"Budget" .223s

[blixen]

OK, I'm in the middle of deciding to blow my money on an old .222 Rem. (Sav. 340) or a K-hornet (Sav. 219).

Then, I get thrown a curve when I see a .223 Thompson Center Venture bolt action and a Ruger American for about the same price!

I'll be honest, I prefer wood stocks and I lean toward classic calibers--so I have passed on a few .223s already. But the Venture and American seem to be very solid rifles--with better triggers and build than I'm looking at in the oldsters.

Are they really that good? (Yes, I know 5.56x45mm brass is plentiful.)

[buckwheatpaul]

I know you said you like the wood stocks....and the traditional calibers....the 223 is about as old as the 222 and the 222 magnum. I have a Stevens 200 in 223 and it shoots like a dream and at a good price.....has the old Savage 110 action....great value and dependable.....good luck on your quest.....the hunt is half the fun.....

[gordie]

the "budget" .223's are great rifles ... & easy to get rid of if you don't like it.

look close at weatherby vanguard II, 1:12 twist ... or ruger american, 1:8

[Huffmanite]

Fellow member of range I shoot, has one of the Marlin x rifles in .223. On the heavy barrel side as I remember it. He's not crazy about its plastic stock, but loves how accurate it shoots. Do own a few other Marlin X rifles in other cartridges and mine shoot well too.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

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[Artful]

Well, not "budget" but I keep looking at the Mossburg MVP
http://www.mossberg.com/rifle-calibers/556mmnato-223-rem

Budget
Stevens
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/14603
or
Harrington & Richardson Survivor
http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/default.aspx?item=sb2-623

[aspangler]

the "budget" .223's are great rifles ... & easy to get rid of if you don't like it.

look close at weatherby vanguard II, 1:12 twist ... or ruger american, 1:8
+1 on the Vanguard. I bought one several years ago and it would take a bunch of BIG bills to get me to part with it. I deveolped several "J" word loads that shoot less than 1/2" center to center groups at 100 yards. I'mm working on a cast load now and so far I have it down to 1 1/4" at 100 yards. Get one if you can. You won't regret it.

BTW Those are 5 shot groups. Not 3.

[uscra112]

I'm with buckwheatpaul - a used Stevens 200, scraped that plastic stock a little to bed it better, and it shoots the lights out. All for 220 bucks (plus shipping and FFL, since I bought it on Gunbroker.)

'nother one would be a Savage 340 in .223. Hard to find, since most were .222s, but they are out there. make sure the recoil lug isn't bottoming in the mortise, and they'll shoot very well. Wood stock,too.

[blixen]

Thanks. So far my options are (I want to forego the FFL route.)
savage 340 in .222 Remington,
Sav. 219 In K Hornet,
Sav. 340' .225 winchester.
Thompson. Center Venture .223
Ruger American .223.

Unfortunately , the K Hornet and both .223s require 100 mile trips to look at them.

I'm a relatively novice caster, but it seems like the longer necks on the .222 and the K Hornet makes them better candidates for cast boolits.

The .225 winchester seems like a bad idea all the way around, but by a stroke of luck, I found dies and brass locally! Kismet? Besides, it's the kind of oddball that appeals to me.

Finally, any or all might be sold by the time I make up my mind.

[gordie]

if you go w/ the .225win., send me a PM...
i will send you a copy of an article in Handloader 1987, on loads for .225win..

[mpbarry1]

this savage isn't too bad and it is wood.

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/savage-10110-trophy-hunter-rifle-wnikon-scope-19714-remington-wood-stock-black-finish-p-130765.html

[starmac]

I passed on a 340 in 222 last year, and have kicked myself ever since.

[Nrut]

Thanks. So far my options are (I want to forego the FFL route.)
savage 340 in .222 Remington,
Sav. 219 In K Hornet,
Sav. 340' .225 winchester.
Thompson. Center Venture .223
Ruger American .223.

Unfortunately , the K Hornet and both .223s require 100 mile trips to look at them.

I'm a relatively novice caster, but it seems like the longer necks on the .222 and the K Hornet makes them better candidates for cast boolits.

The .225 winchester seems like a bad idea all the way around, but by a stroke of luck, I found dies and brass locally! Kismet? Besides, it's the kind of oddball that appeals to me.

Finally, any or all might be sold by the time I make up my mind.
blixen,
-What are you going to use the rifle for?
-Will you be shooting mostly cast or jacketed?
-Do you plan on using a scope?
-Are the first 3 rifles on your list D&T for scope mounts if you plan on using a scope..

The Ruger American has a 1:8 twist which is great for heavy jacketed bullets..
If I didn't already have a Kimber with a 1:9 I would order a Ruger American to shoot jacketed bullets as I have read good things about that rifle..

If I were planning on shooting mostly cast at over about 2000 fps then I would look for a rifle with a 1:14 to 1:16 twist..
Generally the .222 and Hornet run slower twists..

That's why I asked the questions above..
The bullet(s) you use the most should determine which rifle you buy..

[blixen]

Nrut, I'll be punching paper with cast boolits. Maybe a jack rabbit or two. I'm guessing at sub 2,000 fps.
All the rifles are d&t for scopes.
Btw, I shot my sav. 340 30-30 today (actually a Stevens ). I'd forgotten how third rate the 340 trigger is. I'm rethinking the .222 mod. 340 as a result. Mechanically, it's not a very impressive firearm. Has anyone had much luck with tuning?

[MUSTANG]

You might try the Savage Axis in .223 as a budget rifle. They have rifle/scope combos on sale at the various Big Box sporting goods stores periodically in the range of $325.00. Some examples:

http://www.woodburyoutfitters.com/product_p/10091.htm

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/70937



Should you decide to buy one of these; you will discover they have extremely heavy trigger pulls. Reducing it is simple, by clipping some off the spring on the trigger. There are several YouTube/Internet sites on this mod.

[blixen]

Final comment-- for closure sake. I handled a Ruger American .233 today. Yes, its stock is plastic and the metal finish is some flat-black coating. But it seems to be a well-designed firearm. I'm still not sold on .223--but, but there's no way I can buy a Savage 340 .222 — with a crappy trigger and bolt mechanism—at about the same price as this little beauty!

No hurry, the store had five Ruger .223s. (Meanwhile, the search turned up a bunch of interesting rifles in other calibers that are crying out to me.)

Thanks to everyone for helping me chew this through.

[orbitalair]

The stainless Ruger American in 223 comes out next month.

[41magjh]

A hunting buddy of mine bought a savage axis feel good in hands. I loaded several load to group an dial it in I got moa with the rifle shooting j bullets . Like mustang said the trigger is heavy