accurate .223 rifle under $500? - Page 2

reinert · July 30, 2016, 01:30 PM

Because I had a bit of time this morning, I took my new .223, M700 ADL out to the range just to zero it, and just shot it at 50 yards. First, I pulled the bolt, centered the bore on the target and adjusted the scope that came on the rifle. As it said in the manual that the scope was just bore-sighted, that was certainly correct, and actually, it was quite close, and on the target.

The day got the rifle, I bought a box of Winchester, 55 grn. s.p.'s to try it out before I got all my reloading equipment set up to make some hand loads. I took 5 shots to walk the scope to the center of the bull, and then shot 5 for group. Four of the shots were right @ 1/2," centered very nicely on the orange dot. I pulled my last shot, and the group measured right @ 7/8." I know, 50 yds. doesn't tell much, but I've got some fire formed brass now, and I believe there's some promise there.

As the rifle has about a 22lb. trigger pull (not quite, but close), and I had a pretty good wind quartering from my back to the right, and I was just shooting over my rolled up jacket, I was happy with this first go-round. When I get some hand loads worked up, I'll report on that and be shooting at 100 yards with my proper bench rest equipment. Also, the scope that came on the rifle is quite nice, focuses very well, and has no parallax whatsoever. Not bad at all. So far, so good with the new .223

Picher · July 31, 2016, 06:09 AM

I picked up a new Rem 700 ADL, .223 Rem this week from a Maine salvage company (Marden's) for $267. It had been purchased from WalMart by a gun shop that went out of business, then the shop was bought out by Marden's. The store's slogan is something like, "Better buy it when you see it at Marden's". The gun shop price had been about $400.

After adjusting the Mark X Pro trigger to 3 lbs, routing out the barrel channel, and smoothing up the bolt, and replacing the crappy scope with an old 8-32 Tasco target scope, it's shooting nicely.

I didn't have time to go to the range, so went down the woods road behind the house and sighted it in. After walking rounds to my 1" high zero, fired two shots that touched, centered 3/8" to the left. Took 3 clicks right (1/8 min clicks) and made a dead zero shot that would have been exactly in one of the two other shots, making a .3" group. (Not bad for shooting off the back of my pickup, over a sandbag, with deer flies buzzing around me.)

The load was one worked up for my Rem 700 Light Varmint that happened to fit tightly in this chamber (26.0 gr of H335, CCI Primers, 55 Grain Sierra HPBT).

taylorce1 · July 31, 2016, 09:54 AM

I just bought this one, and am waiting for it to ship. It's just a 1:12 twist so 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips will probably be what it eats the most. It maxes out your $500 budget plus a few dollars after transfer, but I'm excited to get it. I always wanted a M70 .223 rifle!

flyer898 · July 31, 2016, 03:46 PM

Take a look at the CZ 527 American. It has a nice Turkish walnut stock, 20" sporter weight bbl, and a single set trigger. And they come with 1" rings. They are a little above your price point. I have one and it is a very nice, nice looking, lightweight rifle that will drive tacks. Until 2014 they came with a 1:12 twist and current production is a 1:9 twist. Mine likes Sierra 52 gr. HPBTs.

https://www.czub.cz/en/produkty/kulo...-american.html

FiveInADime · August 1, 2016, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taylorce1

I just bought this one, and am waiting for it to ship. It's just a 1:12 twist so 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips will probably be what it eats the most. It maxes out your $500 budget plus a few dollars after transfer, but I'm excited to get it. I always wanted a M70 .223 rifle!

Nice. That looks like my .243 'Youth Ranger'. It's basically a featherweight with sights and a birch stock.

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taylorce1 · August 2, 2016, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FiveInADime

Nice. That looks like my .243 'Youth Ranger'. It's basically a featherweight with sights and a birch stock.

It is a youth 12.5" LOP, I might have to get an aftermarket stock for it. I do think that I can shoot a 12.5" stock with no issues though.

