Suggestions for .223 Rifle.

T

TX Hunter

New member
My Father In Law told me that he wanted to get a .223 Rifle. He is kind of a traditionalist, and prefers wood stocks and long barrels.
So Far I recomended a Remington Model 7, he was concerned that the barrel would be too short, but I asured him that you dont need alot of barrel for a .223 to work well. I also told him that the New Savage Rifles are very good. I just dont know if they have any with a wood stock.
Im ready to hear what you all would recomend as a traditional scoped .223 rifle. Also he plans to mount a Leupold Scope on it, has his heart set on it, so that part is pretty much set in stone. Thanks in advance.
 
CZ....527....series...offers the most for the buck......and offers features/ styles not common on other brands.......go to CZ-USA.com......I have the CZ527 full stock in 223.......is the most accurate rifle I own....sold a Ruger rifle to buy the CZ452 full stock..in 22....as a companion rifle to the 223.....is just as amazing.....and the Walnut stocks on both rifles are beautiful!!
 
I like this one. . . .

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Check out Savage. I think you will like it out of the box.
 
Since it's been said- I gotta pitch my vote for the CZ 527 line. If he's a traditionalist- he might even like the 5 rnd detachable mag- kinda like the old Rem 788's. I have the Varmint and the American- the American makes for a great tote-around and truck rifle. Another feature he may or may not like is that slick single-set trigger. The trigger is fine the way it is, but if a feller really wants to hunker down and try to stretch a shot out- you thumb the trigger forward until it clicks and it cuts the pull weight down to about a pound.

The come with proprietary rings like Ruger, but they are rock-solid. And, for a Mauser type action, I found quite by accident that it is possible to flip a single round in and close the bolt on it single-shot style. Mine have been dang good rifles. Wish ya'll were closer to the Panhandle -I'd let ya'll take it for a spin.
 
I have a Model 7 and I love it. But the CZs have a great reputation and I'd probably get one of those if I were in the market for another bolt gun.

What's he going to use it for? How about a single shot? Ruger makes their No.1 in .223, their discontinued No. 3 series was offered in that caliber, if a used gun would be considered, and there are a number of break-action SS rifles out there that are more or less attractive.
 
I'll cast my vote for the CZ 527, I have one with the laminated stock they offered a few years back.
The 527 action is not just a short acton but the action looks like it was built for the 223 round.
They have one of the best bluing jobs that you will find on a gun today and mine has the sweetest trigger system out of all the rifles I own.
All that being said I'm thinking of selling mine because it's just to pretty to hunt with, so it just sits in the gun safe.
Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
 
Has anyone tried the mossberg? I read an advertisement in a magazine about their new varmint rifle with adjustable trigger, 24" fluted barrel,fluted bolt and it takes ar magazines.
 
I have the Kevlar Varmint model with the HS Precision stock. Very, very accurate rifle. I also have several 452's. They are more expensive than they used to be, but still a lot of gun for the money. Look at the 527 American model.
 
How heavy of a bullet will he be shooting? The needed rate of twist may DQ some models or manufacturers.

Without regard to rate of twist:

Savage, Ruger, Winchester, some Weatherby's or a TC Icon if looking for American made.

Browning, CZ, Howa, imported Weatherby's for imported rifles.
 
Someone mentioned the Mossberg MVP. Looks interesting and takes AR mags. I have quite a few old Mossberg .22's, so I know they can build an accurate rifle. Of course, those guns were made in the 40's through the 60's. Anyone seen an MVP rifle up close? Comment on the build quality?
 
I bought a stevens 200 on a whim a couple of years ago. it was $300 brand new, Now the stock is ugly grey plastic but holy crap does this thing shoot tight groups. With factory ammo I get about 1" groups and with one reload I made up i am getting 1/2" groups. now this gun is far from pretty but for shooting ground hogs and coyotes its the one I take. And its really an older model savage 10 so you can get triggers and barrels if you want to mess around with it, You can get some after market stocks but you have to watch these have a 4.4 in spacing and a center feed magazine. With the money you save you can get a good scope and have a real shooter.
 
I have a Ruger Hawkeye and could not be happier with it, shoots great, good trigger, and didn't break the bank getting it.
 
He might want to consider getting a Browning model 1885 "Low Wall". It has a 24" long barrel but, because it's a short receivered single-shot, it's pretty manageable in terms of the oal. Constructed of walnut and blued steel, the little Low Wall will appeal to his traditionalist predilection. The rifle comes with a 1:12" twist when chambered in .223, a rate of twist best suited for lighter weight bullets.
 
I have a CZ 527 American in .223 and really like it. CZ makes a quality rifle for a reasonable price. My CZ 527 is used to kill small furry varmint. It has a 1 in 12 twist so it prefers the light fast fodder. 40-50 grain ballistic tip does a number on rodents up to 15 pounds, or so.

Consequently it isn't my coyote rifle. For that I have a 6.8 SPC AR type rifle. It'll sling 85-115 grain lead out to 300 yards with authority which is more than enough to drop coyote sized critters cleanly. The nice thing is that I also have an AR 5.56 with a 1 in 9 twist that gives me a less expensive alternative for popping p-dogs and such at a little further range than the CZ can and still be reasonable to shoot. It also handles the wind a bit better than the CZ with its light loads.

Your dad would like the walnut stock, fit and finish of the CZ 527. It also has a single set trigger for serious bench work in addition to a decent trigger pull of about 4.5 pounds for hunting. The single set trigger is light indeed. Mount a Harris bipod on the forearm and spend the afternoon punching holes in paper at 200 yards, or better depending on the wind. It doesn't have open sights, but comes ready to mount a scope.
 
I picked up a like-NIB Ruger 77 Mk II light sporter in .223, some years back. I could get half-MOA from the git-go, even with the tort liability trigger. A Timney made life easier. Great prairie dog gun with the Leupold 3x9 on top.

1:10 twist, so it likes bullets around the 55-grain vicinity. And, it does just fine with blunt-nosed 70-grain bullets...
 
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