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Recommendations for 223 bolt rifle

K

kujuak

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Minuteman
Feb 19, 2017
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I am presently shooting a RPR in 6.5 Creedmoor and an AI/AT in 308.Interesting in adding a 223 bolt gun. I like the chasis style, adjustable stocks of the above rifles. recommendations for a similar style rifle in .223? Your experiences and thoughts would be greatly appreciated. By the way I love my AI more every day and my RPR less.Chevy's are nice but a Mercedes seems mo' better.
I would like to keep cost under $1500 because I am beginning to lust after an Accuracy International AX rifle. Or maybe I should just get a Cheap 223 heavy barrel varmint rifle and save my pennies for the AX.

thanks!
 
in this game if you wish to go cheap......shoot Heroin between your toes......if you want to get good and increase you wind doping skills and wack an occasional critter find a top loading 700 on a .223 and some decent glass that will get you to at least 600yd........prolly not real close to the $1,500 range...but maybe, good luck!
 
yep, Tikka T3x 223 varmint. . I put mine in the MDS HS3 chassis to mimic the RPR (both have a PRS stock).
 
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Tikka T3X Varmint but put it into an XLR Carbon chassis. If you don't have a Tikka, you need one.
 
Another vote for the Tikka, mine is in an XLR Evolution. IIRC there a few Tikkas for sale in the PX right now, at least one of which was in a chassis.

Heres a pic ice of mine: IMG_1477.JPG
 
So you shoot your RPR in 6.5 and AIAT in 308? And you like the AI much better? Have you though about selling the RPR and getting a 6.5 barrel for the AI?
 
If you've already found a chassis that you love, I would save up the money to buy another but have it as a .223. You know for sure you will like it and it will have the same feel to it as your other rifle. Some great training!
 
MarinePMI said:
Tikka T3X Varminter and an X-Ray chassis. Done.
Click to expand...

This, exactly this.
I have the same thing except mine started as a T3 light but ended up with a new 22" light Palma barrel.
The light barrel shot amazing and still did very well when it got smoken hot. Tikka has their shit figured out.
 

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+1 Tikka T3x Varmint

Mine is so accurate and fits me so well with the factory stock, I'm not even bothering with a chassis. threaded the barrel, added a Tikkaperformance 20MOA scope mount, and got a YoDave! trigger spring.

Doubt I'll ever change anything on this rifle other than barrels as they wear out. The factory one is so accurate, I'd gladly pick up another one off the PX as a take off, except Tikka owners don't sell their factory barrels.

Sell the RPR if you're not liking it/shooting it. Guns that take up space in the safe that you've got redundancy and/or just don't care to shoot anymore... need to be sold to fund better glass and what you REALLY want. Otherwise it's just money tied up in something you don't care for.
 
I bought a cheap Savage heavy barrel, put it in a B&C medalist stock and it shoots lights out. The loading was a pain and the feeding wasn't that reliable. So I send it to Jeff and he installed a CDI bottom metal. I'm running an Accurate Mag. Feed and function is satisfactory. The accuracy is outstanding.

I'm not advocating Savage. I'm just sharing a data point.


These groups were shot with that gun.
https://www.snipershide.com/shootin...ornady-75gr-eld-match-better-than-175-smk-308
 
I assembled mine, savage LRP action, changed the bolt head for a .223, picked up a take off F class barrel for $150, Mcree chassis for 400, shoots one hole groups, total cost about a grand, shoots one hole at 100, 11 mils to 1K with 77 grain SMK's.
 
"Buy once, cry once"

For the price of a whole 'nother .223 rifle you could just rebarrel the AI and be happy. If you want an excuse to buy another gun then you don't need SH to enable you, go buy/build what you want.
 
Don't need excuses, info given has been helpful. I have a 6.5Creedmoor barrel for my AI.I was looking for a 223 because the only 223 I have is a Colt Carbine and thought a nice bolt 223 would be fun. Not into shooting gophers so I though this would be the place to ask.

Thank you gents for the information, going to go look at Tikkas now.
 
If you can be satisfied with a 1:12 twist, IMO there is no better value on the market at the moment than the Sabatti Rover Tactical for $900. Top quality, built like a tank, accurate and the trigger can be adjusted to well under a pound. I set mine to 12 oz. and it will go lower.

