Which 223 rifle???

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mxk83

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Hey Guys,

I want to get a bolt action rifle in 223 for coyote hunting as well as plinking/target practice etc.

I don't want to spend a lot of money or time messing around with a rifle. I'm not sure what reasonable expectations are but I think expecting 1moa or better out to 200yards for now will be fine.

I'm leaning towards a savage because the seem to offer a lot for the money, but there is just so many models out there I don't know what to choose!

Here is what is on my list in order of current favorite to least:

Savage 10 Precision Carbine: like the short barrel, and looks good, price is on my upper end.
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Savage Axis XP: Seems to get good reviews, and the price is right!
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Remington 700 SPS Tactical: Good barrel length, good reputation, iffy on the stock.
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Savage 11 Trophy Hunter XP - Improvment on the Axis with accutrigger and aftermarket support, good price, decent scope it comes with i think?
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Savage 12FV/12FCV/25 Walking Varmint/700 SPS Varmint & DM: These are also options in the same catergory, just not sure what they really offer.



I like the idea of a package gun so I can go shoot now, then save up for a better scope (did the same with my 111fcxp3, which I love). So I really like the idea of the 11 Trophy Hunter XP, but I hate that it looks identical to my 111fcxp3 in 30-06, and the stocks are cheap looking and boring. Hence why I like the 10PC, which looks nice, seems to have solid features, but it is by far my most expensive option.

Anyways, some feedback and/or suggestions would be much appreciated.


Thanks
 
I've got another vote for the Remington tactical. The SPS varmint is also a little cheaper, but has a longer barrel.

That being said, I like the stock on the rem's better, but you likely won't go wrong with the savage either. I also have a savage 11 in .243 that I bought as a package gun and it shoots quite well.
 
youve yet to list your budget, you didnt list it but i have a savage 12, LRPV with the 1:7 the first load i threw at it (left over 60gn vmax over varget) it shout 9 shots into just over 1/2MOA and 1 "flier" that was still within 1MOA

they come in around 1150+tax IIRC
 
I had an axis. Great gun the stock was classic Savage synthetic and the trigger was a bit on the heavy side. The one i had was one of the very first production runs and i sold it after a year to move on to something else. That being said i wished i still had it now that there are trigger modes for it.
Have you looked at the Stevens 200? Inexpensive and has quite a few aftermarket options available.
I have one in a.308 that keeps me smiling.
Other than that I've had some expierienc with both the savage10PC and the remington sps and can't say which one was better. Just which one fit me better. Both have fairly flimsy stocks with a small advantage for stiffness going to the remington10PC but the Remington SPS had better ergoes for me. Both are very similar in price and contrary to popular discussions you can get aftermarket options for savage you just have to look a lot harder.
Good luck and happy shooting.
 
I have a Rem 700 tactical in .223 and its a good rifle, sub moa with handloads but its heavy to pack around. The Savage 11 has a field profile barrel so it is lighter and better balanced so easier to carry in the field.
 
Thanks for the feedback!

Seems the Remington 700 SPS Tactical gets a lot of love! I am still drawn to the Savage 10 PC, but I'm a bit worried about the weight of both of these so I am still consider a Savage 11 or Axis maybe. Gonna go to the good ol' gun store tomorrow and check out some options.

Anyone know anything about the Savage Axis SR they show on their website? Looks like it could be a good cheap alternative that has some of the "tactical" features I want.

PS. I am also looking at the Stevens 200, but I think I would prefer a detachable box magazine.
 
mxk83 said:
Thanks for the feedback!

Seems the Remington 700 SPS Tactical gets a lot of love! I am still drawn to the Savage 10 PC, but I'm a bit worried about the weight of both of these so I am still consider a Savage 11 or Axis maybe. Gonna go to the good ol' gun store tomorrow and check out some options.

Anyone know anything about the Savage Axis SR they show on their website? Looks like it could be a good cheap alternative that has some of the "tactical" features I want.

PS. I am also looking at the Stevens 200, but I think I would prefer a detachable box magazine.
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From what I hear the Axis will shoot but I wouldn't buy one. I don't like the look of them or all of the places where corners where cut to keep cost down.

I do have a Stevens 200 in .308 that shoots very well. The only mod I made to it was to replace the 2 screw trigger for a Savage 3 screw trigger that someone replaced with an after market trigger. Box mag isn't that big a deal. The center feed internal mag is light weight, loads easily and feeds flawlessly. I would buy the Stevens 200 hands down over an Axis.
 
