I want a medium/light general purpose rifle...

[BBF]

.243 Win is not one of the easier cartridges to get tuned with a Handi in standard weight barrel, the lighter one adds to the problem. Figure on three shots and the barrel will need to cool unless you are in very cold country..

[frgerald]

Hey Dinny,
 
That was a great saying about the rubber and glass balls.  I can work that into a sermon.      Oh, and BTW - Marriage.....the gift that keeps on costing!!     
 
Gerald

[Dinny]

Hey Dinny,
 
That was a great saying about the rubber and glass balls.  I can work that into a sermon.      Oh, and BTW - Marriage.....the gift that keeps on costing!!     
 
Gerald

  You can use it all you want. I can't claim it as being mine, but HE knows where it came from.




Thanks, Dinny

[sidewinder319]

I have lots of all around rifles. Rifles are all a round my house.

[BBF]

That medium/ light label. Is that a weight designation or a cartridge type. If it is the latter, a .243 Win qualifies for "Light" only IMO.
As you recall that business started with the Rem 244 or 6mm designed as a varmint cartridge and light bullets. Winchester redrew the case dimension and gave their barrels a faster twist to shoot heavier bullets. IMO only the heavier standard c&c bullets move it 1/2 step above "Varmint"
 
IMO 25 cal starts the low end of "Medium"

[Squib]

Standard handi rail and hammer extension, weaver steel lever-lok rings, bushnell trophy xlt 3-9x40mm scope

all I need to do now is shoot it enough to get the latch broke-in/mated, and tweak my loads a bit after the break-in.  I'll post up the accuracy finding later, probably in a couple weeks.  after all the scope fitting and mount stuff gets worked out it's still kind of a pain to cock the hammer so my thoughts on putting a shotgun scope on my 45-70 are dead and gone.  maybe better sights in the future, that's all though.

[Squib]

the .243 is as I said in the last post.  I never did get that sub-sonic load up and going... because full-power loads with a fast powder don't really make much noise (even with my short barrel, which I don't understand at all).  I still want to at some point, but it's not a priority.  I have a blitzking load worked up for varmints and deer head/neck shots this year on opening day (Nov 12).  the gun is under 1 moa (0.42 inches @ 50yds, 4-shot groups) with minimal (20 factory and 20? handloads) rounds through it, nowhere near broke-in yet.  The hammer extension doesn't seem to plump up the groups any, though I've not actually taken it off to test since it's so good as is.... I'm the weak factor in this equation.  I got my wife's money worth!!!!! 

[ratdog]

+1 on the 243 if you can get a shooter the 87 grn boat tail hollow points are very effective. for real cheap effective round is the 223 or 22-250 also the 204 ruger i think is more accurate than 22-250 all are easy to reload enjoy.

[JMcDonald]

I haven't read all of the thread, but I think you might have some misconceptions about the .308. It isn't any harder to get the .308 subsonic than the .243 (and there are undoubtedly a vastly greater number of loads and anecdotes for that as well), and a subsonic .308 will do more damage than a subsonic .243 (though I don't think either would be good for deer given the relatively small wound channels they would leave). I have heard good things about the 110gr Hornady A-Max varmint bullets, mostly along the lines of "pink mist."
But, a .243 will indeed do about everything you want it to.