223 bolt action recommendations

Status
Not open for further replies.
Waterboy3313

Waterboy3313

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2019
Messages
976
Location
Redding CA
Looking for a good 223 bolt gun. I'm not looking to spend a ton of money and I don't mind making some upgrades as time goes on. I prefer new not used just because of not knowing the history etc.

I recently ended up with a 6.5 creedmoor Savage axis. It was a "good deal" from a buddy. I dumped a ton of money into a scope and reloading supplies as I didn't have anything to reload for a 6.5 creedmoor. Definitely not bashing the creedmoor but for what I do and what I have into it so far feel like I could have done better and a 6.5 creedmoor is a bit overkill.

This morning I took a trip to the range to shoot a work up and was again not exactly thrilled with my results. At 100 yards my Lowest budget home assembled 15 platform performed better groups with a $50 Chinese scope.

This got me thinking and confirmed my earlier thoughts. For my usage which is punching paper and ringing steel at 100-250 yards a decent bolt action 223 would fit the requirements. I already load for 223 and have ammo/components on hand. I don't do competition stuff but I try my hardest to do the best I can.

My goal is accuracy and I'm a bit of a tinkerer. Looking for a good base line platform that is capable of being fun accurate and upgraded as time goes on. If I knew what I know now I would have probably spent the money I spent on reloading components to buy a new barrel and bolt parts as well as the basic tools to convert the creedmoor to 223.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
 
I have a Savage axis .223. It is very accurate. No problem hitting steel out to 300 yards with my loads. Only mod i did was a Mcarbo trigger kit. The scope on it cost more retail than the rifle. I got a great deal on a used one. Good glass goes a long way. The steel in the pic is on the 200 yard line. I have no problem nailing it.
This is the scope.
https://sightmark.com/products/citadel-3-18x50-lr2-riflescope
20210825_161920.jpg
 
No offense taken. Yeah I have tried a box of factory ammo. It seems to shoot ok but not as good as I expected for Hornady ammo. Again like I said I know Savage is known to be a lower priced rifle but they are also known to be decent shooters as well. Maybe I got the one out of million that was made on a Monday or Friday. Also had another friend shoot it last weekend that is a knowledgeable skilled competition shooter. His results were not much better than mine. Keep in mind all of my shooting with this rifle have been shot from a rest as well.

He recommended I do some trigger work and get some jb bore paste.
 
Unless you got a lemon, that Savage Axis should shoot as good or better than any AR rifle all day long.

In reality, with your stated uses, a good 223 will fit your needs. There are lots of good rifles available depending on price range you want to stick to. A Savage out of the box is normally hard to beat, especially when your budget is tight. The two main reasons I stick with Savage rifles is their accuracy and they are easier to find in left handed versions.
 
Unless you got a lemon, that Savage Axis should shoot as good or better than any AR rifle all day long.
Click to expand...

I agree. I can do better with any one of my PSA or BC gas guns on a Shakey no breakfast cold morning. Hence my disappointment in the Savage.
 
Owning an Axis myself, I can't imagine shooting it without at least putting in an M*CARBO trigger kit. I'm not a trigger snob by any means, but the trigger on my Axis was pretty terrible to the point I think it probably would have affected groups. So, if you have the trigger completely stock, I'd at least look at that as far as the rifle you have right now.

As far as recommendations for other rifles, I have a heavy barrel Weatherby Vanguard in 223 that I'd recommend in a heartbeat. Probably the most refined feeling rifle I own, which isn't saying much but I like it :D. The Weatherby Vanguard/Howa 1500 has a solid aftermarket and is a solid rifle.

I also have a Savage 10 (also heavy barrel) in 308. I like the Accutrigger on it alot and it's been very accurate for me so far. I dropped it in a Choate stock, and it's a heavy beast but definitely fun to shoot.

I think both the Vanguard/1500 and Savage 10/11/12 line would work well out of the box and have a robust enough aftermarket to keep you happy.
 
Owning an Axis myself, I can't imagine shooting it without at least putting in an M*CARBO trigger kit. I'm not a trigger snob by any means, but the trigger on my Axis was pretty terrible to the point I think it probably would have affected groups. So, if you have the trigger completely stock, I'd at least look at that as far as the rifle you have right now.
Click to expand...

I'm not exactly a trigger snob either. I have seen the mcarbo kit and scratching my head as to why I don't have one yet. I recently got a trigger tech trigger in my go to AR. It has made a very noticeable improvement. The only gun I own that hasn't had any trigger modification is my Kimber TLE 2 and it has always impressed me out of the box.

The Savage trigger is definitely not a Cadillac right out of the box.
 
BigBL87 said:
I also have a Savage 10 (also heavy barrel) in 308. I like the Accutrigger on it alot and it's been very accurate for me so far. I dropped it in a Choate stock, and it's a heavy beast but definitely fun to shoot.
Click to expand...

