Thinkin about an new .223

[SidecarFlip]

A fiar statement. Far as value received for the cash spent, it's hard to beat Savage Arms.

I was a Ruger buyer for many years, I just got tired of reworking triggers and fiddling with bedding to get a rifle to consistently group. I'm still quite fond of my Ruger No.1 in 300 Wby Magnum but it took a lot of fiddling to get it to group.

Not so with Savage (other than insuring the barrel is completely free floating as in Accustock). I've had to remove the action and sand a bit of the stock away to achieve a true free float in the past, not every one, but a couple.

Savage has spoiled me with their trigger group, especially the red tang benchrest trigger. I see others copying Savage now but I'll stick with the original.

 

[1Hunter]

A fiar statement. Far as value received for the cash spent, it's hard to beat Savage Arms.

I was a Ruger buyer for many years, I just got tired of reworking triggers and fiddling with bedding to get a rifle to consistently group. I'm still quite fond of my Ruger No.1 in 300 Wby Magnum but it took a lot of fiddling to get it to group.

Not so with Savage (other than insuring the barrel is completely free floating as in Accustock). I've had to remove the action and sand a bit of the stock away to achieve a true free float in the past, not every one, but a couple.

Savage has spoiled me with their trigger group, especially the red tang benchrest trigger. I see others copying Savage now but I'll stick with the original.

I agree with you on that one. I have three Rugers and they all perform well.
I have one Savage hunter 110 7mm mag with brake. Ir shoots without problems.


So I wanted a .223 that I could play with and not spend a fortune. So I
bought a Marlin XlVH . I didn't like the stock so I bought a Boyd's Maple
hunter. Got some experience in bedding a free floating barrel.
It comes with an adjustable trigger, duplicate of the savage accutrigger
more or less. seems to work well. Came with a Weaver base mount.
Had to shim the left side of the base mount to level with center of bore.
Works pretty good at 100 yards, holds the spot with over lapping holes,
200 yards a little spread one and a quarter to one and a half inches.

So for 700 dollars I have a toy that's fun to shoot. Now if I could just buy
bullets for it.

That's another story.

 

[257WTBY]

Tikka T3 Scout I bought one after researching alot I was a Tikka fan to start with as i have a few but let me tell u i think it is the best bang for my buck. Factory Hornady 55gr BT in one ragged hole at 100 yds. I have several rifles that cost alot more the the little 20in barrle scout that wont even shoot in the same league. Dont get me wrong I am accurate rifle fan. If u get a Savage to a Weatherby if it shoots good go with it.

Budget is usually the deciding factor in it for about everyone. I have other accurate .223's i have a old thompson center contender i bought it all nasty and rusty at a gun show and rebuilt it re blued it and it shoots really well. Matter a fact my daughter killed lots of coyotes this winter with the old contender.

Find what u like what shoots good and SHOOT no gun can make someone who cant shoot shoot like a sniper. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE build buy as u can and have fun

 

[SidecarFlip]

I agree with you on that one. I have three Rugers and they all perform well.
I have one Savage hunter 110 7mm mag with brake. Ir shoots without problems.


So I wanted a .223 that I could play with and not spend a fortune. So I
bought a Marlin XlVH . I didn't like the stock so I bought a Boyd's Maple
hunter. Got some experience in bedding a free floating barrel.
It comes with an adjustable trigger, duplicate of the savage accutrigger
more or less. seems to work well. Came with a Weaver base mount.
Had to shim the left side of the base mount to level with center of bore.
Works pretty good at 100 yards, holds the spot with over lapping holes,
200 yards a little spread one and a quarter to one and a half inches.

So for 700 dollars I have a toy that's fun to shoot. Now if I could just buy
bullets for it.

That's another story.

An overlapping statement, sort of like clips and magazines, sort of. I just received 500 Hornady 60 grain VMax polymer tipped 224 diameter projectiles, brass is coming in as well plus primers. You have to know where to look and be dedicated to preusing the Internet sites of all the dealers plus your local retailers, case in point, I picked up Varget at Cabelas, in the firearms department. Granted, it's not an 8 pounder, it's a 1 pounder but it's still loadable. Picked up a brick of CCI SR primers at a l,ocal gun retailer, it's out there, you have to look and there are no bragains but I have yet to see the 'gouging' that people are talking about.

It will improve if, one, people quit buying gobs of everything at once. The sky isn't falling despite what Chicken Little says......

Purchase what you need for the coming year and no more. This hoarding is crazy and it's not the government buying stuff up, in fact, local LE here can't get ammunition either.

It's there, you just have to look for it.

 

[1Hunter]

Tikka T3 Scout I bought one after researching alot I was a Tikka fan to start with as i have a few but let me tell u i think it is the best bang for my buck. Factory Hornady 55gr BT in one ragged hole at 100 yds. I have several rifles that cost alot more the the little 20in barrle scout that wont even shoot in the same league. Dont get me wrong I am accurate rifle fan. If u get a Savage to a Weatherby if it shoots good go with it.

