I'm looking at buying a new rifle for my birthday present to myself this year. I've shot by grandfather's Remington .30-06 for years, and it has served me well. Realizing that I'm not a spring chicken anymore, and I can often run half a box of ammo through a rifle in a weekend, I'm looking for something with less recoil. My dad has a Savage 110 in .243, and I love shooting that rifle as it's got a heavier barrel, but the action is a bit clunky. I'm not going to be using this rifle on shots past 200 yards, and most will be within 100 yards. But I need something fairly accurate because I try to take mostly head shots (meat hunting) and hate tracking does in blackbrush. Wood or synthetic stock is fine with me, no real preference there. I would probably lean synthetic as I don't really care that much on nice looking wood for this rifle. I don't want to spend a fortune, but need something fairly reliable. So what say you? Any brands or models I should look into?

ETA: left out they I'm wanting something with an adjustable trigger.

do it!!

Below is my recommendation

https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/blr/blr-lightweight-curved-grip.html

I listed a very accurate Kimber 84 about a year ago on Texags, but did not get any takers. It is still available and I would probably sell it for $1000.

https://texags.com/forums/50/topics/3357184/replies/64126382

Thanks for this post. I've been shooting my 700 BDL 30.06 for 49 years. I was considering retiring it after I get a deer this upcoming 50th year. .243 here I come!

Still shooting my 30-30 and .223 and others, but time to downsize my deer shooting

In reply to dr_boogs

dr_boogs said:

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y first rifle was a .243.....

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ETA - "m"


oh. so. close.

In reply to Pantera Ha ha you got me - now finish the next line and pass it on!

find an AR 10 in .243

Tikka .243s come with a 1:8 twist now, which will stabilize heavier bullets. This makes it more versatile than a lot of other offerings for anything other than varmint use.

Doesn't hurt that they are incredibly high quality actions, tend to shoot well, and have a smoother bolt throw than pretty much anything out there.

Remington 700 BDL .243 shooter here. Unfortunately they're not made anymore but I'd bet you could find a good used one.

Lot of Remington haters but I absolutely love that gun. It's a tack driver and has killed many a deer.

It's last victim. 90gr ELDX.

I have a weatherby vanguard in .243 my son uses with 100 gr Core Lokts. Has been very reliable and accurate and available with adjustable trigger.

OP You just described a .243. Perfect gun for what you want. I know Savage and Tikka probably build the most accurate rifles nowadays and both build them in .243. So does Mossberg.

We bought a Mossberg Bantom Patriot in .243(youth stock) three years ago and it has been used to kill probably the last eight or so deer. Every deer since the day we bought it. Shoot Winchester Power Points out of it.

I've had a ruger m77 international since I was a kid I'm giving to my son - those things are sweet.

In reply to JB!98

JB!98 said:

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My first rifle was a .243…. No really it was! REM 788 that I got in 1980 for Christmas from Sears. Still have the Tasco scope that came on it. Gun has killed more deer than anything I own.

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My Dad has a 788 in .243! I love that gun! Have killed a deer or two with it as well.

In reply to TH36

TH36 said:

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JB!98 said:

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My first rifle was a .243…. No really it was! REM 788 that I got in 1980 for Christmas from Sears. Still have the Tasco scope that came on it. Gun has killed more deer than anything I own.

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My Dad has a 788 in .243! I love that gun! Have killed a deer or two with it as well.

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My dad has a 788 in .308 that is still a tack driver. He got it when he graduated from A&M. They were damn good guns for folks on a budget!

In reply to NRH ag 10

NRH ag 10 said:

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Tikka .243s come with a 1:8 twist now, which will stabilize heavier bullets. This makes it more versatile than a lot of other offerings for anything other than varmint use.

Doesn't hurt that they are incredibly high quality actions, tend to shoot well, and have a smoother bolt throw than pretty much anything out there.

