Which cheap .223 bolt rifle should I pick?

[atakawow]

Hello,

I've been wanting to get a bolt action rifle, anything larger than a .22lr (i know ). I think I've narrowed down to a .223 for the price of ammo. Question is, which rifle should I go for? I'm getting this rifle for fun range shooting and will eventually hunt with it. Is the .223 round capable for hunting? Like deers and such.

These are the criteria:
- Inexpensive ($300-400 is my budget, but anything less is perfect).
- Somewhat accurate/reliable for my bucks.
- Good for hunting.

I'm also open for other caliber suggestions as I am quite a newbie when it comes to rifles and hunting.

Thanks.

 

[t165]

I bought a Stevens 200 in 223 about 2 years ago. No accu-trigger but I adjusted the one that came with it so it's not too bad. And the stock has sharp edges. Other than these minor gripes it appears to be a lot of gun for the money. I paid $275.00 and put a Bushnell 3200 3x9x40 on it.

The 223 gets used on deer a lot but I'm not going to stick my neck out and recommend it. This subject has started plenty of keyboard fights in the past.

 

[BENELLIMONTE]

I would agree that Stevens 200 or a used 111 Savage would be sufficient.

 

[sarduy]

Stevens 200, or a Saiga .223, the saiga is not a bold action but is as reliable as any AK

 

[jpwilly]

Stevens/Savage are cheap rifles that will shoot good. But in many states 223 cannot be used for deer.

 

[bessemerbob]

Well I just made a huge mistake with this very same subject. I was looking at the 400-600 range and ended up a bit higher and got the Remington VTR. A week later I think Im going to trade it in.( its a great varmit, stalking gun not a great bench wrest gun) Probably a $200 mistake on my part! So with all that said the Stevens is a nice gun, Savage are great guns might be hard to get it at the price you want to spend. Stevens is a Savage just no bells and whistles.....

 

[stormspotter]

If you do get a Stevens, get a newer one with the center/straight-line feed. Some of the staggered box-fed ones had feeding problems, due to the smaller case size.

 

[jjk308]

"think I've narrowed down to a .223 for the price of ammo." ????

.223 is outrageously expensive today thanks to military purchases. And it's no good for anything bigger than a coyote.

 

[bessemerbob]

I just got a box of .223 American Eagle for 10.50, which is 50cents a round... I dont think your going to find much cheaper then that...

 

[ArmedBear]

.223 is outrageously expensive today thanks to military purchases. And it's no good for anything bigger than a coyote.

If I go buy ammo at Wal-Mart, I can shoot my .30-06 for only a little more. The AR is gathering dust. Okay, it's in a safe, so it's not actually dusty, but figuratively it is.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

Savage models once were a very good value in rifles. Now they are a very good rifle...period. What's your reason for selecting the .223? Sounds to me like your deer hunting urges match-up better with a .243, etc.

 

[ArmedBear]

BTW you can hunt deer with a .223.

Just don't shoot the deer.

Seriously, it's illegal in some jurisdictions, and considered unethical in most others.

There are places with tiny deer, though. A .223 is probably a legitimate round to use on them. On our muleys up here? I would not consider the round to be ethical.

 

[bensdad]

I have a Stevens 200 in .223. I just posted this somewhere else, but I'll say it again. If they would have let me take it for a test-shoot before purchase, they could have asked two or three times the price. I would have paid it. It's a sub-moa gun with multiple recipes.

ETA: I would not hunt deer with it (even though I can in MN, as of last year).

 

[jimmyraythomason]

The Steven's Model 200 is the best match for your criteria. As far as using the .223 for deer, if you can't hit a vital area with a .223 you probably can't do it with a .458 Lott either. 55 grains of bullet in the heart,lungs or brain is every bit as lethal as a pound of lead.

 

[Jerry D]

A .223 60 grain partition creates similar wound channels to a .30-30.

A .223 with a good shot can be used on deer, max range I'd say would be 100 yards though.

 

[gotime242]

Stevens 200 hands down.

 

[HOLY DIVER]

stevens 200 would make you very happy i'm sure
223 deer hunting i'm not crazy about the idea but if thats all i had and i was hungry i'd use a 223 for deer lol

 

[magnumman44]

Bought 200 rounds of Federal 223 at walmart today for $80.

 

[Deer Hunter]

Here in Texas, .223 is LEGAL and perfectly adequate for hunting deer.

Hunting is more about shot-placement than how big or fast your bullet is.