243 rifles

[cracked junior]

I am looking to get a rifle in 243 win. sometime. Not sure when I will have the money. I am looking at 243 for several reasons. I shoot prairie dogs alot, have coyotes around here. and deer. So I need something that will do those. already have deer rifles( lever action 30/30 and boltaction 270)
I want something in semi auto 243. So far I have only found the browning bar short trac. or a AR in 243 winchestor or the WSSM. dont realy like the WSSM due to barrel wear. and the AR 243 hold more then 6 rounds, which nebraska game and parks says you cant use a semi auto if it holds more then 6 rounds for deer hunting.

My question is, Is there another option out there for 243 in semi auto that i havent found? Last month I found a browning bar shorttrac 243 for 600 dollars. It was a NIB on the clearance rack, on the new rack their around 850to 900 depending on the store. and the week before I spent 500dollars on motorcycle parts and new boots. so I was kicking myself big time

 

[Mr White]

What about a Remington 750? Or a NIB 7400 if you can find one?

 

[MrDig]

Remington makes the 750 woodmaster in .243 win for about $700.00 ,
The Winchester 100 was also made in .243 win, but made is the predicate word as in past tense.
DPMS Makes the Panther in .243 win but that is an AR Platform and sells for $955.00
Browning, Remington, and DPMS are the only current production Semi-Auto .243 Win I found. Keep in mind my efforts were minimal just a about 15 minutes or so.

 

[Jackal]

The .243 is an odd caliber. It is perfect for nothing, but suitable for many things. I will say, it is a supremely accurate caliber though, as my Ruger M77 varmint rifle will put cheapo Winchester Super X bullets into the same ragged hole at 100 yards all day long, literally.

 

[Macchina]

I belive the .243 is a very perfect rifle for some people. It will kill all day long with 100 grain heavy built bullets, and it'll blow up varmints with a 55 grain v-max. It may not THE PERFECT CALIBER for either game, but for people who can only own one rifle at a time due to money, it is perfect. The .243 allows someone versitility without hardly any recoil, two factors that rate high on my list when choosing a caliber.

 

[robctwo]

I've been very happy with my Browning Stalker in .308. Already had a .243 Winchester Mod. 70 Featherweight which has killed a bunch of black tail deer.

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

I've been thinking about a BAR Lightweight Stalker as a woods gun for sometime. If I get one, I'll probably go with a .308, but I could see getting a .243.

 

[cracked junior]

well i think i am getting the browning bar shortrac stalker. i looked at the remingtons. dont like the curves of it. and the stalker is black so i will have a black rifle. which will go with my xd45. after rifle gonna get a black shotgun.

next question. whats a good scope to go on a 243. as in power, lense size.

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

I believe the best scope for the money is Nikon's Monarch UCC. You get Leopold VXIII-quality optics for the price of a VXII.

 

[Mr White]

The .243 is an odd caliber. It is perfect for nothing, ...

I disagree. It is perfect as a first deer rifle for a young kid. My 12yo son doesn't like shooting a lever gun (This makes me suspect that Mrs White was gettin' a little on the side and that he really isn't mine. ) so a Remmy 700 in 243 with a youth sized stock is just about perfect for him.

But I actually do agree with your overall point. Its on the small side for deer, on the big side for varmits. It is about the perfect gun for coyotes, though.

 

[rangerruck]

any old remmy from the bolties mohawk 600's to the 742's, 788's and the like will be either , bolts or semi's. they are short and handy. Savage and stevens, you could do the savage with an accutrigger, and scope package, for under 400 bucks. The Stevens will be under 300.

 

[robctwo]

I've been partial to the Leupold Vari II and the Nikon Monarch or Buckmaster. I've used the 3x9 almost exclusively for Western Oregon woods hunting.

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

I agree that 3x9 is the most versatile scope, regardless of the brand.

Another option worth considering is a Remington 760/7600. These excellent, reliable weapons have probably taken more whitetail deer than just about any other model of rifle, and you can pick up good used examples at gun shows for under $300. You have to improvise a bit when mounting a sling, but there are good options, and they might not be quite as accurate as a bolt (the same is true of any semi-auto), but they are accurate enough to put your bullet through a whitetail's heart every time, if your scope is sighted in properly. What more do you need? If you go that route, the older guns seem better built than the newer ones.

 

[cracked junior]

ive been thinking. not sure if i want a semi auto or not. bolt would be way cheaper. in the savage package deals. what are the scopes like? are they decent quality or junkers that i would need to buy a new one anyways?

 

[robctwo]

I also have the Savage 10FP in both .223 and .308. You probably do not want the varmint barrel. The accu trigger is great. The stocks which come standard are not great, but will work until you can afford a better one. I had a
Remington semi auto in 30-06 which wouldn't group with anything I tried to shoot until I traded it off. My BAR is very accurate with the right loads.

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

I've never heard anything really positive about the Remington 7400, and I don't really see that the new 750 shows much improvement. If I go this route I'll spend the extra money and get a BAR.

 

[Macchina]

The scopes that come on the Savage combo rifles are Stevens 3-9x40. They are decent scopes, that will beat anything under $75. They are decently clear, Have good eye relief, but I cannot speak for their duribility, as I have only shot my Savage 7 times. I plan on getting a Nikon Buckmaster in either 3-9 or 4.5-14 when I get the money.

 

[hceptj]

I picked up a new 7400 in .243 last year from Bass Pro Shops for $399. They had to order it for me, only had 30-06 in stock, took 3-4 days.

It shoots great, never a glitch. No, its not as accurate as a bolt action from a benchrest but then again I don't carry a benchrest with me in the woods... I had an older Burris 6x scope sitting around and put that on it.

I bought it for just the reasons you mentioned, smaller game/varmits. I also figured it would be a good 1st deer gun for the kids (and wife if I can get her to go).

I looked at the Brownings but they were $350 higher than the Remington on average. I just checked gunbroker and they still run $250 or so cheaper than a Browning for a new gun.

Any of the ones listed in the threads above would be a great gun IMO. I just went with what I wanted, as you will...have fun shopping...