bradley winter Posted June 21, 2014 Report Share Posted June 21, 2014 looking for a 243 but am a little lost on wot to go for ... i no sako and tikka r the at the top ov the range but have only have 800 and would like a riflle and scope , r howa a decent rifle? parker hale are realy cheap but is this for a reason ? any advice would be great brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aister Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 For not much more than a howa you could have an a-bolt. Nothing wrong with howa, I have shot with one quite a lot but i prefer the browning. £500 for an a-bolt leaves you enough to get a second hand Schmidt scope or similar. I think the a-bolt comes with bases and rings and a spare magazine, might be wrong on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLondon Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 I have the howa in .243 and I'm more than happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 looking for a 243 but am a little lost on wot to go for ... i no sako and tikka r the at the top ov the range but have only have 800 and would like a riflle and scope , r howa a decent rifle? parker hale are realy cheap but is this for a reason ? any advice would be great brad The reason Parker hale are really cheap is most of them are older than the average forum user, if you buying a .243 try and get a brand new one as they are not known for their long barrel life. Howa are fine for hunting, I should just get one with a decent stable and ridged stock, some I have seen have been very bendy and of little use- a good Laminate might be your friend in this regards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitloop Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 if you wanted info on what 243 fister would be the man to ask .that man really knows what he is talking about when it comes to kit firearms ammo and reloading . but the only thing is the last time I spoke to him he told me that he is getting sick of giving the info for free on hear and if someone wants the knowledge there going to have to pay for it from now on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 if you wanted info on what 243 fister would be the man to ask .that man really knows what he is talking about when it comes to kit firearms ammo and reloading . but the only thing is the last time I spoke to him he told me that he is getting sick of giving the info for free on hear and if someone wants the knowledge there going to have to pay for it from now on. And that doesn't tell you anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennym Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 yeah it tells me hes a top bloke with a good sense of humor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil21 Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 I have a 243 parker hale very good gun, wouldnt swap it for anything else. good value for money too. I use it for fox and deer and at the price Im not bothered about scratching it. There are alot about that have had very little use and like I said good value for money.I f you look about you can pick one up with silencer, and scope for less money than your wanting to pay. It all depends if you want one for being a hunting tool or bling at the gun club!! Id recommend Parker hale to anybody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 if you wanted info on what 243 fister would be the man to ask .that man really knows what he is talking about when it comes to kit firearms ammo and reloading . but the only thing is the last time I spoke to him he told me that he is getting sick of giving the info for free on hear and if someone wants the knowledge there going to have to pay for it from now on. I think it's more the case of fed up with a certain member that has a user name of a southern county like most of us. Just drop him a pm I bet he will give the advice requested as he gets to use most gear it will be based on experience not what he has read on the net. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olliesims Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 I had a howa in .223 and its nice gun but the stock is flimsy as others have stated and had to then buy a wooden boyds stock by then I could of got a tikka with some added funds, I now have a tikka t3 in .243 and its a superb rifle, the stock has minimum flex, look out for a second hand tikka or sako get it checked out by a gun smith if possible and get your self a bargain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geordieh Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Some people talk some **** about Parker Hales they really haven't a clue.Most 243's are used for stalking and get very few rounds through them so will see most of us out.You can pick up a very good Parker Hale for little money that will do a very good job of work for you Geordie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 I don't know a lot about Parker Hales to be honest, but back in the day they were the dog's dangles, and there are many around. as for .243's burning out, I can't say I've come across that. Mate has a 15 year old Sako which has had tons of .243 55grn rounds through it as he is a hill farmer and very experienced and accomplished fox shooter. It is astoundingly accurate. I had a very old Rem' 700 a few years ago and that was more accurate than me with 100 grainers, so perhaps second hand is the way to go for your budget. I can't comment on Howa as I've no experience of them. I own a T3 in .243 Win, and it's all the rifle I'll ever need. It was second hand...just. Give Marcus a ring at John Bradshaw guns; great bloke to deal with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Essex Hunter Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 It depends on if you are a chop and change person with your guns...rifles are harder to keep swapping unlike a shotgun... I brought a basic Remington 700 for £600, yes there is a recall on some of them for a trigger exchange, however I have had the most fun out of a £600 gun you could imagine. You can spend loads on far better finished gun, however it is no good it sitting in the cabernet!! A lots depends on the shooter and how much time you have to use it, I have a very nice scope on mine and for me that makes the difference. The scope an the gun shoot far better than I do, so I had to raise my game find rounds to suit and keep pushing, practicing and fine tuning the scope... TEH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 Yes, there are some old stalking guns around that have done very little over a long period of time and have never been shot on a still hot barrel. I know some guys who are in their late 60s and shoot with their late fathers stalking rifle some of these guns wont have done 10-20 rounds a year on average. It don't matter the make! If you think you can put a good few thousand rounds through a .243 especially a 55 grain traveling close to 4000 fps without burning the throat out of it good luck to you . My own .243 has a poor throat now and some pitting from being out on the does and hinds in poor winter weather for long periods, still shoots well if I spend half my life taking the copper out of it each use, I doubt its done 2000 round and its been fed 100 grain pro-hunters and 95 grain noslers at around 3000 fps for 70- 80 % of that shot count, still well capable of well less than 1" at 200 yards for the first ten to twenty rounds, one day soon though it will just let go as they all do. If your going to buy any older rifle its wise you take a bore scope with you and someone who knows what they are looking for or get it with guarantee you can return it once you have had the bore inspected if all is not good inside. In simple terms 20 rounds a year for 25 years is only 500 total but 25 years of 100 rounds is a barrel already gone or close to being that way. Remember in times past people bought .308 and very much more commonly then .270 for deer and .243 for foxes, crows and deer so the round count will usually though not always be up. .308 is popular with those who do a bit of casual range shooting along with their stalking so even though it has a great bore life for what it offers second hand examples often shoe signs of much use, worn bluing on the bolt handles etc. So if your after a sleeper Parker hale I should look for a real clean .270 from the 1970s to early 80s though remember parts will not be off the shelf. New guns make sense in this the .243 win calibre that only has two failings 1. it stretches brass 2. its got a short barrel life in comparison with other popular deer rounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitloop Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 I think it's more the case of fed up with a certain member that has a user name of a southern county like most of us. Just drop him a pm I bet he will give the advice requested as he gets to use most gear it will be based on experience not what he has read on the you might be right he was very helpful when I went to see him.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitloop Posted June 22, 2014 Report Share Posted June 22, 2014 and a dam nice cuppa it was to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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