SAVAGE 12 BVSS in .243

[jackslayer]

I'm considering getting this as an all around varmint/paper rifle and have heard great things regarding savages accuracy and economy but I don't know much about how the .243 round will behave in this rifle. I have heard it is an excellent long range cartridge (1000 yd contest winner) but Will the barrel tolerate several different bullet sizes with acceptable accuracy? Basically for longer shots i would use heavier bullets (85-120 grains) and for varmints i would keep it around 60 grains. the caliber is appealing for it's apperant versatility especially from a reloading standpoint. However this benefit only remains in tact if the rifle will respond well to these variations.

1. does anyone have firsthand experience preferably with this rifle, but if not, at least regarding the .243

2. Will i likely regret not going with a more popular bench rest/varmint caliber
(22-250, 223, .204)?

3. will the recoil be too much to view impact through the scope?

Any suggestions/ insights will be greatly appreciated

 

[Jackal]

I have a Ruger tang safety Varmint model. It weighs 11 lbs with scope and chambered in .243. I cannot view impact at 50 yards through 9x scope. However, I can put 9 shots into 1 ragged hole at 100 yards using both 100gr and 80gr bullets. The .243 is ideal for coyote and bobcat size game and is one of the most accurate chamberings to be found. Yup, I like it. The only real downside is factory ammo costs, but you say you reload, so that is a non issue. You won't be dissappointed.

 

[mrmeval]

I've shot the round from a single shot pistol, not at TC and it's it's flat shooting.

Has a write up on it.
http://www.snipersparadise.com/tsmag/december_1999.htm

 

[trstafford]

I had a Ruger in .243 with their heavy barrel. It was a shooting machine and put the ground hogs to rest at any range I shot. I think that .243 is an outstanding varmit round it is inherently accurate. A lot of people recommend them for youth deer rifles but I think it is better for experienced marksmen to use on deer than youth.

I also had a Savage it was also a tack driver. That rifle was heavy barrelled and I can't remember the model, but it was massive. It was rechambered from 22-250 to a 22-243 Middleston. Since I reloaded that was a great round. I let a friend shoot it and he immediately went out and had a 22-243 made because he could see the bullet strike. If you find some 308 Benchrest Brass they tend to be even more accurate because of the small rifle primer.

 

[rangerruck]

I have friends who have had great success with this rifle, in a variety of cals. However, they do not make great long distance or bench shooters, because at it's heart, the 243, is a spikey , unpredictable cartridge, unless you are a handloader, and you don't max out on your loads. Matter of fact better to underload. The 6mm remmy does a much better job, with far better bbl life, because of it's super long neck.

 

[IThunter]

I have one and love it...

mine is the FV...but that BVSS is pretty.

 

[Essex County]

Any HB Savage will do You proud. I can't say enough good about 'em..Essex

 

[Sunray]

Who makes a 120 grain 6mm bullet? Heaviest I've ever heard of is 115.
"...recoil be too much to view impact..." It's not the recoil. It's the muzzle jump. You won't be able to see the impact unless you're using a very heavy rifle at very long range for the cartridge. And you're very quick getting back on target.
The .243 is not a 1,000 yard cartridge. A moderate wind will blow the bullet off target long before it gets to 1,000 yards. It'd take a very experience wind reader to shoot a .243 at 1,000. Plus the bullet drops fast past 300 or so. A 100 grain Remington factory load drops 45.4" at 500 with a 200 yard zero.
"...Will the barrel tolerate several different bullet sizes..." Nope, but it might shoot several bullet weights well. Depends on the rifling though. Some barrels are rifled for light weight bullets, some for heavier weight bullets. The normal rifling twist is 1 in 9, but there are other twists too. 1 in 10 for example.

 

[JonB]

I grew up shooting a .243 for deer and antelope - old Savage lever gun. .243 is a good caliber for deer, varmints, etc. Fast, flat shooting, but factory loads are expensive.

 

[itgoesboom]

The .243 is not a 1,000 yard cartridge. A moderate wind will blow the bullet off target long before it gets to 1,000 yards. It'd take a very experience wind reader to shoot a .243 at 1,000. Plus the bullet drops fast past 300 or so. A 100 grain Remington factory load drops 45.4" at 500 with a 200 yard zero.

SunRay,

Head over to snipershide.com. Several of the people there are using the .243 at 1000 yards with certain loads, since it drops less and is less affected by wind than the .308.

They are using heavy, high B.C. bullets going pretty fast, and are achieving great things.

Look at it this way, they are running a 115gr projectile, with a BC of .585 at a velocity of 3150. Compare that to a .308 throwing a 175gr SMK with a BC of "only" .496 going at 2650-2700fps.

A quick trajectory check shows the .243 needing 22.7MOA of adjustment to get to 1,000, while the .308 needs 36.3MOA of adjustment! Windage is just as dramatic. With a 10mph cross wind, the .243 needs 5.9MOA while the .308 needs 9.3MOA of adjustment.

George Gardner (G.A. Precision) won the Shumway Cup at the 2006 Sniper's Hide Cup, which was at 1,000 yards.

The big downsides I have heard, since I don't personally shoot that far, or with a .243, is that it is a barrel burner, and it doesn't have the energy to knock down certain steel targets.

I.G.B.

 

[rangerruck]

of course, he did it with a 243 AI, though.

 

[itgoesboom]

of course, he did it with a 243 AI, though.

Nope. Regular .243 Winchester.

from http://www.6mmbr.com/243Win.html

George Gardner of GA Precision recently won the long-range Shumway Cup segment of the 2006 Snipers' Hide Cup shooting a straight .243 Win.

And another quote from there,

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."

I.G.B.

 

[thirty-thirty]

I've been considering a 12BVSS as well as a 12FVSS as a varmint/deer/target rifle. I don't reload. Should I stay away from .243 for that reason? As a second caliber choice I'm thinking .308. Not really a varmint round...but..I like that cartridge.
I don't really want a target stock like the one on the BVSS but I'm leery of the plastic stock on the FVSS. Any more comments on that plastic stock? I don't want to buy a rifle and then buy another stock.

I like to have all my rifles the same. My mountain rifle is a Ruger with a Timney trigger and I've never fingered an Accutrigger. If I don't like the Accutrigger and replace it with a Timney, I'll likely be saying "I could'a, I should'a" bought something else. Comments?

 

[mrmeval]

For hardwood stock

The model code would be 12GVSS or 12GV

Series 12
G=Hardwood
V=Heavy Barrel
SS=Stainless Steel
No SS on the end = Blued

http://www.savagearms.com/code.htm

I do not know if the 12 series comes in all code variations you'd have to ask them.