Few shooters and hunters decry the felt recoil associated with a .243 Win.-chambered rifle. That being said, for the youngest and eldest among them-whose statures and physiques are unlike that of an average adult-even standard .243 Win. loads could prove to be unpleasant to shoot. The problem will be compounded if the rifle doesn’t “fit,” which is oftentimes the case with youth who are using parents’ rifles with stocks that are dimensionally configured for adults. Then again, who doesn’t enjoy time at the range without the unnecessary punishment associated with full-power loads. Regardless of the reason, Hornady has .243 Win. ammunition that offers a 35 percent reduction in recoil, yet provides impressive external ballistics. Amongst the CUSTOMLite offerings, the load propels a controlled-expansion 87-gr. Super Shock Tip (SST) bullet 2800 f.p.s., which results in 1,514 ft-lbs. of energy. Because of the projectile’s .400 ballistic coefficient, even at 300 yds. it is still travelling 2155 f.p.s. and produces 897 ft.-lbs. of energy. Just as impressive, when the rifle is zeroed at 200 yds. with CUSTOMLite, the bullet drops only 8.80” at 300 yds. Cabela’s sells 20-count boxes of Hornady CUSTOMLite .243 Win. ammunition for $28-a small price to pay to introduce youth to the shooting sports and retain those older individuals who are already among us. What's your experience with reduced-recoil ammunition?
