Rifle help needed

[ks_cowboy]

Hi guys this is my first post, but i have been lurking here for a long time. I'm sorry if this is a repost, but I've searched and haven't had much luck finding what i'm looking for. I am looking to get a rifle for long range coyote hunting ( under 500 yards). I am planning on getting a .243 unless there is somthing better that i have missed. I have hunted my entire life, but this is my first attempt to get a dedicated long range rifle. I want to find rifle that shoots well off the shelf that will also be a platform i can upgrade later as finances allow. I would like to keep the rifle around or under $600 if I can. That is just for the gun not the entire package. I was hoping to find a used gun already set up, but haven't had any luck so far. If you guys cold point me in the right direction to start looking i would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks,
Ross

 

[royinidaho]

Ross,

Welcome aboard........

Take a good long hard look at the savave offerings. The odds of getting a new good one is really high and for around 600 bucks or so. They are easily upgraded when the time comes. Also ya can't argue about the trigger.

Even less expensive is the Stevens 200. I understand the internals are to the identical standards as the Savage but the external metal and wood finish is several rungs down the ladder.

 

[bowhunthard88]

I'm gonna second royinidaho, take a real good look @ the Savages. They are usually pretty accurate, cheaper than the Remingtons, have a pretty dang good factory trigger, and are extremely easy to "gunsmith" i.e. change barrels etc. even if you do it yourself.

Remingtons are also very nice, but you usually need a gunsmith to do your work, and they are more expensive up front for the same if not inferior quality (trigger, etc.)

Good luck. I own both, and base on your reqs. I personally would buy a savage.

 

[ks_cowboy]

Thanks for the opinions. I had the day off so i went rifle shopping. No one had any heavy barreled savages in stock. They can all get them, but would have to order them. What model would you guys recommend, i am wanting a stainless if possible. I really liked the tikka t3's that i looked, but they don't import the varmint model in a .243 only the light. They also had a Howa 1500 for dirt cheap it seemed like a really nice rifle for the price, how do they compare to the others? Sorry for all the questions i just want to make sure i make an informed decision.
Ross

 

[fj40mojo]

3rd vote for the Savage/Stevens. Advantages: easy to change calibers if you decide to in the future, out of the box accuracy, innovative design. Even if you find a dirt cheap used Stevens there are smiths about that will do excellent trigger jobs on them. The Howa is a nice rifle, same action used by Weatherby for the Vanguard. I've got one myself, but they tend to be lonnnng throated which may limit your COAL to magazine length or facilitate single shot loading if you want to seat bullets out to or near the lands. This can be overcome if you know how to run a lathe and can do some minor gunsmithing for yourself.

 

[magicofmt]

4th vote for Savage. I have a new Weather Warrior and it come with accu-trigger, bedded, etc. Scope it, break in the barrel, find the perfect load and go hunting.

 

[ks_cowboy]

What type of barrel does that weather warrior have? I can't tell from the pictures and i would like a rifle with a heavier barrel. I was leaning towards savage and you guys seem to reaffirm my thoughts. My 17HMR is a heavy barreled savage and i love it.
Thanks
Ross

 

[bowhunthard88]

The Savage model 16 or 116 is a standard or magnum contour barrel, depending on which caliber you buy it in. It is not a heavy barrel.

I would probably start with a rifle such as the model 12 varminter low profile, you could always upgrade parts later if the urge hits you lol, but this rifle is one of the nice ones (therefore read expensive). The "cheap" Savages are not offered in heavy barreled .243s. Probably around $800 on average.

I might have to recommend a 180 degree change in direction here, and say check out the Remington SPS Varmint. It may leave a little to be desired, but it is offered in .243 and the price will run you about $550 on average.

The Savage could be gotten cheap, but the heavy-barreled part (which I like also), kicks you out of the ballpark with Savage. All the varmint rifles are offered in varmint calibers only, and not in "universal" calibers.

Good luck, sorry we led you on. Let us know what you decide.