Hey folks got a strange  story here.

This guy I work for went to a Texas Conservation banquet and auction last night.He went with a few of his friends who are big time salt water fishermen here.He tells me this morning when I get to work to come to his office.

This guy never really hunted a lot until I got him to predator hunting with me.I called in 7 or 8 yotes for him on his place and he has been hooked ever since.He doesnt deer hunt or anything else, but anyhows back to the story.

He shows me this auction tag for a 2 day youth deer hunt on a ranch in south Texas and a new Ruger M77 youth model in 243 Winchester with a Leupold VX1 2x7 scope on it.I said heck what is this?

He said I bought this at that auction last night for you to take Cody(my son).My mouth about hit the floor.

A two day trip all lodging,grub and guide provided with a brand new rifle for the boy.Hell,I dont know who is more excited.Me or the boy.His rifle is being fitted with the scope and will be here this week.This guy also bought a 3 day trip on a charter boat for him and his family saltwater fishing in the gulf..

Heck I guess it does pay to introduce people to the joy of hunting and the outdoors....Gene

    Damn good story ! Did'nt know riuger had  youth model ! Wish i could affordt do that for my frends and there kids 1 Hell I wish i could afford to do that for me !

    ...tj3006

TJ,I hear ya. I wish I could afford to do that.I`ll get some pics of his rifle when it gets here and some  pics of his groups with his hunting loads.

Tikka,Gunrunner yep it goes to show hunters are good folks.

I didn`t know Ruger made any youth models either.Gonna look and see what I can find on the web.My boss said it is camoflage stocked so I`m guessing its wearing a synthetic skin...Gene

OOOOOooo, i bet it is the black laminate version of the compact. Although it could be a all weather ultralight with a camo finished stock. They dont make a youth model per say, but they have guns fitted for youths.

http://www.ruger-firearms.com/ - http://www.ruger-firearms.com/

Well isn't that just nifty !!!  I can't draw a darn antelope buck tag (99.9% success rate for most folks), and you're getting stinking hunts just handed to ya    .

Really though, good for you guys.    You and the young one should have a ball with the rifle and the hunt.  Looking forward to seeing the load you settle on for the hunt.  By that way, that there's a great varmint gun, too (as you already know).  Another perfect side-note to this whole thing     ...     get your son involved with one of my most enjoyed family pastimes     ...     varminting !!!

Pics all around, of course (rifle, groups, hunt results).

Congrats to the both of ya !!!    Take care.

Now, back to my sulking.    >>  klallen

Thanks Klallen.I have taken the boy with me calling yotes a few times.He has seen me pop two of them when he`s been with me.I let him carry my 10/22 a few times but he has never gotten off a shot.Like you said, now he`s got a good varmint rifle that will double as his first deer rifle.He liked going with me hunting yotes,maybe now he`ll get really hooked since he has his own serious shooter.I planned on givimg him my Weatherby in .223 Rem when I bought myself a 204 Ruger or had a .17 Rem built.This way he has his own rifle (gotta figure out a new tidbit to toss to the wife why I need a 204 or 17 now..lol)

I planned on buying him some factory ammo for now,figured probably 100 gr bullets for him to deer hunt with.I dont have any dies for a 243 Win or have any buddies that do,but I`ll get him a set of RCBS dies as soon as I hit the Temple gunshop.Any thoughts from you guys that shoot .243`s as far as suitable grain weight bullets for deer and any good loads for one?I figure this is a good way to get him interested in reloading too.Since he`ll be shooting his own stuff I hope I`ll have a buddy in my reloading room with me on a regular basis from now on...Gene

Good Deal there Gene.  Introducing folks to hunting and fishing will always pay off.

As far as .243 loads... it's had to beat 100 gr Sierra bt with H-4350.  My father and I have both killed deer and turkey in central Texas with that load.  Oh, the 85 gr Sierra Gameking boat-tail hollow-point works well too.  I shot a big doe at 220 yards with the 85 gr Sierra bt hp.  It blew through both shoulders.  I also shot a 100# pig through the neck bone at 45 yards.... it dropped right in its mud pit... bullet punched right through.  Don't let that hp fool you.  That particular bullet was built for deet hunting.  For shooting predators, turkeys, pigs, and deer, the 85gr bullet may be the best!!!  But that 100gr Sierra sure works too.  Good problem to have .

