Saving for a .223, help me pick one worth waiting for...

.22LRGUY

.22LRGUY

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Hey guys, the "help me pick" a rifle threads are as common as the 10/22 threads in the rimfire forum, but my own collection is comprised entirely OF rimfires, and shotguns. I have never purchased a centerfire, and have my heart set on a .223 for groundhogs and possibly coyotes in the future. I'm not one who likes the idea of a "starter" rifle I know I'll want to upgrade in a year, so I'd rather save and hit it right the first time. So, I'm not set on, or against any make/model, other than to say that I don't need a Cooper-level gun. I'd like a shooter, one that will hold it's value, and of course..a bolt action.

I like the feel of the Remington 700 SPS Varrmint, but have some concerns about the trigges/safety of. I've tried a Savage and it was REALLY accurate...but left me a little cold. Like the look of the CZ 527 with it's steel box mag, but the lack of discussion on that rifle has me wondering what kind of following it has. The Ruger M77 "Hawkeye Predator" looks pretty sweet, but I've never held..or shot one.

Oh yeah...and I'm fighting off the temptation to buy a cheap H&R or Rossi single-shot/break-barrel .223 to "test the water" with this caliber.

So, the decision is mine of course, but I'd be really interested in reading any arguments for, or against any of the options I've listed...or if you have a great experience with a .223 I haven't mentioned here.

Thanks for taking a moment to respond,
Rob
 
My uncle wanted a .223 with a rifling twist appropriate for all the 50-55 gr bullets he has on his bench so I told him to get a CZ ,we adjusted the trigger and he's quite happy with it.
If you plan on carrying the rifle very much consider one with a sporter weight bbl.
 
Suggest you go with a Savage. They are very accurate with the right options, and most will beat the guarantee for accuracy that Copper has. The Savage Gun Finder is the quickest way to narrow down what models may be of interest.

Savage Gun Finder

For sure you want a heavy barrel, and 26" is better than 22". You also want the AccuTrigger. It lets you set trigger pull to a safe 2.5 lbs.

Nice to have is the Target Action and Target AccuTrigger. More solid, and the Target AccuTrigger can be adjusted down to 6 oz.. Also there are some nice stocks depending on your use. For target shooting you want a flat wide bottom on the forend. The HS Precision stocks on some models are very solid with an aluminum bedding block the full length of the action. See pic below.

It all depends on how good you want the gun to shoot. Check out all the details before you jump in! Also pick the bullets you want to shoot first, so you get a gun that has a fast enough twist to shoot them. For long distance you want a heavy high BC bullet to buck the wind, while for short range you want a lighter flat base for max accuracy. See this link to the Berger bullet spec sheet which gives the required twist for each bullet and what the BC is.

LRPVStock.jpg
 
Two choices that I would pick from: CZ527 or Browning X-Bolt. I don't much care for the Remington/Winchester family for 223 sized cartridges - IMO the action is way too big for that particular round. I also am a big fan of detachable magazines. The latest Rugers are quite nice and are an excellent value - the triggers are not my favorite and they don't have DM like I prefer but I would probably take a Ruger over a Remington or Winchester. I am not a fan at all of the H&R or Rossi or any of the other break open single shots unless you are looking at a Thompson family rifle... Good luck with whatever you decide to get.
 
Remington and winchester do not offer a good rate of twist in their varmint rifles. I believe both of them have 1 in 12" for the 223's. The only fast rate of twist is in their police options, and those have short barrels.
CZ offers 1:9 rate of twist with 24" barrels. never shot one but I have never heard a bad thing about them. Savage also offers 1:9 rate of twist, but with 26" barrels.
In my opinion the browning X-bolt varmint is nothing special, it has a 24" barrel and 1:12, so it offers nothing that the other do. I do however really like brownings, and the A-bolt target is a different story. If you are just going to be shooting off a bipod this gun is great. 28" barrel with 1:8 twist. Add the nice 60 degree bolt lift that all brownings have and the adjustable cheek comb and it is a nice gun. With the 1:8 twist you'll be able to shoot quite heavy bullets, and you'll get great velocity out of the 28" barrel. It would be my first choice.
 
Budget?

I just picked this up and it shoots 1MOA with crappy American Eagle Tactical or whatever the ####. Mind you that is in the freezing cold, with some wind, and a bipod no rear rest.

I am looking forward to testing some loads and getting her all rested!

Savage BVSS - .223 Rem - 26 inch stainless fluted barrel w/accutrigger

IMG-20110122-00041.jpg


IMG-20110122-00040.jpg
 
I would pick the cz syntheticif you do a walking or the tikka t3. For bench and a little walking it would be a ruger. Both the cz(set trigger) and ruger (2stage) have nice triggers.

Keith
 
don't buy a heavy barrel for coyote/groundhog hunting. Myself anyways, I tend to walk a ton when im hunting and I hate carrying a bull barreled gun.

good choice on the .223, I like my rem 700 SPS
 
Thanks for the input guys, looks like I have some research to do. (ammunition/rifling) To be honest, it's new territory for me...and I want to try to hit this right the first time.

I noticed that Bass Pro has the Remington 700 SPS at a good price with the mail-in rebate. Don't think I'm ready to commit to that rifle though.
 
I would never purchase a heavy barrel for hunting coyotes. Twist only matters if you plan on shooting heavy bullets. 1-12 will stabilize up to 60 grains so for most hunting applications you are good to go...
 
StevieK said:
Remington and winchester do not offer a good rate of twist in their varmint rifles. I believe both of them have 1 in 12" for the 223's. The only fast rate of twist is in their police options, and those have short barrels.
CZ offers 1:9 rate of twist with 24" barrels. never shot one but I have never heard a bad thing about them. Savage also offers 1:9 rate of twist, but with 26" barrels.
Click to expand...

I dunno about this one. I own a remy varminter in .223, 26" barrel and a Burris fullfield 3 x 9.. I got rid of the tupperware stock and replaced it with a Hogue stock. I use mostly for target, coyotes and gophers. It absolutely loves 50 gr v-max bullets (26.5 gr 748, 450 primer) and sends them out with an average group diameter (outside of of holes) of about 3/8" to 1/2" at 100 yards, depending on the wind. That's about as good as it gets and NO, it is NOT for sale, ever.

My son has a Tikka (1:8 twist) and it does not like the lighter bullets, average group is 1-1/4 " at 100 yards.

I chose the 1:12 specifically for the 35 to 50 gr bullets. :D

Just my humble opinion.
 
I love my Rem M700 SPS (cut down to 18.5") sporter barrel for walking on the hunt for groundhogs and 'yotes. Buy what works for your game and your budget! ;)

Go to a gun store or 2. Feel them, mount them to your shoulder. See what points nicely for you. Look in the mirror and see how COOL you look. Sorry, I could not resist because I am a Mirror Kommando! :D

Cheers,
Barney
 
I would buy one with a true short action. And out of them, my first choice for my budget would be rem 700, Then I would take a good look at the weatherby Vanguard. Neither are high end guns, but they are good value for the money.
 
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One reason I bought a CZ527 is the action is actually scaled to the 223. Its not something shortened to work and I absolutely LUV the damn thing. Ask any owner of a CZ (pretty much anything) and you will always get a big smile. I got an American several years ago and I would never sell it. Damn they build nice guns. Got 2 CZs so far and may pick up a third. They make them leftie too and shoot like a hot damn. They make my other rifles look a little shabby (except my Savage 99s) Love the set trigger
 
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