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.223 cheap build?

N

Nomatophobia

Nomatophobia
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 3, 2014
8
0
Maryland
I am hoping to have someone build a .223 rifle for me shortly and had some debates and figured I would bring the topic here rather than with people at the local range and friends.

I am looking to build a relatively "cheap" benchrest .223 that is capable, with the correct shooter, to have sub-moa groups at at least 200 yards if not much farther than that. How would I go about getting everything I need, getting it to a smith, and having them put it all together? Does anyone have a build like this already that they can provide pictures and the cost of as well as range data? I am trying to keep the build under 2k but not sacrificing accuracy or reliability. I will only be shooting reloaded rounds out of the rifle. I am also hoping for a tighter twist, if possible and logical a 1:7, for the heavier bullets that I shoot out of my ar.
 
You can do all that with $500 left over for loading a case of .223 by building an accurate AR-15 upper.

The most accurate factory bolt .223 I have shot so far is the Kimber SVT. They are about $1000 and are very sleek and sexy. The Mossberg MVP will use your AR mags and all of them I have shot went under 1 MOA and talk about cheap, you can have $1500 left for glass.

Sure you can get a $2K .223 bolt gun built, just make sure that it will outperform the production stuff that is readily available for under $1K.
 
I am not ruling out factory build rifles at all so please do provide stuff on those as well. I forgot to mention, I already do have some nice glass so that is not factored into the 2k. I have read stuff on the MVP, though, when I think mossberg, I don't really think "high class rifle".
 
I have yet to see one at the local range or know anyone that has one in the area among my friends/family. Maybe I will make a post to see if anyone can bring one down to our range to try them out.
 
I do not have any experience with it but have had read many good things. Savage makes a model 12 233. It has a 26" 1/7 twist stainless fluted barrel. There is one on gunbroker for $900 right now. That leaves you plenty for a better stock and good scope. Just figured I'd through that out there
 
I have looked into the savage model 10 and the tikka t3. I have to research them further now that I am getting a little more serious about doing this.
 
I would also check into Howa. They used to sell just barreled actions as well.

You wouldn't have to do any custom work to it to meet your requirements but I would recommend at least bedding and a trigger job.
 
Rem 700 action $400
Barrel of your choice $300
Long Rifles full boat from group buy $700
Stock $600

You're all in for $2,000
 
The Savage 12 will do that all day long, for under $600.

Is there some reason your budget is so high and your expectations so low? $2000 for a rifle with no glass that will hold 1 MOA is almost any production heavy barreled rifle out there.
 
If your only shooting off a bench or prone try a Savage LRPV 1in7 right bolt/left port. The money you saved on a build you can build your loads. 90g Berger VLD, Varget(if you can find it), Fed 205m( if you can find them) and Lapua brass. You WILL NOT be disappointed!!! Does great out to 760Y. (furthest I can go)
Savage Arms
 
I have a Savage LRPV in .223, single shot. 73gr Bergers with 22gr of IMR4895 it shoots in the 1's and 2's without much effort. Pretty amazing for a production gun. I wouldn't spend a lot of money on a custom build for what the Savage delivers.
 
I have one in works with Russell at Scout Supply Co. We ordered the barrel and the stock in December and I sent in the action the first of January. It is a new Remington 700 action, 16.5" Broughton 8 twist barrel, set up to shoot heavies. He is going to bed it into a Manners T5A with PTG bottom metal.

I have been stocking up on 80gr SMK's and both of the Hornady 75gr bullets, and I got my AICS mags in last week. Worked on brass last night, I am excited about this one to say the least. We had to wait the longest on the stock, but Russell said he should have it finished next week.

Tim
 
techbrute said:
The Savage 12 will do that all day long, for under $600.

Is there some reason your budget is so high and your expectations so low? $2000 for a rifle with no glass that will hold 1 MOA is almost any production heavy barreled rifle out there.
Click to expand...

I do not know I guess. I have never really had the chance to get my hands on a "high end" rifle if you would say that. I guess I see some of these customs going for such a high price but usually in 308 and looking quite nice. What should my expectations be at a 2000$ budget? Should I want to be able to hit pennies at 1000 yards? This is why I brought the questions to this forum. Hoping to get into some longer range shooting. At 1000 yards, what magnification on a scope should I want to have to be able to do such a thing? Will I need a telescope? :D I have a nightforce with up to 22x magnification but I don't even know if I have seen an area where I can shoot 1000 yards so I would not even know where to begin with such a thing.

Right now I can shoot a heavy barreled stock rem 700 in .223 and be "happy" with it. But, wouldn't having something a little bit nicer with more work put into it be able to possibly, with the right shooter, get that much tighter of a group? Or am I over thinking the situation? Please do school me on the situation.
 
tt66 said:
I have one in works with Russell at Scout Supply Co. We ordered the barrel and the stock in December and I sent in the action the first of January. It is a new Remington 700 action, 16.5" Broughton 8 twist barrel, set up to shoot heavies. He is going to bed it into a Manners T5A with PTG bottom metal.

I have been stocking up on 80gr SMK's and both of the Hornady 75gr bullets, and I got my AICS mags in last week. Worked on brass last night, I am excited about this one to say the least. We had to wait the longest on the stock, but Russell said he should have it finished next week.

Tim
Click to expand...

Please do let me know how this turns out and provide pictures. Sounds like it will be nice.
 
OP, the rifle in my sig was built for around 1500$ (not including the fancy stock that I built) But you could do something very similar, and put it in a different stock and stay around your 2k budget. The rifle pictured shoots extremely well. In little to no wind, it shoots easily out to 1k in my DA. I've shot it as far as 1260.


Here is the build link:
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...s/57972-my-budget-223-build-finally-done.html

This pic is from Vortex's FB page:
 
Last edited:
Consider a 223ai instead of straight 223.

Won't make a lick of difference inside 400 yards, but will give some extra much needed performance beyond.

Only difference is the die set you buy and a couple grains more powder.

$2k is quite a bit of cash to work with. For a "bench" 223, you'd be hard pressed to beat a Savage FTR in 223. Last I looked, they ran ~$1100.
 
coldboremiracle said:
OP, the rifle in my sig was built for around 1500$ (not including the fancy stock that I built) But you could do something very similar, and put it in a different stock and stay around your 2k budget. The rifle pictured shoots extremely well. In little to no wind, it shoots easily out to 1k in my DA. I've shot it as far as 1260.


Here is the build link:
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...s/57972-my-budget-223-build-finally-done.html

This pic is from Vortex's FB page:
Click to expand...

I was trying to figure out how to view your sig yesterday because it looks quite nice but I couldn't find a thread on it but I was pretty tired and just quickly scrolling. I will take a look at it. I have land that I go to that am hoping is about a 800 yard shot. Your land looks quite nice though and even if it isn't your land, that is one nice place that you were at when that was taken. Wish I could be seeing that everyday, rather, I see the city day in and day out. :(
 
The Tikka T3 Varmint is around $720 and is guaranteed sub moa.
 
KImber 84 LPT my best group so far is less than .25 at 100 yards it is bone stock and shoots I bought it for load development for my custom AR which struggles to shoot as well as the KImber Reloading is the key mine likes Varget with match Kings


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Tikka T3 CTR if you can still find one. If not, one of the other Tikka's. The 1:8 twist will stabilize the heavies nicely.
 
I have seen the Savage 12 F/TR shoot at 250yd in person (this one was a .308), and it's the best shooting factory rifle I've ever seen shoot.

Greg
 
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