Gene,

Awesome deal! 

Sounds like that convention place had everything figured out - not only give a young man a rifle but also a place to hunt and someone to take him - in my book, that's tops for preserving the sport and introducing it to new folks!

I bought two tickets for a gun bash this weekend at my girlfriend's hometown.  I went to three places (all sold out at the last minute) and finally ended up going to the drawing location itself.  Being the last few tickets and from outta town you'd have thought that I'd have won something!  The lottery winners are ALWAYS from outta state or from outta town!  Not with me though!  Oh well, good cause anyway.

Good deal TGhost, you lucky S.O.B., hope you have a great time and send some pics of the critters taken and the gun!

Thanks on the load tips Moose,we`ll see how 4350 works in this rifle.Hopefully good, which I expect.I have had good success with 4350 in evrything I tried it in minus the 7x57..

lol Mountaineer..I know it is luck.I wasn`t expecting something like this.The boy is wired now."When is my gun goin to be here?" ."When are you getting  bullets?"and such questions coming from him,lol.You are right ,this is an excellent concept for trying to get youngsters involved in America`s hunting heritage.We`ll take some pics of his rifle and preliminary groups after sight in to post...

I hear ya on the auction/raffle thing.I never win anything, rotten luck..Lol Gene

OK Fellas, got some pics here.The rifle is a laminated stock as opposed to camoflage as I was first told.Here is the pint sized gun for a pint sized deer hunter.

He is mighty excited with this new rifle.We`ll get him some dies and 24 caliber bullets pretty soon.I`ve never loaded any 6mm so we`ll have to go blow a few  dollars at the gunshop.I know it is terrible going shopping at a gunstore....

more pics

This rifle looks kind of strange to me with its compact stock and 16.5" barrel.It is very nicely done though.As always Ruger produces a good looking,good quality firearm.

Pardon my socks in the photos.....Gene

Can't wait to see pics of groups.

Aren't those scope rings a little tall?

Great pics.

Sharp looking rig and definitely a Texas deer taker!  The 243 is a favorite of a long time hunting buddy's.  I loaded some stuff for him using the following recipe:  Nosler BT's 95 grainers with IMR 4350 (can't remember exact load) and CCI LR primers.  Out of his Remmie 700 BDL it gave good sub 1 MOA groups.  The look on the young hunter's face leads me to believe he's real serious about this rifle and going hunting!  Good deal all around!  Hope you and the young man have a great time working loads, sighting in, practicing and hunting!

Best of luck to ya ----- Brad

BTW - like your shadow box, that's an impressive board you got going there! 

Thanks fellas.Moose, I got to looking at them rings after you noticed it.They are kinda tall,like for a 40mm or bigger.I figure that those are the rings that come with the rifle.Doesn`t Ruger supply a set of rings with all their rifles?Anyways, I figure the gunshop that donated the rifle for auction prolly did`nt want to fork over for another set of SS rings to put on it...

I stopped off after work at Walmart to buy some Copenhagen and sadly bought a box of factory ammunition...Winchester,100 grain power points.We are gonna sight in his rifle this evening and let him burn a few through it to see what he thinks.Hell ,at least it`s 20 rounds of fire formed brass to start loading with.It is definate, I`ll start with 4350 in it.I hear to much good from all you guys about it, so its gotta be a good .

Brad ,thanks on the shadow box.I used to keep all that stuff in a box in my bedroom closet.My wife works at a retirement community where a lot of military retirees reside.She seen a shadow box in a retired Army Colonel`s apartment and liked it.She bought me one and put it together as a Christmas present for me.She says thats where they should be, rather than locked away in a box in a closet.Its missing an oak leaf on the Arcom I got at ETS and a HSM I never got orders for but most of its all there....Gene

Timber;

Congratulations!  What a nice thing to hear about. 