Budget is usually the deciding factor in it for about everyone. I have other accurate .223's i have a old thompson center contender i bought it all nasty and rusty at a gun show and rebuilt it re blued it and it shoots really well. Matter a fact my daughter killed lots of coyotes this winter with the old contender.

Find what u like what shoots good and SHOOT no gun can make someone who cant shoot shoot like a sniper. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE build buy as u can and have fun

The key words are Practice, Practice and more Practice.

I shoot once or twice a week depending on weather. I shoot about 40 rounds
of ammo each session. bolt action and load one at a time. Out to five hundred
yards. my 223 is set up as a class F rifle target.

 

[tuck2]

I have a Howa 1500 Varmint and a Browning Varmint model 223 Rem rifles. I glass bedded the action into the thumbhole Howa stock and adjusted the trigger pull. No work was required on the Browning. Both rifles shoot 1/2 inch five shot groups off a benchrest with reloaded ammo with some groups under 1/2 inch. I dont know if the same models are still made. After getting a Ruger Target Varmint 204 Ruger rifle when it first came out I have not used the 223 Rem rifles very much.

 

[1Hunter]

I have a Howa 1500 Varmint and a Browning Varmint model 223 Rem rifles. I glass bedded the action into the thumbhole Howa stock and adjusted the trigger pull. No work was required on the Browning. Both rifles shoot 1/2 inch five shot groups off a benchrest with reloaded ammo with some groups under 1/2 inch. I dont know if the same models are still made. After getting a Ruger Target Varmint 204 Ruger rifle when it first came out I have not used the 223 Rem rifles very much.

Congratulations! Those are fine groups. Yes, it is hard to choose, when there are
so many.

Good Luck.

 

[Swifty]

I bought a savage Axis as primary night hunting coyote rig. I am a believer in the sierra 60gr HPs and mid west coyotes. I clipped the trigger spring so it breaks at 3.75lbs (still kind of squishy). I was surprised with the load I use in 60gr HPs, I can hold a 2" group at 400yds. I am in the .6s at 100yds. I used it in the WY Pdog fields and was having very good results with it at 300yds. The winds were playing havoc with it at 400 though using only hold over and hold off. I know I would have faired better with a dialer at 400. that being said, the Axis is a very accurate rifle in 223. I have also made some very accurate loads in Axis rifles chambered in 22-250 and 25-06.

 

[1Hunter]

Swifty,

The .223 is a fun rifle to shoot. I finally got my scope mounted so
it will reach out to a 1000 yards. I shooting a Marlin X7VH .223
with 69 gr Sierra BTHP, pushed with 25 gr of H4895. That will
get there. The rest is up to me and how well I am shooting
that day.

 

[motown]

You really cant go wrong with tikka at all but last year i picked up a T/C venture predator and love it! With a 55 grn gameking and 26.9 grains of varget i am averaging under 1/2" groups at 100 yards and just at an inch at 200. I drew first blood with it yesterday on a groundhog at 250 yards and that sierra really does a good job on impact and is really accurate to boot.

 

[1Hunter]

Motown,

I suspect there is more than a couple of dollar spread between the Tikka
and the TC Venture predator.

Depends totally on the buyer what the use will be. The .223 has a wide
variety of uses depending on Barrel twist, length of barrel and Choice of sights.
Any thing from plinking, predator hunting, deer, small game and serious
Target shooting.

Hopefully, we will soon get back to the recreational shooting we all enjoy.

 

[motown]

The price spread is really not big at all.The venture predator can be found for around 550-600 and the same can be said for a tikka t3 depending if you would want it blued or stainless.

 

[1Hunter]

I bought a savage Axis as primary night hunting coyote rig. I am a believer in the sierra 60gr HPs and mid west coyotes. I clipped the trigger spring so it breaks at 3.75lbs (still kind of squishy). I was surprised with the load I use in 60gr HPs, I can hold a 2" group at 400yds. I am in the .6s at 100yds. I used it in the WY Pdog fields and was having very good results with it at 300yds. The winds were playing havoc with it at 400 though using only hold over and hold off. I know I would have faired better with a dialer at 400. that being said, the Axis is a very accurate rifle in 223. I have also made some very accurate loads in Axis rifles chambered in 22-250 and 25-06.

You sure are right about the soothing sound of ringing steel a long ways out.
I had the 500 yard gong going pretty good last Wednesday.

 

[Litehiker]

RUGER AMERICAN - 100% made in USA

I just bought a Ruger American in 22-250 and mounted an old Burris Fulfield 6-18 X 40 target scope on it. I'll report back on accuracy but ALL the accuracy reports I've read or heard on the Ruger American of any offered cartridge are very good.

Yeah, Ruger may have copied the Savage Axis stock design but everything else is innovative Ruger design. Great trigger, bolt and hammer forged barrel. And then there is the truly innovative V-block bedding system.

For the money and features AND accuracy the American is very hard to beat, even by the nice Savage Axis.