Looking for good .223 rifle

[win39]

Here would be my picks. Savage / CZ

[mitch_mckee]

Originally Posted by win39

Here would be my picks. Savage / CZ

I have the Savage in .223, and it is just fine, but were I do get another I'd get this:


CZ 527 Carbine

"The CZ 527 Carbine is an intermediate range Brush gun, chambered in .223 Remington and 7.62 x 39’’ . This handy little rifle has a 5 round detachable magazine, open sights, a straight comb Turkish walnut stock, hammer forged barrel, single set trigger and weights in at less than 6 pounds."

[billy]

Originally Posted by blaster

you guys that won't have an in accurate rifle crack me up. how many ak s or skss do you own? My Mini s are alot more accurate than any of my skss or an ak.

i have ak's and sks's.
i dont shoot them anymore .
now i mostly shoot either cowboy guns which arent very accurate or REALLY accurate rifles like the savage or the cz.

BTW my saiga .308 is an AK and it gets 1 1/2 MOA

WITH PAKISTANI MILSURP AMMO.

[WyrTwister]

Originally Posted by blaster

Ruger mini 14

My A2 configeration ( looks like an A2 M-16 ) shoots rings arounf my Mini-14 . My 24" SS bull barrel AR rings around the A2 .

The bull barrel AR's easily do 1 MOA . In a very good day and very good ammo ( Black Hills Match ) it will put 5 in a dime at 100 yards , off of sand bahs .

God bless
Wyr

[Farmer]

I have said this b4, i love my CZ-527 american, it shoots a half inch group of handloads at 150 yards, thats 0.35moa, and i have done it a couple of times.

[ArkansasHunter]

Though I like AR-15's that shoot 223 ammo I could never buy an expensive boltaction rifle in that caliber.
A Savage would be the the highest I'd pay for a rifle in 223 and you know ? It's prolly going to be the most accurate rifle of all the manufacturers.

[samuel]

If you reload,there is so much to gain with the .204 Ruger over the .223rem.Of course in mfg ammo,the .223 has economical advantages. sam.

[Deersniper]

Try the Stevens 200 in .223. accurate as the rest. 320.00. Made by Savage.

[samuel]

Originally Posted by billy

i have ak's and sks's.
i dont shoot them anymore .
now i mostly shoot either cowboy guns which arent very accurate or REALLY accurate rifles like the savage or the cz.

BTW my saiga .308 is an AK and it gets 1 1/2 MOA

WITH PAKISTANI MILSURP AMMO.

Two things I have observed in shooting.First,when someone tires of spraying bullets all over and having a lot of fun,and decides to shoot for precision,virtually no setup is ever quite 'good enough'or quite right.And the other is,they turn into a grump,having fun but reserving the right to criticise everything to do with shooting.(Except for a 10shot,one hole group at 100yds)That even makes me smile. sam.

[oldjarhead]

I'd go with a Savage Model 10 with a heavy barrel...great shooters. Check all the models at Savage Arms. Great out-of-the-box accuracy.

Mitch, I had the same problem with my mini-30...a couple shots and you'd wonder where the others went. I toyed with the rear sights a bit and lightened the trigger to 3-3.5 pounds...it helped alot. Still not a tacker but a 4"-5" pattern at 100 yards is sufficient for a common bullet pusher.

[Long Gun]

The Savages have a reputation for accuracy, and for the price they are hard to beat. Personally, I own a Remington LVSF in .223 and it's sub MOA at 100 yards with 40 gr Hornady V-Max.

Something very important to keep in mind: pay attention to the twist rate of the rifling. In some of the AR type of guns it may be as quick as 1:7. Some manufacturers have as slow as 1:16, but I don't know if any are being made today that slow. Twist rate will dictate how heavy of a bullet your rifle will shoot accurately. Shoot too heavy of a bullet and accuracy will fail you. The faster the twist the heavier bullet you may consider.

Probably the most common twist rates, at least for bolt guns, is 1:9 to 1:12. I think Savage makes theirs 1:9 whereas my LVSF is 1:12. Supposedly, for a 1:12 twist rate a 55 gr bullet is optimal. I can shoot any thing lighter and might be able to go as high as 62 gr. A 1:9 will allow you to go upwards of 70 gr or there about.

