Which ~$800 .223 bolt action?

[Gtscotty]

Hello,

I've been thinking that it might be time for me to fill the fill the vacant .223 varmint/target rifle slot in my inventory. I'm looking generally for a 1 in 9 twist heavy (but not too heavy) barrel bolt action with a good reputation for accuracy.

As it stands now, I'm leaning towards these rifles, in order of preference:

FN TSR XP
CZ 527 Varmint Target
Browning X-bolt Varmint Special

What kind of experiences have yall had with these rifles? I'm especially interested in the FN TSR, it doesn't seem to be that popular, but almost every review I could find spoke to it's stellar accuracy. I think If i wind up getting the 527 I will send it off to get the bolt handle adjusted... the high scope mounting required for 527's is what has kept me away thus far.

Aside from Remington 700's or Savages (I've had both and want to stick with other brands) , are there any other rifle options I should toss into the mix?

 

[longdayjake]

Don't have any experience with the FN but the CZ is pretty much an ultra awesome gun. The browning is fine but nothing special. I just have a thing for control feed guns that look pretty.

 

[longdayjake]

You might also consider the new mossberg that accepts ar mags. Not sure about the accuracy but they sure are handy.

 

[greyling22]

Isn't the TSR a winchester model 70 action in a hogue stock with an FN barrel? Nothing wrong with any of those parts.

I really really like the action, but not accuracy of the browning A-bolt, and I like the action and accuracy of the tikka t3. I was also favorably impressed with how the Howa rifles I handled in the store. No idea on accuracy.

Cz's are nice, but a little tricky to scope.

And I seem to recall reading an article in a gun rag about a year ago where they went and bought something like 15 bolt action 270's off the shelf and took them all out and compared them. They gave savage the accuracy nod and winchester the overall win. So if the TSR is a win 70 in disguise then that's good for you. Somebody who remembers the article better may be able to correct me.

 

[beatledog7]

Investigate the Savage Model 25. Its action was designed around the .223 Remington round.

 

[sirgilligan]

I just made that choice. I got the CZ 527 Varmint, not the Varmint Target.
1 in 9 twist. Check!

I over analyze, that is my nature, and part of my profession. So, hearing that the CZ is hard to scope I tried to avoid this "hard" thing to do. So, I bought the picatinny rail, figuring that should make it easy right, rings are plentiful, etc. Well, the shortest rings I could find, when placed on the picatinny rail that obviously has some height to it, makes for a very high scope (I didn't try any 50mm or larger optics).

So, I ordered the CZ medium rings in the mail, after making myself some "putty" mounts and measured them to see roughly were I needed to be.

Leupold contacted me a day too late (had ordered the CZ rings) and informed me that their rings indeed do have the lug on the rear ring that fits the notch on the CZ dovetail. So that is good to know.

Here is the thread:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=728782

What I have learned:
Just get any ring around .54" in height for a 40mm objective, 30mm tube.
I got the CZ modified bolt handle just because. When my mounts get here Monday I will post if either handle works, etc., but now I think that I may have been victim of my over analysis when I got the bolt handle too.

The barrel on the CZ has a target crown.
The balance is fine, of course a little nose heavy as expected.

I got the Leupold VX-4 after looking through a lot of scopes and driving three local gun stores crazy. The weight was something I noticed about this scope, it wasn't has heavy as others.

Finally, and I know many will think this isn't true, but the CZ is chambered such that it is fine to fire 5.56 NATO through the firearm. I contacted CZ to verify this. They wouldn't say it if it wasn't true in such a litigious society as we live in.

I got the Walnut stock. It as swelled a bit with humidity I guess and is not fully free floating and I will have to address this. CZ told me that they are free floating when they leave the factory. Maybe should have got the laminate or Kevlar stock. But I love the look of wood and mine is very pretty.

CZ has a crazy sweet set trigger. If you don't know what that is then look it up. Normal trigger feels around 4 lbs, set trigger is crazy light, maybe 1 lb -ish.

Good Luck.

p.s.

I am a huge FNH and Browning fan. The reason I didn't get an FN, Browning, or other was I wanted 5.56 "certification" so to speak.

 

[jakk280rem]

I'd pick the Browning or Savage 25 as suggested. Both are built on an small action designed for 223 sized cartridges. Many other 223's are jammed into a 308 sized action and are needlessly chubby. I think the Browning would get the nod as it has a flush mag, making it nicer to carry.

