Couldn't stand it any longer. I just had to try out my new rifle. I put a, Shoot-N-See, target on a tree across the hayfield. Measured 100 yards on my, Range Finder. Plunked a folding chair down and used a bi-pod for a rest. Loaded 3 rounds and settled in. First shot hit, 3 1/2'' low of center. Second shot, 1 1/2'' below center. Third shot took out the lower half of the 1/4'' red bullseye. This was at the factory setting of the scope. I was planning on changing out this scope with my, Simmons Atec. But now I'm not sure what to do. The scope is just a cheap, Bushnell Sportsmen, but it's clear and seems to be doing okay. I love the recoil on this rifle. Hardly any kick at all. It's like shooting my .22 mag. I had to give up my beloved, 30-06. The recoil was getting to me. Two different times this fall, I got blurred vision from it's kick. It was kind of scary seeing 3 targets floating around, when I only put up one. :frantic: Besides, the doc has been trying to get me to give up the -06 for a couple of years now. With my degenerative dics, he was affraid I could really injure myself. With correct bullet placement, I should have no problem bringing down a deer. Savage website says that useing the right bullet, like the, 85GR. Sierra GameKing Boat Tail HP, will drop a deer in it's tracks.
I know for certain that I'll have a ball shooting groundhogs this year. The, 55gr. PP, leaves home at, 3910 fps.

Glad to hear you have the new rifle . Hope you have fun and enjoy it Kenny.

Mark

Glad you like it!
Don

Come Spring. Those groundhogs better stay underground.

Man I wish I could go groundhog hunting again..I used to love that.. :ThumbsUp:

Maybe I can get a little place somewhere around there, someday... :D

Leep:

Kenny,I have taken more deer with the .243 using the Sierra 85gr. BTHP than I can remember! If you want a accurate load,let me know... :ThumbsUp:

Jack,... sent you a, PM. :ThumbsUp:

Kenny,they do make factory loads using the Sierra 85gr. BTHP but they do cost a little more. Check out Sportsman Guide they sell them for sure. As for the hand loads I use 40.0gr of IMR 4064 powder and Remington large rifle primers. This load has shot excellent out of every gun I ever tried it with. One more thing,99% of the time the deer fall in there tracks when a broadside lung shot is made. I'm making a "new" combo for my grandson,I just picked up a .243 barrel for a SS T/C Encore frame that I have and I'm putting a 3-9-40mm Zeiss Conquest on top,I just love the .243... :ThumbsUp:

Thanks for the info, Jack. All I have to do now is find someone to reload for me. By the way, have you heard anything, good or bad, about the new, Redfield scopes? There in with Leupold now so it should be pretty good. :dunno:
Sent you another, PM.

If they joined that could only be a good thing,Leupold & Redfield have good optics... :ThumbsUp:

I have gone from an .06 to a .243 also. It is light, short, and shoots like a charm without the recoil. Doc said my spine could not tolerate the .06 any more. Too bad as I have great memories with that rifle. This year I let a friend that is out of work use the .06 and he took a nice doe for his family.

I use standard Rem 100 gr loads and they shoot spot on for me.

The .243 has a Bushnell Hunter 3X9 on it and the .06 has a Leupold 2.5X8. The Leupold is an outstanding scope but I went with the Bushnell for budgetary reasons. Despite the lower cost the Bushnell has been a solid scope which presents a good picture.

My favorite shooting iron is my .22mag Ruger revolver. It is easy to handle using my best arm and hits where I point. It's a blast on squirrels and with target shooting.

PaJack, just wondering if you ever tried the new, FUSION 95gr. ammo by Federal, in your .243? The price is right. Hornady has the, 95gr. SST for deer. Ever tried that?

Kenny,I never used the SST's in the .243 but I have in the 7mm-08 and .30 caliber for a .308 and a .300 Weatherby. They do a great job on deer! As for the Fusion,never tried them. The 85 gr. Sierra BTHP is still my favorite for that caliber..if it's not broken,why fix it... :ThumbsUp:

Gotcha, bud. :ThumbsUp:

Well, I finally found two boxes of, .243 Sierra Game Kings, 85gr. They were found in a little hardware store on my way to, Tn. They were, $39.99 a box, but they marked them down to, $35.99. I could have waited til late spring or summer for the mail order companies to get them but then the price would have gone up 3% plus shp. Who would have ever thought ammo prices would get this far out of hand. :whew: I'll be sure to make them count. The days of spending a day at the range, are over. : Dirt Kicker

$39.99 a box ...Ouch!!

Kenny keep looking for a reloading kit on sale in the paper..It will save you serious money and you will have the satisfaction of loading your own, choosing your own powder, bullets, primers..And, It is easy to learn..and fun too..

My favorite groundhog rifles were the .222 Remington and the 25'06...One for 200 maybe 250 yards and the '06 out to 300 plus..Light recoil, very accurate and just a great killer up to and including deer...

Leep:

Leep, I used to reload years ago. But since my stroke, I do a lot of things backwards. I'm affraid I'll blow myself up. :o I'm looking into finding someone to reload for me. And you're right, It would be much cheaper. Even though the price of reloading materials have gone through the roof along with ammo. If the, DEMOCRATS, had there way, we would all be useing, SLINGSHOTS. :mad:

Have any of you fellers ever tried the, Lee Loader? :dunno: I don't want to spend a lot and don't want to blow the house down. But with the price of ammo getting so high, I've been thinking of getting back to reloading. It will just be for the, .243. I figured it out;
Lee Loader - $25.00
Primers - $35.00
Bullets - $22.00
Powder - $25.00
Total - $107.00
Heck, it cost me, $71.98 + $5.58 tx. = $77.56 for two boxes of ammo lastweek.
For $107.00 I can get 25 boxes of reloads with components leftover. :HeadBang:
Dang, thats worth blowing the house down.
All help will be appriciated. :dunno:

I used one years ago Kenny and never had a problem with it... :ThumbsUp: :dunno:

Leep:

All set to start reloading. All I need to find is a, duel plastic head hammer. I've been to, Lowe's, Sears, Wal-Mart, small hardware stores, no one has them. With the, Lee, handloader their a must. Anyone know of a place on-line that would have one? :dunno:

Oh I thought you were using the Lee handloader, not the one where u actually hit the bullet to seat it..My Uncle used to use one of them years ago and never had one go off on him..
Leep: