[rladieu3]

ok i'm looking at geting a .243. thar are 4 difront gun's i'm looking at.

stevens model 200

mossberg 100 atr

Marlin xs7

howa lightning

this will be my first rifle i have been thinking of the marlin.
i have never heard of the howa but have been told it's a nice gun.

mostly it will be for deer but i would like to do target for fun.

 

[hillestadj]

I've never owned any of the 4 but have shot a Howa that seemed pretty nice for what it was (entry level rifle). Everyone will have an opinion but the only rifle I've heard anything close to a concensus against buying would be the Stevens. I guess I'd go for Howa.

 

[Rubberduck]

Go for the Marlin. Great little guns for the price and they have a great trigger (pretty much as good as the savage accutrigger). Pick one up at your local gun shop and youll know what I mean

 

[AKsoldier]

One more consideration for you

I have a Remington 770 in .300 Win Mag that I'm very happy with. I know they are also available in .243, and you can get them as a scoped combo for under $500 with a Bushnell 3-9X40.

Mine has never lost zero for over 140 rounds fired, and still shoots to point of aim every time at 300 yards.

 

[rladieu3]

the Marlin is what i thinking of from the start. all 4 of them are with in 40$ of each uther.

 

[fyimo]

Of the ones you mentioned I'd get the Howa as they are excellent guns. They are also the barreled action that's in the Weatherby Vanguard.

 

[big dan]

yeah, i'd go with either the howa or the marlin... i have a weatherby vangaurd and it is indeed a howa barreled action and it is very nice!! i've yet to play with a marlin yet but i'd like to pick one up in 7/08...

 

[MikeG]

Howa, if price isn't an issue. I have a Weatherby on a Howa action and it is a very accurate rifle.

 

[dmsbandit]

Marlin all the way. I have yet to hear of any Marlin in any caliber that didn't shoot into tiny little clusters.

 

[rladieu3]

the gun dealer i work with was telling me the howa was a good gun i just have never heard of them. but i'm new in gun's. the Marlin i did some reading on it and sonded like a good gun. i took a trip to bass pro to do some looking and the thing i did see on the Marlin was the barrel was smaller the only uther one thay for me to look and tuch was a mossberg 100 atr and that one looks like a bull barrel.

 

[Jim H]

my .02 on the 4 listed, i would not buy the mossberg. i would be torn between the marlin and the howa. the marlin is basicly the same thing as the savage, so is the stevens, but the stevens doesn't have the accu trigger. howa's are good guns. shoulder them all and buy the one that seems to fit you best.

 

[Tang]

Howa's would be a little heavy for a .243, for my liking.

 

[Oneeye66]

Of those you mention, I would choose the Marlin. In fact, I am thinking about picking one up myself in .243.

I would also suggest you look at the Weatherby Vanguard in that price range.
Dan

 

[ranger335v]

" have never heard of the howa but have been told it's a nice gun."

The Weatherby Vangard IS a Howa barreled action. In the past they have been sold under the Smith & Wesson and other USA brands as well. The actions are GOOD, the triggers are good, the barrels are good, they look good.

My Vanguard .243 shoots some bullets very well, others poorly. That's no different from any other rifle I've ever used! But, it's accounted for a lot of crows and ground hogs with 75-85 gr. bullets. A good number of deer with different 100 grainers, never needed a second shot on any of them.

For all around game and varminting use my old 3-9x40 AO Leupold in low mounts has been near perfect on it.

I once put a 7mm Mag Howa barreled action in a Bell and Carson stock for a friend. With Rem factory 170s he gets .75 MOA, consistantly. What's not to like?

 

[rladieu3]

i'm going to go with the Marlin. all of the reading i have done on it is good.

 

[recoil junky]

Well, Marlin is after all owned by Remington, so you can't go wrong there. I'da got the marlin too.

RJ

 

[big dan]

for the price you can't go wrong with the marlin as it is certainly more gun than the stevens and from a weight standpoint the marlin is a good bit lighter... that howa/vanguard action is very stout. for a std barreled model my vanguard 22/250 is "hefty"...

 

[Oneeye66]

Well, Marlin is after all owned by Remington, so you can't go wrong there. I'da got the marlin too.

RJ

Now you've gone and done it. I may have to rethink my vote
Dan

 

[slim 60]

why not jut get the savage .. accutrigger helps a stevens a lot..
still marlin does fine.. i have had some..
after you get it sighted in ..its mostly a matter of learning your gun an the ammo it likes..shootin paper is what gives you the knowledge to shoot the deer where you want to hit him..confidence is a heck of an asset. jmo slim

 

[rladieu3]

the stevens for the price wouldn't be a bad gun but it don't come with the accutrigger like the savage. i have a savage .17 hmr and it is a nice gun. i let my 5 ad 6yr old use it.

thay didn't have the marlin in stock so i'm going to hold off a bit to see if thay get it in if not i will get the howa.