Budget 243

[Three44s]

The 788 Remington rifle has for a long time “the cheap rifle” that was out of production. I own some of them, like them when they wear a good trigger. Their lock time is to die for as well. A lot of shooters lament it’s passing.

A lot of folks phoo phoo the crop of cheap rifles currently offered but really it is that the 788 has come back in other form but in a very plentiful crop of inexpensive guns. Today’s “788” times ten if you will.

No one is forcing us to buy them. The field is well stocked with choices that are more expensive if one wants to buy from them.

The same can be said of calibers and cartridges.

I was surprised that the 243 is on it’s “way out”. A huge chorus of coyotes and other varmints will rejoice that occurrence for many of their brethren have been retired to their happy hunting and / or munching grounds early by it.

My longest kill on a coyote stands after 55 years of going after them with my Ruger tang safety 77V Liberty in 243 at 445 yds with a 25-06 coming in at 435 yds flung from a Marlin XL7 for my second farthest kill. Those yardages I am sure do not impress the younger members perhaps but as a rancher, if I educate a coyote I have to live with it. I do not get to fold up my hunting stuff, shrug it off and go home with impunity. Thus I do not warm up very many of them as I greatly prefer to cool them down and at much shorter distances.

I am not one to chase the latest trend, so if the 243 is fading then that leaves more components for me!

Best regards

Three44s

[Shawlerbrook]

First, I wouldn’t worry about the 243 going anywhere. Second, $50 rebate on the Winchester XPR.

[northmn]

In the last 100 years or so, we have developed a love affair with walnut. The Mossberg 464 walnut version is $100 more than the hardwood stocked one, and that is just for a two piece stock. Funny thing is that in the earlier years walnut was used for military rifles and tobacco sheds. Maple was a premium gunstock wood. It was more impervious to oils, they even made bearings out of maple, and curly maple had a very attractive figure.

A walnut stock at Boyd's with any figure is about double the price of a laminate. Saying this because a lot of the "quality" in more expensive rifles is in a stock. Functionally the plastic is better as it does not warp or swell in different weather. To get my old Remington 700's to maintain their zero I glass bedded them.

Machining technology is much improved over the "good old days" A retired machinist that taught in tech school mentioned that not so long ago pistons had to be fit individually into the cylinders on car engines. They don't have to do that anymore. Also the ability to bore a barrel is vastly improved. We read reports of these cheap rifles grouping under an inch. At one time an inch was the holy grail in a sporting rifles, often requiring laborious handloading experimentation. Bolt actions are simple and lend themselves to modern machining process's.

There are very few of us that can take advantage of a long range rifle. For many of us a 200 yard shot is a long one and 400 yards is a practical limit. I am also talking about shooting in the field where bench rests are not handy. There used to be an individual that posted about hitting 400 yard targets with his 44-40. Bench rest and known distances where he could set his sights. Out in the field range finders help but sometimes what we want to shoot does not wait around to be measured.

DEP

[Bob S]

https://www.ssusa.org/articles/2017/...ange-shooting/

Nuff said.

Respectfully, Bob S.

[Love Life]

The .243 has enough juice behind it to push the high BC bullets pretty fast. I like it.

[Tripplebeards]

The 243 caliber is on the top 10 list for calibers for the last 30 plus years...it’s not going away in any of our lifetimes. Just about every rifle manufacturer offers multiple rifle configurations in it. The 243 will go away about the same time as the 308...which will probably be never.

[Bill*B]

I bought a .243 last year because I liked the rifle, not the caliber, and was rather surprised to find that it is my most accurate cast bullet shooter. From the bench with a target scope, fed from a SAECO 243 mold, that little carbine is capable of 1.25 MOA, at 1650 fps. Now I'm sold on the caliber!

[fastdadio]

Howa still makes the Vanguard actions for Weatherby. Excellent rifles, would recommend them to anyone.

When I was in the hunt for a budget rifle, I did my research and came home with the Weatherby Vanguard. $420.00 otd. I'm very happy with it. Consider the fact that a lot of folks that buy the others, then go right out and buy after market stocks and triggers. That needs to be added to the total cost. The Vanguard comes with a two stage adjustable trigger and I found the stock to be just fine.