What can I expect from a 243 upper for AR 15?

[Neko456]

What can I expect from a .243 upper for one of my AR 15s?
Is this just 2 pin snap on upper and some new mags?
Is there a kit with Mags and Upper?
How much recoil does the .243 add over the .223?
How much more range does the .243 have over the .223?
Is it worth it to upgrade to the 6mm .243? IYO.

The .243 is a solid Deer round where as the .223 is ify.

[knight0334]

You cant expect anything... ...because they don't exist. lol There are .243 uppers for AR10's though, but not AR15's.

The .243 cartridge is longer than the entire magazine well on a AR15. Recoil is somewhere between a .223 and a .308. Probably about 2-3 times that of a .223 in the same weight of rifle(haven't looked up weight of gun versus velocity/energies of either 223 or 243).

Effective range is probably twice that of a .223. Both will lob a bullet the same distance, but the .243 will have much more energy. Muzzle energy @ 2000-2100ftlbs for the 243 versus the 1200-1300 for the .223.

[Neko456]

My mistake I was thinking .243 WSSM not the .243 same question but using the .243 WSSM instead. How plentiful or reloadable is the .243 WSSM?

That was still very informative in the comparison of the two rounds. Thanks.

[knight0334]

My mistake I was thinking .243 WSSM not the .243 same question but using the .243 WSSM instead. How plentiful or reloadable is the .243 WSSM?

That was still very informative in the comparison of the two rounds. Thanks.

The 243WSSM runs about 2100-2300ftlbs of energy, not much more than a regular .243. It's main design attribute was to allow it in really short action rifles. With some bullet weights, the regular .243 can out perform the WSSM.

Its as reloadable as any other boxer primed cartridge. With it's 28 degree shoulder and less body taper, it's reloading life should be good. Less likely to have case stretching.

I'm not sure about availability, never paid any attention to it on store shelves.

Regular AR magazines need to be modified for the WSSM. But I'm sure there are factory mod'd units available.

For what you'd dish out for a 243WSSM upper you could buy a new bolt action rifle and scope. ...plus have money left over.

[Neko456]

With this information and research I have found uppers ranging from $500 - $800 for the 243 WSSM upgrade now I need to find a decent supply of magazines and compare the cost of .223 to .243 and I'm off to the races.

I wonder what the capacity of the magazine is and would it be better to do the Mini 30 upper upgrade would the AR be more accurate then my AK because of tightness in design?

[knight0334]

Magazine capacity would be substantially decreased due to the diameter of the 243WSSM versus .223/5.56.

If you are contemplating converting to a 7.62x39mm upper, the AR should be more accurate than the AK. The AK suffers from a shorter sight radius and flexing of the receiver/barrel/etc. Mil-surp ammo isn't very good for accuracy either, which will hurt accuracy in either platform. With a 7.62 conversion, the hit on magazine capacity wouldn't be as much as the 243WSSM.

[Lycanthrope]

The .243 WSSM has a lot of potential. With varmint loads nearing 4000fps in longer barrels your range of effective fragmentation is excellent and it will be a much flatter shooter than the 7.62x39. It will also, however, be harder on barrels.

It's not a common cartridge on the shelves, but reloading shouldn't be an issue. Very few mid sized cartridges, however, are going to be as economical as the .223. Increased powder requirements as well as the increased cost of bullets will matter. Brass will be SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive.

The AR should shoot circles around the AK in terms of accuracy.

Lycansoundsfunthrope

[Tomcat088]

I don't know what ended up coming of this, but there was talk a while back (slightly over a year ago) about completely discontinuing even the brass for the .243 WSSM. So before you get committed to an upper, you may want to do more research and see who (if anybody) is still making brass for the .243 WSSM and how long the rumors are that they'll make it. It would SUCK to end up with an upper dedicated to a caliber that will become obsolete in a few years, and that isn't very easy to make some brass for.

As Knight said, the diameter of the cartridge will put a pretty significant damper on the capacity of the AR. You would have better capacity 2ith a 7.62x39 upper. Remember that the 7.62x39 isn't "inherently inaccurate", just like other cartridges aren't really "inherently accurate". It has a lot to do with the platform that you're using to fire the round, and obviously the shooter. So you'll likely get better accuracy from the AR chambered in 7.62x39 than you would an AK. Be careful when you use nomenclatures like "mini 30" because that is a term for a RUGER rifle chambered in 7.62x39. Mentioning something like that might confuse others about you wanting to buy a Ruger Mini 30, instead of just an upper for your AR chambered in 7.62x39. I'd be a bit hesitant to get an upper in .243 WSSM personally.

[Neko456]

I was under the impression that a lot of Swat teams were using the .243 wssm in there ARs because of the increased power and range. i don't know if I want a 4k fps round coming out of my AR but 2700-3k fps 6mm would be nice. I'll check on what mag capacity would be and barrel wear, because I don't want to replace a lot of parts while shooting the gun just normal wear and tear. It sounds like its worth it , performance wise. I'll research the future of the .243 wssm and where to get brass and magazines.

As for the Min-30/7.62x39 upper maybe the more practical, available and common ammo wise. Are there any good target or accurate rounds available for the 7.69x39? Or would I have to reload to find a fit? Target .223 can be bought out of the store. I have a dressed MAK-47 but never thought about target/accurate ammo for it. Maybe next year I'll build or buy a mini030 upper.

I like the .223/5.56 but if you got (2 pin & a magazine) options why not explorer them.

[Edg]

just curious, why not consider a .308? AR10?