Suggestions on a 223 Rifle please

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joe2004

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Well I finally made my decision as to what Cal ammo I want to shoot and its mainly for the price you cant go wrong with the 223.


So what I want to ask is some suggestions as to what brand or model number rifle I should look in to. Price range up to $700


Prefer bolth action with a magazine

it will be used for mostly target shooting and some hunting


Thanks
 
AR's are the funnest guns ever. I wouldn't bother with a bolt action .223. I wouldn't even know one if I saw one to be honest. Any particular reason for the bolt? It will improve accuracy a margin, but not that much.

I got my RRA mid-length 16" for $750 and it totally rocks the Cazbar. The Bushmaster's have better barrels (chrome-lined), Rock River Arms have the best triggers, and Colts have the best name recognition (no offense). Rock River basic models are the best value. You could get a RRA AR in the price range you specified for sure. The others can get closer to $1K.
 
any of todays boltie 223's are going to be good, save maybe the hit or miss ruger. Something in a nice cz, savage, remington, howa, winchester , will all fill the bill quite nicely, with money left over. Now as to how it is built, wood, synthetic, heavy bbl/heavy stock, depends on if you plan to do most shooting in the field, or off of a bench. Now is when you can get crazy with choices, however, a nice cz varmint kevlar does a pretty good job, at filling both bills. light enough , sturdy enough for field usage, with a tough as nails stock, but also very solid, sits well on the bags, and with a set trigger, good for the bench as well.
 
oh yeah, don't overlook an ar, lot of various choices out there for them as well, just go with a piston drive, wave of the future.
 
I have the Remmington 700 VS in .223, I dont target shoot, but it works great for deer and hogs (and anything else I happen to shoot at). It's deadly accurate, I've killed deer at 300yd with it.
 
I've got a Savage Model 12 heavy barrel and it's very accurate. It's an older model and I'd really recommend the newer ones with accu-trigger. The model 10 and 12 come with heavy barrels, I believe, and I think the model 11 is more of a hunting/woods gun.

It's hard to go wrong with a Remington 700, CZ, or most of the current offerings as RR suggested. It kind of depends on your primary usage and what calls your name.

Don't let the AR squad subvert your feelings for the perfection of form that is a bolt action rifle. :D
RT
 
First off, the OP said he'd like a bolt action gun with a magazine, so this would rule out the AR. Also, since the OP said that this is going to be a hunting gun, there's no point buying an AR-15 if it is illegal to hunt with semi-auto rifles in his location (as it is in PA).

A Remington 700 SPS DM seems to be the ticket (bolt action, detachable magazine, < $700).

Now if you don’t mind a non-detachable magazine, your selection of rifles improves a lot. Most do not come with detachable mags.
 
CZ or Savage. IMHO, the CZ set trigger and the Savage accu-trigger puts them head and shoulders above all other bolt-action rifles.
 
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I've got a CZ-527 American sporter in .223, and would say it's definitely worth a look. Haven't shot the Savage, but a lot of people who've done so love it, too.

Whatever you get, definitely try different brands and loads of ammo in it. Mine is capable of sub-MOA performance with Sellier & Bellot 55gr hardball, of all things, but will barely hold 3 MOA with the superficially similar WWB.

For extra fun and more versatility, get into handloading. :) I suspect you'd find this pursuit easier with a bolt action, too.

I don't particularly care for the AR platform in casual or sporting applications. (Note: this is personal preference, not pathological aversion, and I certainly don't want to ban 'em.) However, if the relative price of the boltie vs the AR is the reason you're going with the former, you might consider that, by the time you get through putting decent glass on the bolt action, you will have spent as much as you would have on a good low-end RRA or something similar.
 
Get away from the model guns and get a real one. Browning Abolt Eclipse Varmint or CZ527 Kevlar, bolt rifles with detachable mags.
 
thank you guys for the reply
lot of good stuff

ya im not to crazy about the AR15 like i said i want to go hunting with i dont see myslef caring a AR15 to the filed :)
 
Joe;

I'll also chime in for the CZ527 and the Tikka. The CZ does have the detachable magazine that the Tikka lacks though. Also, both are available in left hand actions, that can be important for those with a left master eye. Both are fine guns in my opinion and I own examples from both makers, though not in .223. That's going to get fixed real soon now. Not fer sure, fer sure who's gonna win, but I'm leaning CZ at this time.

900F
 
I've only had my AR for a short time, but I've learned to really like it....as has been mentioned already...they're sooooo much fun to shoot!
 
I betcha all the above are good I own, ahve owned some. Pick the one you like, that fits you best. If I had it to do over I would buy a 700 CDL but then I like sporter weights, blue and walnut.
 
I'll also chime in for the CZ527 and the Tikka. The CZ does have the detachable magazine that the Tikka lacks though. Also, both are available in left hand actions, that can be important for those with a left master eye. Both are fine guns in my opinion and I own examples from both makers, though not in .223. That's going to get fixed real soon now. Not fer sure, fer sure who's gonna win, but I'm leaning CZ at this time.
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Beg yer pardon but the Tikka T3 has a detachable magazine as does the CZ-527. Take a look at the rate of twist, and get the T3 because it's 1 in 8 twist means you'll be able to shoot a wide variety of ammo. The 527 is a nice classic mini mauser but most of it's models only have 1 in 12 (55 gr. max) twist rates The 527 kevlar model has 1 in 9 (62gr. "green tip". The Tikka T3 (preferably varmint), gives 1 in 8 twist for up to 77gr. bullets, this means it's better for deer if your state regs allow). The Tikka T3 also has very nice smooth action.
 
I'll also chime in for the CZ527 and the Tikka. The CZ does have the detachable magazine that the Tikka lacks though. Also, both are available in left hand actions, that can be important for those with a left master eye. Both are fine guns in my opinion and I own examples from both makers, though not in .223. That's going to get fixed real soon now. Not fer sure, fer sure who's gonna win, but I'm leaning CZ at this time.

900F
Click to expand...

One more here for the CZ... I have a .223 and a recently acquired but not shot .204. Once you try the single set trigger of the CZ you will be sold. I have been using them for nearly two decades and love them. I also have them on my Brno's. With them they are either "on" or "gone"....nothing in between. many folks talk bout them in the same sentence as the "Accu-triggers" but this IMHO is erroneous as they are not even the same thing. The AT is not much different than a Glock's trigger essentially a safety on a lighter weight trigger. This is not even remotely the same as a SST that can be either used in SST mode or standard. There is nothing else like it on the market...even for twice the price. On the barrel twist thing in .223, it just depends which model you get as to what twist.
 
For a great .223 with detachable mag look for Tikka T3. Shoots all sorts of ammo below 1" MOA. I love mine with polymer stock. It just is one tough, accurate rifle.
 
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