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This would be my choice as well in a stock factory rifle for medium size game (deer, hogs, etc). The 8-twist barrels are what's needed for not only the heavy bullets but for most of the higher BC mono bullets. The Tikkas are usually accurate enough for those ear hole shots also.

10 year old me from a long time ago's Christmas present from my dad was a remington adl used SN is from the mod 60's

Still hits a dime at 100 yards

In reply to agsalaska

agsalaska said:

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I know Savage and Tikka probably build the most accurate rifles nowadays and both build them in .243. So does Mossberg.

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Ruger says hi.

That's a great idea OP. Get after it, you'll be happy that you did.

Mine is just an off the shelf Win 70 (post '64, think my grandfather bought it in 1972). He put a fixed power Leupold 6x on it and had his gunsmith buddy do a trigger job on it.

That 6x stayed on it until sometime around 2000 when I swapped it out for a 3-9x Leupold. I shoot 95 grain BST's that I hand load out of it, and to this day it is still spot on. Barrel twist is 1:12, so 100 grains is about the max weight pill it can handle, but I can't justify a need to switch from what I have it dialed in for.

Outstanding gun out to ~300 yards for deer and anything similar sized, beyond that for smaller game.

That Leupold 6x sits on one of my daughter's bolt action .22's now.

I love these .243 stories.

My side of the family has a lot of cool guns but not a hand me down deer rifle that we shot as a kid. That was a .300 savage that ended up with a cousin.

So I bought a Mossberg Patriot in .243 with a youth wood stock. One of the reasons was absolutely the Whisky Myers song because my son and all his friends are big Whisky Myers fans.

Since the day we fielded it we have not shot anything else. Absolute pleasure to shoot and shoots power points at about 1 moa. The youth stock makes it really easy to handle in the blind. I don't like the plastic magazine but it seems to work fine. I hope we get a lot out of it.

I have had one funny bullet where my son hit a deer at 165 yards and the bullet pinholed in and out under the spine with some Hornady bullet. That deer is on the game cam again with a cool scar. I immediately switched back to Power Points and the kids went three for three.

If I had one deer rifle it would be either a 30-30 or a .243. Fortunately this is America and I have a dozen.

I'm looking into the new Franchi Momentum's. They're new to the scene but initial reviews are very good. I handled one at Collectors Firearms the other day and was very impressed. May be worth a look?

In reply to TH36

TH36 said:

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Remington 700 BDL .243 shooter here. Unfortunately they're not made anymore but I'd bet you could find a good used one.

Lot of Remington haters but I absolutely love that gun. It's a tack driver and has killed many a deer.

It's last victim. 90gr ELDX.

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I have that exact rifle in .308, looks like even down to the scope

In reply to ENG I also have one in 7mag that I found at Cabelas used. Definitely will collect more in other calibers as I come across them.

That's a Leupold 4.5x14 btw

In reply to JB!98

JB!98 said:

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My first rifle was a .243….

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Papa gave Daddy and Daddy gave to me,
And they taught me how to shoot with a steady hand,
I guess that's something you don't understand.…

In reply to putu

putu said:

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Love my Tikka .243

Its a tack driver. Have taken Whitetail up to 150 yds (Hill Country) and Antelope at 250+ (New Mexico).

https://nexgenof.com/tikka-t3x-hunter-243-winchester-22-4-blued-barrel-wood-stock/

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Same. It's my favorite whitetail gun.

In reply to HTownAg98 I have a Remington 700 in 30-06 and I also grew to dislike shooting it. Had a Limbsaver recoil pad put on it and also had the barrel threaded and installed a muzzle brake. She is tamed now.

And...I bought a 243. Do both!

In reply to JB!98

JB!98 said:

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My first rifle was a .243…. No really it was! REM 788 that I got in 1980 for Christmas from Sears. Still have the Tasco scope that came on it. Gun has killed more deer than anything I own.

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Pretty sure Remington stopped making the 788 because they were cutting into their 700 sales, got mine in .243 in carbine length in 73 for $100 with a universal scope on it. Is still my go to whitetail rifle.