Blr243 wrote:Can somebody please delete my repetitive posts
I tried to do it for you but doesn’t seem to allow me, I appreciate reading it multiple times because it helped made me more confident in my choice of caliber
Blr243 wrote:Can somebody please delete my repetitive posts
Arcwolf wrote:I’m looking for as much information as possible, I’m looking at a .243 for general target and hunting purposes. My first rifle I may add.
I’m after information about possibilities and limitations, barrel types for a first rifle that can do both target and hunting applications moderately well eg. fluted vs heavy pros and cons.
I look forward to all your reply’s !!
straightshooter wrote:Arcwolf wrote:I’m looking for as much information as possible, I’m looking at a .243 for general target and hunting purposes. My first rifle I may add.
I’m after information about possibilities and limitations, barrel types for a first rifle that can do both target and hunting applications moderately well eg. fluted vs heavy pros and cons.
I look forward to all your reply’s !!
A 243 is a reasonable compromise caliber for all but the biggest game.
You will need to clarify your thoughts as to exactly what you perceive as hunting or for that matter target shooting and what the principal use of the rifle will be.
For hunting where the rifle must be carried for extensive periods then a heavy barrel is a pain, so a light to medium weight barrel is the way to go. 24 inch is about the right length, that's why so many factory rifles come with that length. Any less than 22 inch and the noise and muzzle flash becomes noticeably pronounced. Any longer than 24 inch sometimes becomes cumbersome to carry in scrub or mallee and feels wobblier to shoot offhand. Far more important is the fit of the stock to your physique.
For informal target shooting, well, any barrel will do.
For more organised target shooting, or trying to shoot groups that you can brag about, then a medium to heavy barrel is desirable and 26 inch would be preferable over the common 24 inch length.
Fluting the barrel mostly is a waste. It does about the same as 'go faster' stripes on performance cars.
Factory barrels, whether stainless or chrome moly, are made to a price so I wouldn't agonise over one or the other. Whether you get a "good" one to some extent depends on luck. You need more luck at the cheaper end of the market.
It is a different matter with custom barrels.
With the higher velocity capability of a 243, management of copper fouling can become an issue. Learning how to correctly clean and being able to recognise when you have completely eliminated the copper fouling from your particular barrel is something you will have to teach yourself and not rely on internet pundits. Otherwise your rifle will inevitably end up on used guns for somebody else to uncover the problem.
Runnymede wrote:Great all rounder.....I use mine to take foxes and wild dogs as it has the legs to reach out. Took a Sambar stag on my property a few years back, thought I was taking a spiker but after dropping him on the spot turned out he was a full grown stag with malformed antlers. Of course bullet placement is everything but it can hit hard.
sungazer wrote:I have a Sako 85 in 243 need to check twist but it will shot the GK and pro hunter 105s no problem and also the Berger 90 grn targets as well as lighter bullets. go a long heavy barrel in a quality factory and you will cover all bases.
Faedy wrote:Ive got Ruger American ith Boyyds stock. Shooting OSA ammo, it is a ripper outfit. I constantly nail roos at 350 - 400m. Pretty hard to do much shooting over that range where I am
Bruiser64 wrote:I have a Tikka .243 T3X Lite Stainless. I like the rifle and calibre a lot. As others have said, the 243 is very versatile. When I first bought it, I used the Buffalo River 70 grain hollow point ammo. I switched to 87 grain Vmaxs as the Buffalo River ammo used a match projectile which was accurate but inconsistent in its performance on game. My version of the Tikka is designed to be carried around in the field and to make a small number of shots at a time. The barrel heats up quickly if you shoot 4 or 5 or more shots in quick succession. The rifle is accurate and I like its versatility. It will kill any game l am likely to come across here in the far south of WA.