Nosler #5 lists 41.5 grains of IMR4350 as max AND most accurate load with the 95 & 100 gr Nosler bullets.  It shows Vihta N560 as the overall most accurate powder though.  Speer does not show IMR4350 near the top of it's load charts for those weights.  Hornady does not chart it, but really likes Winchester WMR.

900F

Thanks on the tips CB.There is a writer for HANDLOADER that is always touting Vihtavouri powders.I cant remember his name, but he says he uses some form of Viht in about everything he shoots.Appreciate the load data..Gene

We bore sighted this evening and got 5 rounds off.I ran out of daylight as we got started late.Plan to finish zeroing tomorrow and then let him get busy with it...

Well, we finished zeroing tonight.I  put two bullets about 3/4 of an inch apart left and right irrespectively of the center line of sight, 1 and a half inches high of the aiming point.

I then let Cody take his turn with 2 rounds at it.I am proud to say he placed his rounds just slightly over 3 inches apart and  close to an inch and a half high of aim point.One bullet left of centerline and one bullet right of centerline.He was a little nervous and this stubby barrel is producing a little recoil.It gave him a good jar,lol.He is learning that this aint his Glenfield model 66 22lr he`s playing with.I even noticed the recoil from it during the sight in process.We are gonna work on getting those groups a little tighter and let him fire enough to get familiar with his rifle.Hopefully we`ll get him down to at least a inch and a half group by the start of deer season.Overall, not too shabby for a 11 year old kid with his first centerfire rifle.I told him he killed that deer he was aiming at with both shots.He  is super excited and I`ll get some pics of his groups as they progress.I am proud to watch him learn ,shoot and become a member of the hunting community...Gene

Finally got the kid`s dies and a box of Sierra 85 gr flat base spitzers.I set his sizing die up for him to neck resize and we went through fourteen peices of brass letting him get the feel for it.I haven`t had a chance to set his seating die yet but soon.Anybody have a good load in this 85 gr Sierra combination with IMR 4350??

Gene

Gene, I've loaded for the 243 using Nosler 95 grain BT's in a Remington 700 BDL.  I was using 4350 as the fuel but can't remember exactly how full the tank was on it.  I'll have to look up in my notes and see what I can find.  Good shooter it was - < 1 MOA @ 100 yards.  I'll get back to you when I can find that dang thing!

Essex County wrote:    I still am in awe of how nice the members of the shooting community are.  Sure, I've been taken a few times in last 40 years, but very few.  I will do whatever it takes to get and keep a youngster enthused (within the means of my social security check ).  Before anyone screams at me I always worked with parents and have insisted on hunter saftey,Maturity and proper instruction.  I've been rewarded a couple of times.  I figgure the cost of a single shot 30-30 and a low end 4X as part of just dues to the sport that has ment so much to me  Sorry If I yak too much.........Essex

Essex you dont yak to much.I am always glad to hear a voice of experience in these threads and feel free to yak anytime you want..

Hey Brad, let me know what you come up with on that load.My Sierra manual is touting 4064 as an accuracy load with this particular bullet.It also lists 4350, which is what I am gonna use.I still have half a pound of 4350 to use up and I dont plan on buying any 4064.I`ll get started on loading it this weekend.I have the house all to myself this weekend so I plan on getting some loading and shooting done...Gene

We got our first rounds loaded today.We started with 40 grains of IMR 4350 and a 85 grain Sierra flat base spitzer , Fed GN210M primers and Winchester once fired from his gun brass.Trim was a 2.035 by the book and OAL was just a tad longer than book specs at 2.660".With the 40 grain load 3 shots grouped at 1.43 " at 100.

We then fired the next 3 shot group with 41 grains of 4350 . same components and lengths for a group of .74" center to center fartherest bullet.No signs of pressure problems,easy extraction.I am gonna load some at 42 grains and see if I can bring it in a little tighter.I don`t know though from a 16.5" sporter barrel how tight I can get it.

This is a pic of second group at.98" outside and .74" inch inside center to center.He`s liking this reloading, but damn he asks a lot of questions..lol

Looks like you guys are doing good.   Hope you got the answers for all those questions you're gettin' asked.   

Keep up the good work.