Bolt Action Question

[Gravey]

If you were in the market for a .243 bolt action, what guns would be on your list to look at? Right now I'm shooting an encore .243. This will be used primarily for deer but may try my hand at predators a couple of times and would like the possibility of chambering another round if necessary quicker. I saw a Remington 700 mountain rifle online that was sweet for sure and I've also thought about the Tikka T3's and the Savage Stevens 200. Right now it's just an idea I'm contemplating and want to handle a few to see what I like if I decide to go down this path.

 

[Locksley]

Remington 7 or a Winchester M-70 Featherweight

 

[Sako]

Tikka T3 lite all the way.... (of course only if you want the best shooting one)

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

I like the Rem 700.... lots of aftermarket goodies to fit those actions to improve the guns feel, accuracy, shooting characteristics.

 

[stik]

another vote for the T3

 

[JimFromTN]

I like the rem 700 the best for the same reasons as stated above. The trigger will need to be adjusted but thats easy. I think the T3 will probably shoot the best right out of the box because they have the best factory trigger I have ever come across. The Savage Stevens 200 is probably the best rifle in its price range but the trigger needs to be worked or replaced with a timney which adds about $100.

 

[Hogbear]

http://www.hogsbreathfineguns.com/special_deals.htm

Styer Prohunter

 

[Tikkabuck]

Gravey,do yerself a favor try shooting a Tikka then you won't have to wonder anymore.

Just to give ya idea,I just bought a Tikka T-3 in .223,I mounted a scope,went to the range with one box of Blackhills,one box of Winchesters and four different handloads just to see what it liked to chew on best. Every load was under 1 1/4",2 were under 1/2". Bet ya next time out they are touching,that was a hurry up day. Maybe this was just a fluke rifle out of the box,nope my 7mm08 and my 7mag were better than that first time out the gate.

Shooting one will make a beliver out of ya.

 

[megalomaniac]

no brainer, Rem 700. More aftermarket goodies for it, better resell demand. The mountain rifles are a joy to carry and hunt with, although they are usually not quite as accurate due to the thinly contoured barrel... that being said, mine in .280 put 3 shots into 1/4MOA last time at the range (I pillar bedded it myself and did a trigger job on it as well).

 

[mike243]

savage,mike243

 

[rldel]

As has been said, Remington 700. You can go from cheap black on blue to really nice. Mine in .270 will (when rested - Wal-Mart composite and blue w/handloads & low/no crosswinds) group tearing paper @ 100 yds. I have a mid-grade Nikon Buckmasters on every rifle I own � including my semi-custom shop Encore 300 win mag hand loaded. It can�t touch the accuracy of the 700.

Savage has a nice trgger but the Rem 700 trigger is fully adjustable not to mention one of the two companies has been around since forever. On the other hand, I can remember when Savage did well to sell at K-Mart/Wal-Mart. Speaking of the import line - the Rem 710... and to call that Croatian safari Mauser a POS [imo] is an insult to POSs everywhere.

Tikkas, Sakos, CZs, Weatherbys... all fine options but (pardon the expression) bang for the buck you can't do better than a Rem 700. You may want to stay away from the imported ^%$% Reminington is bringing in these days, but the 700 is still gold. Some suit will probably %^$* that up too, but for now the 700 is an uncompromised functional work of art (and as was said - you can get any aftermarket, stock, trigger, scope mount, etc. you want)

 

[Gravey]

Okay, it looks like the Remington 700 and the Tikka T3 (or T3 Lite) are the 2 preferred choices amongst the group so let me throw a little more out there for you to chew on. I am far from being a gun nut. I don't do modifications to them after I get them and I don't own them to be safe queens. If I don't hunt with them I don't have them unless they were family guns given to me. That said all I do is put a scope on them and go to the range wit a box of bullets (I do not reload). I always hear talk about all the aftermarket stuff you can do to the 700 but I'm not interested in all that. I want to mount the scope, zero it, and go hunting with complete confidence. Can the 700 do this too and ya'll just like toying with them or what?

Also what is the difference in the model 7 and 700?

