looking for a new deer rifle-

[trophygrl]

and this is what i am looking at... it's a savage .243. package series

http://www.savagearms.com/10gxp3.htm

thing is, it has to be either a youth model or has to have wood furniture so i can have the stock cut down.

i really like the accu trigger and i think the .243 will take down a deer just fine...

does anyone have any experience with this gun or have any other suggestions? i hate that you can't try before you buy

 

[one-eyed Jack]

Looks like a nice rifle. the .243 has very low recoil and would work fine on deer. My son's wife in Alaska takes moose with the .243. I'd never try that, but she is an amazing shot, gets close to the animal, and drills them in the brain. My son backs her up with the .338 mag. Do you have an AR15? I got a 6.8 SPC upper for mine for deer hunting. Jack.

 

[trophygrl]

yeah-- we do have an AR-- that is a pretty good idea

i sort of want the savage though-- i love that trigger. we have an accutrigger on our savage .17--its just that i have never fired a .243

 

[wolf223]

not much to add, but i have a 10FP in .223 and I LOVE it!

you can't go wrong w / Savage.

 

[MassMark]

I'm a huge fan of Savage, but also Ruger. I just ordered one of these for a customer, (in stainless, with black stock) and am blown away not only by what a nice rifle it is, but how sweet the Ruger trigger is. It also has an integral scope base and comes with rings, so mounting up is not a big deal......Something to think about anyway...

http://ruger.com/Firearms/FAProdView?model=17135&return=Y

 

[trophygrl]

wow-- that's really nice too!

i really wish with spending 500-1000 that you could try these out.

 

[celisup78]

My friend has used a .243 for the last 7yrs or so on whitetail. He harvests several deer every year with the rifle on the first shot. Good luck

 

[RichM]

Don't buy the one that shoots like THIS:

 

[trophygrl]

omg-- i would never have shared that video if that were me shooting!! that's bad!!



either he is a bad shot or the scope was all wrong

 

[economist]

Did you consider going with the 7mm-08 Rem? I see Savage offers it in the same configuration as the .243 you like. The 7mm-08 cartridge is popular, maybe a little less so than the .243, with ammunition easy to find. You get more punch than the .243 with not much more recoil. The 7mm-08 is often recommended as a first deer gun for youth and I would go with it over the .243 for deer alone. Having said that, I love the .243, and as a multi-purpose varmint and small to medium sized game gun it is a nice choice.

 

[Mike-Mike]

Don't buy the one that shoots like THIS:

I think that guy had his scope mounted just about finger tight.

 

[trophygrl]

where could i go to have a stock cut down and a recoil pad fit on?

how can i figure out what length of pull is exactly right for me?

currently, i use for shotguns, 20ga's with a 13" LOP, but that is the closest i can get top perfect out of the box-- i want to make sure that if i buy a new gun and have it cut that its 100% good

 

[BoB13]

My .02$...

I would very highly recommend the Savage model 16 Stainless Weather Warrior. I own one in .308 with a Leupold VXII atop with Warne rings.

Very accurate, very light and durable. I never have to worry about snow, rain or whatever. The Accutrigger is phenominal

I always push people to the stainless models.

Savage is a great company.

 

[damon_o]

Funny, I just bought a 10GXP3 in .243 less than 2 weeks ago from Collector's in Stoneham.

It's the only bolt-action rifle in my cabinet now, so did a decent amount of research before buying. The Savages are a great value. Excellent trigger, accurate out of the box for not a lot of money. Came very close to buying the 11FXP3 at Dick's about two months ago, but now very glad I didn't. The wood is so much nicer to look at and feel than the synthetic stock.

can't go wrong with .243 IMHO. readily available, very versatile round. effective on pretty much any game you're gonna come across in this part of the country.

 

[jkeeley1]

My .02$...

I would very highly recommend the Savage model 16 Stainless Weather Warrior. I own one in .308 with a Leupold VXII atop with Warne rings.

Very accurate, very light and durable. I never have to worry about snow, rain or whatever. The Accutrigger is phenominal

I always push people to the stainless models.

Savage is a great company.

agreed, I used to have one in .300WSM. It is a great rifle, sold it to my friend a few years back since 300WSM is too pricey for me to shoot.

 

[jpattersonnh]

Did you consider going with the 7mm-08 Rem? I see Savage offers it in the same configuration as the .243 you like. The 7mm-08 cartridge is popular, maybe a little less so than the .243, with ammunition easy to find. You get more punch than the .243 with not much more recoil. The 7mm-08 is often recommended as a first deer gun for youth and I would go with it over the .243 for deer alone. Having said that, I love the .243, and as a multi-purpose varmint and small to medium sized game gun it is a nice choice.

7mm-08 would be a great choice. If you get into reloading you could do almost anything w/ it. So Where is Zone 11? If you check the stats on bullets, 6.5 and 7mm take it all. I shoot a 6.5x55 in NE and a 7mm rem mag out west. 6.5x55 is a real sleeper. Wonderful round.

 

[ooglassoo]

Omg that was the funniest shit I have seen in a while. I watched that vid 3 times and lol every time. If I were a deer I would want that dude shooting at me.

Don't buy the one that shoots like THIS:

 

[RichM]

... and it stood stock-still until the 3rd shot!

 

[the jeff]

Why not a .270? A little bigger to insure a ethical kill.

 

[Len-2A Training]

I'm not a hunter and know nothing about Savage rifle models, but someone posted on another forum that BassPro (allegedly all their stores) are closing out the Model 114 Savage rifles for $399!

Might be worth a phone call and/or look-see?

 

[PatMcD]

I would second the recommendation for a little bit bigger cartridge. 7mm-08, .260, 6.5x55, etc.. All are soft on the shoulder and offer a little more insurance.
The .243 requires a perfect shot to cleanly kill. Yes, we should all be striving for that, but hunting is rarely a perfect endeavor.

 

[wahsben]

The .243 is a fine cartridge and the Savages with the accutriggers are good guns.

 

[trophygrl]

I'm not a hunter and know nothing about Savage rifle models, but someone posted on another forum that BassPro (allegedly all their stores) are closing out the Model 114 Savage rifles for $399!

Might be worth a phone call and/or look-see?

definitely, thanks!

 

[rcinma]

I was at KTP yesterday and they had a very short-stocked (Ruger I think) .243. They also had a couple of Browning BLR's in 7mm-08 that might fit you if you are not set on a bolt action.

 

[jar]

So Where is Zone 11?

Presumably she's not hunting in Zone 11, since there's no rifle deer hunting in MA.

 

[trophygrl]

i hunt deer in zones 11 and 12, but with a shotgun.

this rifle will be for hunting out of state... and for fun at the range

here is a map of massachusetts hunting zones in case you are not familiar with them:

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/hunting/pdf/wmz_map.pdf