND they made fun of me and my "magnum rifle" it was a .270

they all had 243 and 223 and 25 06


i have seen deer killed field dressed 240 and 288 lbs

with a 223 and 243

HEE-HEE-HEE-HEEE What would they think of your 7MM and Mr. Bigs 300 magnums . LOL

 

[jakeway]

I used to be very opinionated about things I had no personal experience with. I'm trying to correct that.

The first time I'd seen anyone shoot something with a .243 was when I visited my Brother in law in Montana. We spent an afternoon shooting several prairie dogs with a 243, and it was fun, and new experience for me with the .243 and with prairie dogs.

The next day we went antelop hunting, and I watched Luke shoot an antelope doe (about the same size as an average TN whitetail doe) at 325 yards. It ran about 50 yards after the shot before laying down, and Luke still had to give it another shot to the neck after walking up to it.

Last October I had an opportunity to buy a Ruger Compact in .243. I didn't have time to work up a handload for it, but I sighted in with factory ammo (Winchester SuperX 100 gr) and later carried it in the field. I shot two does that were running together; one dropped in it's tracks with a shattered shoulder, the other ran about 25 yards with exploded lungs.

I like it a lot, but for deer I prefer my 260 REM first, followed by my 270 WIN.

 

[Locksley]

Yea a 243 magnum . LOL