rifle choice

What would the rifle be used for? Deer? Varmints? Plinking? Target?

I would get a .223 but, be mindful of twist rates. I once HAD a remington 700 . Twist was a one in twelve. Heaviest bullet it would stabilize was a 52 gr. which was useless for me. I believe savages have a one in nine . That would let you use up to 69 gr.

The .243 will be a better deer hunter. My friend even got a huge bull elk in Colorado with a .243 this year. The bolt 5.56/.223 won't give you much more flexibility than the AR.

if you would be wanting to shoot deer at ranges under 100 yds i would think the 223 would work however i would choose the 243 because the 223 imo is not much of a deer cartridge thats not to say it wont kill a deer i have seen it done but i think the 243 is a clear winner..good luck and happy shooting!

I was looking at making that same choice. Turned out I found a steal on a Tikka T3 in 7-08. I think the Ruger would be pretty handy but the Savage could have a edge in accuracy. Mostly luck of the draw there. Both are popular. As far as cartridge it is almost a horse apiece. The .243 have a clear edge for hunting and that is what my first choice would be. But I would consider the the .223 cheaper with less recoil, and you would have to be a little more selective on shots on bigger game. It is not legal for deer in some states. But it is pretty ideal as a range round. Both are very accurate. Hard to go wrong.

I don't expect you'd go too far off with either but IMO the Savage has a better reputation for quality and accuracy. Ruger moved up with the American because Savage was taking their lunch money but they didn't move up far enough.

The caliber choice is a huge part of this decision though. A .223 is cheaper to shoot by a good bit. But a .243 is a much more capable hunting caliber. If you're looking for target ammo for shooting that .223 it won't be a lot cheaper than the .243 ammo. But there's a lot of plinking ammo available for the .223.

Don't rule out the TC Venture I own 3 they are tack drivers and when you catch them with the 75 dollar rebate you get a great gun for around 300 bucks. 1in moa guarantee, 5r rifling .free floated barrel,target crown and adjustable trigger down to 3.5 lb.

Between the two I'd choose the .243. It's a better choice for game and offers capability on targets you don't already have.

I suggest the Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor as a better choice for those roles than either.

For the range, .223. Cheap ammo is a beautiful thing.

For the field, .243.

Of course you could make .223 work just fine on hogs and deer, but it is less ideal. I wouldn't have a problem with it. I'd take a Trophy Hunter XP over any Ruger American though.

Either of those rifles may have magazine issues. The xp has a plastic locking tab. The americans have had reports of trouble feeding from the mags. I guess I would take the Savage.