Project Savage .243AI is Finished!

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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
Anyone offended by large, high-powered optics should look away now. ;)

It began life as a Savage model 11 chambered in .270WSM with a 24" blued barrel, wearing that embarrassing black plastic stock that Savage uses and sporting a functional but unimpressive Nikon 3-9x42 optic.

Today, she (yes, it's a she now ;)) is chambered in .243AI in the form of a McGowen 24" fluted, stainless steel barrel, wears a Boyds laminated nutmeg finish, Featherweight, thumbhole stock and sports an impressive (by feel and appearance anyway) Minox 4-20x50.

Not the greatest pictures but... Drool! You know she's beautiful! :D

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Lucas McCain

New member
What mod did you do to the bolt face to go from a 270 WSM to a 243 AI. You are going to like the AI.
I had a 22-250 that I made into a 243 AI. I am really pleased with the performance.:)
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
I bought a .308/.243 bolt head.

I've shot it some already, with the Nikon scope and the original ugly stock. Never had time to work up a really good load. Just "good enough" for deer hunting at relatively close range.

Hopefully, it'll be a tack driver now.
 
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Picher

New member
Never had a rifle-mounted bipod...never will. I probably could have used one years ago before I, almost single-handedly, wiped out the woodchuck population in Central Maine. ;)
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
allaroundhunter said:
Bipod is on backwards.

Pay up. ;)
Click to expand...

Well that didn't take long. ;)

In regards to the bipod, it won't be wearing it for deer hunting unless I'm hunting over a large field, which at the moment would require them to allow rifles in Tompkins County.
I'll use the bipod to sight in and for chucks and I'll confirm the sight in for deer without it.
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
I threw her on the scale this morning, without the bipod. We were at 7.5 pounds with the Nikon and factory stock. Savage says it's 7.25 with original barrel. With the Minox and the Boyds stock, we're at almost exactly 9 pounds, slightly less.

I know a lot of guys wouldn't want to hunt deer with a 9 lb rifle but it's totally fine for me. I don't walk miles (might get to 2 miles in a day if I'm unlucky) and I'm quite used to lugging around a bulky, 10.5 pound shotgun so 9 pounds feels like a light-weight for me.;)

In the interest of full disclosure, she's not completely finished. She still carries the original WSM magazine which I modified to semi-reliably feed .243 cases and the original plastic trigger guard doesn't fit the Boyds stock correctly. I have the two correct parts on enroute from Savage and THEN she'll be complete.:D
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
As a point of reference on the weight, Savage 14 with wood stock, stainless and no scope are listed as 7.5lb. Savage 12 with thumbhole, stainless and no scope, 10lbs.

So, I'm doing pretty good considering that my scope weighs 25oz and I'm a pound lighter than a similar bare gun.:)
 
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upstate81

New member
In regards to what county you live in, I live and hunt in Wayne county so I get to exercise the 700 this year for the first time deer hunting during the regular season. (family farm gets nuisance permits for deer i can use a rifle then, go figure:rolleyes:)
 
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PawPaw

New member
Interesting set-up, Peet. Why did you decide to go with the AI? I know you're a .243 fan (and rightfully so, as am I) but I've never seen the utility of blowing a case out. I'm not sure that those few extra FPS are worth it.
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
When I was researching possibilities and I included all the variables, every question led back to .243Win as the answer. I actually was NOT a fan of the .243, mostly because it's an "everybody has one" cartridge but there was no denying that when I added all the variables, recoil, deer, woodchucks, trajectory, case availability, etc, etc, I always got back to the .243.

I like to be different so I didn't want the thing that everybody else has, so I went with the AI. The only downside is having to form the cases.

Using the same cases (literally the *same* cases) I get about 175fps over a Win with 55gr Noslers (3850 vs 4025) and about 75 fps with 80gr Barnes TTSX (3460 vs 3540).

It's not hugely significant but there's almost no downside, there is some increase and I get to be different, so I like it. ;)
 
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PawPaw

New member
I like to be different so I didn't want the thing that everybody else has, so I went with the AI. The only downside is having to form the cases
Click to expand...

I hear ya, but there's a reason why the caliber is so well liked. It's good for about 95% of the shooting that most of us do. Easily the ideal varmint/whitetail round. If I recall correctly, the AI calibers are easily formed by loading a standard round, pointing the barrel at a convenient berm, and pulling the trigger.

What twist is that barrel? I've got an old staggered feed Savage 11 that I've considered the same sort of project. I'd like to put an 8 twist barrel on it so that I can use those lovely 107 grain MatchKings. I've tried them in the standard twist barrel, and in my barrel, at least, they start to keyhole. I think I need just a little faster twist.
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
Yeah, that's why I went with it. Forming the case is just a matter of firing the parent case. It's quite accurate too, plenty enough for deer hunting at reasonable ranges, so you don't even have to waste any components. Load 'em up, sight it in and hunt. They go in .243Win and come out AI for next time.:D

My barrel is 1:9, enough for 105s and probably the 107s.

QuickLoad says that a .243Win could do 3,000 (and my AI could get 3,150) from a 24" barrel with the 107gr Sierra. JBM suggests either speed would be marginally stable in a 1:9 twist but it's always pessimistic with smaller calibers.

A lot of guys shoot 105s in a 9 twist. Interestingly, Sierra shows that the 107 requires a 7 or 8 twist. It almost seems like 7 would be too much. Meh, what do I know? They make it, they should know.;)
 
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