243 Rifle Options?

had a couiple of 595's superb

also now got a 590 also superb

used a t3 in 222,243,and 308, ok but..............say no more,

bob.
 
never heard so much rubbish have shot remintons for over 40 years of all calibres now shoot Remington sendero270 26inch barrel everyone
slags off remi accuracy wise would put my remy against anything for field use
 
I think you should take Brithunter's advice.

I once used someone's Ruger complete with nasty plastic stock with Ruger written on it. The ammo was the cheapest available, privi I think, but I was able to achieve super tight groups at 100m. People have come on here with top of the line brand new rifles that won't group.

So don't get hung up on makes and what everyone else thinks you should get.

...and there are other brands than Tika!
 
never heard so much rubbish have shot remintons for over 40 years of all calibres now shoot Remington sendero270 26inch barrel everyone
slags off remi accuracy wise would put my remy against anything for field use

My ..... My someone is touchy :roll:.

Now I have just re-read the thread and no where can I find a mention that Remington's don't perform. It is mentioned that there are barrow loads of accessories for the Remington 700. What is not mentioned is that a lot of these accessories came about to correct cheaply made arts used in the Remington 700 like the stamped out recoil lug and bolt that's brazed up from bits of tube. Whilst they may function they are not of the best quality hence the amount of companies who offer quality replacement parts.

Like the Ford escort that they were likened too the escort and that is a basic car really and benefits from improvement that is if one is of the mind to buy one in the first place and then spend more money making it better and perhaps as it should have been built in the first place.

If you truly have been shooting Remington rifles for over 40 years then even you must have noticed their build quality slipping and the cheapening of the finish. There is much discussion about this on various American forums.
 
POI kept changing after zeroing. Normal check all screws etc tight then zero (which produced very nice groups!)
After another 6 or so shots the groups wouls spread alarmingly. We eventually realised that the action was now moving in the stock so much that the barrel was touching the channel. Tightened up the action screws again and the problem repeated after half a dozen or so shots.

Took rifle back to shop and was told that they wanted to locktight the screws to fix the problem (i wasn't happy with this as a solution), they then agreed to send the rifle to a smith to check it over.

It returned a few days later with a note that he had taken the action out of the stock checked it all out re-assembled it and fired test group which showed there was no problem.

I was happy at this point but a but puzzled, so took the rifle away again. Got to a range a couple of days later and suprise suprise the same thing happened again.

This proble was witnessed by two experienced stalkers who are on this site (i wont name them as i havent asked their permission).

I then took the rifle back and got a refund (i was supprised that the shop were good enough to replace the used ammo as well).

I heard later from some one else that they had seen the rifle for sale again in the shop after i had taken it back (maybe the problem had been fixed - maybe the action screws had just been nipped up a bit, who can say).

what a shame to end up with a T3 when you could just have had the 75 devcon or marinetex bedded with some pillars (ie. problem solved), and had one of the best rifles ever made, imho of course.
 
what a shame to end up with a T3 when you could just have had the 75 devcon or marinetex bedded with some pillars (ie. problem solved), and had one of the best rifles ever made, imho of course.

maybe, maybe not. That's my point though I could have spent a lot of money getting the rifle fixed, but as the exact nature of the problem was never fully identified I might have had to write a blank cheque ......

in the end I got an accurate stalking rifle for less money than a lovely looking broken one. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.
 
Just swapped out my 22.250 for a 243 to enable me to be deer legal.

But what rifle to go for? I want to buy once and buy right, but saying that I dont have an endless budget. Ive just picked up a Zeiss Duralyt to pop on the top.

Currently looking at Tikka T3 vs Howa 1500. Stuck between the practicality of a synthetic stock and a pretty grey laminated stock. Set on a stainless action and barrell.

Now a few people have thrown the M595 into the mix! Dont know much about them - did prefer a newer gun, but people seem to highly rate the M595 action? How easy is an aftermarket laminated stock for one of these if I go that way?

Adam



.243 is my favourite calibre for 600 yard target and stalking! I have a Tikka T3 Varmint and an RPA Hunter. Both excellent choices! The m595 is a spectacular gun! My dad has one in .243 and its a delight!

