RE: Perfect Deer Rifle
Ridge Runner:
I'm surprised to hear that.
I remember Ruger offering auto's in .243 and .308 for a short while but these were soon pulled off the market. My assumptions were (1) that the rifle/action wasn't able to handle these cartridges due to pressure and (2) that this rifle was the same as the "Mini".
It appears that these autos must have been built on a different action.
However, if my assumptions were correct, the .250 would have been the perfect solution, being shorter than the .243 and operating at a lower pressure level.
Oh well! I guess I'll have to come up with a different dream rifle.
Pro-Line:
My opinion is based on where I hunt and how I hunt.
I hunt in Ontario, where the bush is thick, and few shots are over 30 yds.
I am also a still hunter by choice, however, I will participate in drives, and other methods as long as it's not stand hunting.
Since every place you stop is "new", and when still hunting or tracking, every step you take changes your "shooting lanes", unseen intervening brush is a major factor. I'd estimate that between 30% and 75% of shots can be lost to unseen brush.
This makes a the potential for a quick follow-up shot an necessity. Since a lever, pump or autoloader can get off a second aimed shot in half the time of a bolt, and 3 shots in the time it takes a bolt to shoot 2, there is a clear advantage to the fast action.
If my hunting consisted of sitting in a blind or in a tree overlooking a large open area, action type would be of little consequence.
Rick