If ! - If you had a action, what would you build.

[Fire-stick]

Treeman, how much hunting do you do on open plains? I bought my 243 Musgrave RSA single shot specifically for springbuck hunting near Three Sisters. I have made it AI, but the 1 in 10 twist barrel forces you to use 100gr flat base bullets. I won a Ruger RPR in 243 in a competition, so that works for the longer ranges (1 in 7.5 twist), but is a hefty gun that will work well for "voorsit".

The RSA has accounted for many springbuck and 2 kudu bulls in the Jansenville district. The 6mm bullets perform well.

Treeman, apologies for the quick hijack?
I'll pick it up in a new thread if need be.

driepootx
Your statement:
"but the 1 in 10 twist barrel forces you to use 100gr flat base bullets."
Why specifically a flat base, does the boat tail perform differently and affect accuracy or stability?

I was under the impression that a BT bullet would be a better option for the longer distances as the drag on the bullets tail is less thus the bullet would have a better BC which in turn would give it a better flat line trajectory for a further range?

Does the difference between BT and FB thus then affect the muzzle velocity in a noticeable way?

I'm asking as I'll be starting (soon) load development for my 6mm Musgrave and I was advised a while back to use the 100gr BT bullets.
I understand the calibre can be tricky.
Twist is also a 1 in 10 (actually 1 in 10.25 to be precise)

Please PM me if we rather keep it off Treeman's thread and there is more to it.

[driepootx]

Adding a BT to a bullet increases the length of the bullet and normally the ogive is also adjusted to make a more sleek projectile and that then further compounds the length (twist rate) problem. Read up on the 22 Hornet and the use of flat base blunt nosed bullets. In a 243 the 90-95gr bullets give very good performance, although the length needs to be watched with sleek BT bullets.

[414gates]

Build what tickles your fancy today.

Too much analysis goes into caliber selection, and it's all just a cover story to convince your conscience to agree to allow yourself to spend the money.

[Maroelas]

Treeman, my 243win Sako's barrel is also pretty much done and will become a 243 Ackley this year, looking at a 1 in 8 or similar barrel and will shoot 108gr Hornady ELDM and maybe Nosler 105gr RDF or CC (depending on what's available).

The expert gunsmith on 243AI is Izak Hattingh of Trueworx in Bloemfontein.

[Messor]

Was wondering if a .303 would work on that action, really found myself impressed with the .303 bullets results - perhaps .303 ackley ?

If you are impressed with the terminal performance of that vintage model, then I would seriously suggest just fit a 308WIN barrel.

One of these days Cody will be big, he might need a big gun, there is nothing in SA a 308 with good bullets won't hunt, and nothing else you've mentioned will come near it's barrel life nor component availability.
You can shoot 130gr Mono's at over 3000ft/s, 150gr cup and core at around 2900ft/s, and really heavy bullets at normal hunting speeds.

The 243AI is just a unique flavor and the 220 more so, but a 30 cal in SA is just about the standard of hunting calibers.

[A-R]

First determine what action exactly it is that you have there. Musgrave built rifles on many different actions. A few that come to mind are M98, RSA, "Vrystaat" (opened up RSA with mag), Santa Barbara (Spanish clone of commercial FN Mauser action) and P14. They have even rebarreled a few old Lee (SMLE) actions.

A "modified Mauser" sounds a lot like a Santa Barbara, but could just as well be a P14. If a P14 it would likely be a 6mm Musgrave caliber, not 243, so scratch that.

Then choose a cartridge that fits and feeds in the specific action. Also match the pressure spec of your cartridge to the action strength. Not all actions are equal.

Caliber choice would depend on your needs. I would not easily choose a chambering and twist that is available in a factory rifle, as it will likely cost more to rebarrel the action than to just buy a complete rifle. An exotic chamber and a faster than standard twist seem pretty logical choices. I have grown a special affection (affliction?) of long fast twist barrels. They allow high-BC bullets to reach those far-away gongs and baboons with decent regularity.

So if one of my RSA's gets shot out eventually, it will likely get a 6BR or 260Rem barrel with a fast twist. Especially the 6BR is a good choice for a single shot action in my view, since it does not really feed from any typical mag. What it may lack in high MV, it makes up in efficiency and longer barrel life.

Have I mentioned I hate those barrel-eaters? Yes, high MV and a flat trajectory is nice, but the bureaucratic torture of replacing a shot-out barrel does not appeal to me. So 243, 220 Swift or any of those ilk are not on my wanted list. Especially not the 6mm Rem. (For those who don't know it, it is basically a 7x57 case necked down to 6mm and loaded to 243 peak pressures. It is also a barrel-eater of note.

Making a rimmed cartridge feed from a mag made for rimless ammo is not something I would recommend. So, if you have a P14, make it a 303, 6mm Musgrave or whatever rimmed catridge tickles your fancy. (The 6mm Musgrave was quite a marvel when fired from a good barrel and P14 action. It was capable of impressive MV numbers too.) If it is a Mauser type, rimless is the way to go.

Then you also have to match the application to the action type. The typical Mauser 98 action has been the benchmark for bolt actions for over 100 years, but I would not mount a heavy barrel on it and try to build a LR rifle. It may be possible, but there are many better actions available for the job. For a short-range bush or DG rifle it will be hard to beat. The RSA (unopened) is good for heavy barrels. The mag fed versions and SB's are somewhere in between. Don't go too long and heavy on the barrels with one of these, as they are not as rigid as the better target/LR actions and may have trouble staying straight with a heavy barrel trying to bend it.

So, lots of homework to do before you decide.

[treeman]

Build what tickles your fancy today.

Too much analysis goes into caliber selection, and it's all just a cover story to convince your conscience to agree to allow yourself to spend the money.

*****************
You be a boringly honest man.
Come on - play along - we need to help each other out.
414, problem is I heard of action at a fire with beer in hand(whole rifle with original Musgrave stock and shot out barrel), said I would take it, guy seems to think he was good business man and blurted "Two K and its yours" I had a few thou in bakkie so I paid him.
I do stupid things.
I do not need want another rifle, I have enough (other than a 9.3)
A year later he wants to know when I am collecting rifle.

I am now forced to build a rifle or have wasted the two K.
THAT'S MY STORY, MY STAND AND I AM NOT EXPLAINING SELF FURTHER.

[treeman]

The heaviest Barnes mono I can find in QL is a 95gr bullet, which is much shorter than a 115gr Dtac bullet that still stabilizes in a 1 in 7,5 twist. Peregrine have longer 104gr mono, but still shorter than Dtac.

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Would you then agree that with the new twists, that there is a opportunity for a heavier mono bullet?

Perhaps time I phone Peregrine again - Kriek ?

[driepootx]

I am wary of using an extremely long bullet when hunting. It might stabilize for flight, but terminal performance might see it tumbling. You don't need a heavier mono than 90-95gr as penetration is hardly ever a problem. The kudu I shot with the 85X bullet was first shot at 300+ yards from a sniping position on top of a cliff. I managed to hit him twice as he then moved further away. I retrieved one bullet that was lodged in the brisket. That means the bullet penetrated that far even at a very long range for such a small projectile.

[treeman]

I am wary of using an extremely long bullet when hunting. It might stabilize for flight, but terminal performance might see it tumbling. You don't need a heavier mono than 90-95gr as penetration is hardly ever a problem. The kudu I shot with the 85X bullet was first shot at 300+ yards from a sniping position on top of a cliff. I managed to hit him twice as he then moved further away. I retrieved one bullet that was lodged in the brisket. That means the bullet penetrated that far even at a very long range for such a small projectile.

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Yes, length over diameter is a post I once posted