I went out today and checked out some of the rifles I am considering. I was really hoping to like the Savage 10 PC.... but I didn't. Stock seemed undersized and the balance of the rifle seemed way off, very front heavy.

I must say I liked the 700 sps Tactical quite a bit, it is a heavy rifle, but well balanced, action seemed decent, and it just felt good in hand.

However one rifle did check my attention suprisingly, the Weatherby Vanguard Series 2. I liked the stock, the weight and balance (wasn't a HB), and it seemed to be in a good price point. So I came home to look into it some more and found on their website there is a 20" carbine version, but doesnt look to be a HB. Anyone have any feedback on these? Would their longer varmint model with heavy barrel be a better choice? And also it seems all the 223 models come in 1:12 twist barrels, is that really going to hinder my bullet options?
 
mxk83 said:
I went out today and checked out some of the rifles I am considering. I was really hoping to like the Savage 10 PC.... but I didn't. Stock seemed undersized and the balance of the rifle seemed way off, very front heavy.

I must say I liked the 700 sps Tactical quite a bit, it is a heavy rifle, but well balanced, action seemed decent, and it just felt good in hand.

However one rifle did check my attention suprisingly, the Weatherby Vanguard Series 2. I liked the stock, the weight and balance (wasn't a HB), and it seemed to be in a good price point. So I came home to look into it some more and found on their website there is a 20" carbine version, but doesnt look to be a HB. Anyone have any feedback on these? Would their longer varmint model with heavy barrel be a better choice? And also it seems all the 223 models come in 1:12 twist barrels, is that really going to hinder my bullet options?
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Time to hit the gym.
 
mxk83 said:
I went out today and checked out some of the rifles I am considering. I was really hoping to like the Savage 10 PC.... but I didn't. Stock seemed undersized and the balance of the rifle seemed way off, very front heavy.

I must say I liked the 700 sps Tactical quite a bit, it is a heavy rifle, but well balanced, action seemed decent, and it just felt good in hand.

However one rifle did check my attention suprisingly, the Weatherby Vanguard Series 2. I liked the stock, the weight and balance (wasn't a HB), and it seemed to be in a good price point. So I came home to look into it some more and found on their website there is a 20" carbine version, but doesnt look to be a HB. Anyone have any feedback on these? Would their longer varmint model with heavy barrel be a better choice? And also it seems all the 223 models come in 1:12 twist barrels, is that really going to hinder my bullet options?
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The Vanguard S2 is an absolute bargain at the $550 that they are selling for. They do shoot well. The lighter barrel will make a better field rifle and will be easier to shoot offhand. The twist will likely limit you to bullets from 62 gr down altho I have heard reports of people getting 69 gr to shoot well.
 
Do you want a precision rifle or a hunting rifle? Generally they are built differently.
 
KDX said:
Do you want a precision rifle or a hunting rifle? Generally they are built differently.
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I guess I want a bit of both, probably more precision, as it will see more range time than anything else.

I think what I am really looking to get is a rifle that is as lightweight and packable as possible and still be as accurate as possible. I don't like really bulky and heavy stocks, and I want a nice compact barrel length. This is why I originally liked the Savage 10 PC, as it was short, had a compact stock, reasonable weight, and seemed like it would pack well, but I obviously felt differently about it once I got my hands on it.
 
mxk83 said:
And also it seems all the 223 models come in 1:12 twist barrels, is that really going to hinder my bullet options?
Click to expand...

There are different twist rates for the .223 barrels, even with the same manufacturer. Check the their websites. My Rem 700 XCR Tactical 26" has 1/9" same as the 700 SPS tactical 20", but the Varmint rifles like the 700 VLS 26" has 1/12" twist.

Do some googling and you'll find some references like
twist rate ........ good for bullet up to
1 in 14 ........... 55gr
1 in 12 ........... 65gr
1 in 9 ............. 73gr
1 in 8 ............. 80gr
1 in 7 ............. 90gr
 
Look at the CZ 527, I just got one, varmint model in .223 and it is sweet. Sent bolt handle away for mod so I can use lower rings and hope to see it this week. Nice weight, not to heavy, but still has that nice solid feel. Cheers Roscoe

Edit, bolt handle arrived this morning from James Calhoon in MT, USA it fit perfect with the Warne med rings. $48 us shipping inc.( that is an exchange, I sent the one off the rifle) Cheers Roscoe
 
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