Best .223 rifles

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Lots!

If you get a Remington, Howa, Weatherby, Tikka, Savage, CZ, Browning, or Ruger, you won't be disappointed with any of 'em.

What are you looking for?

Varmint hunting? Plinking/field practice? Competition? Accuracy shooting?
 
accuracy and target shooting, possibly varmint in the future.
I have looked at Browning A-bolts and found one that seemed good but im not sure if it actually is, the composite stalker.
 
Typically, accuracy and varmint shooters favor heavier guns with heavier barrels. They don't get hot as fast, and they don't change POI with heat as much. Heavier guns sit more steadily on a rest. 8-10 lb. or more, without scope, is typical.

The lightest guns are favored by people who hunt on foot, especially in hill country. Hence, you have guns sold as "Mountain Rifles" by Remington and others, with trimmed-down barrels and other weight-saving features. Big game hunters don't need a gun to stay dead-accurate for more than a few shots without cooling, usually just one or two. 5-7 lb. without scope, lighter for some wacky custom jobs.

In between, you have guns that split the difference. These are your standard hunting rifles, which weigh in at 7-8 lb. with a scope.

For what you want, a heavy gun sounds best, assuming that's what you REALLY want. They're typically a tad more expensive than basic hunting rifles, but not that much. They're usually sold as Varmint, Target, Tactical, or Heavy Barrel models, and they are often sold with accuracy-enhancing features like better triggers (maybe single-set like CZ and some Remingtons), better bedding, laid-fiberglass stocks (not "synthetic" molded).
 
Tikka

I have a Tikka T3 lite in .223Rem. :p The rifle is a tack driver out of the box, I can shoot factory 55 or 62 gr loads sub-MOA without problems. The gun is not the prettiest, but one of the most accurate and practical available. Cost is less than $500. And yes, the fast 1:8 twist; you can use up to and including 80 gr bullets.
I think this is the best factory rifle for .223 Rem shooting. You need to consider Varmint or Tactical variants, too.
 
If you want a bolt action .223 that shoots like it's a $1500 rifle but only costs around $500 then look no further than a CZ 527 American or Varmint. It is the best bolt action .223 out there by far for that price range. Of course this is MY humble opinion. You not only get a rifle that will shoot sub MOA at 100 yards but you get a fully adjustable trigger that also has a set feature that allows you to set the trigger by pushing it forward and then the trigger pull is around a crisp 1 pound. You can adjust the pull weight to your liking though.

http://www.cz-usa.com/product_detail.php?id=10
 
hessy said:

The Tikka T3 Lite Stainless has been catching my eye lately also.

TikkaT3_Lite_Stainless.jpg


They also have a "varmint" version.

TikkaT3_Varmint_Stainless.jpg
 
Another nice thing about the CZ is that it's got a stock made out of walnut, not el cheapo injection-molded plastic, for that price.

Correction... CZ available in maple, various laminates also. A good deal!
 
The Remington Model 799 is also an option, if you're OK with the 1:12" twist.

lgsil_799.jpg


I like the Remington 700P LTR in general, but I like the idea of a shorter-action for .223. 1:9" twist though.

700pltr.jpg
 
"Best" for what purpose ? No way to provide a short answer to that open ended question - it is like asking what is the best scope ? W
 
"Best" for what purpose ? No way to provide a short answer to that open ended question - it is like asking what is the best scope ?

i did reply earlier that it would be mostly used for target shooting and possibly varmint.

and thanks for all the ideas ill look into these :).
 
I have a Savage Model 12 that works great for me. Personally, I would go with Savage or CZ. They both have good triggers and are very accurate out of the box. I don't think you would go wrong with either one.
 
I also recommend the Tikka T3 Varmint 223. Extremely accurate, wonderful adjustable trigger, very smooth action - what more could a person ask for?

You might also check www.thegunsource.com for prices as they have very good prices for most of the rifles you will be looking at.
 
The CZ 527 Kevlar is a very nice rifle but FYI - it is a 1-9 twist instead of a 1-12 twist like the American or varmint.
 
I don't have a lot of experience with bolt-action guns but this one has been very good for me. A Savage Model 16. Savages have always seemed to be quite accurate out of the box in my limited experience. Especially for the money.


SavageModel16.gif
 
I have a heavy barreled, laminated stock, New England Firearms .223 that I keep on the 4 wheeler all the time. It's an inexpensive ( $175 +/- )
single shot break down barrel that will shoot sub MOA with factory WWB and my handloads.
It's pretty much stock with a little trigger work done by Joe Goforth, a local riflesmith. I also have a Sightron I 3X9 scope on it.
My Remington 22-250 VSSF sits in the safe most of the time since I got the NEF .223
 
if going strictly by accuracy, the cz will probably smoke 'em all. but if you want something that is accurate, and you can bang around in the field without crying, I would go savage.
 
Here are my two .223s - top is a Savage 12BVSS , just picked it up last weekend - was $599. Bottom is a Remington 700 LTR - which I traded for , but at the time last Dec. was around $779.
223timestwo002a.gif

Will be interesting to compare the accuracy between the two.
 
Here are my two .223s - top is a Savage 12BVSS , just picked it up last weekend - was $599. Bottom is a Remington 700 LTR - which I traded for , but at the time last Dec. was around $779.

Will be interesting to compare the accuracy between the two.

YodaVader -- have you had a chance to compare them yet? Just curious.
 
YodaVader -- have you had a chance to compare them yet? Just curious.

This weekend I am going to try to take both the 700 and the 12BVSS to the range. Since buying the Savage I have not fired the Remington mainly due to the fact that the Savage now has the scope that was on the 700. The scope came off a 22lr. The scope that was on the 700 went back to the Leupold Custom Shop. So this will be the first time I can compare the rifles during the same range session.

The Leupold that was originally on the 700 LTR is now back with a target dot installed. The Savage was worked on last week by Sharp Shooter Supply and now has one of his triggers which is around 13oz in pull weight. The 700 still has the advantage with a Jewell that is set at little over 4oz.

Anyway , the best groups with both rifles have been pretty close - the smallest being in the .3s . I could possibly post a few target pics later. I am really pleased with both.
 
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