What do you think of this deal

[srab]

The weight of the rifle is a non-issue if you're hunting
from a tree stand, at least IMHO. It's not something that
I'd want to be carrying up and down canyons or mountains,
but if I was just sitting in a stand most of the time, I don't
think that the heavier weight would bother me.

As to 1000 rounds, I wouldn't let that bother me too much
either. A non-magnum cartridge like the .243 Win should
be fine for another 500 to 1000 rounds, and probably
much more. Just keep the barrel clean and let the
barrel cool between shots or groups.

As a general rule, I think that hand-loaders are pretty
obsessive-compulsive about their firearms. If the
current owner has taken that much care with the
outward appearance of his rifle, it would seem un-
characteristic for him to have neglected the bore.

My only reservation about this rifle, if I happened to
be in the market for a .243 Win, would be the nagging
question: why is the current owner willing to part
with this rifle? He's obviously got a lot of time and
effort, and probably money, invested in it.

I have two custom rifles that I've got 1000+ rounds
through. One, I just love to shoot! The other, I've
just never found a load that would shoot as consistently
and accurately as I think that it should, so every year
I shoot hundreds of rounds in an effort to find a load
that I'll be happy with. The former rifle, I'll never sell!
The latter, I'd be willing to dump in a second if someone
offered me a chance to get out from underneath it.