Mstangret · August 3, 2016, 02:50 AM

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for sharing their thoughts and ideas. I've been taking what everyone has said into account and as of now its a toss up between the Savage 12Fv and the Howa mini action. I like how the howa mini action was built to use the .223 round so that in its own should mean its very precise and it has a 10 rd detachable mag which is really nice for when I go to the range, However i'm limited to where i can buy it since there are only big chains that sell guns by me (welcome to Illinois) and I want to avoid the ffl fees. So at cabela's its $599.99 which is over my budget. Then there's the savage 12 fv which comes in at $419.99 and from my initial research it is very accurate as well but I still need to do some more research on it. What do you guys think?

stagpanther · August 3, 2016, 03:17 AM

Quote:

(Not bad for shooting off the back of my pickup, over a sandbag, with deer flies buzzing around me.)

I live in Maine too--the deer flies and mosquitoes sometimes help carry in my gear to shoot in the woods, and I usually lose a pound or two of blood during each session.

I've learned that you have to shoot fast. The other day I covered myself with DEET 100--but you could almost hear little voices saying "Yum--make mine a doulble, on the rocks" and got bit from head to toe anyway.

reinert · August 3, 2016, 09:09 AM

Good luck on your .223 choosing, and working through your budget (I, too, know what that's all about). This has been a fun thread, and thanks a lot, it made me purchase another rifle! My wife just rolled her eyes... I got my trigger adjusted on my ADL, and thankfully it was a very easy task; got it down to just over 3lbs.

Made some handloads and just got to shoot them again @ 50 yards, as there was a 25 mph+ cross wind at the range yesterday. I put 10 shots off the bench right at 1," and I know that really doesn't tell me much, but it's a start on the reloads. I'm hoping the 1:12 r.o.t. will work with the 60 grain, s.p. bullets, as that's considered legal for deer here in Wyoming if I choose to use the .223.

My first reload for this rifle is as follows:

Once fired WW brass, partial sized and trimmed @ 1.75."
CCI 400 small rifle primers.
25.5 grns. of W748 powder.
60grn. Hornady S.P. bullets.

Actually, this hand load shot better @ 50 yds. than the factory Winchester loading I got my fired-formed brass from. That box of factory stuff had 55grn. S.P.s. The next proof will be at 100 yds. when I can find a fairly calm morning at the range, and that will tell a lot on this new project. Oh, yeah, this is one fun rifle to shoot besides!

Anyone have a pet load using a 60grn. bullet in a 1:12 r.o.t. rifle?

FiveInADime · August 3, 2016, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taylorce1

It is a youth 12.5" LOP, I might have to get an aftermarket stock for it. I do think that I can shoot a 12.5" stock with no issues though.

Yes. Same-same. I bought a take-off XTR Featherweight stock for it from a gunsmith but it's beat to hell and I haven't got around to fixing it up. I'm not even sure where it is after I moved recently. I use a thick slip-on pad on the youth stock. This will be my son's first deer rifle (as it was mine) but he's only 3 so I have a few more years using it as my coyote rifle. It's my most accurate M70.

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Erno86 · August 3, 2016, 12:17 PM

You might find a used Remington 788 in 223, for sale on GunBroker.

taylorce1 · August 3, 2016, 12:48 PM

By paying FFL Fees you might find a Deal on the rifle you want. The only time I don't pay FFL Fees is when I can't find the rifle cheaper online. I figure in shipping cost and FFL Fees whenever I purchase rifles online and if the total cost is cheaper than I can get locally with tax included then I buy it.

There are over 50 pages of FFL transfer agents in Illinois on gunbroker.com and many can sell you a firearm outright. I'm betting there is something other than the big box outlets closer than you think.

Mstangret · August 4, 2016, 10:22 PM

Going to try and head to a Gander Mountain by me to check out some of the rifles considering gander has a very wide selection. As far as i'm concerned all the rifles that everyone has pointed out sound good and im just going to have to let it come down to which rifle feels the best in my hands. Also the Cabela's by me is also out of stock on the Savage 12fv in 223 but I guess ill check it out in a different caliber just to get a feel for the rifle when I get the chance. Hopefully this will allow me to narrow down my choices, however the Howa rifles are looking pretty nice

joe sixgun · August 4, 2016, 11:04 PM

I picked up my Howa mini action from Cabelas for $349.00 on sale. Last I checked they were still on sale. Sorry, just checked no longer on sale. Still a very nice rifle at full price but the Savages are nice too.