With regards to aftermarket stocks Edi at PSE composites do some excellent light weight stocks for a number of different Marques, most notably for Tikkas.

i hope this helps.

james
 
Without doubt the 595 is one of the best actions produced by tikka, but a used 595 in 243 ? count on having it re-barrelled unless you a lucky enough to find a real gem, as for the T3 and Howa 1500, well both will do the job without doubt, both are reliable, accurate rifles, I own a Howa 1500 sporter in 243 and it shoots .3" groups, my friend has a T3 stainless lite that shoots .35". Both of these Rifles are 3 years old and have never had a problem, but the T3 do's have a bit more "snob value" with UK Shooters
 
but the T3 do's have a bit more "snob value" with UK Shooters

Though it also recieves its share of abuse as the white-bread, vanilla, suburban standard. Nothing like knocking a T3 to gain a few points as a 'real' gun afficionado... Not that I'm sensitive, or anything.
 
Though it also recieves its share of abuse as the white-bread, vanilla, suburban standard. Nothing like knocking a T3 to gain a few points as a 'real' gun afficionado... Not that I'm sensitive, or anything.


Hmmmm now let's see :roll: .

I don't know about snob value with a Tikka T3 I thought snob value was Blaser territory :stir: .

The T3 was designed to be cheaper to produce than the Real Tikka models that preceded it. Part of the Beretta umbrella group. One does notice that there a re a lot of barely used T3's on the market especially the T3 lite model. I know a friend got rid of his one but he kept the heavy barrelled T3. I will have to phone him and ask what he replaced the T3 Lite with. He was looking at several makes/models including the Sako 75 and a the Kimber 84 but due to his business we have not spoken for a while now. Holiday season is his busy time.

I think any abuse aimed at the T3 is due to it being designed to be cheap to make. This is not new the BSA CF2 model came in for the same treatment at the time as it too was designed by the accountants to cut costs. It too has one action size to cut costs and they even tried a couple of plastic parts in it too. Although not all have the plastic magazine follower in the CF2 with most being alloy.

despite their best intentions at Tikka this cheapness shows through especially when compared to the older models just as it does with the BSA's. Not everyone is happy with this and newer is not always better.
 
I rest my case.


Why was it getting heavy?

You may happen to like the newer cheapened production models not all of us do. Things like bead blasted finishes are there because it's quick and cheap to do when compared to proper polishing. Plastics are cheap to produce hence more and more of them are used in these new rifles.

The fact that the sales folks hype them up as "desirable features" and some are gullible enough to swallow their diatribe is quite sad really.
 
Tikkas are great rifles, I have most of the top peg rifles available in the UK and I often draw parallels between my Blaser, Sauer, Armalon and RPA to my Tikka in .243, and my analysis is that these Tikka rifles are excellent - Had a DBM fitted and the stock modified, but it truly is a very good shooting gun - Barrels are manufactured by SAKO, granted the receivers are generic, but if you get a parent .308 calibre it really doesn't make a difference, I shoot an RPA hunter in .243 and yes, the quality difference is noticeable - however accuracy, bolt operation, recoil.... all negligible. My T3 Varmint, is my go to gun, and for about a fifth of what you'd pay for a Blaser or Sauer, you get the same accuracy all be it in a plastic stock (which is easily changeable) I fervently defend these rifles for their functionality and accuracy.

With regard to the 'Stainless' Tikka rifles and with reference to the above comment, have you ever tried to hot blue stainless steel? well that's because A: there's no need and B: The end result of black oxide coating isn't that great! therefore Bead blasting was a cost effective way of giving the barrels and receivers on Stainless Tikka guns a nice finish and also negated a polishing stage to remove any machining marks - I actually quite admire this ingenuity. The Tikka range is also priced to reflect these cost saving measures, therefore how can anyone complain too much about this? as far as I can see they are being very transparent with their new angle whilst still producing QUALITY rifles, if you are susceptible to sales patter then I advise you shoot any rifle before buying or looking too much into their branding.

​James
 
No I have never tried to "Hot Blue" anything however in other applications manufacturers have been blacking "Stainless" for years noticeably in the knife trade especially after the "Rambo" film. His knife was dreamt up to look impressive on the screen and of course it had to be non reflective so they bead blasted it then blacked it and the drones followed the trend.

I really wonder how many people have lost a stalk through the reflection of a barrel of their rifle?

Very few too none I suspect.

Bead Blasting is claimed to close the pores on the surface of the metal. I know from experience that Aqua Blasting, glass beads in high pressure water jets do give a silky feel to the surface of the metal. I used this process to clean some old (1947) Aerial engine crankcases and outer alloy covers after applying paint stripper it covered up any errant scraper marks and made them look like new although it did take some time. The firm I was working allowed me to do this in my lunch hour. The finish certainly helped them stay clean although if this still worked when in use I cannot say as some scum bag stole it from the lock up I was sharing before the rebuild was complete.

