223 bolt guns

durkspunk2112 · Jun 7, 2015

I purchased a Savage Axis II in .223 a few months ago. The low recoil and low cost ammo were the main reasons I wanted a .223 bolt gun. I can shoot it at the range for hours with no discomfort. Using the same ammo as my A/R, it's a great rifle to own. I can achieve 3-4" groups at 200 yards using 55gr. FMJ PMC ammo. It's become one of my favorite rifles!

I ordered it from Cabelas in DE. It took about a week to come in but no Maryland sales tax!

atblis · Jun 7, 2015

The most accurate bolt gun I own is a Tikka. Alays puts a smile on my face shooting it.

Racer Doug14 · Jun 7, 2015

Savage precision carbine. Or any one with the accu-stock. Some of their varmint styles would fill the bill too.

BradMacc82 · Jun 7, 2015

For a budget friendly tack-driver, I tend to give Savage the nod. Haven't shot a Tikka, so can't comment on those.

But I will say, even with a nearly roached barrel (throat was completely gone, first few 16th's of rifling are worn smooth) the .223 10FP-LE would still shoot very well at 100 yards.

I kept the barrel, still sitting by my entertainment stand.

friendlyhippo · Jun 8, 2015

BradMacc82 said:
I kept the barrel, still sitting by my entertainment stand.

For what kind of "entertainment"? :innocent0

ted76 · Jun 8, 2015

I have been looking for a decent Savage wood stocked .223 bolt gun for a while now, but the few I have found at the shows are over priced.

Speed3 · Jun 8, 2015

I just picked up a .223 bolt gun....savage, hopefully it shoots well.

Bolt gun charge weights vs AR charge weights...is there a major difference?

friendlyhippo · Jun 8, 2015

Speed3 said:
I just picked up a .223 bolt gun....savage, hopefully it shoots well.

Bolt gun charge weights vs AR charge weights...is there a major difference?

if you're reading .223 data you'll be fine. some ARs, since they're chambered in 5.56, can handle higher pressures. the standard practice of starting a little low and working up applies.

as far as shooting well, it's a savage. it oughta. if it doesn't, ask someone else at the range to shoot it first to rule out shooter error.

driver69911 · Jun 8, 2015

Savage LRPV 223 w/1-7" twist very accurate out of the box. Shooting 80.5 Bergers at present. Best so far is 3-shot .202 group @ 100y. Consistently under .5 moa. Have won factory-heavy class in groundhog shoots with this rifle.

Tikka T3 Lite 223 also a winner in factory light sporter, using 52 and 69 SMKs. Has 1-10" twist. Even 77s show some promise.

Can't go wrong with either.

BradMacc82 · Jun 8, 2015

friendlyhippo said:
For what kind of "entertainment"?

The 'improvised' tire-thumper kind. 24" varmint contour has some weight to it.

fabsroman · Jun 8, 2015

alucard0822 said:
Ruger scout gunsite. They are AWESOME. 1/8 twist, 10rd box mag, comfortable and secure stock, scout rail for optics, reliable feeding and ejection and good fixed sights, pretty accurate too. Probably one of the better all around rifles for most anything other than trying for tiny groups from a bench. If tiny groups from a bench are your goal, then a Savage varminter, Tikka or Rem 700.

Ruger makes a Hawkeye .223 bolt action in a heavy barrel varmint gun. I have a Ruger77 MKII target gun in 220 Swift and I really like it.

http://www.ruger.com/products/HawkeyeVarmintTarget/models.html

I would pick Ruger over Remington every day if I did not plan on modifying the gun very much. However, the aftermarket available for the Remington 700 is just crazy compared to the Ruger rifles. Only reason I would go with a Remington 700 action over a Ruger is if I wanted to heavily modify it.

photoracer · Jun 10, 2015

I use a Mossberg MVP Heavy Varmint model, 24" barrel. I put a 4-12x40 Nikon scope on it to start. However it shoots well enough that I upped it to a Leatherwood 6-24x50. I mainly wanted it because it shoots regular AR mags and for taking out groundhogs at the farm.

Sam Salvati · Jun 10, 2015

BradMacc82 said:
For a budget friendly tack-driver, I tend to give Savage the nod. Haven't shot a Tikka, so can't comment on those.

But I will say, even with a nearly roached barrel (throat was completely gone, first few 16th's of rifling are worn smooth) the .223 10FP-LE would still shoot very well at 100 yards.

View attachment 152062

I kept the barrel, still sitting by my entertainment stand.

What happened to that barrel?!

BradMacc82 · Jun 11, 2015

Sam Salvati said:
What happened to that barrel?!

It had the ever-loving piss shot out of it.

1st owner was a PG Co. badge, 2nd owner was a PG Co. employee (who also shot the snot out of it), then I got it and shot the snot out of it. Rifle had to have seen at least 5k hard and fast rounds thru it before I got it.

I put about 1500 down the pipe before it got yanked out and was converted to .260 Remington. Still shoots 69gr and 75gr pills great, just have to load them long to account for the wear. 69's get loaded at 2.258" minimum, 75's get loaded to 2.385" - 25.1gr H335, Wolf SRP.

friendlyhippo · Jun 11, 2015

I'd send it to the batcave and have him set back/rechamber....

BradMacc82 · Jun 12, 2015

Always a possibility, barrel needs to be refinished as well.

Before someone loaned me the receiver wrench I tried barrel blocks, which didn't work. Then got pissed off and just chucked it in the vise straight metal on metal, which only achieved jaw marks on the barrel thru the coating.

Proper tools for the job, invaluable.

Alderleet · Jun 12, 2015

I shoot a Howa 1500, in 223.

I bought it because the action is well machined, the bolt is well machined, every part on it was thought out well, no corners were cut in mfgr'ing, trigger was easy to stone, and it came with a 1:12 twist.

I lived out west for the last 25 years, so I would often shoot 36gr varmint grenade frangibles at prairie dogs. anything faster than a 1:9, disintegrates them.

ezracer · Jun 12, 2015

X-Bolts Rock!!

My shooting buddy (Sgt.Preston ) has an X-Bolt in .223 which is extremely
accurate with exceptional workmanship for the price point. :thumbsup:

I was so impressed with his rifle that I bought an X-Bolt .308WIN thumbhole.
Again, both rifles are sub-MOA. Barrels are by Miroku ( Japan ).
:thumbsup:

BTW, we are 70 and 71 yrs. old respectively, shoot from bi-pods ( not machine rests ) and use cheap
Wal-mart ammo! Not too shabby!!

NY Transplant · Jun 12, 2015

ted76 said:
I have been looking for a decent Savage wood stocked .223 bolt gun for a while now, but the few I have found at the shows are over priced.

I have seen one at the Cabelas in Hamburg, PA a couple of months ago that was a model 116 wood stock with stainless steel in .223 and almost bought it since it was a left hand model but eventually passed on it (don't know if it is still there).

I did end up getting a Savage 16 in .223 and very pleased with the way it shoots factory ammo which I'm very happy with since I don't reload. The only other rifles I have that give it a good run for it's money are a Savage 16 in .243 and a Savage 116 in 30-06.

223 bolt guns

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