bad_dad_brad
New member
I am interested in replacing my mini-14 with a very accurate .223 bolt action rifle for varminting purposes. Any recommendations?
Replacing a .223 Mini-14 With a Bolt Action
- Thread starter bad_dad_brad
- Start date
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
I have a Ruger 77 Mk II. I learned about the tort-liability trigger after I bought it; a Timney solved the problem. A bit of rebedding of the fore-end...It shoots about 1/2" groups at 100 yards.
From what I've read here, they all pretty much work just fine. Savage and Remington have had more comments than Winchester; not much on Browning..."Follow your nose" as to style and cost.
Since you won't be shooting long strings, you wouldn't really need a heavy barrel. When you can get 1/2" groups, you ought to be able to hit most any varmint within the basic clean-kill range--which to me is out to 200, maybe 300 yards.
FWIW, Art
From what I've read here, they all pretty much work just fine. Savage and Remington have had more comments than Winchester; not much on Browning..."Follow your nose" as to style and cost.
Since you won't be shooting long strings, you wouldn't really need a heavy barrel. When you can get 1/2" groups, you ought to be able to hit most any varmint within the basic clean-kill range--which to me is out to 200, maybe 300 yards.
FWIW, Art
Andy socal
New member
Looking in the same rifle market recently has led me to a Remington VS SF(varmint synthetic stainless fluted).
If you don't want to spend that much money, the 700VS blued in varmint barrel is still an excellent choice.
I admit, though, that The Winchester Model 70 and Savage also caught my eye. You can find the savage quite a bit cheaper than all of the competitors I believe($399 on sale at Turner's in So. California right now).
The Wicnh. was rated by gun tests to be the rifle of the year for 1999.
Go here to get a *decent* review of all the varmint rifles suggested so far. http://www.gunweb.com/guntests/varmint/index.html
Andy
If you don't want to spend that much money, the 700VS blued in varmint barrel is still an excellent choice.
I admit, though, that The Winchester Model 70 and Savage also caught my eye. You can find the savage quite a bit cheaper than all of the competitors I believe($399 on sale at Turner's in So. California right now).
The Wicnh. was rated by gun tests to be the rifle of the year for 1999.
Go here to get a *decent* review of all the varmint rifles suggested so far. http://www.gunweb.com/guntests/varmint/index.html
Andy
I have the Remington Varminter, blued in left hand. Why Remington? I'm use to them and they cater to left handed folks. Mine sports a Leupold Vari II 3x9 (matte) on Warne rings and base. Shoots sub-moa with factory loads. My brother handloads for his and has gotten 3 shots in the same hole.
Fred J. Drumheller
Retired Screen Name
1/2 inch groups with a .223 ain' to good! My daughter's match built AR15 will do 1/4". The Remingtons should go .250" or less or somthing's wrong!
O'Conner: "Only accurate rifles are interesting!"
Yr. Obt. Svnt.
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Fred J. Drumheller
NRA Life
NRA Golden Eagle
O'Conner: "Only accurate rifles are interesting!"
Yr. Obt. Svnt.
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Fred J. Drumheller
NRA Life
NRA Golden Eagle
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Fred, I'm all in favor of itty-bitty groups, but in the field they don't gain much over "reasonable", 1/2" to 3/4" groups. That coyote won't know the difference. For stuff like prairie dogs, inside of 100 to 150 yards, a 1/4" won't matter. Out around 250 to 300 yards, wind will be more of a factor than any inherent goodness of the rifle.
Anytime I get 1/2" groups out of a sporter-weight barrel with 20-year old commercial reloads, I consider it about as good as it's gonna get.
I finally broke down and bought some .223 dies; I'll have to see what various "golly gee whiz" bullets will do...
, Art
Anytime I get 1/2" groups out of a sporter-weight barrel with 20-year old commercial reloads, I consider it about as good as it's gonna get.
I finally broke down and bought some .223 dies; I'll have to see what various "golly gee whiz" bullets will do...
Fred J. Drumheller
Retired Screen Name
Art,
bad_dad_brad expressed an interest in varmint shooting. The Mini-14 AIN'T NO VARMINT GUN! It's fine for unloading brass & blasting cans but as a varmint gun, it just won't cut it.
The best out-of-the-box is the Remington. It should easily go 1/4" or less. Best accuracy for the money.
Yr. Obt. Svnt.
