Which .223 Rifle?

[67RS/SSx2]

I have decided to purchase a rifle for light game hunting and just for enjoyable shooting. The reason I'm thinking .223 is because of the cost of the ammo. Rifle must be of reasonable cost.

So, what rifles should I be considering?

Thanks for all input!

 

[BadKarma]

Remington 700 SPS, very accurate out of the box and affordable. Lots of aftermarket accessories if you so desire.

 

[aeropb]

Maybe an AR-15. What is reasonable cost to you?

 

[67RS/SSx2]

Probably less than the cost of an AR-15. I was thinking $600 or less.

 

[MoBoost]

I am very happy with my $200 Rossi with heavy barrel.

 

[RustyW]

I like the Savage rifles. I have 3 of them and for the money they're hard to beat. I'm thinking of a Stevens .22-250 for my drag through the brush coyote rifle. Right now I'm using a model 12 in .243. Every time I go hunting with it I remember how much I paid for it and I don't want to scratch it. Yeah I know $580.00 isn't much when you're talking sub MOA out of the box rifle. The Stevens is even more ugly than the Savage so maybe I can find one cheap and won't care about the finnish.

 

[Donald]

Savage. Nothing else even comes close. For a box stock rifle they will outshoot any other, until you get into the Cooper class of rifles. I had one of their package .243 riles a whle back. Cheap scope, Simmons Blazer, I think. It would shoot sub 1 moa with almost anything you put down the barrel. Those that think they are ugly just don't appreciate good engineering. Wear out a barrel or just want another caliber, just buy a prechambered barrel. A snap to change out. I saw and add today somewhere I think offering them for $339 plus tax. Now how can you beat that. Have you seen the new Remingtons lately, talk about UGLY. Now those are ugly rifles. As for an AR.....you really don't want to know how I feel about them. JMO.

 

[BadKarma]

Remingtons are ugly???? You gotta get with the times man, cheap Tupperware stocks is where it's at. LOL. When you've been building the same rifle for the last 750 years ya gotta do something to keep up. LOL. I think they call it tacticool. Seriously I have a buddy that shoots a Savage 10 in 223 that thing is just crazy accurate. I agree for the money and performance Savage would probably be a good way for him to go.

 

[CAR-AR-M16]

Just remember one thing. Most of the cheap, surplus ammo is 5.56 not .223. They may have the same case dimensions, but they are not loaded to the same pressure and their chambers (specifically the throat) is different as well. The Sporting Arms & Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI) consider firing 5.56 in a .223 chambered rifle to be an unsafe combination (see http://www.saami.org/Unsafe_Combinations.cfm). Here is another link that explains more about the difference between the two (see http://www.razoreye.net/mirror/ammo-oracle/AR15_com_Ammo_Oracle_Mirror.htm#diff).

With that said, I am sure that someone will come along shortly and say I am FOS and that they have shot 5.56 out of .223 chambered rifles for years and never had a problem. If so, that is great for them. I am just trying to give you the info from the maufacturers who make the guns and ammo so that you can make an informed decision on what you want to do.

 

[ez bake]

Remingtons are ugly???? You gotta get with the times man, cheap Tupperware stocks is where it's at. LOL. When you've been building the same rifle for the last 750 years ya gotta do something to keep up. LOL. I think they call it tacticool. Seriously I have a buddy that shoots a Savage 10 in 223 that thing is just crazy accurate. I agree for the money and performance Savage would probably be a good way for him to go.

Hey man - if it ain't broke, don't fix it

Remington's quality has gone to the toilet over the last 10 years. I own two and one's had a re-barrel and the action blueprinted and the other hasn't - night/day difference.

Their triggers suck too but the biggest thing Remington 700s have going for them are the aftermarket world - if you want to improve it, get a 700 because there are 10 manufacturers of parts out there for every part on that gun.

If you want out of the box accuracy and a nice trigger - go with a nice Savage.