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[pety221]

chalk up another one for the remmy

 

[Model70Man]

Those Steyr's are awesome. Too bad they don't make a left handed rifle.

An AR chambered in 243 would be awesome.

 

[Buckblaster]

If your pinching cash and want to go a little more into optics get the savage stevens model 200.


Otherwise a Ruger M77. I never see anything about Ruger rifles on here.

+1 for stevens or ruger

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

You can get a Rem 700 that has the Hogue Over-Molded stock already on it (not sure if it comes with the pillar block bedding or the full alum bed block) but either will be better than the factory stock. This will give you a floated barrel which will be more accurate over the factory set-up. A good gunsmith can lighten the trigger pull for better shooting. Go with Luepold bases and rings. I think you would be very happy with that set-up. IMHO that would be the best option for you and then to just get a scope to put on it and head to the range.

 

[WTM]

savage model 10. with 50 bucks in tools, and the price of a new barrel you can have any number of short action rifles you want as a switch barrel rifle. probably has the most aftermarket parts.

and now with the accustock, like a 300 dollar stockade stock. the trigger is fully adjustable from 2-6lbs, again without a gunsmith. they make a pretty good compound bow too.

a 700 is pretty good too, good resale value, but they are probably not as accurate out of the box without some lug lapping and action truing. the 710, or whatever they call it, is nothing more than a charles daily mauser, except 300 bucks more.

 

[buckdead]

700 or win 70 featherweight. i have both in .243. the winchester is the more accurate rifle.

 

[Kimberman]

I have yet to see a Sako or Tikka that wouldnt shoot MOA out of the box without any work done to it. The only thing I would change on one would be a set of Talley mounts rather than the factory ones.

 

[JA1234]

go with the rem.700 you wont be disappointed I am the same way...I have a rem 1100 I gettin rid of next..tired of it setting in the safe. then that leaves me with two I never use, both were gifts from mom, and dad one is my sons from them.

 

[Tikkabuck]

This is the whole reason I went with Tikka's,I've had alot of other guns still do,Savage's,Remys,Winys,Ruger's even a Colt Light. All I have had to do work to to get them where I'm happy with them,maybe being a gun nut and little bitty groups is a curse. The only guns I have had that don't either need to be glassed,trigger adjust or replaced,free floated or need a speed bump put in,is my Tikkas and Sakos. None have had anything done to them box stock,put on a scope boresite maybe work up a load and go for it,some of them will shoot more than one load MOA. This new one will have a few more loads tried out and I'm sure it will be kissing holes.The only other gun I ever got to do that was 2-7600's.

Don't get me wrong I have Winys and Remy's that will do that now,but I've worked on them. So end of story if you want an outta the box shooter my vote goes for Sako's and Tikka's.

 

[Gravey]

Thanks all. Now I have some looking around to do.

Joey...Don't sell that 1100. My dad has one (12 gauge) and I think that is one of the best, if not the best, shotguns ever made. I love it and told him I was going to do him like he did his father. He had a 20 gauge 1100 and swapped them out and never gave it back. Only difference is I won't give him anything...just take his.

 

[JA1234]

Thanks all. Now I have some looking around to do.

Joey...Don't sell that 1100. My dad has one (12 gauge) and I think that is one of the best, if not the best, shotguns ever made. I love it and told him I was going to do him like he did his father. He had a 20 gauge 1100 and swapped them out and never gave it back. Only difference is I won't give him anything...just take his.

dang you LOL You made me think it over and I guess I have room for it in the safe after all.. I took it off the market. I wonder if the reciever on the classic trap is the same as any other 1100.

 

[Gravey]

Thanks all. Now I have some looking around to do.

Joey...Don't sell that 1100. My dad has one (12 gauge) and I think that is one of the best, if not the best, shotguns ever made. I love it and told him I was going to do him like he did his father. He had a 20 gauge 1100 and swapped them out and never gave it back. Only difference is I won't give him anything...just take his.

dang you LOL You made me think it over and I guess I have room for it in the safe after all.. I took it off the market. I wonder if the reciever on the classic trap is the same as any other 1100.