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Fred J. Drumheller
NRA Life
NRA Golden Eagle
bad_dad_brad expressed an interest in varmint shooting. The Mini-14 AIN'T NO VARMINT GUN! It's fine for unloading brass & blasting cans but as a varmint gun, it just won't cut it.
The best out-of-the-box is the Remington. It should easily go 1/4" or less. Best accuracy for the money.
Yr. Obt. Svnt.
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Fred J. Drumheller
NRA Life
NRA Golden Eagle
Desert Dog
New member
A word from the cheap seats:
Either a m77 Ruger, or a Savage 110.
Both are on the Canine's Best Buy List...
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.45 Super... Fat and FAST...
"No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority" - Thomas Jefferson
Either a m77 Ruger, or a Savage 110.
Both are on the Canine's Best Buy List...
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.45 Super... Fat and FAST...
"No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority" - Thomas Jefferson
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Fred, I don't think I said for him to stay with the Mini. I've had several; they're like you say, a fair general-purpose critter. I've killed coyotes and jack rabbits out to 100 yards or so, but they're basically a 1-1/2" to 2" gun...There's certainly nothing wrong with a Remington; I think they're very good guns...
Prof: What I call the "tort liability" trigger is Ruger's answer to lawsuits over "hair triggers". In the Mk II, only a gunsmith can disassemble it, clip a coil or so off the spring, and stone the engagement so it will work almost as well as anybody else's "real" trigger with built-in adjustments. It's a real pain in the butt. As-issued, it's about a five- or six-pound pull, draggy and creepy. A step in the wrong direction, from a shooter's standpoint.
The Timney replacement is not as good as my Canjar or my stock out-of-the-box 1970 Sako, but it's acceptable.
FWIW, Art
Prof: What I call the "tort liability" trigger is Ruger's answer to lawsuits over "hair triggers". In the Mk II, only a gunsmith can disassemble it, clip a coil or so off the spring, and stone the engagement so it will work almost as well as anybody else's "real" trigger with built-in adjustments. It's a real pain in the butt. As-issued, it's about a five- or six-pound pull, draggy and creepy. A step in the wrong direction, from a shooter's standpoint.
The Timney replacement is not as good as my Canjar or my stock out-of-the-box 1970 Sako, but it's acceptable.
FWIW, Art
WalterGAII
Moderator
I shoot a Rem. VS in 223. My last five-shot group was .246", shooting 55gr. B.T.
If you can't afford the Rem., get the Savage and buy an aftermarket trigger. The factory trigger is worthless.
If you can't afford the Rem., get the Savage and buy an aftermarket trigger. The factory trigger is worthless.
FireForged
New member
The Remington 700 in .223 is a very nice rifle right out of the box. Wal-Mart sells them for around 339.00
Badger Arms
New member
Your answers are all over the place. I'll cut it to the quick. All of the current target style .223's are fine for your purposes. I'll try to run down what I see as the advantages of some:
Savage -- Cheaper and comes with pillar bedding. More likely to be accurate out of the box but rougher finish and sharp edges on loading port.
Ruger -- well made but often trails in the accuracy department. Strong scope mount system. A little more expensive.
Winchester / Remington -- I'll lump these together. I think you get a better product with these but we're only talking refinement, not accuracy potential or anything similar.
Me, I'd buy the Ruger Varmint gun or a good Used Remington 788. The 788 was really more accurate than it had a right to be. It isn't Stainless though.
Savage -- Cheaper and comes with pillar bedding. More likely to be accurate out of the box but rougher finish and sharp edges on loading port.
Ruger -- well made but often trails in the accuracy department. Strong scope mount system. A little more expensive.
Winchester / Remington -- I'll lump these together. I think you get a better product with these but we're only talking refinement, not accuracy potential or anything similar.
Me, I'd buy the Ruger Varmint gun or a good Used Remington 788. The 788 was really more accurate than it had a right to be. It isn't Stainless though.
P
PreserveFreedom
Guest
I am with DAVE MOON on this one. Why not both?
Art's comment about sub-one inch groups being academic at 100 yards and sub-moa accuracy being swamped by wind out at 200, 300 or longer ranges poses a quandary about what caliber and gun would be best for long-range effectiveness. Wind really blows around 50 to 60 grain bullets from either Mini-14 or .22 magnum. To get tight groups I have to wait for calm periods. Though 69-grain .223 boat tails are better, perhaps at least a 100-grain .243 or 25-06 is needed to effectively resist wind and to have enough energy at 300 yards to be effective against "varmints" (or maybe 7mm Rem mag)