I have basically the same rifle except in a left hand version. Yes they are heavy but man do they shoot well. I can shoot cloverleafs at 100 yards when I do my part (and have a good day). Mine is a stagger feed Model 12 FVL 308.

SAV 12FLV.jpg

I am about in the same boat as the OP. My 308 is a bit more than I need for most of the shooting I do now days. I'm just waiting to find a left handed bolt action with a heavy barrel. Everyone has been out of stock on the Savage left handed rifles. And there isn't many choices now days for us left hand shooters.
 
How about a Tikka T3x?
Click to expand...

I'm not exactly the most familiar with bolt action stuff and looking for good recommendations. All suggestions are good and helping me consider different makes and models I might never have thought about.
 
If it’s just a bench rifle then setting it up correctly will make shooting it easier. If you can find a heavy barrel great, but more importantly one with the correct stock to ride bags, even if it means some serious surgery.

Now...you have the rifle, dies, components; money sunk into it already, so why not play around a bit more. Find a different weight bullet, a different profile, a different powder. If the rifle doesn’t give, get it down the road.
 
Waterboy3313 said:
I'm not exactly a trigger snob either. I have seen the mcarbo kit and scratching my head as to why I don't have one yet. I recently got a trigger tech trigger in my go to AR. It has made a very noticeable improvement. The only gun I own that hasn't had any trigger modification is my Kimber TLE 2 and it has always impressed me out of the box.

The Savage trigger is definitely not a Cadillac right out of the box.
Click to expand...

The kit is definitely worth it for the Axis, whatever the planned use is. It won't magically turn it into a Timney or anything, but it is a massive improvement for shootability. There's a guy selling a similar kit on eBay as well, thats what my father-in-law used on his Axis, think it's a buck or two cheaper and basically the same thing.
 
I have owned two different 223/5.56 rifles. The bench gun was a Remington Model 700 varmint. It had a slow twist barrel and shot light bullets (40 grain) very well. The other was a Stag Arms with a fast twist and liked heavy bullets.
I would recommend that you go with a heavy barrel rifle, but a fast twist for heavy bullets.

Sorry to hear about your Axis. I would spend the money on a spring kit as mentioned earlier. I would also try a much different bullet weight. The Savage Axis probably was intended for hunting and has a modest twist for hunting weight bullets.
Running long match grade/weight bullets may give you the opposite result that you are looking for.
 
I have a Howa 1500 so I'd personally recommend that; also a Tikka or a Bergara over any Rugers or Savages.
 
Is there a dollar figure that "not looking to spend a ton of money" means to you? Knowing that rough figure would be helpful.

Availability of guns right now is low. 223 bolt guns are especially hard to come by, especially post Christmas. Inventories are exceptionally low.

A Ruger American Predator at about $450 bucks should serve you well. If, as is often the case with Ruger guns, it is in some way defective, Ruger does a great job of getting it right the second go round.

Howa makes a very good gun in the same sub $500 price range.

Savage makes quite a few heavy barrel 223 bolt guns for affordable prices.

Jumping up in price, Tikka is known for making a very accurate rifle.

My advice right now is to wait for inventories to recover a little bit. In the mean time consider switching scopes and doing some other experimenting to see what happens. Even high dollar brand new scopes can be defective. If your scope is a Vortex or Leupold, be suspicious.
 
I'm a big fan of the Remington 700. Look for a used one with a varmint weight barrel. Most of them shoot pretty good right off of the shelf. There are a ton of upgrades available, from mild to wild.

CZ and Savage usually shoot pretty well to and usually are cheaper than Remington and Winchester.
 
If the Ruger American uses AR mags that's kind of a plus for me. The Savage axis magazines in my opinion are junk. They seem very hard to load. I usually end up single feeding.

Not sure the barrel twist rate in a Ruger American. I mostly load 55gr projectiles and would like to keep it that way. I'm going to have to start keeping my out for one of these.
 
Last edited:
Just make sure if you order a Ruger American Predator you specifically order the one that takes AR mags if that is something you want. There's a 223 model that takes the standard mags and one that takes AR mags. The bolt has to be cut differently for the AR mags.

Before I got an awesome deal on my Weatherby, the Ruger American Predator was at the top of my list.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

S
Looking at ARs for hunting. What to know?
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Replies
266
Views
5K
Sanderguy777
S
R
  • Locked
OK, I understand 6.5 Creedmore is ballistically superior to .308 Win, but....
2 3 4 5
Replies
120
Views
7K
cdb1
cdb1
Ga Law Dawg
  • Locked
Browning X Bolt Eclipse Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor
Replies
13
Views
6K
Shootin4fun
S
bikemutt
  • Locked
Creedmoor conundrum, help needed
Replies
7
Views
821
Caliper_Mi
C
H
  • Locked
22 rim fire or 6.5 Creedmoor?
2
Replies
32
Views
4K
dh1633pm
dh1633pm
Back
Top