$300ish budget - Money best spent - H&R Ultra or Stevens .223

ryanloco

ryanloco

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Oakville, Ont.
Looking to purchase a budget varmint/target rifle..

For $300 and change - options so far as follows.

1. H&R Ultra Varmint in .223
2. Stevens 200 in .223
3. Used 6.5x55 swede from Tradeex or EE
3. Look for something else used on the EE - looking for suggestions?

I have a .17HMR and a .22LR and find the itch to upgrade the HMR.

My understanding is both rifles have 1/9" twist. The H&R has the Bull Barrel (not sure if that is really a factor). The Stevens probably has the better trigger from the factory.

Any thoughts/experiences/suggestions

Cheers
 
I'd go stevens for sure. It will likely shoot better out of the box, and has pretty much limitless uptions for upgrading in the future. Also likely to sell faster should you decide thats not the route you want to go, as lots of people like the savage/stevens actions for building custom rifles.
 
Completely stock. Only mods was adjusting the trigger, stiffening the stock and bedding the action. Cheap bushy banner 4-12 scope too. Nosler 40s, 26.5 g benchrest.
P1270074.jpg


I sold it though. Some lucky gunnut has it now.
 
I own a .22 Hornet NEF single shot (essentially a plain barrel version of the H&R Ultra) and a .223 Stevens.

In .223, I'd pick the stevens hands down. I think that the Stevens really gives many of the NEF/H&R selections quite the competition, since it provides a bolt action repeater for essentially the same price. Though the NEF/Ultra guns are fine, the only reason I'd get one is if it's available in a calibre that I want that's not available in the Stevens (i.e. .22 Hornet, 45/70 etc.)

A bolt action is easier to group or fire from a rest to test loads, since it's alot easier to reload without changing the position of the barrel. With a break action, the best you can hope for is to solidly support the reciever in the hopes that the barrel will return to original point of aim after reloading each shot.

Now a .22 Hornet in a $300 bolt set up would be really nice, perhaps possible in a used Savage 340, though it's been quite a while since I've seen one.

Best of luck,

Frank
 
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