Conversely, I have read about light bullets being shot through fast twist barrels and the bullet may disintegrate just a few yards out of the barrel. So the best advice I could offer is ask yourself what you want to do with a .223. If it's 400+ yards for target and long range varmits, most likely you would want a heavier bullet and fast twist. If it's less than 300 yards, and you expect to be shooting crows, groundhogs, and coyotes, something in the 1:9 to 1:12 will be fine. Just don't expect accuracy out of the heavier bullets available with these twist rates.

Decide on your purpose for this .223, select a bullet or two you may want to shoot, understand what twist is optimal for the bullet, then pick your rifle with the respective twist. I am no expert on this topic, but 2 years ago I began looking myself and was astounded at the various twist rates around and began to ask myself "why". This is what I learned. I have since found that what I learned helped make accurate shooters out of guns that two guys thought they had lemon rifles. They were simply shooting too heavy of a bullet - that simple.

If you want a bolt gun with accuracy and not worry too much about bullet weight up to around 70 gr the Savage with a 1:9 twist might be all you could ask for, and they are affordable.

Good luck and enjoy.

v/r
LG

[pruneemac]

I have a Savage 116 and it is accurate, reliable and didnt cost an arm & Leg.

[Cyrano]

Originally Posted by Silent Shooter

the man asked for recommendations for an ACCURATE RIFLE.
Then why did he ask for a .223?!?!?

Maybe because he'd read the routine from the 7.62X54R website that comments on the relative merits of the AK-47 vs the AR-15 vs the Mosin-Nagant. For some reason, when I read that routine I hear Larry the Cable Guy speaking for the Ak-47, Jeff Foxworthy for the AR-15 and Ron White for the Mosin-Nagant. Here's the bit in question:

LTCG: When you shoot the AK-47, you can hit the broad side of a barn from inside it.

JF: When you shoot the AR-15, you can put 30 rounds through the same knothole from 300 meters.

RW: When you shoot the Mosin-Nagant, you can hit the barn from two counties away!

I do sort of agree. The 5.56 NATO round is perfectly adequate for varminting. It's not much good for anything else, but it is a good cartridge for accurately shooting small varmints at ranges up to about 600 meters. If that's what he wants to do with it, he could do worse than the AR-15 platform.

[matt760]

have you considered a single shot rifle. if you're shooting paper it wont matter. and if you're hunting with it hopefully one shot is all you need. if you're not dead set against a single shot check out the handi-rifle and ultra-varmint series from H&R or NEF. You can get interchangeable barrels--shotgun, centerfire, and muzzleloader--and you can get the ultra varmint which is the top of the line with heavy barrel and laminate or synthetic stock for about $300. Im going to order an Ultra-Varmint and a couple barrels as soon as I get some money. Check 'em out.

[WyrTwister]

Originally Posted by rmarrion

Hi i am new to this forum and am looking for a nice, accurate .223 rifle, between $500-$650. Can be bolt-action or semi-auto. I was looking at the CZ 527 for mostly target shooting and maybe small game shooting.

If you are looking for accuracy , steer clear of a Mini-14 .

God bless
Wyr

[daddyo]

Keltec SU16.

[sell33]

My mini 14 always shot about 2" groups with cheap ammo....maybe i had a good one? lol i did get rid of it though....for a bolt action doesn't mean i didn't love it tho...i'd buy another

[meatloaf]

Originally Posted by blaster

you guys that won't have an in accurate rifle crack me up. how many ak s or skss do you own? My Mini s are alot more accurate than any of my skss or an ak.

My AK isnt for accuracy its for putting up a wall of lead that can penetrate most obstacles. Tell me how much does your ruger minni penetrate? There is a reason why it is the most used assault rifle in the world. Now that said I'm glad you are proud of your minni 14, but this thread was started asking about accurate and inexspensive rifles. Your minni might hit the inexspensive side of the thread, but its not accurate and neither is my AK which is why I am not recomending it. I would say Pick up a Savage and for great accuracy look into something bigger like a 308. It should be within your price range.