 

[targetshooter22]

Don't know about the others, but I'm a .223/5.56 CZ 527 Varmint fan. That's the "micro mauser" action, made for cartridges of that size (there is a short action 550 in 308 - have one of those too, and it's a lot of fun as well, but different mission). Not done with load development yet, but the 69 grain projectiles are quite promising, but so were the 60 grain ones too. It's got a Leupold 3.5-10x 50mm scope so I went with the high rings. No bolt modification for me. In my experience CZ's limit cartridge OAL with the magazine, but as always, best to work up to that in the rifle.

But really there are a lot of nice rifles in that price point area. I'm sure there are other good target style rifles that offer great features.

 

[Schutzen]

.223 Bolt Gun

A Savage Model 12 will deliver guilt edge accuracy.

The Mossberg MVP is a choice, but not nearly as accurate. I have both. I shoot the Savage 12 for accurate shots (prairie dogs), but the Mossberg MVP is my everyday truck gun. It delivers good accuracy for medium to small varmints (coyotes/ground hogs) out to 300 yards. The use of the AR magazines is an added plus. There is no danger of a loaded rifle in the truck and I can keep 2 or different bullet types ready in different magazines.

Each rifle has it's place, you just have to chose the correct one for your intended use.

 

[Gtscotty]

Thanks for all the info so far guys, I was leaning strongly towards the FN TSR, but now I'm starting to think that perhaps the 527 Varmint Target might be the best option. Both the TSR and the Varmint Target are aluminum block bedded. The TSR and x-bolt Varmint Special must be even less popular than I though, has anyone seen/used one?

sirgilligan, thanks for the info on the 527 scope mounting situation, over analyzing things is sort of my super power too... I imagine we are in a similar profession. If scope handle ocular bell interference is not really that big of a deal, all the better. Do you think the modified bolt handle will allow you to mount lower? I'd love to see a picture of the modified bolt handle height difference when you get your mounts.

The only problem with the 527 Varmint Target is that none of my normal online stores, have them in stock, also none of my local dealers seem to be able to order them, they must be a very low demand item. I'll be using this rifle as a range fun-gun for targets from 100 to 200 yds, I might also go after coyote with it, but not nearly as often. I wonder for my uses if the slower twist of the regular 527 American would be a terrible hindrance. What kind of accuracy are folks getting out of their non-Varmint Target 527s? What bullet weights can they handle?

As for just getting an AR-15, I already have a couple of those that live in the safe most of the time, I'm really just looking for a high precision bolt action rifle that uses the same ammo/components.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Savage would get my $$, I like the look of the Mossberg bolt gun but until I see some accuracy groups with it I'd hold off.

 

[samurai]

I have the Mossberg MVP and with a Millet 4-16 scope shoot dime to quarter size groups regularly at 100yds-for my shooting skills , that's pretty good.

 

[sirgilligan]

sirgilligan, thanks for the info on the 527 scope mounting situation, over analyzing things is sort of my super power too... I imagine we are in a similar profession. If scope handle ocular bell interference is not really that big of a deal, all the better. Do you think the modified bolt handle will allow you to mount lower? I'd love to see a picture of the modified bolt handle height difference when you get your mounts.

I intend to take some good photos and review the entire process of when it came out of the box to sighting it in.

Last time I was at my local gun store they had a 527 Varmint and V27 Varmint Target (with that crazy hex twisted barrel), but Utah is a long way from Georgia. Grab-a-gun had some 527's but don't recall which one.

If you are not going for the heavier weights, say greater than 55 grains, internet lore has it that 1 in 12 twist will be just fine. If you only shoot .223 and pick the 1:12 then you have a lot more options.

By the way, I double checked, the CZ USA site lists the Varmint Target as 1 in 12 twist, not 1 in 9... so be very aware of that.

I wish they would make the CZ 527 American with a normal profile barrel and 1 in 9 twist with open sights, I would have preferred that.

If you are punching paper, shooting small varmints, coyotes, etc., then nothing wrong with a 40 grain bullet.

As for just getting an AR-15, I already have a couple of those that live in the safe most of the time, I'm really just looking for a high precision bolt action rifle that uses the same ammo/components.

Another reason for the CZ 527 to shoot 5.56 NATO rounds. From what CZ told me, any European .223 REM is chambered to take 5.56 NATO as well because they recognize it to be the same round and measure the pressure for the 5.56 and build around that, but I would ask them specifically, get it in writing like I did with CZ USA.

p.s. This is what CZ USA wrote to me:

I'm sure you know this already, but our rifles are built to CIP spec, which doesn't differentiate between .223 and 5.56, it uses the higher pressure of the two and considers them one cartridge. So our rifles are built to shoot anything from match .223 to surplus 5.56.

Good luck.