Which .243 to get.

[Coalminer7]

Want to get a new .243 sythetic. Have it down to 3 guns but would like any other thoughts.

  1 - Stevens 200 , not real keen on blind magizine, and no floorplate.

   2 - Howa 1500 , never had 1

   3 - Tikka T3 Like clip but is a $500.00 gun

   Want this as a quad - truck gun and wanted to keep it under $350.00
   out the door.  Stevens is $280.00 / Howa $325.00/ Tikka is 500.00
   plus tax.  Want to go cheap but want to keep this gun forever, as a
   Grounghog, yote, deer gun.

              Thanks  Coalminer7

[goose7856]

what about a Remington SPS (the new ADL model)......I have a ADL in 30-06 and like it alot. Very accurate gun for the price tag.

Maybe even a Weatherby Vangaurd also?

[1longshot]

Also,

The remington 700 LSS will be out in the fall.  It is a laminated stock stainless steel.

Howa anounced this month that it will be producing a stainless laminated varmint Heavy Barrel in .243.  That one should be a reall winner too.

It is up too you now you just have to choose.

[DIVR6347]

HEY
either of your choices would make a great gun for what your wanting
to do with it
however the tikka is worth the extra coin in my opinion  i have a t3 lite
in .243 and it is a very accurate and very well made rifle  
it is also the reason i own three others in .270 .223 and 300wsm
divr6347    

[Val]

The Stevens is a Savage 110 without the accutrigger. Youmay want to consider the Savage with the accutrigger. Ther's a choice of guns with different stocks or heavy or light barrels.

[Coyote Hunter]

Question - why not consider a Ruger?  In the last 6 months I have seen several models on sale for $375, including any caliber with the older "canoe paddle" stock (Sportsman's Warehouse, I got a .300 Win Mag) and stainless/laminated Compacts (Dicks).   At regular prices you can pick them up for $425-$450 all day long.

With the Ruger you get a set of rings, so when comparing costs don't forget to add the cost of rings to the alternative rifles.

The only knock I hear on Rugers is the triggers aren't what they could be, but my experience in checking a number of new Rugers is that they are OK.  The one on the .300 Win Mag I got was better than "OK".  No matter, they are easy to work on and a simple polish of the trigger and sear surfaces with a Dremel tool and a Cratex wheel really slicks them up if needed.  (I do this to all my triggers, regardless of manufacturer.)

All the Rugers in my safe are keepers - never got a bad one.  Last year while working up a North Fork load my 1981 M77 in 7mm Mag turned in a 3-shot 100-yard group that measuered 0.266" center-to-center.   Not bad for a 0.284" bullet and a gun more than 20 years old!

While all my guns are hunters and shooters (no collector crap here!), its my humble opinion that the Rugers have one of the classiest looking designs around.  Matter of personal taste.  I'm also one who is more concerned about the action strength and function than the stock, and I like the Ruger one-piece bolt, cast steel receiver, controlled round feed/ejection (especially the ejection), and 3-way safety.  Strength, function and good looks to boot make a great combination.

Yeah, I'm a Ruger bigot.  I can buy (almost) any rifle I want but I tend to stick with Rugers and Marlins and have yet to be disappointed.  They will all be going to my kid and grandkids, but not until I'm too old to hunt and shoot!

[Taff]

Take a look at a CZ or the remi 700 I use both never let me down.

[beemanbeme]

Get whichever one strikes your fancy and then send it to a good smith to have it re-barreled to a 7-08 so you'll have a really good rifle in a outstanding cartridge.

[Savage .250]

I can`t comment on your possible selections but i`ve had a Savage
   model 110 for 40 yrs and that .243 can hunt. It`s been in the rain,snow,
   been dropped once or twice and still can hit the mark.  
   I guess after 40 years you could say it has "staying" power.  Life is good.

   " The best part of the hunt is not the harvest but in the experience".

[Zachary]

I have a .243 in a Tikka WH SS and it's great.  A little on the heavy side, but it shoots under 1MOA.  They no longer make the WH series, but you can certainly get on in a T3 with the same excellent quality and accuracy.  

Zachary

[old06]

Go with the stevens best bang for the buck you wont be disappointed

[Dave in WV]

If you can find a used Ruger stainless  synthetic I believe you will be pleased with it (especially with the old ugly Ruger stock). A used one should be in your price range.

[poncaguy]

I bought a Stevens 200 in 25-06, so pleased I bought another in 7MM-08...........for the money, they are a steal!  243 is next.......

[Zachary]

poncaguy,  what kind of accuracy are you getting with the Stevens?

Zachary

[poncaguy]

.5 to 1 inch.................me mostly, but they do need a little trigger work or a SSS trigger.

[PEPAW]

Only Howa 1500 I have experience with was a shooter straight out of the box.     The Stevens stocks seems a little big and heavy, but should be as accurate like all Savages.   Maybe the Accutrigger is worth the extra bucks, but I would spend the savings on a used Leupold.

My .243 favorite is an 700 ADL.  Should be able to find a used one cheap.     With a tuned trigger it makes a perfect truck or jeep rifle.

pepaw

[Squeeze]

I have a Tikka T-3,  a Whitetail Hunter(M695), a Howa 1500, and
a Savage 16.  I did purchase the Savage 16(SS/Syn), in .22-250 Rem.
for the exact same reason...As my "truck gun".  Well, it started out
that way, and once I set it up with a Bushnell 4200 Elite 6-24x, and
found it's favorite load, it went from my truck gun, to my long range
varmint gun...It shoots .3 MOA!  And that is hard to see using as a truck
gun.  The Tikkas are too pretty to use as truck guns   , and my Howa is
a 300 WSM, which is too much gun for a truck gun.  Actually my truck
gun is a AR-15 carbine, since I moved the Savage 16 into the varmint
battery.  

Of your choices listed, I would opt for the Stevens, as a rough
duty gun, and spend a bit more on the optics.  If it shoots anything
like the Savage rifle reputation, you will appreciate better optics.

I would probably choose a Tikka, if it was just going to be a hunting
rifle, but beating one up, seems like a crime to me.  The Stevens/Savage
come out of the box pretty plain looking, so a few character marks,
from bouncing around a truck, will not detract from that rifle.
Whereas pulling a Tikka out, that has been beat on might draw
some "gun abuse" comments.  

I probably would not buy a Howa, given the availability of
a Tikka, or a Savage.  I won this 300 WSM, at a DU banquet, and
was pleasently surprised at the fit, finish, and accuracy.  So it is
a keeper, but I would probably buy a Savage before I would
buy a Howa.  They are good guns, just about 3 or 4 on my list
of gun brands, to look at when making a new rifle purchase.

Squeeze