I don't know the answer to that but if you want me to hold it in my safe I will. I'll even wave the storage fee.

 

[JA1234]

sure

 

[Hatchee]

Okay, it looks like the Remington 700 and the Tikka T3 (or T3 Lite) are the 2 preferred choices amongst the group so let me throw a little more out there for you to chew on. I am far from being a gun nut. I don't do modifications to them after I get them and I don't own them to be safe queens. If I don't hunt with them I don't have them unless they were family guns given to me. That said all I do is put a scope on them and go to the range wit a box of bullets (I do not reload). I always hear talk about all the aftermarket stuff you can do to the 700 but I'm not interested in all that. I want to mount the scope, zero it, and go hunting with complete confidence. Can the 700 do this too and ya'll just like toying with them or what?

Also what is the difference in the model 7 and 700?

Thanks for the feedback.

The Model 7 is a true short action not a long action blocked off for short rounds.
I have a Model 7 Youth Model that my son out grew. I took the youth stock off and got a cheap Bell & Carlson, cheap Wal-Mart 3x9 and it'll shoot one little bitty ragged hole OFF SAND BAGS.
I'd like to "fix it up" (i.e. put more expensive stuff on it rather than the cheap crap I got) but I'm really afraid to fool with it.
It's light, easy to handle, easy to tote and shoots like a champ.

What else can you ask for?

 

[Gravey]

Thanks Hatchee. I'll put it on the list.

 

[Locksley]

Okay, it looks like the Remington 700 and the Tikka T3 (or T3 Lite) are the 2 preferred choices amongst the group so let me throw a little more out there for you to chew on. I am far from being a gun nut. I don't do modifications to them after I get them and I don't own them to be safe queens. If I don't hunt with them I don't have them unless they were family guns given to me. That said all I do is put a scope on them and go to the range wit a box of bullets (I do not reload). I always hear talk about all the aftermarket stuff you can do to the 700 but I'm not interested in all that. I want to mount the scope, zero it, and go hunting with complete confidence. Can the 700 do this too and ya'll just like toying with them or what?

Also what is the difference in the model 7 and 700?

Thanks for the feedback.

The Model 7 is a true short action not a long action blocked off for short rounds.
I have a Model 7 Youth Model that my son out grew. I took the youth stock off and got a cheap Bell & Carlson, cheap Wal-Mart 3x9 and it'll shoot one little bitty ragged hole OFF SAND BAGS.
I'd like to "fix it up" (i.e. put more expensive stuff on it rather than the cheap crap I got) but I'm really afraid to fool with it.
It's light, easy to handle, easy to tote and shoots like a champ.

What else can you ask for? [/quote

It's light, easy to handle, yep .

 

[Gravey]

Okay, so I went to Bass Pro today and handled the Tikka T3 Lite, Remington 700 SPS, and Ruger M77 Hawkeye and liked the way they all felt. None stood out heads and shoulders above the others. They didn't have a Sako to look at. The bolt was by far the smoothest on the Tikka but it also had the cheapest feeling stock. Anybody had issues with it's durability? Also, how do you tell the difference in a T3 and a T3 Lite? The barrel only said T3 but the salesperson said it was a Lite? I've eliminated the Remington Model 7 after reading several reviews that weren't great. Also, what's the word on the Ruger as I was impressed with it too? Money is not a factor as they're all within $50 of one another.

Thanks!

 

[Tikkabuck]

A T-3 lite just means a syn. stock,T-3 Hunter wood stock,T-3 lite stainless syn stock stainless metal.

Just a quick thing I had with Boyds Stocks while they were still doing inletting for us little guys. I sent my lite syn stock in for them to do an inlet for me,I gave them a call after it got there to go over what I wanted with the customer service guy. He went and got my syn. stock and said that he would have no problem using my stock on the duplicater it was one of the tuffest factory stocks he'd seen. That says alot from a guy who see's how many factory syn. stocks in his line of work.

If you ever get out this way to see your brother yell at me and we can try to meet up and you can shoot my Tikkas to your hearts content.