Ugliest Rifle

[Doug Hamilton]

View attachment 755818

View attachment 755818

Someone, somewhere at some time must have thought this was a piece of fine art. I can't say I would ever be one of them.

 

[CoElkHunter]

It's the ugly one in the middle... View attachment 757954

I like the cartridge holder on the stock trying to take the "sting" out of looking at the naked stock. LOL. I really don't care. It IS a RUGER rifle and a fine rifle at that!

 

[CBH Australia]

Wow, Townsend @Bob Nelson 35Whelen must be trying to corner the market on those in .243? LOL

Are you trying to to get his blood pressure up?

I reckon he should buy a .243 and give it a go.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Are you trying to to get his blood pressure up?

I reckon he should buy a .243 and give it a go.

I agree. Maybe a .243AI (Australian Improved) might take the edge off his dislike for that cartridge caliber. That and a bottle of Bundy. LOL

 

[rdog]

I agree. Maybe a .243AI (Australian Improved) might take the edge off his dislike for that cartridge caliber. That and a bottle of Bundy. LOL

I have a vanguard in 243 Ackley it makes the 243 Win a better cartridge much less case stretch & 90 g bullet at 3050 fps with a 24 inch bbl , but it does not impress old Bob at all.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

Friend has a Remington no.1 rolling block in 45/70 , the barrel has patches of spray on rust, stock is camo paint (that spray on wrap paint that peels off) with Fluro orange tape on it and peep sights with the aforementioned spray on rust. It’s as ugly as sin. It’s his F… you to the purists who were going on about someone else’s rifle at the range and being general arse hats. Dave regularly out shoots others with this rifle as it is actually pristine under the paint. It’s a lovely original piece from the 1890’s
Gumpy

 

[csmiffy]

Ugly, but big fun. Describes a girl I dated in high school!

They are like mopeds/scooters. Fun to ride until your friends find.out

 

[MS 9x56]

Wow, Townsend @Bob Nelson 35Whelen must be trying to corner the market on those in .243? LOL

Apologies to badboymelvin. This is a perfect example of chiming.

 

[MS 9x56]

Apologies to badboymelvin. This is a perfect example of chiming.

Damn auto correct, that’s chumming not chiming.

 

[Hagler.450Ex]

Damn auto correct, that’s chumming not chiming.

The blood has turned the water red. Time for my nap.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Not really sure what that means... but I love the .243.
It does everything it promises and is so effective that it rendered several other similar cartridges at the time almost obsolete.

Russ

@Badboymelvin
It rendered the 25s obsolete because of Winchester advertising. It convinced people it was newer and better but in reality was no better but people believed it.
Can't load a 120 grainer into a 243 but can load a 75 grainer into a 25 at holy batman warp speed. So not doing anything the old wasn't already doing but people like new shiny toys so it sold.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I take it as “Chumming “ being throwing out Burley. Kinda like baiting.

Knowing you I’m sure there is no motive here. But, being an Aussie we do like to stir our mates so,

Maybe you need to post a hunt report with the .243

@CBH Australia
@Badboymelvin is actually quite a good shot and actually hunts and has good bushcraft skills.
No matter what Russ shoots with it would be a hunt report.
The average Australian using a 243 would have to write a shooting report when using a 243 because a lot of them just wound a lot of game they shoot.
Russ actually hunts and matches cartridge and projectiles to game, even if it is a 243.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Haha, no, not at all...

Bob's a mate of mine, and I don't deliberately stir him up... we just disagree on certain cartridges, etc...
We've hunted together, and apart from me, my son, and the rifle builder, Bob is the only other person to have fired my 425 Express.

I sincerely think the .243 is excellent. I live in Victoria, Australia, and the largest game we hunt there is Sambar deer, and there are no animals that could be considered dangerous – with the exception of wild dogs...
Now Sambar get pretty big, but I only hunt them in certain areas. Most of my deer hunting spots are for Fallow deer and the spots I hunt, they don't seem to grow to a very big size.

So grabbing a comfortable, lightweight rifle in .243 makes a lot of sense where I hunt.
It is nice, light, easy to carry, flat-shooting, has hardly any recoil, and is powerful enough for everything except Sambar deer.

Ammo is everywhere, and rifles chambered in it are plentiful. My ideal .243 would be an older Winchester Model 70 or Model 670 (with the blind magazine), plain, no frills, and light and manoeuvrable.

So when I discuss the .243 and say that I love it, that's why. It just makes so much sense where I hunt.

@Badboymelvin
That's the beauty of thing mate we can agree to disagree. Life would be boring if we all liked the same thing.
My ideal 243 ( yes I have an ideal one) is a nice model 70 light weight with the 243 barrel either replaced or rebored to 358. Now that would be the ideal 243.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Are you trying to to get his blood pressure up?

I reckon he should buy a .243 and give it a go.

@CBH Australia
Even if someone donated a 243 I wouldn't have one.
As long as my arse points to the ground I will never have a 243.
Even when I die if I was burried face down I wouldn't let my bum crack be used as a stock support for a 243.
Did I happen to mention I don't like 243s.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I have a vanguard in 243 Ackley it makes the 243 Win a better cartridge much less case stretch & 90 g bullet at 3050 fps with a 24 inch bbl , but it does not impress old Bob at all.

@rdog why would it impress me
Now my 25 with a 100grainer and a 24" barrel and over 3,600fps. Now that does impress me. Can your 243 do that, ah, NO.
Bob

 

[CBH Australia]

@CBH Australia
@Badboymelvin is actually quite a good shot and actually hunts and has good bushcraft skills.
No matter what Russ shoots with it would be a hunt report.
The average Australian using a 243 would have to write a shooting report when using a 243 because a lot of them just wound a lot of game they shoot.
Russ actually hunts and matches cartridge and projectiles to game, even if it is a 243.
Bob

No doubt,

Just encouraging him to contribute more. I may have missed some of his reports but as I remember some comments Russ mentioning hunting with the .303 and maybe helping some new shooters with the .243 I’m keen to hear of his adventures.

He is fortunate to have so many accessible public land opportunities. For me a lot of those areas are 500 miles away so it doesn’t make short trips viable with my other commitments.

Next time I see Russ it will be passing through to visit Tasmania.

 

[rdog]

@rdog why would it impress me
Now my 25 with a 100grainer and a 24" barrel and over 3,600fps. Now that does impress me. Can your 243 do that, ah, NO.
Bob

Bob i think you should get your chronograph fixed, my sons 257 Weatherby is struggling to do that .

 

[Badboymelvin]

I reckon they are sought after in Australia too.

Yep

Russ

 

[Ray B]

It wasn't Winchester's advertising of the 243 that caused the switch from the 257. It was decisions made by Winchester and Remington that the best bullet for the 257 was the 117 gr round nose and that the rifles chambered for it were Rem 722 (short action) and blocked magazine Win 70s. Additionally the cartridge was underloaded to accommodate the military conversions common at the time. Handloaders were few and far between so the introduction of the 243 running 8-10K more psi with factory loads made for a superior cartridge. Given equality of pressure, barrel length, bullet selection the 257 is clearly the better cartridge- but it wasn't that way in 1960.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob i think you should get your chronograph fixed, my sons 257 Weatherby is struggling to do that .

@rdog
Taunt nought wrong with my chronograph mate.
A mate built a 25 using my reamer and the load he settle on was an 80gn outer edge at over 3,900fps. Says it pure murder in pigs as far away as he can shoot.
Bob

100gn Nosler ballistic tips