Willing to spend up to $2000 on a .223 bolt rifle.. recommendations?

[cpirtle]

I'm thinking about buying a nice .223 Bolt rifle because I have thousands of rounds of 223 and would like a nice bolt rifle to supplement my AR's.

I'm not a bench rest shooter but do like to shoot for accuracy from time to time. Whatever I buy will get a 4x glass and be used for a combination of plinking, varmint/yote hunting and some paper punching.

I'm not opposed to spending under $1,000 but I'd like a more refined rifle with a short/quick action if possible.

So what are your recommendations?

Sako, Cooper, Annie, Weatherby, CZ, Remington, Tikka, Steyr?

Only one I'll rule out in advance is Kimber.

 

[Quiet]

I like and recommend the...
Ceska Zbrojovka CZ-527 Carbine
Mossberg MVP

 

[R.W.Dale]

Honestly there's not a production non semiautomatic 223 besides a no1 ruger I could justify paying that much for. There's just too many good $600 or less options that will do the job just fine.

My advice buy a $600 rifle and make the difference up with high end optics




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[R H Clark]

Get the Cooper but you won't realize it's full potential with a 4X scope.

 

[hawkeye10]

Buying a .223 bolt rifle and putting a 4 power is a waste of money. It's your money and of coarse you can spend it how you like. I think you can spend way less than $1000 and get a very nice rifle. I have a Savage M12 in .223 with a Bushnell Elite 4200 scope and have about $1100 or $1200 in it. Of coarse others will have a different opinion, this is just mine. Don

 

[stubbicatt]

There are lots of good suggestions here. For a "tool" type rifle, one which you purchase without a mind to the aesthetics of the rifle, any will do. If you like a really beautiful piece, get one of the Coopers. Some of the CZ 527 are really nice too, but unless you see it in person it is difficult to get a feel for the condition of the wood.

 

[cpirtle]

Good points everyone.

I never said I needed to shoot to the potential of the rifle, but I do like owning refined firearms. I'm open to a variety of optics but like a 4x because I generally shoot in the 100 yard or less range and already have a match AR with high-X glass that I would probably shoot instead. With whatever I get this time if I want to wring out all of it's potential down the road I can.

I love my Remington 700 sps aac and would have no problem with another 700, just looking for a little classier variety this go-round. I'd really like a Ruger #1 tropical but they don't make it in in 223..

Don't get me wrong, I'm not ruling out the less expensive rifles, just want to explore the higher end ones before I pop on something.

 

[Allen in MT]

I hove the the CZ 527 Varmint .223 and will be topping it with the Vortex Vipor 5-15x44 tactical and should have a total of about $1100.00 in it

 

[wriggly]

Help me out here....whats the draw? I own AR's, and I shoot cheap .223 out of them when I cannot get the 5.56 fodder I prefer, but what exactly is the attraction in having a bolt gun for .223 that won't handle 5.56?

Don't get me wrong, I am not being skeptical, I own bolt guns in some calibers that some might frown on, I am just looking to hear from folks that own em on what the skinny is on them.

By the way, I do not reload.

 

[R.W.Dale]

You mention a no1 tropical in 223.

Ruger doesn't make one but I think they do make a 77 tropical in 223 for a specialist outfitter.




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[MCMXI]

Only one I'll rule out in advance is Kimber.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not ruling out the less expensive rifles, just want to explore the higher end ones before I pop on something.

Out of interest, why not Kimber? I wouldn't buy a Kimber in .223 Rem because I'd want at least a 1:8 twist barrel for 80gr bullets and they only offer 1:9 ... but I'm curious as to your thoughts.

 

[AABEN]

Buy your self a Savage and buy your self some reloading supply's so you can do more shooting. GOOD LUCK

 

[aka108]

I really like the CZ rifles and for the money you can't get better. For optics, look up "Clearidgeoptics". The scopes are Japanese built and the quality is excellent.

 

[dubbleA]

The OP stated he didnt mind spending money on a nicer refined rifle and yet I see Savage and Mossberg reccomended, that makes me chuckle but that's just me. Not saying they are bad rifles but not in the same catergory.

You wont be disappointed in choosing a Copper, though they are twisted for the lighter weight varmint bullet weights and not heavies. That could be a determining factor if wanting to run AR ammo through it.

 

[Damon555]

You can get a mighty fine Cooper for that kind of money...If you have that much to spend on the gun then you can afford good glass too...A 4x will not allow you to realize the full potential of your rifle for target shooting.....and don't be like some of these guys who spend $1500 on a rifle setup and then put a $100 dollar scope on it.

 

[mjw930]

After going through all the popular .223 Varmint style files available I liked the Tikka T3 (Hunter or Varmint) or a CZ 527 Varmint as a more refined, multi purpose weapon.

I ended up going with the Savage 12 BTCSS because I love the looks and the feel and know it will be a tack driver but it will be a 95% bench rifle punching paper so my application is different than yours.

The Weatherby Vanguard S2 Varmint is a good looking and handling gun but it's not as refined as the Tikka or CZ IMHO.

There's always the SAKO 85 Varmint Laminated Stainless at $2000 MSRP if you really want to spend the coin

 

[greyling22]

I've found that tikka and browning have the smoothest and quickest production throws that I have handled. 3 lugs for the win!

a blueprinted 700 actually had the smoothest throw I've used, though I hear good things about custom actions.

for a light and handy carbine, nothing I have seen beats a cz 527, though ruger makes some nicely shaped weapons. too bad they don't shoot quite up to par. (if your ruger shoots great, huzzah! but I don't know anybody who will categorically rank the ruger 77 as a particularly accurate rifle)

 

[ColtPythonElite]

700 bucks or so will get you a 30+ year old Remington 700 BDL Varmint Special....A beautiful, classic that is generally extremely accurate.

 

[R.W.Dale]

for a light and handy carbine, nothing I have seen beats a cz 527, though ruger makes some nicely shaped weapons. too bad they don't shoot quite up to par. (if your ruger shoots great, huzzah! but I don't know anybody who will categorically rank the ruger 77 as a particularly accurate rifle)

An oft repeated misconceptions perpuated by folks who haven't actually shot ruger 77's for accuracy.

I have the records and averages where my rugers shot just as well or better as my 527 Kevlar varmint did.



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[ColtPythonElite]

I use a Ruger MKII Target in .22-250 that is a 100 yd, all the shots touching gun.

 

[jehu]

+1000 for the Sako SS Varmint which go for more like $1500 and have a 1-8 twist. Nothing wrong with the Cooper but the Sako is just as good and are stainless. I have a Sako 85 SS varmint in 22-250 and it is super accurate with the Hornady 55gr Ballistic Tips.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I think that like Hawkeye, I would go with a Savage with on of their Accutrigger trigger groups and then put the rest of the money into an outstanding scope and some other accessories.

 

[Art Eatman]

About a dozen years back I bought a Ruger 77 Mk II light sporter in .223. It was reliably half-MOA, even with the tort-liability trigger. Replacing it with a Timney merely made it easier. I put a Leupold 3x9x40 on it; one of the older Vari-X II types.

I've done quite nicely on prairie dogs to 300 yards.

 

[chad1043]

Go to www.snipercentral.com... click on the sniper store. They make custom rifles based off the Remington 700 and Howa platforms. You can deck it out the way you want it... You can easily spend around $2000...

 

[BigG]

Steyr-Mannlicher is hard to beat.