Got my 243 barrel today!!

[handirifle]

Thanks Cookieman (Rich)
It came in the mail today, but unfortunately, it was just as I was returning home from the eye Dr. and had to turn back around and go to work.

So I haven't had time to do ANYTHING yet.  This is the part that drives me crazy.  I CAN'T WAIT!!!  ARGGGGGH :evil: !

Anyway, I have no choice.  The eye Dr. visit is a followup from Fri, when I had LASIK surgery done on them :eek:

So Far all is going normal.  Since I'm an old fart (52) I'll still have to wear drug store reading glasses but that is a small price to pay.  Have worn glasses for 34 years and let me tell ya, it takes some getting used to to NOT put them on.

Pulled the Win 94 375 out of the safe yesterday to see what the sights looked like.  Now bear in mind that the eyes will fluctuate for several months, they say.

I could see the front post and objects beyond, WAY better than I have in MY LIFE, with or without glasses.  Makes me wanna cry now when I think of having sold that BC with those nice tang sights on it.  Never dreamed then, I'd see like this now.  I sold it cause the front sight was too hard to see about half the time.

The bad news is I cannot shoot for at least two weeks, and maybe a bit longer.  Hopefully not.  The eyes cannot be jarred hard.  They won't even let me mow the lawn cause I have a hill I have to push the mower up, creates too much blood pressure.  Oh, well, at least this part is temporary.

Anyway, Rich (Cookieman), thanks again and ASAP I'll get some ammo loaded and test that puppy out.  I can at least prep the barrel and chamber and make some loads based on the old data I have from when I had a Savage 243.

[quickdtoo]

Congrats on the eye treament!! Hope it turns out well for ya. A friend who shoots a lot of muzzleloader competition had some sort of lazer eye treament done, it didn't turn out well for her at all, her shooting has seriously degraded since the treatments and she regrets doing it, but hopefully she's in the minority. She scared me out of it, though. I've worn glasses since I was 10yrs old and I'm the better part of 58 now, tried contacts, but they were too much trouble. I have no problems seeing the front sight and as long as I can use a scope or a peep sight, I'm fine. I would really like a product like Bushnell's rainguard for my glasses, but I've tried every concoction known to man without any serious good luck.

You might as well sell that .243, there are so many here that think they don't shoot........NOT!!!!! If it shoots half as good as Mac's and mine, you'll be happy!!

Tim

[Norseman112]

I wish you a quick recovery Handi,
My father had lazer treatment for his eyes a few months ago at the age of 65 yrs young and he is very happy with the outcome. He says he can see better than ever! I bought a new .243 a while ago and I am very happy with it. less than 1 moa.  I hope you have as much fun with yours as I did mine.

[handirifle]

Quick
I had the oportunity to question quite a few fellow employees that had the treatment and only one was not satisfied.  They offer a free "touch up" procedure within 6 months if not happy, be she opted not to do so???   I don't get that one.  Her husband is very happy with his.

Ask your friend if she can do the same?  To me it will be worth it by far, if my vision is anything like I have seen so far.  It comes and goes, but mostly it comes.

My uncle (70yrs old) had it done 2 years ago and is thrilled.  My wife is using me as the guinne (sp?) pig.

It will be nice to not have the cups down on Bino's see without making sure my glasses are clean, the list goes on and on.

As for the 243.  I have high hopes for this one.  I want to try the Barnes triple shock 85gr for my deer loads.  To me the biggest limit on the 243 is penetration with lighter bullets and non-broadside shots.  I think the Barnes will allow me to not worry about that.  I will be able to take quartering to and away shots through the shoulder and not worry.

I think in a pinch, with a good quartering AWAY shot it will do  in a black bear too.  Deer and black bear seasons run concurrently here.  I'd prefer to have my '06 or 375 Win for bear, but if I see him and the shot is right.....I'd limit bear shots to 200yds, for me, just because I would want to be sure the power is there.

I know it is light but like I said, the shot would have to be just right before I'd go for bear with it.  I'd not purposley go after bear with it though.

I have seen what the 85gr Sierra's would do from my Savage and would NOT use that on anything more than our small deer we have.  If a heavier bullet is accurate, so much the better.  My Savage would put the Sierra's in a clover leaf.

[Nuttinbutchunks]

My wife just had Lasik surgery, and so far she's quite happy. She just turned 40. I'm 44, and have never worn glasses, though I use reading glasses now.

One of my three H&R rifles is a .243, and I will enjoy the wide range of hunting this caliber allows. It shoots quite well too.

[handirifle]

chunks
Today is an out of focus day for me.  My right eye (the dominant one) is blurry and it annoys the crap out of me. I can easily read the computer screen with my right eye covered, but with both open, the screen is hazy cause the dominant eye tries to take over.  Since I just had the sugery done Fri they say it is way too early to be concerned, but it bothers me anyway.

My left eye is actually the one that was the worst of the two before.  Go figure.  Actually the right eye had the "new" procedure of LADARWAVE Custom Cornea, done on it and should be better, at least in my mind.  I guess I'll have to be patient (not a strong suit of mine).

