.223 bolt action

Rie bread

Very Active Member
Messages
1,043
when i was a teenager i used to shoot a bunch of bench guns at long range and finally have a good paying job to afford such a thing. I always like the Savage LRPV back then but with all the high quality guns out there now it’s over whelming.

considerations: gonna shoot heavyweight rounds 69-90grain so a 1-7 or 1-8 twist would be ideal? not set on the single shot or a bench gun. not looking to get into a custom situation, so stock out of the box.

why .223? iv got a .270 and 30-06, 22lr and .17hmr. seems to fill the gap well and ammo easier to find? open to other small calibers. iv shot .220 swift, 22-250 and some others i’m sure but most important is the option for the heavier bullets.

MM be my magic 8 ball. what are other high quality bolt action .223 to consider?

next week ima ask for where the deer are at and maybe write a disappointment thread. ;)
 
My 223 is my favorite bolt action of all time. Right now, it has the 1-12 twist so I only shoot 52 and 55 grain bullets and have no complaints. I’m well on my way to shooting out the barrel so I will get the 1-9 twist when I get it reworked. Im not into the super heavy 22 cal bullets like the 75 -90 grain, I think I want to stick with 55-69 grain since it’s kind of a compact cartridge and I still want velocities at or over 3000 fps. As far as brand names go, it will be all over the place with genuine recommendations. Mine is a Model 700 with a 26” barrel. If I was to buy another one, it would be Sako, Cooper or Christensen.
 
thank you for the reply. i say i want to shoot the heavier round but it will depend on the rifle.

going back and forth between a real high accurate “shoulderable” rifle and a bench type gun.

iv got a project .270 rem 700 which is why i’m lookin for an out of the box gun. truthfully iv never shot anything new other then my buddies tika.
 
My 223 is my favorite bolt action of all time. Right now, it has the 1-12 twist so I only shoot 52 and 55 grain bullets and have no complaints. I’m well on my way to shooting out the barrel so I will get the 1-9 twist when I get it reworked. Im not into the super heavy 22 cal bullets like the 75 -90 grain, I think I want to stick with 55-69 grain since it’s kind of a compact cartridge and I still want velocities at or over 3000 fps. As far as brand names go, it will be all over the place with genuine recommendations. Mine is a Model 700 with a 26” barrel. If I was to buy another one, it would be Sako, Cooper or Christensen.
have you shot smaller deer with this gun ?
 
I haven’t. It’s more a Target/Varmint with the heavy barrel. We used to shoot prairie dogs but those are gone. I have a sling and carry it on occasion to varmint stands but that’s the only hunting I do with it. I know a person that hunts Coues with a 223 with a heavy bullet, but I will stick with my 270 or 280 AI. I really like it at the range. I usually shoot targets and after that I scan the 200 and 300 yard berm for small, golf ball size rocks and pick them off. Lately that seems to be the most fun I have, it’s really a blast. I feel like I could do that for hours at a time. I don’t have a problem with the heavy bullets, it seems like there’s some real good ones out there like Berger, Sierra, and Hornady A-Tip. I would try the A-Tips first if you’re into the heavy bullets and then the Bergers.
 
Here it is. Leupold 4.5-14x50 vari-x 3. Not too remarkable of a rifle but still my favorite to shoot.

1F4BD823-6071-403F-9387-4D5614692471.jpeg
 
I'd take a look at a Ruger American for a bolt gun.

Here's a sample of those guns

Here's Josh's video on now to make it more bench shootable.

I personally have one in 270 win I've kept stock that is just a great gun. They really do come with quite nice triggers straight out of the box.

I bought mine new for $300 on the classifieds and put a used Nikon 4-20 something scope that also cost me $300. Pretty incredible set up for $700 total with the mounts and sling.

Anyway, seems worth a look in 223 if that's your go to.

Cheers, Pete

IMG_0796.JPG


IMG_0817.JPG


IMG_0818.JPG
 
iv been looking at the rugars cause of the new trigger they got. they’v got a couple of models that seem reasonable and accurate.

savage’s trigger is what has been appealing to me for years.

truthfully i’m looking at nickle sized groups off a bench/sandbag set up

appreciate all the reply’s. iv just got limited experience with newer guns these days
 
Last edited:
I'd take a look at a Ruger American for a bolt gun.

Here's a sample of those guns

Here's Josh's video on now to make it more bench shootable.

I personally have one in 270 win I've kept stock that is just a great gun. They really do come with quite nice triggers straight out of the box.

I bought mine new for $300 on the classifieds and put a used Nikon 4-20 something scope that also cost me $300. Pretty incredible set up for $700 total with the mounts and sling.

Anyway, seems worth a look in 223 if that's your go to.

Cheers, Pete

View attachment 60074

View attachment 60075

View attachment 60076
iv been looking at the sugar american ranch in the 5.56 nato. suppose to be amazing moa out of the box
 
any custom work?

Just glass bedding and a Timney trigger. When I get the barrel changed I will go with a Sako extractor along with the usual blue print of the action and bolt face. I may go with a jewel trigger and side bolt release if I do that. I have one jewel trigger on another M 700 and I really like it. I haven’t made up my mind yet on the trigger. The Timney is fine, but part of me wants the jewel.
 
the trigger seems to really make a rifle shoot drastically better.

any 22-250 shooters out there that can comment on the 1-12 twist or 1-9 twist?
 
Just glass bedding and a Timney trigger. When I get the barrel changed I will go with a Sako extractor along with the usual blue print of the action and bolt face. I may go with a jewel trigger and side bolt release if I do that. I have one jewel trigger on another M 700 and I really like it. I haven’t made up my mind yet on the trigger. The Timney is fine, but part of me wants the jewel.
you got a slick looking rifle.
i’m not familiar with the timney but have lots of time on a jewel and will defiantly be dropping one in the .270
 
If you can track one down Tikka made a run of the T3X in 22-250 with 1:8 twist. If you really want to shoot heavy 22cal bullets from a factory rifle I’d go this route.
 
tika is high in the list since iv shot a t3 in 308 and would have some $$ left over to get a nicer scope compared to the savage LRPV.

slowly it’s morphing into maybe getting two rifles mwahaha
 
May not be as 'fancy' as you are looking for but I bought a Mossburg MVP a few years back and it is a great shooting gun. Just as good as my Coopers. It shoots 50 grain Nosler Varmageddons and Barne's 53 TSX with a load of CFE.

Haven't shot a deer with it but wouldn't hesitate as long as the range was under a couple hundred yards.-------SS
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
Back
Top Bottom