I can recommend the Tikka. I am happy with what my rifle does and how it does it. I have posted on a number of occasions that in my experience one rifle cant do it all. Whilst the 243 is a versatile calibre, my particular iteration of it is best suited as a walk around hunting rifle. If you want something to use on the range as well, you will need to decide what end of the compromise spectrum you want to be on and make your decision accordingly. My preference is to get the right tool for the job at hand. Highly effective rifles can be had for not a lot of money, so just buy several. Especially since you live in Queensland and it is easier to get additional firearms than it is here in WA. If you like the 243 you could get a Tikka in a Lite version and a Howa in a varmint version, which covers a range of options. For me though, l would get a Lite 243, and a varmint 223.
Arcwolf wrote:Faedy wrote:Ive got Ruger American ith Boyyds stock. Shooting OSA ammo, it is a ripper outfit. I constantly nail roos at 350 - 400m. Pretty hard to do much shooting over that range where I am
What’s your aim point at that range, the heart?
Bruiser64 wrote:I have a Tikka .243 T3X Lite Stainless. I like the rifle and calibre a lot. As others have said, the 243 is very versatile. When I first bought it, I used the Buffalo River 70 grain hollow point ammo. I switched to 87 grain Vmaxs as the Buffalo River ammo used a match projectile which was accurate but inconsistent in its performance on game. My version of the Tikka is designed to be carried around in the field and to make a small number of shots at a time. The barrel heats up quickly if you shoot 4 or 5 or more shots in quick succession. The rifle is accurate and I like its versatility. It will kill any game l am likely to come across here in the far south of WA.
I can recommend the Tikka. I am happy with what my rifle does and how it does it. I have posted on a number of occasions that in my experience one rifle cant do it all. Whilst the 243 is a versatile calibre, my particular iteration of it is best suited as a walk around hunting rifle. If you want something to use on the range as well, you will need to decide what end of the compromise spectrum you want to be on and make your decision accordingly. My preference is to get the right tool for the job at hand. Highly effective rifles can be had for not a lot of money, so just buy several. Especially since you live in Queensland and it is easier to get additional firearms than it is here in WA. If you like the 243 you could get a Tikka in a Lite version and a Howa in a varmint version, which covers a range of options. For me though, l would get a Lite 243, and a varmint 223.
Arcwolf wrote:Bruiser64 wrote:I have a Tikka .243 T3X Lite Stainless. I like the rifle and calibre a lot. As others have said, the 243 is very versatile. When I first bought it, I used the Buffalo River 70 grain hollow point ammo. I switched to 87 grain Vmaxs as the Buffalo River ammo used a match projectile which was accurate but inconsistent in its performance on game. My version of the Tikka is designed to be carried around in the field and to make a small number of shots at a time. The barrel heats up quickly if you shoot 4 or 5 or more shots in quick succession. The rifle is accurate and I like its versatility. It will kill any game l am likely to come across here in the far south of WA.
I can recommend the Tikka. I am happy with what my rifle does and how it does it. I have posted on a number of occasions that in my experience one rifle cant do it all. Whilst the 243 is a versatile calibre, my particular iteration of it is best suited as a walk around hunting rifle. If you want something to use on the range as well, you will need to decide what end of the compromise spectrum you want to be on and make your decision accordingly. My preference is to get the right tool for the job at hand. Highly effective rifles can be had for not a lot of money, so just buy several. Especially since you live in Queensland and it is easier to get additional firearms than it is here in WA. If you like the 243 you could get a Tikka in a Lite version and a Howa in a varmint version, which covers a range of options. For me though, l would get a Lite 243, and a varmint 223.
I’m thinking the T3x lite and choosing a heavy barrel as I don’t mind carrying a little extra weight around. Eventually I will be adding a .223 and .22 but just to start out I’m pretty set on the .243 for targets and putting meat in the freezer.
bigpete wrote:Arcwolf wrote:Faedy wrote:Ive got Ruger American ith Boyyds stock. Shooting OSA ammo, it is a ripper outfit. I constantly nail roos at 350 - 400m. Pretty hard to do much shooting over that range where I am
What’s your aim point at that range, the heart?
Supposed to be the head...
Arcwolf wrote:Wombat wrote:A reasonable quality secondhand 22 would be the best first rifle to gain experience easily and cheaply. If you get a decently priced one and take care of it you can resell it without loosing any money.
