If doing the BAR in 243 light recoil quick follow up shots, and nice and accurate. 243 is thought by some as the perfect deer caliber, not ideal for bears but may still scare off a blackie
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- Thread starter Small Lady
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The 243 will serve you well. But don't try to take moose or bear with it.
A .243 would be a good choice for what you describe. Classic cartridge, still popular so ammunition is commonly available, won't knock you off your horse, no need for a brake. Pleasant for practice shooting. A bottomless ammo supply is a big plus 
As a short action the size is already trimmed down, and the package can therefore be a little smaller. For us smaller folks, even a quarter inch counts for something in fit. The shorter bolt throw is also a little faster for a reload. In a lever action it ought to be pretty fast. There can be an advantage to having many or most of your rifle actions the same or very similar, as in an emergency you will first do what you have been training to do. Move your wastebasket and see if that is not true.
One thing I have found, and am frequently reminded of, is that my muscle memory is faster than thought, much like a reflex. When I change actions I stumble or fumble just a little. That can cost seconds. Thus, my working rifles are virtually all identical in model/action, scope physical size, LOP, etc.. I know me, so I work with that limitation.
Lever actions are fun. If you like a lever action, great. Train with that so you are "unconscious" on followup shots. Well placed hits are always better than fast misses.
Enjoy.
As a short action the size is already trimmed down, and the package can therefore be a little smaller. For us smaller folks, even a quarter inch counts for something in fit. The shorter bolt throw is also a little faster for a reload. In a lever action it ought to be pretty fast. There can be an advantage to having many or most of your rifle actions the same or very similar, as in an emergency you will first do what you have been training to do. Move your wastebasket and see if that is not true. One thing I have found, and am frequently reminded of, is that my muscle memory is faster than thought, much like a reflex. When I change actions I stumble or fumble just a little. That can cost seconds. Thus, my working rifles are virtually all identical in model/action, scope physical size, LOP, etc.. I know me, so I work with that limitation.
Lever actions are fun. If you like a lever action, great. Train with that so you are "unconscious" on followup shots. Well placed hits are always better than fast misses.
Enjoy.
hesse
Well-Known Member
I have done the Boyds At1 stock it is an adjustable stock . I have done it for 4 different ladies that needed a shorter length of pull but didn't want to go to a shorter barrel on a compact gun love the 6,5 also
jjmp
Well-Known Member
while the 243 is great in a lever action I'd steer you to a Browning lever and not necessarily a new one,another rifle would be a Remington model 7 in 243 wcf= Winchester center fire ,never short stroke a lever action it can cause a jam,especially with older Winchesters . Scope for your lever action 243 Or bolt, I'd say don't over scope it, a 2.5x8 is very nice and tough,I'm sure your going to be limited on Scope choices, get a good gunsmith to cut your stocks down ,maybe a ranch hand can do it on a good chopsaw, bandsaw, etc,etc.buy some one inch recoil pads same make and brand on all your rifles , once you know your length of pull make it the same on all your rifles . Many parents fail while trying to forc their children into jobs that they think are perfect,but there not they just look that way . I'm proud of you for what life changes you have made ,you go girl your doing wonderful 
,cheers.
,cheers.JustMe2
Well-Known Member
She's talking bear protection and coyotes to 300 yds, not long range deer or elk hunting, so your comments don't apply.
It is NOT a one size fits all scope. Each reticle subtension is TAYLORED to your rifle ballistics. You determine what bullet you want to shoot in your cartridge of choice and then match the Shepherd reticle to that ballistics. No, you can't use a Shepherd reticle designed for a .243 on a .22 rimfire, but it can definitely be tuned for your particular rifle and ammo.
Since she wants to use it for bear protection which most probably is at very close range, the size of the circle doesn't matter. She also stated she misses QUICK shots at coyotes at 300 yds or there abouts. Consequently, I'd probably get a circle the size of a coyote for those quick shots since she said she has another rifle to use for elk and deer hunting. Fit the scope to the task. She's not looking for a long range hunting scope.
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jjmp
Well-Known Member
Good points above and I'll add,the BDC retical works very well for me out to 625 with practice isn't that how we get proficient just saying.
JustMe2
Well-Known Member
6x6, you are still missing her question. She does not want an elk hunting setup. So, why are you stuck on talking about elk?
She wants bear protection and QUICK coyote engagements. Stick to the subject matter.
I think your idea of using a flat shooting .243 with a 300 yd zero is a good idea. Should be able to hold middle of coyote from 50-450 yards. Maybe instead of a Shepherd, a scope with a medium sized red dot reticle sighted for 300 yds would be ideal. Not a battery operated red dot that needs to be turned on, but a red dot that uses sunlight. The red dot would be ideal for very quick target acquisition especially a red dot against a black bear.
Also as they quickly discovered in WW2 and the thick jungles of Vietnam, a semiautomatic or pump action was the fastest and best protection in a rifle action. Do you want to be nostalgic using a lever or bolt action or do you want to be quick and protected?
She wants bear protection and QUICK coyote engagements. Stick to the subject matter.
I think your idea of using a flat shooting .243 with a 300 yd zero is a good idea. Should be able to hold middle of coyote from 50-450 yards. Maybe instead of a Shepherd, a scope with a medium sized red dot reticle sighted for 300 yds would be ideal. Not a battery operated red dot that needs to be turned on, but a red dot that uses sunlight. The red dot would be ideal for very quick target acquisition especially a red dot against a black bear.
Also as they quickly discovered in WW2 and the thick jungles of Vietnam, a semiautomatic or pump action was the fastest and best protection in a rifle action. Do you want to be nostalgic using a lever or bolt action or do you want to be quick and protected?
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jjmp
Well-Known Member
Sp6x6 is giving and example it could be deer or bear ,everyone's giving good advice .
Small Lady
Well-Known Member
I am open to a pump action.
Who makes a great quality pump 243?
Didn't know that there were red dot scopes that didn't require batteries and being turned on.
Whatever I buy eventually, I had thought about zeroing it for 200 yards, thinking that should about cover everything.
