.223 plinker... what to get?

why are we asking about 'beginner' rifles in a precision forum? There is no such thing as a "beginner" rifle. a firearm is a firearm Get what you can afford, have fun and live within your means. You will not get Ferrari on a Yugo budget, but it doesn't preclude you from having fun and learning to answer you own shooting questions along the way.
 
Obtunded said:
why are we asking about 'beginner' rifles in a precision forum? There is no such thing as a "beginner" rifle. a firearm is a firearm Get what you can afford, have fun and live within your means. You will not get Ferrari on a Yugo budget, but it doesn't preclude you from having fun and learning to answer you own shooting questions along the way.
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i guess how you define "beginner" rifle will make the differance.. can a new shooter dump 8G into a rifle, sure, but why? its not goin to make a better shooter out of him and what if he decides precision isnt for him. if you ask me, any box stock gun is a beginners gun, but there is accurate rifles and not so accurate rifles..
 
Can't beat a Thompson Centre Venture. Yes it cost a little more but you don't have to spend money on a different trigger etc.

Have one, shoots like a dream and will shoot under 1 inch at 100 yards.

Lifetime Guarantee also.
 
Obtunded said:
why are we asking about 'beginner' rifles in a precision forum? There is no such thing as a "beginner" rifle. a firearm is a firearm Get what you can afford, have fun and live within your means. You will not get Ferrari on a Yugo budget, but it doesn't preclude you from having fun and learning to answer you own shooting questions along the way.
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I think by BEGINNER the OP meant low cost. At least that's what I read. Most don't want to start with high $$$ rigs because they don't know what they want or if they even like the sport.

And that is smart IMO. Rifle quality vs cost has significantly diminishing returns.

Base quality X can be had for base cost Y
increased quality 2X will cost 4Y
increased quality 3x will cost 8Y etc
 
That's the catch with everything; doesn't matter if it's a rifle, car, bicycle, PC... If you know you'll stick with it get the best you can afford unless you like the EE. Upgrading is always the most expensive path. Buy cheap means you buy twice; you know you'll want that sub MOA.

+1 on above average quality is diminishing return. Get the "sweet spot" product, the one the mfr mass produce.

I just ordered a Tikka T3 223 Rem, not cheap, reasonable in my mind, probably outshoots me so buy once.
 
My only thought on the Tikka is parts / modification ability later. I understand buy one cry once, but for some part of the fun is "tweaking". For that reason I lean toward Remington and Savage for precision rifles from the big makers.

Now if mods are not your thing, no reason to avoid other makes. Tikka is certainly a well respected maker. Nothing wrong with the choice. I've had one and certainly didn't have any issues with function and accuracy.

I also believe you can get an accurate Savage for less than a similar Tikka, (have not checked prices lately) so for a beginner that would be I would go.

Of course all brands can be modified but it seems like a lot of that market is geared toward Savage and Remington. So they are easier to mod. (Maybe my mod concerns are based on much on my new found interest in ARs:)

If really high end is your thing, custom is likely the way to go IMO. I'm not there.....yet.
 
I had a tikka T3 in .243, great rifle, well made. Sold it and just bought a Savage 12FV in .204. I like my Savage better. It's just harder to find .204 than .243 ammo. I also prefer the .204 cartridge, very accurate and fun to shoot. I would recomend the Savage to anybody on a budget.
 
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