new to me 99c... questions...

Bought a 99c in .243 at auction last Saturday for $300. Bright bore. Decent shape for a used gun. Shows usual handling wear on the bottom of the receiver along with dings and handling wear on the walnut stock. Ser# A037408. Have not shot it yet. Will it hurt to dry fire it? Been around long enough to know there are some guns you can... and some you had better not. Also, anyone out there reload .243 for this model? Any powder/bullet combos stand out? What should the overall bullet length be? I have plenty of components to load the .243 left over from my hey-days and look forward to swamp-shooting some deer with this rifle. Thanks... Breen.

I'm not afraid to drop the hammer on an empty chamber, I just make a habit of it if possible. But if you're concerned about it, make a few snap caps out of empty brass and fill the primer hole with RTV.

Congrats on a good find and hope it shoots well for you.

Thanks... made 2 snap caps today. Will use them to get acquainted with the trigger.