.243 Choices choices what to do. Adv

[Taff1977]

Good Evening all
Please can you offer some advise;
I have not used a rifle since leaving the forces and have a dilemma, I am looking for a .243 for mostly foxing and the occasional stalking trip. I have a small budget and would like your opinion on my options listed below.
Should I-
1. go for something like a New howa 1500
2. Go for a something like a secondhand howa varmint that looks in good condition but unknown shot count.
3. Or go for an older tikka / sako and hope I find a good one.


What would you do in my position??


Thanks in advance for taking the time to reply to my post, regards Taff1977

 

[Roedeer 1962]

Welcome ,,,sako would be a good move go on the guntrader website regards Danny

 

[McKenzie]

Option 3.

 

[highland stalker]

Howa's are highly regarded by most who have used them including myself. I have a .243 package in the cabinet I would possibly sell. There is plenty of threads on here regarding howas. Worth a read.

 

[howy308]

Why do they all shoot different bullets? Find the gun that fits you and you feel comfy with. They are all more accurate than you will ever be with the right ammo.

 

[long_range_rob]

Sako would be my recommendation. A clean 591 or a if your luck a 75 will do you a treat.

 

[Muir]

Or option 4: Buy a 308.~Muir

 

[rhhudson]

You dont state your budget,

As for the options i would be tempted by the new howa, you know its not going t have been abused, if you could get a second hand tikka from someone you know and trust at the right price then thats definatly worth a look.

 

[takbok]

Winchester XPR or Ruger American would definitely be worth a look.

 

[Muir]

Winchester XPR or Ruger American woukd definitely be worth a look.

I own a few Ruger Americans. They all shoot far above their pricetag.~Muir

 

[Taff1977]

Hi all thanks for your comments my budget is £500 for the rifle

 

[mealiejimmy]

A good, used, Tikka T3 - cheaper, but just as accurate as a Sako and better all round than a Howa.

Cheers

Bruce

 

[375 mag]

for that budget secondhand tikka. 243 will do anything in this country one calibre that will always be in my cabinet.

 

[Muir]

If you must shoot a 243, the Tikka is a good choice.~Muir

 

[Chasey]

Its deer hunting not competition target shooting. If you can get a 1.5" group at 100m the rifle is fine. The choice of rifle is more down to vanity than anything else so go with what you like.

Tika T3 is nice. I have one in 308. Sako 75 is a lovely rifle, I have on in 243 and I have a Sako 595 in 22 250, also very nice.

For your budget don’t rule out Browning A bolt or T bolt or Remington 700

Personally I prefer the rifle stock on the synthetic Hower to the synthetic T3

Try and get a rifle that been used for deer stalking rather than anything else. The average non pro deer stalker is unlikely to put more than 50 rounds through his rifle in a year. A target shooter can do that in a day. So, a deer stalkers 10 year old rifle is probably in better nick than a 1 year old target rifle. Buy S/H and find a RFD who does inspections. Tell any perspective seller you want to have the rifle inspected by a gun smith before completion of sale.

The common mistake is thinking the rifle is the expensive bit

The expensive bit and the bit that makes the most difference in my mind, is the scope. My most expensive rifel is probably my Sako 75 III which is worth about £5-600. S/H My scopes are worth three times that much. That’s where the bulk of your investment should go.

Many will disagree but my advice is go for a good quality non illuminated scope. I have illumination on my two main stalking rifles and I have never used it in anger but for some reason it really holds the S/H value of a scope

 

[tarponhead]

Spend it on as good a second-hand scope as you can afford and then buy a Howa. But, there's a really nice, if heavy .243 Sako 75 at Shooting Supplies in Bromsgrove that's worth a look...

 

[Ranger22]

You'll get a brand new Winchester xpr for £450. These are seriously good rifles for the money. Shoot and feel better than the price suggests

 

[danban]

I was in your shoes. I got a howa. It will put 3 shots on my thumb nail at 100 yards. There is better rifles out there if you want to spend silly money. With a scope and moderator it set me back around £900. The only thing I would change is the stock as I like wood/ laminate.
My scope is a nikkon and does the job well.

 

[J111]

My advice is if you are new to guns - get a howa. Assessing second hand guns takes experience and you can't go wrong with a new howa. You'll probably want to change it in a few years anyway.

 

[finnbear270]

I have had Howa's alongside my Sako's in the cabinet, both got used as much as the other, had a 7mmWSM in Howa, cracking tool.