Anyway people have fallen for this non reflective new idea :roll: . This does not of course alter the fact that rifle manufacturers have jumped on this and hyped it up as desirable yet in truth it's a cost cutting feature the black coating/treatment they use on stainless would most likely still take on a polished surface but polishing costs more. Yet some are happy to pay more for this desirable feature :???: .

Of course non reflective finishes to arms of war is nothing new and has been about for well over half a century.
 
Go for the cheapest rifle (Both will be good and with perfectly sufficient accuracy for stalking) and use the cash saved to buy really, really good binoculars. As that is what you use most when out stalking.

The Howa 1500 is, btw, accurate and excellent, just not one of the 'sexy' Brands as promoted heavily in/by the shooting magazines.
 
I really wonder how many people have lost a stalk through the reflection of a barrel of their rifle?

Very few too none I suspect.

Hope not or I am well and truly fecked, not stainless but no bluing left.

Not aimed at any poster in particular but just my thoughts on the subject.
Thats a real working rifle, now I can appreciate a nice looking rifle the same as the next man, but I do think some seem to get too hung up on looks,if you do much stalking then sooner or later you will get scrapes and bashes, how do you guys feel when that happens? do you feel the need to change the rifle?

For example the other week a client gouged all the bottom of my stock he had rubbed it back and forward on top of a drystone wall getting comfortable to take the shot, unfortunately I was to busy watching the buck he was going to shoot at to see what he was doing.


Now its annoying, but its a work tool a bit of a rub down and an oiled and while it will not be perfect it will be passable and look no worse than any of the other battle scars.

I have never been overly bothered about the looks of a rifle, how it functions is more important to me ,but would imagine if I placed as much importance on looks as many do I would be gutted.

While I don't bother to much about looks, I hate plastic components rightly or wrongly I am always waiting for the b***y stuff to break, afraid I would choose traditional over modern every time.
 
I really wonder how many people have lost a stalk through the reflection of a barrel of their rifle?

Very few too none I suspect.

Hope not or I am well and truly fecked, not stainless but no bluing left.

Not aimed at any poster in particular but just my thoughts on the subject.
Thats a real working rifle, now I can appreciate a nice looking rifle the same as the next man, but I do think some seem to get too hung up on looks,if you do much stalking then sooner or later you will get scrapes and bashes, how do you guys feel when that happens? do you feel the need to change the rifle?

For example the other week a client gouged all the bottom of my stock he had rubbed it back and forward on top of a drystone wall getting comfortable to take the shot, unfortunately I was to busy watching the buck he was going to shoot at to see what he was doing.


Now its annoying, but its a work tool a bit of a rub down and an oiled and while it will not be perfect it will be passable and look no worse than any of the other battle scars.

I have never been overly bothered about the looks of a rifle, how it functions is more important to me ,but would imagine if I placed as much importance on looks as many do I would be gutted.

While I don't bother to much about looks, I hate plastic components rightly or wrongly I am always waiting for the b***y stuff to break, afraid I would choose traditional over modern every time.

Actually the choice of rifle for stalking use was more to do which ones the Firearms Licensing Office at Nettleham would allow. For some reason it seems that they viewed some as more dangerous that others even those chambered for the same cartridge. My most expensive rifle does bear a few marks from stalking outing and range use. It was built to be shot and used so that is what it was used for even though it's not exactly replaceable being the only one of it's kind by by the husband and wife team.

I tried to treat my rifles with care and respect but that does not mean they cannot be used as intended.
 
Actually the choice of rifle for stalking use was more to do which ones the Firearms Licensing Office at Nettleham would allow. For some reason it seems that they viewed some as more dangerous that others even those chambered for the same cartridge. My most expensive rifle does bear a few marks from stalking outing and range use. It was built to be shot and used so that is what it was used for even though it's not exactly replaceable being the only one of it's kind by by the husband and wife team.

I tried to treat my rifles with care and respect but that does not mean they cannot be used as intended.

My stalking rifle is a Sauer 202 stutzen and it gets a kicking, and every splinter, scratch and ding make me love it even more - i suppose I'm not too fussed about the aesthetics as it can be easily replaced - however the Stutzen is a great option for protecting the barrel, and when the rifle is on the ground, the stock makes contact points so as not to damage bolt handle, or action - very cool design! Its seen some things this rifle and its one of my faves!

​J
 
Thanks for everyones advice - it was all very useful, and I have now made my decision!

See my newly started thread for what I went with....
 
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