223 bolt rifle selection help

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notropis

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I'm looking for a .223 rem bolt gun with the following:
24-26" barrel (26" preferred)
1 in 8 (or even 1 in 7) twist

I'm interested in shooting paper so weight etc. is of no concern but accuracy is very important.
I'm on a budget so I'm looking for a stock gun that I can modify as funds allow but building from scratch is not out of the question.

I've been looking but so far, I'm looking in the wrong places. The Rem 700 varmint are attractive but all I see are 1 in 12 twist. Savage 12's are a bit pricey and 1 in 9 twist. Any suggestions?
 
.223 bolt guns with long barrels are going to have slow twists because they are designed for varmint hunting.
There are short barrel tactical guns with fast twists.

If you want a long barrel and a fast twist, you are going to need to buy an aftermarket barrel

Savage has the 12 F/TR in .223 with a 1-7" twist and 30" barrel...but it has an MSRP over $1000
 
CZ Varmint is 1:9
Tikka is 1:8
Stevens 200 is 1:9

Not sure about barrel length on all listed above........
 
The Tikka T3 Varmint has a 24in barrel and a 1/8 twist. My Savage model 11 VT has a 1/9 twist with a 24in barrel. It was however a dealer exclusive at Dicks sporting goods, out the door it was a steal at $550.
 
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There is Varmint Kevlar and a Varmint Walnut. I think, but am not sure, that these may have different twists. I think the Varmint Walnut has a 1:12 twist.
 
Thanks for the help guys.
Looks like it's easiest to settle on 1 in 9 twist and stay within budget as compromise appears necessary. A few of the guns mentioned I had overlooked. I'm not a huge fan of metric dovetails, which excludes some good suggestions above.
 
I'm sure the Savage 12 F/TR is a fine rifle, but $1493.00 list price would be a budget buster. It is exactly what I'm looking for though.
 
The better Savage rifle is the 12 LRPV. It has a 26" barrel which balances better according to those who shoot both. I have one in .223 and it is about as accurate as I can imagine a rifle being. I've shot 1" groups with it at 500 yards. It won't do that every time obviously but it will shoot a 3"-4" group consistently if the wind isn't too bad. I bought mine used for about $925. It had been fired maybe 10 times when I bought it. It took a while to break it in and get to the accuracy it now has. What really helps is it has the target AccuTrigger (can be adjusted down to 6 oz.) and it is a single shot which gives the whole gun more stiffness.

You can start with a lower level Savage and build up to the same point or better. You can get aftermarket barrels but I've been pretty happy with the one I have that's made by Savage. Again the target AT is a big help. They can be bought alone for around $500. As with all Savages you can put the parts in that you want. But IMO it makes more sense to go ahead and get what you want right from the start so you don't end up buying 2 of everything (triggers, barrels, etc.). I bought a rifle with a heavy barrel and a target AT and it's also a single shot and I bought it for just over $900. You do have to watch which model you're getting because not all of them come with the target AT. And some years seem to be better than other years. And you can get the .223 LRPV with a 1:7 twist. Mine is a 1:9 though and I'm very happy with it.
 
Saw a Ruger KM77MKIIVT in 223 on Gunlist, 1 in 9 twist 26" bbl.

If it's anything like my 308 version, you wouldn't have to do any mod's, has a better 3 way adjustable trigger than any Savage Accutrigger, ( I own 2), comes with rings, and a laminate beaver tail stock, Mauser type claw extractor.

Just save up your lunch money !
 
notropis said:
I'm looking for a .223 rem bolt gun with the following:
24-26" barrel (26" preferred)
1 in 8 (or even 1 in 7) twist

I'm interested in shooting paper so weight etc. is of no concern but accuracy is very important.
I'm on a budget so I'm looking for a stock gun that I can modify as funds allow but building from scratch is not out of the question.

I've been looking but so far, I'm looking in the wrong places. The Rem 700 varmint are attractive but all I see are 1 in 12 twist. Savage 12's are a bit pricey and 1 in 9 twist. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Unless your wanting to shoot bullets heavier than 75 grains,a 1-9 twist works just fine.
I shoot 75 gr BTHP Match and 75 gr A-Max's out of my Savage 12 FLVSS all the time,and it has a 26" 1-9 twist barrel.
 
I shoot 75 gr BTHP Match and 75 gr A-Max's out of my Savage 12 FLVSS all the time,and it has a 26" 1-9 twist barrel.
Click to expand...

That's the limit I can shoot out of my 26" 1:9 twist barrel too. I've tried 79 gr. bullets but they just won't shoot accurate.
 
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