Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Problem Child 243 Featherweight

I bought this rifle off the fire a little over a year ago. It is destined to be my daughters deer rifle. I have played with several different loads and at best it is a 2 moa rifle and most of the time worse.

I bedded it, free floated it, added back a pressure point, changed scopes, remounted the bases, sanded down the mag box, tried 85 grain bullets, 95 grain, 100 grain, hand loads, factory it doesn't seem to mater. Bottom line it still sucks.

I'm trying to decide if I should cut my losses and send it down the road and buy something else or send it in for a surgical procedure? For the price of a new barrel I am sure I could get another rifle. I don't need it to shoot 1/2 inch groups but a consistent 1 MOA seems reasonable.

Keep in mind that whatever I do I will need to figure out a shorter stock for the little one. I am thinking about the Vanguard/Howa compact in 243 or possibly the Ruger compact.

Thoughts / opinions?

Thanks,
Andy

Will 2MOA really lose deer where 1MOA won't?

Realistically a 2MOA hunting rifle is sufficient, although if any worse i wouldn't use it. But i totally understand wanting a better shooter, believe me. Judt out of curiosity, did the seller claim it was a good shooter? If its a rifle for your daughter id look into the new Ruger American. My little brother is 20 and wants to get into rifle shooting and deer hunting with me (I've been trying to get him to come out for a few years now) and he really liked my Montana's until he found out how much they cost! Anyway, i brought him to cabelas a few weeks ago to check some rifles out and get an idea of what feels good. He really liked the Ruger and everything ive heard about them has been really good, especially for the price. He doesn't have much
money right now as hes paying for half of his school and a car so i gave him an extra Zeiss Conquest 3-9 i had (NIB) and am going to put $150 down on the rifle in 308 and layaway for Christmas without telling him. They're on sale at cabelas for $350 right now too.

Maybe it'd be best to bring your daughter with to feel them herself? If they're too big i know Browning makes the micro a-bolts and Winchester has the FW compact but they are more $. The Browning is kinda cool because if you get the youth version they have a deal that you can buy a full sized stock for the rifle at a discounted price for when the kiddo grows up. Either way id cut my losses, sell the one you have and try a new rifle. It sounds like you've done almost everything to get it to shoot.

Good luck!
Cory

I hate sending turds down the river. I feel that it promotes bad mojo, bad luck, bad karma, whatever the f you wanna call it. I would send it to Hill Country Rifles and have them accurize it. Then its good to go and you won't have to worry about the dark magic of the what goes around comes around rule.

http://www.hillcountryrifles.com/pages/accurizing

I think most of us on here wouldn't be happy with a 2 MOA rifle. Could I kill stuff with it, absolutely. As a gun nut am I happy with that? Absolutely not.

Well, if we're talking rifle loonyism

Do have a concentricity gauge for checking your handloads and factory ammo? Measured the throat of the rifle to ensure that your loads are .020" off the lands or nearer?

If you're at 2MOA and want to get to 1MOA, I'd start with the ammo: matched to the chamber, loaded as straight as possible and sorted for run-out.

I am good on measuring the seating depth and played with that quite a bit. I don't have a concentricity gauge but could use one. I load for quite a few rifles and have never had this issue. But, each one is an individual.

Thanks for the thoughts.

What do the groups look like? Vertical or horizontal stringing, or just plain random? Do the groups start good but open up? Is the rifle predictable for the first, cold bore, shot but then unpredictable for the rest of the string?

How many 2moa rifles you hunting with?

A friend of mine has a 243 feather weight. It sucks just as bad or maybe worse. Real nice gun and he really likes everything about it except how it shoots.....lol.

I understand a "deer rifle" doesn't really have to be a 1/2moa shooter but 2moa plus don't cut it for me.

Yeah, 2MOA sucks. Maybe in a lever gun or something or some other relic, but not in a newer bolt action like Winchester.

Cut your losses and move on.

How well did it shoot with Federal Fusion 95 grain factory ammo?

If you haven't tried it, it will tell you what you can get out of a 243?

Where at in Or and how much do you want for the poor shooting bastid....Don't worry about that bad mojo stuff if the price is right....Another thing, don't waste your hard earned money on Hill country, especially if you live close enough to me

Yeah, he should send it your way. You seem to have the knack for getting them to shoot.

I really need to be working with my new to me pre 64 375 H&H though......

You don't have it ready for hunting next year yet?! I expect a pic next spring with it resting on a dead bear...

Ha ha......We'll see .. The dink black bear around here are not really worthy. Now if I lived in your neck of the woods though.......

First id run a bore scope down it. If the bore checks out I'd touch up the crown and see what happens. I would want a sub MOA rifle as well since it is doubtful your daughter will be able to shoot it as well as you can. Give her every advantage possible to make sure her hunt is a success. I sure wouldn't hesitate to rebarrel either.

This is what I bought my son:

http://www.hyattgunstore.com/remington-700-sps-compact-rifle-in-243-winchester.html

He loves the shorter length of pull, feels like he can really get in a good position with the rifle. Length of pull can be extended as he grows.

He got a nice 200lb hog last weekend, grinning from ear to ear. Used the federal premium with 85g TSX.

I know a guy who had the same rifle/chambering and had the same accuracy issues. He tried everything he could think of-bedding, scopes, mounts, a large variety of bullet/powder combos. IIRC, the only bullet he could get to show any promise was Hornady's 100gr. roundnose.

Were it mine and I had my heart set on keeping it, I'd send it to E. R. Shaw for a new stainless barrel ($240+ $115 for installation).