Am really looking forward to draggin the 243 to the range.  Glad to hear there are many more with good reports than bad.  Seems the ultra lights are still the ones most prone to problems.

[quickdtoo]

Bev had her surgery about 10yrs ago, what she deals with now is kind of a starburst effect when she looks over her sights, the doc says there's no fix for it and she still has to wear glasses. I'm sure new techniques have eliminated the chances of this type of thing happening since she had her eyes done, though.

I kind of look at my glasses as a safety benefit when I'm hunting, a few of my friends and my brother have had twigs stuck in there eyes when hunting in brush, that never happens to me! My huntin partner did one time get stuck in the ear though, that was very painful for well over a week with a lacerated ear drum....

[myarmor]

Hey Handirifle, good to hear your procedure went well and you are seeing better. I wish you a speedy recovery and hope that you shooting improves even more. Thats never a bad thing. :toast:

[handirifle]

quick
That thought has crossed my mind many times as I too have had twigs hit my glasses before.  This is one of those thing you REALLY want BAD, but after you do you pray like crazy it wasn't a mistake. :cry:

I don't think it will be, but when it's the eyes??

Did Bev had RK or Lasik surgery.  The RK was a surface procedure and left minor scars on thae surface that just about always left them with the starbursts.  Lasik and newer procedures, actually cut a flap (very thin layer) of the eye lense (Yea it's as scarry as it sounds), lay the flap aside and do the laser work on the exposed surface.  The flap is then put back in place and the eye is allowed to heal.

The blurry part comes cause the lense swells some (Duh, it was just about cut in half) and I got to thinking yesterday, that this is the equivalent of distorting a camera, or scope since this is a gun forum, lense.  Of course it will be blurry.

Now All I have to do is be patient enough for it to heal and then see what it looks like.

My eyes are better this morning, although still a bit blurry, so I am hopeful.

On the note of guns, again, I at least fitted the 243 barrel and it fits perfect and locks tight.  I must say NEF had dramatically improved their overall tolerances.  I have two older NEF's (my sons actually) that the barrels will not interchange.  It's no wonder theyalways require receivers to be sent back for fitting.

I suspect most now, are just slapped on and a quick check.

This weekend I'll lap the bore and chamber and do the cleaning.  I need to get scope mounts too.  All I have is a 4X scope for now but it will suffice.  May end up staying.  It is single reticle but I do usually prefer duplex, so we'll see.

myarmor

Thanks for the well wishes, and shooting better is never a bad thing, I agree.

[quickdtoo]

Handi,

I don't know what kind of surgery she had, but since it was about 10yrs ago, I suspect it was the RK, but I don't know for sure. I'm sure that you'll be fine with the advances that have been made since then and hope you heal soon and are back to shooting in no time... :wink:

[handirifle]

Thanks quick
Only one more big hurdle when they heal/stabilize is to re-qualify for work since 20/20 is required.  I cannot do my main job but "other duties" and that gets old.  Medical office says it usually takes 3-4 weeks before I can get back.  Am an Air Traffic Controller, so seeing is "kinda" important.

I'd bet money hers WAS RK because of the time frame, and yes, they have come a long way since then.  It's all computers.  Amazing things.



Just got a sale flyer from Midway and they have some nice deals on Nos Partition bullets for the 243.  Several bullet weights to try.

If this thing is a shooter, I'm gonna like having a 243 again :grin:

[MSP Ret]

OK guys, I say go for the lasik (laser) surgury. I had it done a couple of years ago and am now an old fart of 60 (shudder!!!). 20/20 in one eye and 20/15 in the other!!!. Still use cheap dime store reading glasses if I'm going to read a lot or look at real tiny things but should have had it done earlier. I understand there are some new procedures out now, one with radio waves perhaps?....Do your research and the 6 month "touch up" if required is just about standard I think....<><.... :grin:  :grin:

[jason burns]

I know this is more about the surgery than the .243 but I had it done about four year ago and it has been one of the coolest things of my whole life!  I went from 20/300 to 20/12.5!!  That is fighter pilot vision and it is absolutely amazing!  I had it done before beginning to work overseas as a missionary due to infection risks from wearing contacts but it has turned out to be a HUGE blessing!
Oh yeah . . . you'll love the .243! :wink:

[handirifle]

Jason
That's pretty much how my left eye has gone , but it's been 6 days now and my right eye is still blurry.  It has never been sharp and I'm starting to get a bit pessimistic about it :cry: .  I'm starting to feel like it wasn't corrected properly, so I guess I'll have to wait a little linger.  Kinda bums me out right now to think I might be spending my summer getting this straightened out :cry: .

The Dr. said last visit not to worry, but SHE :?  is not the one looking through a blurry eye.  If it went back and forth (blurry-clear) I'd feel like I have hope but it doesn't.

Glad yours came out so well.  They do a free "touch up" within 6 months, so that tells me my case might not be so uncommon.