.243 for deer hunting out to 350 yards

[WanttoLearn]

Hello and thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

I want to buy a .243 for hunting deer with shots out to 300-350 yards. I know this is not "long range" by the definition of some, but it is plenty far for me!

I have zero education and what makes a good rifle so would appreciate any help you can provide. I am looking at something new in $500-750 range which has brought my initial attention to the Savage Model 11, Ruger 77 or Weatherby Vanguard. Are any of these rifles better then others for distance shooting? Any characteristics that I should look for that generally help people to shoot better? (Like heavier barrel etc)? I would be happy to look at other brands as per suggestions. I like wood stocks but will go with synthetic to save money if needed.

Also any suggestions on scopes under $500? Thank you!

 

[JOHNNIE WALKER]

Everybody has an opinion on brand of rifles. It's about like asking who makes the best truck. Personally, I think you can't go wrong with a savage. I have a couple, and they are really accurate rifles. If you go that route, make sure you get one with the Accustock and the Accutrigger. But make sure what ever you buy feels good when you shoulder it, and do your research on the make and model. There are pros and cons to heavy barrels. They don't necessarily mean accuracy. If your going to spend a lot of time at the range, and do a lot of shooting, they do help keep things tight. But if your wanting a rifle to carry a lot and do some offhand shooting, they can actually be a hinderance. Buying a common caliber, like the 243, is a good idea. It makes it a lot easier to find ammo. Even if you reload, common calibers still make things easier. The 243 will kill deer a lot further away than 350 yds. It's a very common deer round for a reason. Just make sure you don't go cheap on the scope. A nice scope is worth every penny.

 

[WanttoLearn]

Everybody has an opinion on brand of rifles. It's about like asking who makes the best truck. Personally, I think you can't go wrong with a savage. I have a couple, and they are really accurate rifles. If you go that route, make sure you get one with the Accustock and the Accutrigger. But make sure what ever you buy feels good when you shoulder it, and do your research on the make and model. There are pros and cons to heavy barrels. They don't necessarily mean accuracy. If your going to spend a lot of time at the range, and do a lot of shooting, they do help keep things tight. But if your wanting a rifle to carry a lot and do some offhand shooting, they can actually be a hinderance. Buying a common caliber, like the 243, is a good idea. It makes it a lot easier to find ammo. Even if you reload, common calibers still make things easier. The 243 will kill deer a lot further away than 350 yds. It's a very common deer round for a reason. Just make sure you don't go cheap on the scope. A nice scope is worth every penny.

Do you mind explaining a little more about the heavy barrels? Meaning from a rest they are more accurate then light barrels but can be tough to control offhand in the woods?

 

[scrmblr1982cj8]

Heat will distort the accuracy of a gun. Heavy barrels take longer to heat up than thinner barrels. If you plan on sending lots of rounds down range, a heavy barrel will hold accuracy longer than a thinner barrel.

Thicker barrels are heavier than thinner barrels. If you are hiking all over the country side in search of deer, a lighter gun may be the better choice for you.

What are your long term intentions with this gun? Savage, Ruger, and Weatherby all make good factory rifles, but there is much less aftermarket support for those 3 manufactures than for Remington rifles. The more you shoot, the more you will want to get every bit of accuracy out of you rifle. If you want to keep this one "as is" and get a completely different setup later on, that's fine, but I think that is something to take into consideration.

I've got a Ruger American in .30-06 and I'm pretty impressed with it. I've got several Savage rifles, and I love all of them. I don't see any Weatherbys around here.

I prefer Remington's since there are so many more aftermarket accessories for them compared to other manufacturers.

 

[HammerB1]

I would second the Ruger American. I can't wait to find some available in the 6mm creedmoor. We have several Rugers for testing our bullets and can't ask for anything better for out of the box accuracy.
Brian

 

[jaeger19]

Well some advice. The easiest thing is to start with rifles that have an accuracy guarantee of 1 moa. Which means that they will shoot a 1 inch group or better at 100 yards. Its easier to start with rifles with the guarantee than explain frr floating. Pillar bedding.. etc. There are several makers in your price range. The best imho is the tikka t3 . With synthetic stock. Best out the box trigger and accuracy. The downside is the plastic feeling stock. But you cant have it all in that price range. Top it off with a nikon monarch. Or vortex in that price range and you have a deer killing gun. The only caveat to the 243 for deer is the bullet is important. I handload for barnes tsx 85g for deer and antelope.

 

[roninflag]

rem 700 varmint .243, 4.5-14 leup ( 30mm) cds; re-26 95 partition. lapua brass; 210m.

