I just got a Stoeger Arms Mannlicher Schoenauer as a gift from my stepdad. I'm new to these things and got LOTS of questions.

First of all, does anybody know of a place online that lists serial numbers on these things? I'm kind of curious as to how old it is. I know he's had it for 30 years, but don't know other than that.

Also, it's got a Steyr stamp on the bottom of the box mag. Did Steyr used to own Stoeger Arms?

The rifle is chambered in .243, and I'm new to that round as well. Anybody hunt deer with it? What other kind of game is it good to hunt with, and what range of grains of ammo are available?

Anyway, any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Mannlicher Schonenauer’s are made by Steyr (starting in 1900!!).  Stoeger at one time was the importer.  There are a lot of variations.  Overall, they tend to be pricey and somewhat bizarre looking (by American standards).

The .243 is an extremely popular cartridge for deer hunting.  Supposedly it is suitable for anything between varmints and deer and antelope. (However, I’ve never fired one.)
It has a reputation for good accuracy.  I believe the British use it as one of their sniper cartridges!  

Below page is from a 1967 Shooters Bible:

What you got is a very nice gun.I hope you thanked him properly.

The rifle is chambered in .243, and I'm new to that round as well. Anybody hunt deer with it? What other kind of game is it good to hunt with, and what range of grains of ammo are available?

Anyway, any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
_______________________________________________

I don't know about hunting deer but I can get about 4000fps with an M1A1 in .243 using 55 grn bullets.  (Twist of 11:1)
My thoughts have always been that the .243 is a fine caliber for varmints and punching paper - the high velocity makes for a very, very flat trajectory.  

It has been years since I've even touched one of these rifles but my remembrance is the action was excellent.

Your stepfather must really like you,that's a fine gift, the .243 is a accruate cartridge,will work very well on varmints and paper punching, heavier bullets make it sutiable for deer, but, bullet placement is critcal, keep that in mind if you decide to use it for deer, if you hand load you'll find that it'll reward you with some very accurate loads recoil is very managable,take a look at some loading manuals lots of info there,Lots of people use sucessfully it on deer, but I think it's a little light(again, this where bullet placement comes in) but, that's my opinion, Enjoy your new toy, I'm sure you'll enjoy shooting it!

I have a newer version of the Steyr Mannlicher, mine is in carbine form with the full length stock. Mine is in 7X57 caliber and is a shooting machine. Also has an action that slides like oiled glass. I have dispatched several whitetail bucks with it and a couple of black bears. I truly love this rifle.
As for the 243 caliber, that is the caliber that taught me to shoot a centerfire rifle. I left dead crows and woodchucks all over the country side back in the days of my youth, also have several whitetail bucks slayed with this caliber. If you are stand hunting and can pick a shot in the heart lung area the 243 will quickly dispatch any whitetail that walks on this land. I did however go to the bigger calibers because of my hunting style of still hunting and stalking which does not always give you that text book broadside and deer from the northern states can get some beef to them. I just felt a little more bullet weight would be better for the end to end shots.
Great rifle you have there,
Tuco

Thanks for the help. The box of bullets I got with it are 100 gr. Is this about as big as it gets?

It seems that a 100 gr. bullet would work pretty well with deer. I'm not sure yet how a 130 gr. .270 would compare (I can't find my Winchester Ammo chart), but I blew a pretty big hole out the side of a deer with my Savage .270 this year.

As far as the rifle itself, it's a Carbine with a full stock as well. And man is that action smooth. It's also got a couple neat features as well. It's got two flip up rear sights that are adjustable (though I haven't figured out how yet), and two triggers (one being a set trigger). Also has a scope and scope mount on the side that flips over out of the way for loading, and easier use of irons. I've never seen anything quite like it. It is one beautiful rifle for sure.