what company makes a better 243 ?

My wife has had excellent accuracy and durability from her Remington 700 (NOT the 710) in .243.

Her first ever deer was taken with that rifle, a 215-yard standing shot using plain old Core-Lokt. DRT.

The Vanguard Series II....comes in a Carbine model with a 20" barrel. That would be my pick.

http://www.weatherby.com/product/rifles/vanguard_2/carbine

The Vanguard series 2 is an all-around nice gun. The Ruger American is a good value, and has a lot of nice features, but I can't get past that flimsy stock. Really, most of the entry level deer rifles out there are pretty good, so long as you stay away from the Remington 770/710.

My choice would be the Remington 700. Very hard to beat. My second would be the ruger M77.

Can anyone explain what the difference is between the Vanguard barrels - #1, #2, #3 contour? Are they different thicknesses?

The Ruger is unproven, but has a lot of potential. I've owned Vanguards in the past. They are good guns with a proven track record. For my personal use the weight is an issue. A Vanguard with glass on it is going to be close to 9 lbs. I've sold all of them, not because they are a bad gun, but they were no better than others that were much easier to lug around.

At about $450 I'd be looking real hard at the TC Venture. It has been around long enough to have earned a solid reputation. It is in between the other 2 in weight and all I've seen are absolute tackdrivers. Most accuracy I'm seeing right now for the money including Savage which has always had a reputation for accuracy on a budget.

Yes, different thickness.

All of the reviews of the Ruger American are outstanding. I have a local dealer that has actually tested them. Showed me nickle sized patterns right out of the box. The newer models that have bargain prices form all the dealers are giving people an option of good shooting and price points under 500.00
The Ruger American is leading that group by a long distance according to the Guys at Capra's Sporting Goods

I dont think you can go wrong with a Ruger. They are a great company/ rifle and they stand behind there product. If you have a problem with the one you take out of the box they will make it right with you (dont expect the same from a used gun).

My GPA always said that the measure of a factory rifle is the barrel. If you want the most gun/barrel for our money I would look at a Savage. The accutrigger is a step in the right direction. They brought it to market and it was a huge hit for all the right reasons. It allowed people to mess with the #1 thing they want in a good rifle (the trigger).

Most bang for your buck in my opinion is a Savage. If you want something to mess with and an aftermarket to support it I would look at a Remington 700. Out of the box the trigger/barrel is inferior to the competition but it has the most 3rd party stuff to add to it if you dont mind tinkering a bit.

Cabela's has the Ruger American on sale at its Hamburg, PA store for $339.00. I've had my eye on this rifle in .243 for quite some time, and when it eventually comes around to my LGS I'll likely buy one. Jeff Quinn has an excellent video review of said rifle here: http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-American.htm .

Promod1385 said:

If you want something to mess with and an aftermarket to support it I would look at a Remington 700. Out of the box the trigger/barrel is inferior to the competition but it has the most 3rd party stuff to add to it if you dont mind tinkering a bit.

Click to expand...

More like pay someone else to tinker with it. Pretty much nothing can be done to a 700 without a gunsmith.

If your local WalMart sells guns, they will have a Model 10 Savage package rifle with a mounted and boresighted scope. The scope is passable but not good. The factory plastic stock is meh. The barrel, action and trigger are as solid as it comes. Best part is that they go for $397. Spend $100 on a good stock and you have a really solid deer rifle. Spend another $200 when you get a chance on a good scope and you'll have a deer rifle as good as any and more accurate than most.

If you're looking for a rifle built to a pricepoint(Savage Axis, Ruger American) you should take a look at a Marlin X7. I bought a new one in March. Stainless, pillar bedded stock, target muzzle crown, adjustable trigger which, IMHO, is better than Savages Accutrigger, and quick change barrels like Savage's. I haven't modified this rifle in any way and it shoots under an inch with handloads. Cost me $372.00 OTD. I have a 3X9 Nikon scope on it with Millet AngleLock rings. I'm going to get another in .308 and a .22-250 heavy barrel.

I would choose the TC Venture. I have on in 223 and it is a tack driver and has a nice trigger. I have ben considering getting the same rifle in 243 for my son, but he may still be a little too young, he is only 7. I bought a Weatherby Vanguard S2 in 270 for the wife and she didn't like it so it was sold. Seemed okay accuracy wise and well built. Like was mentioned, if you like the Weatherby, you might look into the carbines with the 20" barrel. You will not give up much if anything in velocity, the powder will have been burned by the time the bullet exits the muzzle.

Just because the powder's burned doesn't mean that you're not giving up velocity. The .243 has a pretty large case capacity for its bore size. Because of that, velocity change with barrel length is more than with a cartridge like the .308. I would consider 22" the minimum and 24" better for the .243. The differences in weight are relatively insignificant. The shorter barrel might be slightly more "handy" but if a brush gun is what you're looking for, I'd go with something other than a .243.

I'd go with Savage , however I see you didn't list that as one your looking at , so out of the 3 you listed I'd go with the Ruger

Go back, see whether the ruger or the vanguard feels better on your shoulder, and buy that one that feels the best.

Take a look at the Tikka also to see how you like it.

Tikka T3 lite in .243, cost a little more $$ but a great gun with a fantastic trigger. adjustable from 2-4 lbs. pull. Total Weight as I recall is about 6 lbs in 243. Synthetic stock no worries of rain or snow when out hunting. Mine shoots sub 1 moa right from the box with factory ammo.

Tikka T3 gets my vote but, there is a Ithaca on gunbroker right now. Type in lsa55, it is made by Sako and is in a 243. I just gave this model to my Son in a 308. I have been wanting this bad but already have several 243's. He will sell it shipped for $450, the gun was made in 1969.

Any of them. I'm about to buy my sister a Ruger American in .243.

Just my personal opinion, Savage would be the best.

Jim

Litterally any of the guns mentioned are going to be accurate and reliable. The .243 is a great accuracy round and I have seen all kinds of makes and models that shoot exceptionally well in that round including single-shots and auto-loaders.

My favorite mid-budget rifles right now are the T/C Icon, Vanguard S2, Any of the better Savage actions, New FN Winchester M70s (feather/sporter), and the Tikka T3 (I like the heavier walnut "Hunter" but the Lite is nice as well.)

Almost any of the modern manufactured rifles are going to be decent. The Ruger American isn't fancy but it's cheap and accurate according to many early adopters. Personally, I would like a bit more fit/finish than that rifle offers so I would spring for an M77 Hawkeye if I went Ruger. The Marlin's are a lot of bang for the buck, as mentioned already.

It's hard to go wrong at any budget level in bolt-actions these days (except maybe the cheap Remingtons).

I just ordered a RAR in .243 from Kentucky Gun Co. (kygunco.com). Saw an ad in G&A for $309 delivered & couldn't resist. Have been waiting for the store I deal w/ for more than a month for one & they want $375 + tax. The total from KGC is $324, ($5 for insurance & $10 for using a charge card). They say they have it in stock so I'm hoping I'll have it in a week or so. I held one in .270 & like the feel. Trigger is real crisp. Hope I can come up w/ a load it really likes, want to be able to shoot varmints "out there". I haven't been able to find one post on any website of any actual results from one of these guns in .243, so I'll just have to find out for myself.