I'm not saying dont buy a.243, just consider getting a 22 too.
I’ve done a bit of shooting, different calibers .22, .223 and .308’s also quite a lot of pistol shooting! I definitely agree with owning a .22 as it’s a staple caliber but I’m ready to start providing food for my family by ways of hunting and the minimum caliber for deer here in QLD is a .243 and that’s about as big of an animal I’ll be going for.
marksman wrote:for what it's worth my opinion is that the 243 can be a very capable round if used with heavy projectiles
if you are going to have a crack at targets try the 105gr bergers, I use them for game as well, even head shooting rabbits for the pot at distance
I used a 243 for many years and do like the cartridge, here is a photo of it as a very lightweight carry around rifle
then I turned it into a varmint style rig in 6mm dasher with a #6 contour barrel, in target terms it is still a lightweight target profile
shoots dots at amazing ranges now with very little effort, still a hunting rifle just used for a different type of hunting
if I had any advise for you it would be to buy what will do the best job for you
a varmint style for target or longer range hunting or a lightweight for stalking
Arcwolf wrote:
I’m thinking the T3x lite and choosing a heavy barrel as I don’t mind carrying a little extra weight around. Eventually I will be adding a .223 and .22 but just to start out I’m pretty set on the .243 for targets and putting meat in the freezer.
Arcwolf wrote:Faedy wrote:Ive got Ruger American ith Boyyds stock. Shooting OSA ammo, it is a ripper outfit. I constantly nail roos at 350 - 400m. Pretty hard to do much shooting over that range where I am
What’s your aim point at that range, the heart?
Faedy wrote:Arcwolf wrote:Faedy wrote:Ive got Ruger American ith Boyyds stock. Shooting OSA ammo, it is a ripper outfit. I constantly nail roos at 350 - 400m. Pretty hard to do much shooting over that range where I am
What’s your aim point at that range, the heart?
300 - 350 is always head shot if on a good rest.
350 + is heart shot usually.
With a rest, these are usually easily achievable if no weird wind
Daddybang wrote:Faedy wrote:Arcwolf wrote:Faedy wrote:Ive got Ruger American ith Boyyds stock. Shooting OSA ammo, it is a ripper outfit. I constantly nail roos at 350 - 400m. Pretty hard to do much shooting over that range where I am
What’s your aim point at that range, the heart?
300 - 350 is always head shot if on a good rest.
350 + is heart shot usually.
With a rest, these are usually easily achievable if no weird wind
As bigpete mentioned earlier guys shooting roo anywhere other than the head breaches the national code and its probably best not to discuss chest shooting'em on a public forum as we know these sights are monitored by the authorities(not having a go just a heads up)
Baronvonrort wrote:
If i had to get another .243 i would go .243 AI,
duncan61 wrote:I don't have my reg6 license with me however I will screen shot it next time I am in the office.This reg applies to the humane destruction of Kangaroos too be taken for sale.On private property there is no code for drop and rot.I personally head shoot cos I can and they fall on the spot and you don't spend half the night looking for them as the farms down here don't like finding dead Roos in the middle of the paddock when they mow The bones break tractor windows and are dangerous if Faedy is out in a remote station no one cares.The advantage of shooting private property.No one else should be there
Daddybang wrote:duncan61 wrote:I don't have my reg6 license with me however I will screen shot it next time I am in the office.This reg applies to the humane destruction of Kangaroos too be taken for sale.On private property there is no code for drop and rot.I personally head shoot cos I can and they fall on the spot and you don't spend half the night looking for them as the farms down here don't like finding dead Roos in the middle of the paddock when they mow The bones break tractor windows and are dangerous if Faedy is out in a remote station no one cares.The advantage of shooting private property.No one else should be there
So all the threafs on here that have the code linked are wrong??
As for "shooting on private land Noone cares" that may be so but discussing it on a public forum is just another example of you not getting it Duncan. Encouraging new shooters to breach the code and legislation to make yaself look like a big man is just a dumbass thing to do.