Latest Loads: Budget-Friendly .243 Win.

by
posted on January 23, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
243.jpg

Low cost doesn’t necessarily equate to lousy performance. A case in point: Recently, while using a Savage Axis rifle in .243 Win.—purchased at Walmart for $269 and subsequently fitted with an aftermarket Timney trigger and a Bushnell Banner 6-18X 50 mm scope in basic Weaver bases/rings—and the recipe below, I was able to achieve sub-m.o.a. performance for five consecutive, five-shot groups at 100 yds. Three-shot, one-half-m.o.a. groups were commonplace. These groups weren’t achieved using match-grade, target-specific bullets, either; rather, I used Hornady’s high-performance, yet low-cost, 95-gr. Super Shock Tip (SST) bullets, which were designed for hunting medium-size game, such as deer and antelope. This all speaks to the quality of firearms, optics and handloading components available to shooters and hunters today—even those with low price points. You can get a lot for a little.

Latest

AR on table with target
AR on table with target

Skills Check: Rifle Standard Delta 2

Carbine performance is all about maintaining control. The Rifle Standard Delta 2 is a drill that pressures recoil control, visual discipline and cadence as distance decreases and time compresses.

Gun Sales Up for the 7th Month in a Row in 2026

The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSF) estimate of last month’s gun sales was up 2.2 percent compared to August 2025.

Caring For & Feeding Your Cap-and-Ball Revolvers

Compared to pistoleros of the 19th century, today’s handgunners have it easy. It's not enough just to get an old-school, cap-and-ball revolver. You also need to acquire everything to shoot and clean it.

Lighter & Better: Savage’s Updated Ultralite Series of Rifles

Savage Arms kicked off 2026 by announcing a new generation of Model 110 bolt-action rifles, and now, the company has also introduced an updated series of Ultralite rifles.

Gun of the Week: Franchi Momentum Elite MULE

One of the latest entrants into the general-utility rifle market is Franchi with its Momentum Utility Lite Elite bolt-action rifle, also known as the MULE.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 11, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.