Stevens 200

B

Bucksnort1

New member
A couple of years ago, I got a good deal on a bolt action, Stevens model 200 in .223. It has a space age looking scope, a BSA mil dot 6X24X40 scope, which I really don't know how to use except as a basic scope. I bought the gun as a consignment piece. The story is an interesting one but I won't go into it now.

I've never done a proper zero; however, the previous owner must have zeroed it for some long distance shooting. I am shooting 55 grain reloads with BL-C(2) and factory 55 grain FMJ rounds. I have no trouble breaking clay targets at 200 yards plus.

Any comments on this rifle?
 
Basically a Savage rifle without the accutrigger. Like Savage they are often better than average shooters in my experience.
 
I have a Stevens 200, in .223. My favorite rifle, certainly. I got it used, with a 6 - 20 x 50 Weaver Nitrex AO TR-1 scope, for $285. It has the original barrel and is in great shape. I doubt it was shot very much.

The original plastic stock was way too flexible for accurate shooting, so I put the rifle into a Boyd's thumb hole, laminated stock. I am still using the stock trigger, but I adjusted it down to the lowest safe breaking weight I could. Around 3 1/2 ibs.

With my hand loads, it is now an honest to god, 1/2 MOA rifle. 1" groups at 200 yards, no problem. It will actually do 1/4" groups at 100 yards, but I just refer to it as "1/2 MOA". I am still using the Nitrex scope, but I replaced the rings with a 1-pc. scope mount.

Truly a terrific rifle. I still cannot believe how well it shoots. Altogether, I have around $450 in it, total.
 
wpsdlrg,

Did you adjust the trigger or have a gunsmith do it? I have done nothing to mine other than shoot it but I may adjust the trigger or have a gunsmith do it.

Are you loading for it? If so, which grain bullet and powder?

The day I bought this rifle, there was another Stevens, same caliber and stock but without a scope. The scope-less rifle is the one I pulled from the shelf. I didn't notice the other one with the scope. I asked the clerk if I could make an offer of $300 (from $350) to the owner. He called the owner but she refused my offer and didn't make a counter offer. I departed the store then later in the day I decided to buy the rifle so I returned to the store and that's when I noticed the other rifle. I did the same routine asking the clerk if I could make an offer. The price of $375 was reduced to $325. The old saying, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" comes to play with the scope-less rifle because one year later, it was still on the shelf. I wonder how many time she wished she had sold the rifle to me.
 
Like others have said - great rifle with an ugly stock. That scope however is best served as a door stop. BSA stands for Been Suckered Again. Put a good scope on it and the rifle should serve you well.
 
I have a Stevens 200 in 308 I bought new cheap. I traded the plastic stock for a wood one. I shoot it with cast bulletz. It's a blast. Been a good rifle.

David
 
I adjusted the trigger myself. The Savage 110 trigger on the 200 is simplified vs. the original design. It has only one adjustment screw. With that screw turned all the way IN, the trigger breaks (on mine) at about 3.5 lbs. This is perfectly safe - the striker will NOT drop upon closure of the bolt, nor when the action is jarred, or the butt slammed onto a hard surface (I safety tested for this extensively). However, the adjustment screw turned all the way in pins the safety bar in place, so the safety becomes non-functional. No matter to me, because I never use the safety. I only single-load the rifle and never carry it anywhere loaded.

I said in my previous post that I hand load for it.......

There are many powders that work well for the .223. I happen to use IMR-4895 myself. The load my Stevens likes best is 24.0 grains of the 4895, under a 68 grain Hornady BTHP bullet, Winchester SR primers and mixed brass. COL is 2.235" This is a slightly compressed load, due to the long bullet. This is a little below a max load - 24.8 grains being maximum (with a 69 grain bullet), according to the IMR website.
 
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Stevens 200 was a decent shooting low priced rifle. Own a couple of them, but both no longer have the original factory barrel on them, nor the factory stocks.

About two years ago, Academy Sports and Outdoors put the Stevens 200 on clearance for $179. Between I and some of my shooting buddies, around 10 of them were bought, just to get the actions for future rifle builds.

If you have any RL15 Alliant powder and 60 gr Hornady V-max bullets, try this combo with 23.6 grains of powder.....produces 1/4"-3/8"groups in my .223 heavy barrel Marlin X rifle.
 
I have two Stevens 200's. They have been good, affordable, and accurate rifles for me. One is in .223 that I bought when Savage first listed the Stevens 200. I think I paid $295 new for it. The other is a .30-06 from a few years later. I paid a bit more for it when the local shop ordered it in for me, probably around $340. No complaints about either rifle.
 
huffmanite said:
About two years ago, Academy Sports and Outdoors put the Stevens 200 on clearance for $179.
Click to expand...

I bought one in 270 for that price a few years back. Gave the stock away on the Savage forum and put a Boyd's walnut stock on it. For under $400, I have a beautiful rifle that has taken every deer I've shot with it with one round.

Nunya
 
I am the proud owner of a Stevens 200 in 223 topped with a Bushnell 4200 3x9. This rifle will shoot better than I can. I loaded some Speer 70 grain Semi-Spitzers out of the 1-9 twist tube and got 3/4 inch 100 yard groups first time out with no tuning. Used Benchmark powder bit can't recall at the moment of the charge weight.
 
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