[amboy49]

Okay, let me start by apologizing as this will not be a trapshooting question - but it is shooting related. I will traveling out to Oklahoma in November the week of Thanksgiving for an annual whitetail hunt with some friends.

Rather than take a time tested Kimber .308 or Savage .270 I have always wanted a .243. So, ordered a Savage bolt action with the accuetrigger and it will be here on Wednesday. I intend to put a 3x9x40mm Nikon Monarch scope on it with Leupold one piece base and rings.

The question is - I'll have limited time from the day I receive the gun to get the scope mounted, bore site it, and then take it to the range. What procedure would you follow, with the assumption I won't have time to work up any handloads, to optimize accuracy . . . . say out to 200 yards ?

Buy two or three different types of factory shells and see which group best, spend some time lapping the barrel and other methods to smooth out the factory bore, just buy one type of shells, head for the range, and hope they will group well, or . . . . ?

Thanks in advance

 

[crusha]

It's easy. If there's not time to do your homework, take the time-tested gun.


Never sacrifice the hunt by acting like a woman with a new pair of shoes.

 

[221]

Honestly I'd

1. Leave the 243 at home until you have time to acquaint yourself to it...a lot of hunts have been ruined by just such an action.

2. Buy some factory ammo and accept what it is.

3. Load something in the range you think you are going to be shooting at and accept it as it is.

4. Leave the 243 at home.

At 200 yards and with a deer sized target, just about any ammo in a properly zeroed rifle will work. There is no need for specialized handloads whatsoever.
The worst ammo on the planet would be accurate enough, at 200yds.
%~)

 

[wayneo]

I would take the Kimber or the Savage .270 since you must have loads worked up for them. The new Savage .243 will be an excellent shooter with factory loads, and even better when you have time to work up some handloads. JMO

Wayne

 

[Barrelbulge(Fl)]

Buzz gun is right. Quit acting like a broad. Bulge.

 

[amboy49]

Okay, let's take a slightly different approach. If I had ALL the time in the world, how would you go about wringing the most accuracy out of the gun - especially with factory ammo . . . . again, starting with a new, unfired gun ?

 

[wolfram]

You know full well that the new .243 Savage will be more than up to the task of putting a ****** in the freezer. Buy a couple of boxes of factory ammo with decent bullets (100g Remington CorLokt comes to mind) Get your zero and go hunting.

You also know that some tinkering and load development will get the rifle to shoot at its full potential. But you really don't need to shoot quarter size groups to be able to confidently hunt deer.

 

[RRA]

How serious are you?
When breaking in my long range rifle barrel, this is what I was told: 1.Start by cleaning the barrel after each shot for the first 20 rounds. 2. Then clean it after every 5 rounds for the next box. 3. Then clean after each box. 3. Make certain to cool the barrel between shots. 4.Make certain to properly torque the scope bases and use anti-sieze. 5. Use a level/level/level to get proper alignment. 6.Put it on a vise and remove the bolt, and look through the barrel at 25 yards and adjust the scope to where you are looking. 7. Sight it in for 1 1/2 inches high at 100 yards. It will be good for out to 300 yards. The 100 grain bullet runs out of steam at 400 yards.

This worked for me. Both my Weatherby SMOA 270 WSM and my daughter's Winchester Model 70 in .243 group less than .75 inches at 100 yards. The 243 shoots factory Federal 100 grain bullets well.


I know there are a lot of opinions out there, but my 17 year old daughter dropped a mule deer with one shot a week ago. It is a great gun with little recoil and authority at reasonable range.

RRA

 

[Inspector 12]

When I first shot my .243 I bought some Federal 100 grain soft points. I figured I would use this ammo to adjust the scope and sight the gun in with and then work up some hand loads. Well the rifle shot those federal 100 grain bullets so well I never have worked up a hand load for that gun. It shoots three shots into a hole you can cover with a nickel at 100 yards consistently with those Federal factory loads so I figure why waste time trying to improve on that.

Good luck with your new rifle and the hunt and yes the .243 is more than capable of taking deer sized animals with ease.

