Well after having a look at a T3 and the T3 Varmint, there is no doubt the Varmint is a heavy lump of a rifle. For a rifle to be carried in the field, it is a bit much I reckon, as some of you have mentioned. However, for the intended purpose for our grazier friend, we think it is a very good option. Theses rifles are nowhere to be found new at the moment in our area, with the distributor not holding any stock, so we looked at a second hand unit to assist with our decision. In the end the second hand unit was in good condition, with the optional set trigger, and a lot cheaper than a new one, so we purchased it on his behalf. The scope we had decided to get for him is a Meopta Meostar 2-12x50 Illuminated, so one of those has been ordered as well.
Ammo has been decided, and Winchester 64gn Silvertips will be tried first up. So we will see how they group in this rifle, and how they work in the field. We can reload something with heavier construction if needed. This load is one recommended by Don Caswell (shooting writer) as one suitable for dogs, as he targets them a lot with a .223. We will see. Personally, I have a .243 for this, but the .223 serves a few uses for our friend.
Geez, I hope he likes it.