Can't decide on rifle caliber!

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Awesome thanks guys! I cleaned and oiled her up!

Here is a photo of the new rifle!

IMG_20131228_123625_zps41b6e4d4.jpg



Now as far as cleaning and taking care of this rifle, what do you guys recommend? I have a Beretta A400 Xcel Sporting 12GA that I know like the back of my hand, so I can take it apart and clean and oil everything. Should I basically follow the same process for the rifle that I do for my shotgun?
 
Cleaning

Before you shoot it the first time, take it apart as far as you are confident you can reassemble without problems cropping up. I know nothing about Tika firearms so can't advise, but you do need to remove all of the grease that is probably applied at the factory to preserve the metal works. Then oil the moving points, like the trigger pins---very lightly! Reassemble. Clean the bore thoroughly---till you get clean patches out every time. This can be a bit of elbow grease project---it was on my last new rifle. Maybe the owners manual has a page or two about this?

Here is a link to a couple of recommended break-in procedures. some shooters go to extremes when breaking in a new barrel, others just go shoot the new barrel like it had 500 rounds through it. I follow the recommendations by Shilen Barrels.

http://www.biggerhammer.net/mgshoot/www.gulfcoastarmory.com/breakin.html
 
Yes I cleaned it today. That is a pretty intense break in for the barrel haha. It says to clean the barrel and let the solvent sit for 10 minutes after every shot! Anyways, thanks for the help.
 
Yeah--it is intense. I don't adhere to all of the procedure, but mostly do what they recommend. After about 20 rounds I say to hell with it---it either shoots or it doesn't. During field use it gets cleaned when I feel like it.
 
Tikka T3 lite, I have two - one in 30-06 and the second in 223. Great rifles for packing and pretty darned accurate.

A couple of quick thoughts:

for single loading this little device works wonders
https://tikkaperformance.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=416
A really good Tikka website.

and if recoil is still an issue this also works wonders (only put one on my -06 and first thing that I would recommend if recoil is an issue)
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/96...3-t3-lite-ruger-k77-22-synthetic-rubber-black
Read the reviews and note the overall rating.

And I thought that 1911s were addicting! Enjoy your new rifle!
 
I started hunting with a .243 at the age of 7 and shot plenty of 4 legged critters DRT with it up to around the age of 19 or 20.

I loaded for mine and found the 85 through 100gr bullets to perform the best overall. I never really got into the lighter weight stuff since usually if I was out with it deer were also on the venue.

Have fun with yours and learn the drops with your ammo of choice, and you will have a ball.
 
I use automobile paste or liquid wax on the metal exterior of my hunting rifles. It keeps them from rusting, despite the weather.
 
Depending on what you are hunting either will do well. If you might hunt elk or moose, I would go with the .308. A little more power and a little bigger bullet.
The .243 is a little softer recoil, but if your .308 fits correctly there isn't really much difference. One benefit of the .308 is that generally you can find some cheaper ammo for practice. Practice is always a good thing.
 
I would go with the 308 for a few reasons. While the recoil will be more, the 308 recoil is not very bad at all in my opinion. It's a more versatile round and can be used on more game. And it's not such a huge deal for whitetails, but some of those mule deer can get to be pretty staunch and I have heard stories of several wounded whitetails with a 243. Given, I'm sure, a decent percentage of those stories probably involved less than adequate shot placement. I'm sure both would work well, assuming good shot placement, but I just prefer the 308.
 
It looks like the last two people who posted didn't read far enough to see that he's already made his choice and purchased a .243. It might be time to close this one, because I bet more people are going to chime in with suggestions after the fact.
 
I probably should have bought the .308 as people are telling me .243's are barrel burners and its a "light" load for deer. Looks like I am **** out of luck. Starting to wonder if I made the right choice with the .243
 
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I have an old Remington Woodsmaster (semi-auto) in .243. It is not a range gun. It is a hunting gun. My dad (while he was alive) and I both used it. Each season we take a few shots for practice and to assure the scope is still at zero then it is hunted. As such, it likely has less than 250 rounds through it. It's never had a bipod on it; just a sling. We can shoot it 2 MOA or less without any issue.

Now if I were to go out to the range, put a 10 round magazine in it, and blast away then it would certainly burn out the barrel prematurely. That is not the use for which the rifle was designed. If you are a hunter, I don't see an issue with the caliber being a 'barrel burner'. Yes, the .243 can let a hunter down on larger deer - if the shot is poorly chosen. On big healthy Iowa corn feed deer, I wouldn't take a shot from the back quarters unless the deer were right on top of me. The .243 might still do the job, but I really don't care to spend a lot of time tracking. I like them to drop in a few yards.

IMHO the .243 is a hunting man's caliber and a fine one at that. It's not a range gun or one to use on a couple hundred prairie dogs in an afternoon.

I have a very nice bolt action 30.06. Other than for the pre-session checkout, it hasn't seen use for the last four seasons - because I just pick up the .243 and go.

I admit to bring a twenty-caliber fan, but I just don't see that you made the wrong choice at all. There is no perfect caliber. After all that is why there is such a selection. But there is a very good reason why the .243 has been such a popular round for so many years. It is a great caliber and you have a rifle that can give you many, many, years of enjoyment.
 
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