Bought a NEW rifle today! A 243, told Connie it was for her:mrgreen: but i think she will let me shoot it. I really kinda wanted a 22-250, but i think the 243 will be a lot better for deer and still work as a good varmit rifle.
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Bought a NEW rifle today! A 243, told Connie it was for her:mrgreen: but i think she will let me shoot it. I really kinda wanted a 22-250, but i think the 243 will be a lot better for deer and still work as a good varmit rifle.
Good move! The .243 is about the most all around user friendly deer cartridge I know, women, kids, grumpy old men, you name it. I have been waiting for another old Rem788 in that chambering to cross paths with me, but until I do, I'll keep my .308 as is. (When I do, I will shorten its barrel and turn it into a 1.5, but that's another story.) I posted a deer load on your other thread. It might need a little tweaking as it was developed for a semiauto Win100. Four bullets fired at game, four deer in my friend's freezer. Longest shot was about 175yds. The Sierra 100grSBT is a stellar performer. This rifle averages just over MOA, not the most accurate one I've ever met, but as they say, the dead deer aren't making any comments about it. It wasn't designed to be a target rifle anyway.
I much prefer a dedicated rifle, and I wouldn't sell or trade my .22-250 unless it was a choice between selling the gun or feeding the kids. It's a much better long range varminter. When I find a really good load, I like to sight in the rifle for it, leave it as is, and load up a few hundred rounds in new brass for hunting.
That doesn't mean I won't keep testing new bullets as they catch my fancy, but I am less inclined to. More fun to figure out a new rifle. I load for about a dozen friends who keep bringing me new and interesting guns to work up loads for, so there's most always another project gun waiting in line. Now that I'm casting again, too, I'm busier than a one armed paperhanger in the warm weather.
Just got back from sighting her in. Shot some Monarch 100gr soft points { they got the nny head stamp} and some rem 80gr PSP
My first group with the 100gr bullets was a little better than 1.5" at 100yd. The second was a little better than an inch, the third a one inch dot covered the whole group!!! was shooting the rem 80gr
Only had to adjust up 3" got the windage on the money boresighting
Used millett scope mounts and rings, and a simmons Master Series 8 point 3x9x40 scope
That was easy. Next rifle.:mrgreen:
I'm shoping agian, a guy is sending a check for my T38 that i put on gunsamerica. Andy has got a Kel-Tec 9mm pistol a guy swapped stright across for a Star BM. He's got $225 on it, it looks new got the box and all. Think it's worth dealing for?
The Rem sounds like a beaut ! .243 is a nice all rounder (prefer the 6mm Rem myself ,but thats cause I like to be differant ) As for the Kel -Tec ? I've heard some nasty things said about them but have never fired one myself so it might be an idea to shop around for some more opinions on em !Quote:
Originally Posted by Toney
Dave
I'm kinda with d-o-k on this one. I think the guy with the Star is ahead of the game. But I have -0- personal knowledge of the Kel-Tec, so mine is a pretty thin opinion, based only on what I've heard.:mrgreen:
I'm following a possible Group Buy on the Star BM in another forum. I only have a P-35 and P-38 in 9mm. Never was a real fan of the cartridge.
Yeah, Toney, that .243 is a real useful cartridge. Long time ago I had one that I used a lot. I now have guns of many calibers and can do whatever a man needs done but way back when I had a family to support and had only one hunting rifle. It had to do for most everything. I used it until it shot out and together were able to meet all challenges.
I know people will say that the light bullets are strictly for varmints, but I didn't know any better and got away with using good 80 & 85 grainers on everything. I took that hump of wood out of the forearm channel, adjusted the trigger (Remington) down to 2 1/2 lbs., and glass-bedded it. With Speer, Sierra, and Herter's bullets, H414, H4350, and H4831 it shot around a half-inch all the time. Great little rifle with minimal recoil.
The .22-.250 mentioned is also a great little cartridge. But, in reality, it should be limited to varmints and not used on deer. I know I'll hear about that comment. But after being a hunter and shooter for over 50 years and working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife for many years I believe my experience has some validity. If I haven't learned anything in over 50 yrs. of hunting I must not have been paying attention.
The .22-.250 is a better varmint round but on a windy day the .243 will take more prairie dogs. It's a toss-up on coyotes. Either will kill them with ease. The .22-.250 can, with the right bullet (read Speer 52 gr.HP) will do it with less damage to their hide. A .243 will ruin a hide no matter which bullet is used.
When you get to deer the .243 shows up a lot of rounds. In the hands of someone who shoots straight it'll kill deer as well as anything else. As a hunter and having been in on many deer control programs while with the gov't I know what works on deer. I've taken over 200 head of them with a huge variety of calibers. And I can honestly say the .243 is right up there as one I recommend highly. You should really enjoy your new .243. Good luck.
I really like it. Been loading the bulk rem 80gr bullets. That's what Connie will probably be shooting for next season.
I've got the trigger adjusted down to 2 1/2lbs, Connie was tickled with it. She's shooting it pretty good!!! She's getting down less than two inches with it. She has,nt got to shoot the light trigget yet