 

[WanttoLearn]

Heat will distort the accuracy of a gun. Heavy barrels take longer to heat up than thinner barrels. If you plan on sending lots of rounds down range, a heavy barrel will hold accuracy longer than a thinner barrel.

Thicker barrels are heavier than thinner barrels. If you are hiking all over the country side in search of deer, a lighter gun may be the better choice for you.

What are your long term intentions with this gun? Savage, Ruger, and Weatherby all make good factory rifles, but there is much less aftermarket support for those 3 manufactures than for Remington rifles. The more you shoot, the more you will want to get every bit of accuracy out of you rifle. If you want to keep this one "as is" and get a completely different setup later on, that's fine, but I think that is something to take into consideration.

I've got a Ruger American in .30-06 and I'm pretty impressed with it. I've got several Savage rifles, and I love all of them. I don't see any Weatherbys around here.

I prefer Remington's since there are so many more aftermarket accessories for them compared to other manufacturers.

I am sure this question is a big one, but what would be some example of after market things I could be interested in the future if I get into this?

Thanks for all the responses

 

[snox801]

Stocks, bottom metal and triggers mainly. I have got many of my friends into rifles for that exact same thing you want 500yatds and under. If you are starting out and wanting to learn I say do it cheaper. My favorite starter setup is a savage axis, $10 lighter trigger spring, red field revolution scope or similar. The gun has a fast growing aftermarket like stocks and triggers. I have done this setup 5 times with people who have never shot before and they like Winchester combined tech 95 GR ballistic tips for deer and hog or hornady sst 95 GR. Always way under 1" at 100. I'm able to get every one of the new shooter hitting my deer sized vitals steel plate at 300 yards in the first day at the range and farther as time out I can hit 500 yard plate every time.
But be sure to buy what you like because it's your gun at the end of the day and you need to like it.

 

[Rifleman513]

As others have stated Rem 700s are easy to upgrade (stocks, scope mounts, triggers, etc). Also a good 700 would be easy to sell if you ever decided to part with it, one of the most popular rifle platforms.

Someone already mentioned the Ruger American. I will admit, I tend to shy away from budget anything and shoot for mid-range priced items as a minimum. However, I bought a 243 American over the summer and it is a great shooter. I got it for almost half of retail so I couldn't pass on it. It makes a great coyote and backup deer gun that I have little money in so scratches and scuffs aren't a huge concern.

I also have two Vanguards and both shoot great, but are heavier than the Ruger. These days even cheaper guns can shoot better than most of the shooters behind them. Get your hands on a few and pick what feels best and seems to fit your needs.

As for scopes, for $500 the Vortex Viper line offers a good value. Good luck and let us know what you get into!

 

[roninflag]

rem 700 varmint .243, 4.5-14 leup ( 30mm) cds; re-26 95 partition. lapua brass; 210m. for deer out 300 yards , I would only change the trigger.

 

[Catahoula]

roninflag nailed it! That would be my choice. Partitions are very good bullets.
Thanks, Kirk

 

[Mike 338]

Well some advice. The easiest thing is to start with rifles that have an accuracy guarantee of 1 moa. Which means that they will shoot a 1 inch group or better at 100 yards. Its easier to start with rifles with the guarantee than explain frr floating. Pillar bedding.. etc. There are several makers in your price range. The best imho is the tikka t3 . With synthetic stock. Best out the box trigger and accuracy. The downside is the plastic feeling stock. But you cant have it all in that price range. Top it off with a nikon monarch. Or vortex in that price range and you have a deer killing gun. The only caveat to the 243 for deer is the bullet is important. I handload for barnes tsx 85g for deer and antelope.

This...

If there is a downside to Tikka in 243, it's the 1:10 twist but that really isn't a thing. The stainless laminate model is very nice so no plastic feel. Sub moa is no problem with my handloads and probably factory ammo as well. If you've never compared a Tikka to others, you'll be surprised. They just seem to work. The T3 model is being replaced to a upgraded model so they can be found at pretty fair prices right now. It's a lot of gun for the money.

Tikka T3 SS Laminated .243 Win JRTG315 For sale! - EuroOptic.com

 

[WildRose]

I would second the Ruger American. I can't wait to find some available in the 6mm creedmoor. We have several Rugers for testing our bullets and can't ask for anything better for out of the box accuracy.
Brian

I have to agree, in this price range I'd look at the Ruger American.

For a scope, look at the Leupold VX3 3.5-10x50 You can pick them up used on Ebay frequently under 500.00.

When I was living on a shoestring budget and relying largely on what I could hunt to be able to afford meat I had them on both of my centerfire rifles and they always served me well.