Mstangret · August 4, 2016, 11:17 PM

Yea at $349 that's a steal for that rifle, its a shame they aren't still running that sale. Even online they run $500+

July 30, 2016, 01:30 PM	#26
reinert Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 646	first outing... Because I had a bit of time this morning, I took my new .223, M700 ADL out to the range just to zero it, and just shot it at 50 yards. First, I pulled the bolt, centered the bore on the target and adjusted the scope that came on the rifle. As it said in the manual that the scope was just bore-sighted, that was certainly correct, and actually, it was quite close, and on the target. The day got the rifle, I bought a box of Winchester, 55 grn. s.p.'s to try it out before I got all my reloading equipment set up to make some hand loads. I took 5 shots to walk the scope to the center of the bull, and then shot 5 for group. Four of the shots were right @ 1/2," centered very nicely on the orange dot. I pulled my last shot, and the group measured right @ 7/8." I know, 50 yds. doesn't tell much, but I've got some fire formed brass now, and I believe there's some promise there. As the rifle has about a 22lb. trigger pull (not quite, but close), and I had a pretty good wind quartering from my back to the right, and I was just shooting over my rolled up jacket, I was happy with this first go-round. When I get some hand loads worked up, I'll report on that and be shooting at 100 yards with my proper bench rest equipment. Also, the scope that came on the rifle is quite nice, focuses very well, and has no parallax whatsoever. Not bad at all. So far, so good with the new .223

July 31, 2016, 09:54 AM	#28
taylorce1 Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2005 Location: On the Santa Fe Trail Posts: 8,249	I just bought this one, and am waiting for it to ship. It's just a 1:12 twist so 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips will probably be what it eats the most. It maxes out your $500 budget plus a few dollars after transfer, but I'm excited to get it. I always wanted a M70 .223 rifle! __________________ NRA Life Member

August 3, 2016, 12:17 PM	#36
Erno86 Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 2012 Location: Marriottsville, Maryland Posts: 1,739	You might find a used Remington 788 in 223, for sale on GunBroker. __________________ That rifle hanging on the wall of the working class flat or labourer's cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there." --- George Orwell

August 3, 2016, 12:48 PM	#37
taylorce1 Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2005 Location: On the Santa Fe Trail Posts: 8,249	By paying FFL Fees you might find a Deal on the rifle you want. The only time I don't pay FFL Fees is when I can't find the rifle cheaper online. I figure in shipping cost and FFL Fees whenever I purchase rifles online and if the total cost is cheaper than I can get locally with tax included then I buy it. There are over 50 pages of FFL transfer agents in Illinois on gunbroker.com and many can sell you a firearm outright. I'm betting there is something other than the big box outlets closer than you think. __________________ NRA Life Member

August 4, 2016, 11:04 PM	#39
joe sixgun Senior Member Join Date: March 22, 2010 Location: west michigan Posts: 185	I picked up my Howa mini action from Cabelas for $349.00 on sale. Last I checked they were still on sale. Sorry, just checked no longer on sale. Still a very nice rifle at full price but the Savages are nice too. __________________ DON'T TREAD ON ME ! Last edited by joe sixgun; August 4, 2016 at 11:10 PM.

July 31, 2016, 06:09 AM	#27
Picher Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 3,694	I picked up a new Rem 700 ADL, .223 Rem this week from a Maine salvage company (Marden's) for $267. It had been purchased from WalMart by a gun shop that went out of business, then the shop was bought out by Marden's. The store's slogan is something like, "Better buy it when you see it at Marden's". The gun shop price had been about $400. After adjusting the Mark X Pro trigger to 3 lbs, routing out the barrel channel, and smoothing up the bolt, and replacing the crappy scope with an old 8-32 Tasco target scope, it's shooting nicely. I didn't have time to go to the range, so went down the woods road behind the house and sighted it in. After walking rounds to my 1" high zero, fired two shots that touched, centered 3/8" to the left. Took 3 clicks right (1/8 min clicks) and made a dead zero shot that would have been exactly in one of the two other shots, making a .3" group. (Not bad for shooting off the back of my pickup, over a sandbag, with deer flies buzzing around me.) The load was one worked up for my Rem 700 Light Varmint that happened to fit tightly in this chamber (26.0 gr of H335, CCI Primers, 55 Grain Sierra HPBT).