 

[Leo]

It is not that tough. This method works every time. Put a target in the middle of a clean piece of card board at least 4 ft X 4 ft. With the rifle on a bench at about 100 yards back, take the bolt out and look down the bore, aligning the target into the center of the bore. Without moving the rifle, look through the scope and adjust the cross hairs to the target also. (note, when you are doing this, the target knobs appear to work backwards). When the cross hairs and looking through the barrel bore are about the same alignment, fire ONE shot. The hole will usually be within about a foot. Make the scope alignment adjustments according to the distance you want to move the next shot. Fire ONE more shot. You should be almost there. Make the fine adjustments. (note: on lower quality scopes, always end up turning the adjuster the clockwise direction, if you need to go left 3 clicks, go left 10 clicks and then go back right 7, this takes the play out of the screws if you always finish with a clockwise adjustment)

Fire three shots for group, adjust the group centered for windage and about one and a half inches too high at 100 yards. This way you will only be about 2 inches low at 200 yards. You are ready to hunt in 5 or 6 shots and 1/2 hour time. Good Luck

 

[Quack Shot]

As much as I hate to agree with Buzz, take what you know works and sort out the 243 before the next hunt.

 

[Auctioneer]

Here you are with an UNPROVEN gun in your hands. The biggist deer steps out in front of you. This is a bragging wall hanger deer. Now which rifle would you want to have? One that you trust and know or an unproven gun that you don't. Murphy's Laws says the proven one.

 

[shot410ga]

You don't have to do anything to that rifle. That model is very accurate. Bore sight the gun in your back yard. Go to the range and sight-in at 100 yards one inch high. Use high quality ammo that your going to use on the hunt. Should take about 10 shots. Piece of cake with that gun and scope.

 

[Dougbbbb]

I would leave the rifle home and take the bow. Much easier to get a new state record!!

 

[halfmile]

If you just have to use the new gun, shoot 2 shots at 25 yards (after boresighting), adjust scope, shoot 2 more. You should be right on by then.

Remember a minute of angle is 1/4 inch at 25 yards. so you will have to move the scope 4 times as muich as at a hundred.

The point of impact at 25 is just about the same as 100.

Now go to 100 and fire 3 shot groups to finish the job.

After while when you want to play with the rifle try Rx15 with 70 grains, about 41 grains or so. Awsome varmint round.

HM

 

[g7777777]

Buy shells loaded with heavier bullets- 100-105- preferably a boatail

Hornady or Nosler ammo or some of the new Winchester stuff that has the Nosler bullets

Just buy one of those

Bore sight it- take it to the range- make sure it is on the paper at 25 yards- and shoot it for 1.5 inches high at 100 yards

take it hunting

bring home your dear

brag to your friends

regards from Iowa

Gene

 

[dezcon]

You don't have to apologize for this not being a trapshooters question. You need to apologize for being an idiot or for trying to find someone who will help you justifying doing something stupid. Take a gun that gives you the best chance to kill a deer. You know that is the right answer, but if it makes you feel better, "Take the new the new gun and just bore sight it since you are short on time" Now, do that make you feel better. I can be just as stupid as you!

 

[W.R.Buchanan]

Anything you put in a .243 will work fine. Probably one of the most inhearantly accurate rounds ever made. Pick a 100gr one. Be done with it. No need to reload, although it's the first caliber I ever loaded, still have my Lee Loader. It is really hard to get a .243 to shoot even medeocre, let alone bad.

Mount the scope and sight it in. 1" high at 100yds,,, you're done. It would be a good idea to shoot a box of shells thru it just to make sure the scope mounts are not going to move. Retighten as necessary. Take your tools with you on your hunt.

If you get a deer like the one pictured above you're a lucky SOB! Nice rack!

Randy

 

[pyrdek]

I did ALMOST the same thing Leo recommended (100 yd bore sight, large paper, one shot) but then rather than just adjusting the sights to the distance of the bull, I used a vise and put the cross hairs directly on the center of the bull that was my aiming point for the first shot then, WITHOUT MOVING THE RIFLE, I adjusted the crosshairs to point at exactly where the 1st shot's hole was.

This put the next shot 1/4" off the aiming point which is very much within MY margin of error. The following five shot group ended up in a Sub-Minute group, maybe 1/2" above center of aim.

That was with a brand new T/C Venture in 30-06 and a new Sightron 3x9 scope.

T/C advertises that the Venture will be one minute accurate out of the box and in this, my one (and also won [in a raffle]) Venture, it is definitely true. The ammo was 180 Gr. Remington Core-Lokt.

 

[slic lee]

A 243 is a great varmint gun-oops not a deer gun-besides what weight deer do you expect to find, 60 or 70 pounds, your ideas are foolish to use a 243. Im being nice
The 270 what 270 at least with a 150 grain high velocity cartridge should be the least, smallest cartridge to use if your a excellent shooter and know where to hit.
If your not that excellent a shooter have pity on the animal and use the 308.
Never, ever use a gun without spending time shooting it.