I'm in the UK and am wanting a "good" single shot rifle in 243, there are quite a lot of German rifles out there but I'm thinking of a ruger no.1 of a high spec, good wood etc either from ruger or getting one customised, do any of you know someone who could do this work for me or where I could buy one , I have been told that shipping one from the US will be my best option.
I already have a standard ruger no. 1 in 243 and might even consider buying new stock and fore-end for it if I can find one.

Cheers

stew

Why do you need another .243? You already got one gun.


IMO, you should get a nice, Lee Enfield, that should make a great hunting rifle.

Is there .303ammo readily available in the UK?

If you are really sure about getting another Ruger .243, than you might consider getting it shipped from Canada instead, because there's better diplomatic realations.

You can never have too many guns. lol

I'm a professional hunter , so I'm looking for a "good" gun i.e one I can take when I hunting for fun {abroad, African small plains game , roe deer in Scandinavia}

The 303 is just about absolete as a hunting rifle in the UK , although I have a 303 Lee Enfield smle no.4 jungle carbine. The 303 is just dated compared to 270, 243 , 308 7mm-08 , 25-06 etc.

I'm quite open about where I buy this gun it's more of a case of getting what I'm looking for.

I have plenty guns this is something "special" I have always wanted, I'll know this gun when I see it.

stew

Oh , meant to say, diplomatic relations between the USA and Great Britain are very good.

I'd either get a nice stock done for you currrent .243 or get another #1 and have it customized with a new stock and a rechambering to something different and not available as a factory chambering. Two of the same gun in the same chambering just doesn't make much sence to me.
For stocks maybe start looking at Wenig.
Actually, start here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ruger-1/

My existing no.1 is for work and has a 6-24 x 56 swavroski , I'm wanting open sights on this one and swing off mounts [appell] , I like the 243 but am wanting a different style of rifle

If you're going to hunt Arfrican small plains game, you'll need something bigger than a .243, and aren't roe deer the size of a red stag?

I would suggest, the all-American classic, the 30-06 Springfield, or if you're able to use something bigger, the 7mm Remington Magnum, which has better long-range ballistics.

If you aren't able to handle the recoil that comes from the 30-06, then get a .308,I have one, andI love it, and if you get 180 grain loads, it's capable of taking down a Rocky Mountain Elk, which means it should be able to harvest all European Big Game, with the exception of the Kamchatka great bears.

No, no, if one's to go to Africa and will be bringing a classic design such as the ruger 31, they need a classic chambering. In this case I gotta agree that the .243 is pretty small for African game. So were it me, I'd opt for a nicely stocked Ruger #1 that's rechambered for the classic and underrated, yet very capable, .300 H&H. can be loaded mild to wild in this action to deliver the performance required. Also gives the owner a sence of uniqueness and pride on thier hunt and at home. Also a very European cartridge as well. Sorry I missed the African part initially.A Ruger#1, .300 H&H and Africa just all fit very nicely together.

I've hunted small plains game for about 10 years with a 243 andno problems, impala and warthogs mostly.

Roe deer are small and I shoot 250 - 300 a year professionally[22-250 for females 243 for males]

For red deer[250 a year]I use a 270win and have a 300magfor wild boar in Europe and a rigby 375 h&h for big game[bufaloe & kudo etc.]

As I say ,I don'y really need another rifle , I just have always wanted a nice single shot medium calibre rifle for holidays and to look at.


stew

Stew 1705

I have the Ruger #1in 243Win withthe Internation stock , have you looked at them . I also have two bolt actions ,a Savage lever action and a Browning pump in all in 243 Win .