Poll: What Predator Rifle in 243?
- Thread starter Clevinger
- Start date
FiveInADime
New member
IMO, the Winchester is by far the best rifle on the list. I would buy a Tikka before a Remington, though.
.300 Weatherby Mag
New member
The barrel and action are great... The stock is garbage...
The Savage Model 10 Predator Max 1 comes with an accu-stock which is superior to stocks found on the other guns listed above... The Tikka is an excellent rifle but I'm not a fan of the stock fit (personal preference)...
The synthetics on the two Remingtons listed above are a joke...
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I have a .243 Win, Tikka T3 with Leupold 2, 3-9x, and it continues to impress me with it's accuracy and easy carry qualities. Just this week, testing a new load, it put three shots into 1/4" at 100 yards, in variable wind conditions. My old load did 3/4".
My customized Rem 700 with a match barrel doesn't shoot any better than the out-of-the-box T3.
My customized Rem 700 with a match barrel doesn't shoot any better than the out-of-the-box T3.
Saltydog235
New member
I have a Savage Predator in .243. The gun has the Accutrigger but not an Accustock and shoots .75-.5" at 100 with either 70 or 90 grn BT handloads. Its got a really ugly Brush camo finish to it, weighs a good bit and is an absolute killing machine. Critters die every time I take it in the woods.
Saltydog235
New member
It's a Savage with a dipped finish and a big barrel nut on it. Pretty is not the word you'd use to describe the rifle. A term like camo killing machine would be. The Accutrigger is good when you get use to it, accuracy is superb, and I don't have to worry about scratches, mud and crappy conditions.
Reliability wise, it's gone bang every single time I've squeezed the trigger, fed every time I worked the bolt and put the bullet on target once zero'd in. The action was a little stiff when I got it but with use it has slicked up and works like a well oiled machine now.
If you are looking for clean classic lines then you won't like it from that standpoint. If you are looking at it from a functionality standpoint, you won't beat it. They aren't lightweight with the heavier varmint profile barrel but that doesn't bother me much, my hunting is done from blinds and stands and I seldom have to carry it more than 500-1000yds to get to the stand.
Reliability wise, it's gone bang every single time I've squeezed the trigger, fed every time I worked the bolt and put the bullet on target once zero'd in. The action was a little stiff when I got it but with use it has slicked up and works like a well oiled machine now.
If you are looking for clean classic lines then you won't like it from that standpoint. If you are looking at it from a functionality standpoint, you won't beat it. They aren't lightweight with the heavier varmint profile barrel but that doesn't bother me much, my hunting is done from blinds and stands and I seldom have to carry it more than 500-1000yds to get to the stand.
steveNChunter
New member
If you were looking in the used market I would've suggested an older Remington 700, but I'd say you're looking at new stuff so I voted for the Tikka. The Savage and Winchester are good choices as well.
It saddens me but I can't bring myself to vote for a new Remington. QC and accuracy seems to have fallen off as of late.
It saddens me but I can't bring myself to vote for a new Remington. QC and accuracy seems to have fallen off as of late.
Saltydog235
New member
I've bought two 700 SPS Varmints in 7mm08 to build from over the last two years. I mainly bought them for the barreled actions, nothing more. If you want to customize the rifle and build off of the action then it is well suited for that. Accuracy wise, both of mine are tack driving machines.
The rest of the rifle is crap. The stocks suck, flimsy, poorly fitted, uncomfortable, blocky and cheap, cheap, cheap. The trigger is barely adequate and to me junk. The finish is little more than automobile primer.
The rifles i've put together are fantastic though.
The rest of the rifle is crap. The stocks suck, flimsy, poorly fitted, uncomfortable, blocky and cheap, cheap, cheap. The trigger is barely adequate and to me junk. The finish is little more than automobile primer.
The rifles i've put together are fantastic though.
steveNChunter
New member
What he said. They can be built into something respectable, but from the factory the newer models leave ALOT to be desired. You can buy a better aftermarket stock, trigger, and have the barrel and action re-blued for a better finish. Or... you can find a nice gently used model made before '07 (whenever Remington was bought by Cerberus and became part of "Freedom Group"
) and have essentially the same quality and accuracy for less money. Remington selling out to Cerberus spelled the beginning of the end as far as quality and value from Remington IMO. But if you plan on replacing the stock and trigger anyway and don't care about the finish, then its all good.