July 31, 2016, 03:46 PM	#29
flyer898 Member Join Date: May 15, 2013 Posts: 35	Take a look at the CZ 527 American. It has a nice Turkish walnut stock, 20" sporter weight bbl, and a single set trigger. And they come with 1" rings. They are a little above your price point. I have one and it is a very nice, nice looking, lightweight rifle that will drive tacks. Until 2014 they came with a 1:12 twist and current production is a 1:9 twist. Mine likes Sierra 52 gr. HPBTs. https://www.czub.cz/en/produkty/kulo...-american.html

August 3, 2016, 02:50 AM	#32
Mstangret Junior Member Join Date: November 9, 2015 Posts: 12	First of all, I would like to thank everyone for sharing their thoughts and ideas. I've been taking what everyone has said into account and as of now its a toss up between the Savage 12Fv and the Howa mini action. I like how the howa mini action was built to use the .223 round so that in its own should mean its very precise and it has a 10 rd detachable mag which is really nice for when I go to the range, However i'm limited to where i can buy it since there are only big chains that sell guns by me (welcome to Illinois) and I want to avoid the ffl fees. So at cabela's its $599.99 which is over my budget. Then there's the savage 12 fv which comes in at $419.99 and from my initial research it is very accurate as well but I still need to do some more research on it. What do you guys think?

August 3, 2016, 09:09 AM	#34
reinert Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 646	Good luck on your .223 choosing, and working through your budget (I, too, know what that's all about). This has been a fun thread, and thanks a lot, it made me purchase another rifle! My wife just rolled her eyes... I got my trigger adjusted on my ADL, and thankfully it was a very easy task; got it down to just over 3lbs. Made some handloads and just got to shoot them again @ 50 yards, as there was a 25 mph+ cross wind at the range yesterday. I put 10 shots off the bench right at 1," and I know that really doesn't tell me much, but it's a start on the reloads. I'm hoping the 1:12 r.o.t. will work with the 60 grain, s.p. bullets, as that's considered legal for deer here in Wyoming if I choose to use the .223. My first reload for this rifle is as follows: Once fired WW brass, partial sized and trimmed @ 1.75." CCI 400 small rifle primers. 25.5 grns. of W748 powder. 60grn. Hornady S.P. bullets. Actually, this hand load shot better @ 50 yds. than the factory Winchester loading I got my fired-formed brass from. That box of factory stuff had 55grn. S.P.s. The next proof will be at 100 yds. when I can find a fairly calm morning at the range, and that will tell a lot on this new project. Oh, yeah, this is one fun rifle to shoot besides! Anyone have a pet load using a 60grn. bullet in a 1:12 r.o.t. rifle?

August 4, 2016, 10:22 PM	#38
Mstangret Junior Member Join Date: November 9, 2015 Posts: 12	Going to try and head to a Gander Mountain by me to check out some of the rifles considering gander has a very wide selection. As far as i'm concerned all the rifles that everyone has pointed out sound good and im just going to have to let it come down to which rifle feels the best in my hands. Also the Cabela's by me is also out of stock on the Savage 12fv in 223 but I guess ill check it out in a different caliber just to get a feel for the rifle when I get the chance. Hopefully this will allow me to narrow down my choices, however the Howa rifles are looking pretty nice

August 4, 2016, 11:17 PM	#40
Mstangret Junior Member Join Date: November 9, 2015 Posts: 12	Yea at $349 that's a steal for that rifle, its a shame they aren't still running that sale. Even online they run $500+