Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles MRC/Whittaker Guns/24hour Group Buy #2..

I've seen more than a few 105's hit the target sideways from 1-9" twist at sea level.

These group buys are hard to appease the majority,

I hesitated on the first buy, still not sure why,didn't really care for the caliber and thinking next time around things might be interesting,

and I'm again hesitant on the 2nd buy. again, hesitant on the caliber,

What are you after? Lightweight varmint rig?

General purpose Big game? Target? weight? portability?

I'd love a .308 lefty, a general all around big Game rig, also fun at the range, hopefully topped out at 7.5#, and common sense tells me I'd be way ahead of the game if I just ordered solo.

Fast twist 243 is very interesting to me. Have to kick this one around some, but thinking I'll buy one of the left handed ones. Be great for long range deer and antelope in my area, plus I like the 243 for introducing new shooters to the sport.

Can't speak to everybody's wants but this one happened to hit a lot of things I like.

- Getting to be a recoil wimp in the autumn of my years so a .243 has a lot of appeal for volume shooting.
- I'm not a fast twist fanatic but no reason not to like 1:8.
- They're offering a left handed, stainless steel short action mostly Model 70, and it's available now. Winchester ain't making any left handers, they sure as hell ain't makin'em in stainless steel and they sure as hell ain't makin' any LH, SS short actions.
- I've examined a couple of MRC rifles at Cabela's and liked what I saw.
- It's a nice sporter configuration and not too heavy like my LH Model 70's. I don't like bench shooting, prefer to shoot from field positions and can't warm up to 9+ pound precision rifles. I like the way a well balanced sporter configuration feels in the hand and this one looks like it ought to be really nice in that regard.
- Looks like a bit of a break over the normal street price which is kind of moot anyway since I haven't seen a whole lot of LH Extreme X2's for sale anywhere at any price. And it looks like these will be available in a fairly short time.
- By all accounts Whittakers is/was a Mom and Pop store that done good, Darrick is trying to help folks and get us something out of the ordinary and I appreciate that and am willing to support those efforts.

Each of us only has to please ourselves (I please myself several times each day ) so if someone else doesn't like this one that's cool. I do like it and AFAIK am #1 on the left hander's list when they come in.

Sounds like another nice rifle.

243 Win. is great.

22-250AI or standard. 8t. Adl or alloy metal. Fwt or mountain contour. Could this be close to 6#?

W

I would jump all over a 6.5 saum 4s with a #3 fluted barrel...

I am a huge .243 fan. Still contemplating this group buy. Just started dialing in the LH MRC 6.5x55 I special ordered to mimic the .260 group buy. Really digging the 6.5. Decisions, decisions...

There are three left hand rifles left and several right hand rifles. Judging from the PM's and emails I received, I wouldn't have guessed this buy would last a day.

Live and learn I guess?

I wonder how many more 260s would have sold? They did sell out rather fast. However, this rifle sounds like it will be a very nice rig as well.

Thanks for putting these group buys together, it is appreciated.

I was one of the many who sent emails to Darrik asking for this rifle. I was in the process of building an 8 twist .243 when the .260 group buy was offered. I saw what Darrick was doing as a way to get what I wanted cheaper in the long run.

Just my M700 donor and B&C mountain rifle stock cost over $600. A quality barrel and install with squaring of the action was going to push me over the $1200 price pretty easily. Throw in a new trigger, parts to remove the j-lock, flute the bolt, and other cosmetic things I wanted to do in the long run would have added even more expense.

Yeah this rifles going to come in heavier than I envisioned, but not by much. I shouldn't break 8 lbs all up, but if I do it won't be by much. All in all I got some thing I wanted with this rifle I wasn't going to have with the M700 I was going to build and vice versa.

There's a big difference between the .260 group buy and the .243 buy..... that difference is commonality. No one makes a properly twisted, stainless sporter .260..... well, almost nobody. On the other hand.... I can walk into any local enabler and grab a stainless 700 in .243 that'll shoot 105s and let me fit'em in the magazine. Slap a Ti stock on it and you're the same basic profile/weight as the MRC. It ain't CRF.... but I've yet to be charged by a angry muley or been mauled by a poorly hit coyote.

I dig these buys, Derrik has certainly taken the bull by the horns and delivered some really cool rifles where options were previously limited. It's nice to see a business take time to address the desires of a small (yet vocal) community. I'd have bought one of the .260s if I didn't already have 6.5s coming out the ears.... and when (faith) one rolls out in .284 I'll be first on the list. I also can't wait for the T3 Sweedes to get here.... I've already got brass prepped....

Thanks for putting this together SAS.....

Elevation may have something to do with your stability.

I'm at about 500' -- give or take a few. I've tried several Remington and Ruger rifles in 243. Things look good in the summer, then go to Hell in the winter. Most of my shooting at distance is after the crops come out and through the winter months.

I've yet to find a factory 9 or 9 1/4 twist that will stabilize 105's regularly where and when I shoot. I know they may exist and perform better in other areas, but I've yet to find Nirvana with the factory twist in 10-12 samples. They've all keyholed at some point.

I am kinda high here in CO.... laffin'.

Don't get me wrong... I get the appeal of the 1:8"... and it really is the right way to twist most everything sub-7mm. Just saying with .243s there's a veritable cornucopia of other rifle options, though there are none that are capable of surely stabilizing ALL the 105s (new Ruger is the gamer's exception). With the .260 there really wasn't another player in the game....

PS... I bet a 1:8 .243 running 55 NBTs at 4000fps (spinning 360,000 RPM) would fling goo for miles....

Agreed.

As I noted earlier, a "gap filler" like an 8 twist 22-250 would probably sell better than a 1" faster twisted 243 over factory, which really only becomes necessary for guys at low elevation shooting 105 grain match bullets in cold conditions.

What it tells me is that it's 'marginally' stable for a bunch of other folks, they just don't know it and it ain't a good place to be.

On Tuesday!

1/8 is perfect regardless of temp, elevation, velocity, etc. 1/9.25 is "usually" good if the conditions are right and you're launching a 105 at max speed...you're on the bubble at 105's launched fast....nothing heavier and speed is essential. Extra mag box length is a plus, common mag box length is "hopefully" good.

If you're wanting to send 105(+)'s this is a great standard weight, stainless/synthetic, turnkey platform for it. Short wait, low price, great group buy.

For sure. 8 twist 6.5 SAUM throated for the 127 LRX @ 0.050" jump with another 0.050" to chase and I'm IN.

pm me please if they ever do this gig in .375 H&H


a bolt hanging off the left hand side and I'm in