The Sabatti uses Remington 700 bases and there are actually 3 different Tactical models. I've linked one of them below.

https://www.cdnnsports.com/sabatti-r...tical-223.html
 
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I tailored my earlier response in favor of the Mossberg essentially because you specified a chassis. But my own .223 accuracy rifle is a bit more frugal. I own and have done some competition with the Savage 11VT .223 from Dick's Sporting Goods. Inexpensive, well configured for accuracy shooting, I replaced the hunting package scope with a Mueller 8-32x44 Target Scope, added a Harris Style bipod clone, and shoot Hornady 75gr HPBT Match handloads that work very well with this rifle's 24" 1:9" twist barrel.. Its competitive as a beginner's rifle for 600yd MR F T/R. A more genuinely practical tactical style stock is available from Midway. I mounted one on my 308 version of the 11VT. It went on with no snags in about 5 minutes, and appears both robust and well configured.

The whole package puts you on the line for about a Grand, so your AX savings project can go into high gear. I'll be putting a L-W 260 Drop-in onto my .308 or maybe another 308 for $349. You can do one in .223 for $327.

I already have one of the .260 drop-ins that predates the current offerings from 2002. I shoot it intelligently and sparingly, and it's still a hammer at around 1200 rounds, about half of what L-W tech and I discussed as a reasonable lifetime. It is configured identical to the current offerings, and could be loosely defined as a prototype to the L-W Drop-In program. This summer, it will be used as a load development mule for the Hornady 143 ELD-X bullet.

A SWAG-estimated starting load will be 43.5gr of H-4350.

Greg
 
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Remington trued action by PTG for approx $380 on sale. CBI barrel ( contour, length, twist your choosing) recoil lug, and barrel nut for approx $420. This barreled action will be tough to beat! That leaves $700 for a decent stock/chassis with dbm.
 
Other than the Tikka which is an excellent gun I would look at any savage with a heavy barell, either a hog hunter 20", 12fv 26", or any of the others and restock with a bell and Carlson or a chassis. Savages shoot really well and give you a lot of bang for your buck. Then down the road you can replace the barrel real easy too.
 
The Tikka recommendation is is boringly common for very good reason - I wouldn't trade mine for a lot of customs rigs out there.
 

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I have a Remington 700 SPS TAC in .223 that I love. I have had it several years though, and it is a 1/2 minute or less rifle. It's in a B&C target medalist and has a Timney trigger.

One other route you could go that I don't think has been mentioned is to buy a Howa 1500 barreled action from Brownell's and put it in a stock or chassis of your choice. I didn't like the Howa 2 stage trigger, and if you don't either you can buy a Timney for around $100.
 
That AI conversion would make for one heavy ass 223.....
 
I've only owned a Tikka for about 3 months now. I'm looking for a t3x varmint now to thread and use as a trainer. Honestly for the price you can't beat it, much better than a 700 or Savage any day. Only thing I'd change with the Tikka 223 varmint would be a 1:7 barrel, but it's better than the 1:9 that a lot of the others come with.
 
Tikka T3 CTR. 20 inch barrel, 1/8 twist heavy barrel, detachable mag, keep the factory stock or add a chassis. My shoots like a dream with 75 gr Hornaday's. The rifle without chassis can be had for $600-700.
 
LapuaRocks said:
Tikka T3 CTR. 20 inch barrel, 1/8 twist heavy barrel, detachable mag, keep the factory stock or add a chassis. My shoots like a dream with 75 gr Hornaday's. The rifle without chassis can be had for $600-700.
Click to expand...

What load are you running with the 75gr Hornady and what velocity are getting? I have the same rifle and am waiting on the projectiles to arrive.
 
Look for a used Remington 700 tactical and a used AI chassis. That should get you close to $1500 on a chassis you like. I have shot this exact set up out to 700 yards and it was a great little rifle.

I run a .223 on an AI chassis. Started out as a low cost build and then it ended up not being a budget build.

Good luck!!
 
LapuaRocks said:
Tikka T3 CTR. 20 inch barrel, 1/8 twist heavy barrel, detachable mag, keep the factory stock or add a chassis. My shoots like a dream with 75 gr Hornaday's. The rifle without chassis can be had for $600-700.
Click to expand...

