New .243? Which rifle?
 

Ok. I've been wanting a new hunting rifle for quite some time and have settled on the .243 Win. I just can't decide which rifle. I have a thing for "pretty rifles" and I'm considering a Savage Model 14 American Classic or a Remington Model Seven CDL. Does anyone have any experience with either of these rifles?? I've owned a Savage before and have nothing but good to say about it. I have no experience with Remington however and have heard mixed things on their quality these days. All input is appreciated.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

http://www.remington.com/products/fi...seven-cdl.aspx

I have a Remington Model 7 but it's not chambered in .243Win. It is a great handling rifle and very smooth action. It is one of my favorite rifles. You could do far worse than the Mod 7. They are light weight and handle quick. I have no first hand experience with Savage other than an old model 340 in 30-30 so I can't say much about them. Other rifles to consider are Tikka and CZ as well as Howa/Weatherby vanguard, and Browning. They are all accurate well built rifles. I have heard and read good things about the new Winchesters as well.

Don't forget the Ruger models either.

IMO, a new FN made Winchester M70 Featherweight is a very nice rifle and would be my pick over the two you listed.

My choice would be the Remington.

Model 7's are very nice. Great combination of size, weight, and quality. My son has a Ruger M77 compact in .243, its nice too...but I personally like Remingtons better.

I bought my son a Model 7 .243-Youth Model for his 13th Birthday. Just purchased the full size stock for him for Christmas, as he outgrew the youth stock a couple years back... It's an awesome rifle. Puts the bullet right where you aim it. :)

I would go with the Savage American Classic, but the Remington is nice also. You wont go wrong with either. I believe for out of the box accuracy, the Savage would get the nod. I recently bought a Savage Light Weight Hunter but also looked at both rifles you mentioned while I was there. I always liked Remington but when I looked at the new Remingtons in person I wasnt impressed. They look great untill you look at the recoil pad, it looks like it dont even fits the rifle. Other than that it was good looking gun but the Savage has a much nicer fit and finish. By the way, that wasnt just one particular Remington rifle, everone they had in the shop was like that, all models. If you look close at the picture you put up on there website, you will see what I am talking about, the recoil pad looks to big for the rifle, it doesnt line up with the lines on the stock. Although you could buy a new recoil pad and have a gunsmith fit it to the stock like it should have been done.

Just had that rifle in my hands a couple of hours ago @ BassPro shops.It would be my number 1 choice also.

Mavwreak1975,
Of course "pretty" is different for everyone, but, I believe Browning makes a nice one. Especially, the A Bolt. It even has a "pretty" gold trigger!

You want a pretty .243??? How about a tackdriver of a different sort? Check out a Win 1885 Low Wall. I have one and it's wonderful. It's lightweight, shoots lights out and is very well made. Of course it's only a single shot...but that is all you need. Make the first shot count.

bugNbows,
That 1885 is a "purdie" one for sure! And I love singleshots! In fact, my .243 is a TCR'83 Aristocrat with real fancy wood and double set triggers. And the bonus is that both the 1885 and TCR are still short in overall length while still having long barrels because they don't have the added length of an action.

"Of course "pretty" is different for everyone................." DROX


Synthetic stock with detachable box magazine, stainless match grade barrel, drop in trigger and good glass ~ now that pretty !

Pretty ??? Functional...most definitely!

As everyone else has noted...pretty means different things to different people. The only truly "pretty" rifles with a nice wood stock I have bought recently was my Browning A Bolt Medallion in 25 WSSM...really nice wood and it shoots like a dream.

Like Sheridan stated though...I bought a Tikka T3 Stainless Lite a few years back and I really do love the rifle and it really is "pretty" in the terms of functionality...accurate beyond me, adjustable trigger that breaks like glass, detachable mag, target crown barrel and action smooth as butter...

This is my idea of a pretty .243 and it shoots one hole groups. It's a Sako Forester and it will be mine until I die. I just took my 80" antelope out in Wyoming with it in October.

Another Model Seven fan,you won't be sorry...:happy0001:

I shoot a model seven stainless with a black stock. They are great guns and accurate. I would get another one if I could

I just read an article in "Outdoor Life", I think it was. They tested several rifles and the Marlin X7 beat them all in the accuracy department. If I was going to get a new rifle, I would get one of them, they can be had for less then $400. A pillar bedded syn. stock would win over pretty, and I also like good looking guns.

do any of the big box stores sell the Marlin x7?

Don't know SevenFields. I was at an Academy Sports, they did not have one. You can price them on gunsusa.com and gunbroker.com.

If you're wanting pretty rifle I've held and shot all of the above and I prefer the browning xbolt stainless stalker or even better the xbolt white gold medallion most beautiful gun I've ever held! To me the xbolt are much nicer and well thought out guns than the CDL's and t3's and even A7's before I bought my first rifle i shot them all did lots of research and the browning just made more sense. hopefully that helps a little just go to the local gun store and shoulder the guns you want whichever is more comfortable or makes the most sense to you go for it.