ROCK RIVER ARMS AR-10

Loads for a .243 Winchester

- Patrick Meitin

The .243 Winchester is an inarguably versatile cartridge. As my only centerfire rifle for a good portion of a wondrous western upbringing, a Remington Model 700 ADL .243 Winchester provided the nexus of a multitude of early adventures. I used my .243 Winchester to shoot black-tailed prairie dogs and jackrabbits by loading Sierra 60-grain Varminter hollowpoints and generous dollops of Hodgdon H-380 powder.

The (1) .243 Winchester is the smallest of the .308 Winchester-derived cartridges, including the (2) .260 Remington, (3) 7mm-08 Remington and (4) .308 Winchester.

The Rock River Arms Predator HP AR-10 comes equipped with a collapsible Operator stock, allowing adjustment for length of pull or more compact storage.

The Predator HP LAR-8A included a LAR-8A lower holding a Hogue rubber pistol grip, spring-loaded dust cover and chamber-assist plunger. The rifle arrived with a steel, 20-round magazine.

The rifle includes a milled-in brass deflector, which shows it was doing its job by developing a brass wash during testing.

I loaded Speer 90-grain full metal jackets over maximum charges of IMR-4350 to collect scads of called-in coyotes and grey foxes for the raw-fur market, back when pelts fetched a $50 average. For eastern New Mexico’s desert mule deer, aoudad sheep and pronghorn, I chose Sierra’s 85-grain GameKing hollowpoint boat-tail and more IMR-4350. Not knowing any better, I loaded Nosler’s 100-grain Partitions and IMR-4350 to kill my first two bull elk – with neither getting out of sight.