They make .223 CTRS now?
 
jLorenzo I was wondering the same. All I could find through Google was a discontinued listing on Eurooptic. A Tikka with 20" threaded barrel would be killer in a Manners t3.
 
T3X Varmint, sent mine to PVA for a cut/thread, the factory barrel shoots amazing. It is my second Tikka after going through the common remington and savage offerings. Do yourself a favor and try one.
 
Came across a used (barely)Remington 700 heavy barrel in 223, twist is 1:12 however, comes with a leupold VX II scope I could probably sell can get rifle cost down to about $500US Buy it shoot it a lot then rebarrel to a 1:8 twist barrel, or cheaper just to buy Tikka varmint rifle?
 
BallisticPrimate said:
What load are you running with the 75gr Hornady and what velocity are getting? I have the same rifle and am waiting on the projectiles to arrive.
Click to expand...

BallisticPrimate

I actually found my data sheet and used a buddies chrono and here is the data.

24 grains Varget Avg FPS 2635, SD 36, ES 83 COL 2.258, 5 shot 1.43 inches but 1 was my fault and the 4 shot group was .741 inches.
23.5 Varget 2507, 73SD, 168ES and 1.545
23 Varget 2480, 38SD, 102ES, and 1.715

All used previously fired mixed brass trimmed and Winchester primers.

I have not changed anything after getting the good results with 24 grains
 
I think I was just sold on a Tikka T3. But what mags will work in the mentioned chassis(KRG, XLR, etc)with the T3?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Accurate Mag and KRG X-Ray work flawlessly for me. (Just burned through 900 rds on a week long PD trip without a hiccup, using both their 5 rd and 10 rd mags)
 
IMG_6925.JPG My T3X Varmint in an XLR chassis takes AI mags which modified allows for a COAL of 2.480". The 75gr ELD shoots very well with 24.4gr of Varget at 2905fps. With little to no wind, 1000 yard shots are easy requiring 28.5MOA of elevation.
 
_shawn_ said:
you could always get an rpr 223. mine will be here tomorrow
Click to expand...

I'm surprised it took 2 pages of comments for this to come up. I've had my RPR in 556 for about a month now and it does its job. For what it is, I really like it. I have a remington 700 with a 1-12 twist and if I were you, I would stay away from that twist barrel. Those are varmint barrels made to shoot lighter, less efficient bullets. My barrel wouldn't shoot 69 grain ammo worth a crap. It loves 55 grain pills, but anything much over that in the match grade category, no such luck for me. If you want to shoot for real distance, I would stick with at least a 1-8 twist barrel. I have like 5 savages, so I really like those as well. For the price, they are hard to beat. I just don't like their chassis, so I went with the RPR as soon as I saw them offer a 556 model.
 
tomcatfan:

I'm on the fence about chassis systems, and am curious about why you like them. Could you expand on your comment supporting them? I'm interested in which specific advantages they offer, and what, if any, disadvantages they might impose.

Greg
 
I'm also trying to decide on a 223. Narrowed it down to the RPR and Tikka varmint cut to ~20" and threaded, dropped in a Tikka t3.
 
Greg Langelius * said:
tomcatfan:

I'm on the fence about chassis systems, and am curious about why you like them. Could you expand on your comment supporting them? I'm interested in which specific advantages they offer, and what, if any, disadvantages they might impose.

Greg
Click to expand...

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the chassis as much as most people here. The only chassis rifle I have is the RPR. I've got a Savage 10 in an HS Stock that has the loggerhead hardware installed. I like that rifle just as much as my RPR. That is why I never messed with the RPR in 6.5 creedmoore. My savage is in 6.5x47. IMO the only real advantage of the chassis is you can put AR style stuff on it. Otherwise I don't get it.
 
tomcatfan said:
To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the chassis as much as most people here. The only chassis rifle I have is the RPR. I've got a Savage 10 in an HS Stock that has the loggerhead hardware installed. I like that rifle just as much as my RPR. That is why I never messed with the RPR in 6.5 creedmoore. My savage is in 6.5x47. IMO the only real advantage of the chassis is you can put AR style stuff on it. Otherwise I don't get it.
Click to expand...

50/50 this is troll bait. If not, good for you ( sincerely ).
 
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