Purchased a new savage .243 , good shootin gun, got the package deal tho, comes with a simmons 3-9-40 blazier scope , dont care much for it , var, adjustment is to stiff, you have to pull the gun down off your shoulder to adjust it, tried oiling it and workin the adjustment ,helped some, but think im going to go with a bushnell 3-9-40 legend on it, but it is a good huntin rifle tho, happy huntin.

Is that the 11FCXP3? I wanted to get one in .22-250 (syntethic stock, detachable mag, package deal), but they don't make it in .22-250. Now they only make the long action version, the 111FCXP3, unless you want an internal box mag.

I'm sure you'll really enjoy yours. All the best.

glad you like your savage, they haven't disappointed me yet :) most scopes that come on package guns leave a lot to be desired, most people end up replacing them at some point

.243 is a good beginner gun with enough kick to make them respect the sport. Have them shoot it early and often though. The kick is light when compared to bigger cal. but it can come as a surprise.

My old shooting partner just replaced his 20 year old Savage last year with a new package with the accu-trigger. His was in 7mm Rem mag though. He put the scope that came with it on a 22 rifle and put one of the Burris Ballistic plex's on the new 7 mag. Nice combo and he killed a dandy little buck with it last year.

I'm shooting two different 243's and for coyotes they work really well. My grand daughter got my Ruger #1 last year for Christmas. We shoot a 55 grain Nosler Ballistic tip in it for coyotes at 3950 fps. No nips and spins with that load, just DRT. I'm not sure what I'm going to load for deer for her yet, but probably one of the 95 grain Barnes bullets, I've got a box of them around somewhere.

Bob, in response to your post of trying Barnes for deer hunting, I was going to do that to because of their ability to hold together in a brushy situation, but I was told I would have to clean the gun a special way or with special chemicals, didnt listen to closely, I guess I was turned off at the special attention to clean up. Have you heard any of this?

To use the Barnes bullets you just need to clean out all of the old fouling before shooting the Barnes as it can affect accuracy. Any copper cleaner will work, then treat them like you would any other bullet. They used to have a bad reputation for fouling in some guns but the modern Barnes bullets don't seem to foul any worse than other bullets. They do need lots of jump (Barnes reccomends .050) and like heavy powder charges. Some guns shoot them very well while other guns just can't seem to group.

Barnes use a different material than the guilding metal jacket material (copper in the ) of most bullets, but can be cleaned with the same chemicals and brushes. There are different reloading loads for the older barnes bullets. The new Triple shocks with the grooves cut in them load more like regular bullets.

nobody has asked this yet but i assume you are talking about deer hunting. a .243 will kill a deer but i dont believe in using less than a .270. i will state as i have in other posts.....hunting is about a clean humane kill to fill your freezer. go with a bigger caliber if you have any questions about your shooting abililty (as .243 should only be used by the best of shots).

A bad shot is a bad shot, it doesn't matter how big the bullet is or how fast its going.

With the proper bullet a .243 is a fine deer cartridge and it will do the job just as effectivly as larger calibers. Like what was said above a bad shot is a bad shot.

nobody has asked this yet but i assume you are talking about deer hunting. a .243 will kill a deer but i dont believe in using less than a .270. i will state as i have in other posts.....hunting is about a clean humane kill to fill your freezer. go with a bigger caliber if you have any questions about your shooting abililty (as .243 should only be used by the best of shots).

A .243 or 6mm is fine for deer. It's what i would consider a minimum and care should be given to the shot the same as you would with a heavier caliber. A gut shot animal is still wounded no matter if it was hit with a .460 mag or .22 rimfire.

Two of the more successful hunters I know use that caliber. My hunting partner mostly carries a model 7 Remington in 6mm. When that rifle goes off it's a sure bet there's meat on the ground. My second son owns a Ruger 77 in .243. He bears out the old addage, "Beware the man that owns one rifle, chances are he can shoot it".

Good posts. I'm also a card carrying member of the 243 club. It is a deadly round and can pack more than enough punch for any deer, and I think effective shot placement is NECESSARY for any shot and this is understood by anyone on this website. A bigger caliber is not neccessarily any more effctive if you hit the deer in a non-vital spot. While hunting I have seen a few deer that were hit by another hunter in a non-vital place. For some reason all of them seemed to be with large caliber of 12 gauge slugs. I've had to take the deer out of their misery. One had one of his rear legs basiclaly shot off. Big slug was my guess. I guess I don't understand how anyone could miss that badly... although certainly if the slug hit something on the eay that is understandable but I think some guys just thgink that if they have a big gun they can fling around at a deer and it should still go down because it is a big hunk of lead (comparatively speaking)

Across the street from my place is a 100+ acres piece of land where a bunch of guys from out of state come up and hunt it come deer season. I think they have auto's sometimes there is so much carnage. Thankfully, VERY infrequently, they hit a deer and ask if they can come on my land to find it. I always say yes. A wounded deer needs to be tracked by the guy who shot it. But I always ask where they think they hit it. Most hits are in the rear of the animal.... And yes all these hunters have 12 gauges, usually pumps or semi-autos. Usually I hear four our even 5 shots at a clip.

Since I hunt mostly on my own land now for deer I have to use shotgun (shotgun ONLY). But when I hunt deer in rifle country the 243 in 80 grain is my tool of choice. It shoots like a laser out to 250 yards and takes the deer down on the spot. I guess part of the reason I like this round though is a choose my shots, and don't fling a round or a few rounds at a running deer.

Savage makes great barrels. They are some of the most accurate out of the box guns being made today. I have had a Savage for 5 years and can make bottle caps dance with it at 120-140 yards. Did replace the trigger though with a Basix. Now it is smooth as silk. Good luck with your Savage 243!!!

trying real hard to not get pulled into the .243 debate i wil just state that i shot several deer through both shoulders with mine. i guess someone forgot to mention to the deer that they would not penetrate. i used the federal fussions and had impressive results with complete pass through. however do be prepared for less than stellar performance with your .243 should you select the wrong bullet (varment, frangable) and try to use it on deer. proper bullet selection with proper placement and you will be fine just as with any other caliber.

Yes indeed. Bullet grain and type of bullet are vital; must be a bullet for deer (larger animal) and NOT a varmint round if you expect performance on deer.

It reminds me of the guy who was complaining about poor accuracy of a shotgun slug, then when asked what he was shooting for slugs he said, "Oh, I don't know, all slugs are the same aren't they???"

Later found he was shooting straight old .690 round balls out of a .730 tube.... doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that he had way too much play between the bore and the ball. Not a condition conducive to accuracy.

I like 80 or 100 grainers in a 243 for deer, Corelokt or soft point have worked well for most people I know who swear by their 243's for deer hunting.

I will have to echo the fellows here standing up for the lucious 243. I started with it, my kids use it, my family extended uses it, and we kill numerous deer every year with it. I prefer heavier bullets for deer hunting, (95-100 grain), my relative has bagged 13 Elk out west, in the past 25 years, what did he use??? a 243, said they never go more than 40-50 yards. Is there a better suited round for an animal this big, I think so, would I take something bigger ?? probably, but the fact still stands, shot placement is everything, you put the crosshairs somewhere in the boiler house and you have lunchmeat. I have 4 rifles in 243 cal and the 2 savages shoot better than the other two hands down. If you're not happy with it, you will be the first one.

I have a Parker hale 243 and a better gun i can not find. Love it. Don't shoot deer over here but have shot countless dingo's and pigs with it. Mainly use 85 grain bullets but have started useing 90 grain Nosler ballistic tips.