.223 bolt guns

[Tom Kat]

I have owned many rifles. But for some reason, I have never owned a .223 bolt gun. I want to change that. I have a lot of brass and even more powder and .224 caliber bullets, mostly left over from shooting .22-250 and several AR15's.

I have been surprised at how few .223 rifles there are out there. The low end ones are...not that great? And I can't really see paying for a Cooper, etc.

The Ruger American Predator seems ok, as does the TC Compass II.

I am a little burned out on Savage rifles and don't care for Remington much. I am biased for a claw extractor.

I have a target scope I will put on SOMETHING LOL. Bill K and others have inspired me to improve MY shooting. I have gotten a little sloppy, and I think a new shooting bench is in order. The fun for me will be in load development.

What, if any, .223 bolt guns do you all reccomend? I am not looking for a bench gun as I want to be able to coyote hunt with it. Thanks for you advice.

[K22]

Boy have I gone thru a lot of 223 rifles and most have been a love hate experience. Of past 223 bolt guns an Interarms Mini Mauser and Mauser 4000 have stood out as, gee I sure should have kept them. Recently my favorite is a Kimber Montana and a Kimber Longmaster Classic. Both rifles seem to like anything I load up and put thru them. I may be rebarreling the Longmaster to a 204 and turning it into a Montana, then again, I may change my mind.
I would think the Ruger American would be a good one. I still have a Ruger Ultralight in 223 I used for Coyotes for many years. It's a nice looking and functioning rifle but accuracy sucked. I should have either sold that one or rebarreled it, but, I still have it. Full length bedding was the answer in getting it under an inch at 100yds.
I've heard that the Ruger Americans shoot really well. The one I have in 22mag. does real good with Hornady 30gr. ammo and so so with heavier bullets. My Grandson and Son in Law both have the Ruger American in 243 and their rifles will impress you, so that would be my choice.

[Rick in Oregon]

Humm, at any point in time, I have around five 223 bolt guns. I quit the AR madness, did it for 30 years, but after returning to the World after the war and making F/A versions, having fun in the outback with jack wabbits on F/A, I got tired of feeding my brass belchers and sold them all.

Consider this......some day in the not so far off future, AR's could become "scarce". The 223 and 5.56 ammo will be here for a very long time, and bolt guns could be the last platform to get the boot. So if you've got a good shooting 223 bolt gun, you're set for a very long time.

My best shooting 223 is my Cooper M21 Varmint that shoots consistently into the high "ones" and low "two's". For chucks and squirrels, it's good to 600, and I don't have to chase the brass. My Ruger No.1 V also shoots right at .25 MOA, and it's not even a bolt gun. What's not to like?

And lastly, after packing a tricked out AR over hill and dale, I just got tired of hefting the thing for hours at a time. They're just NOT a comfortable piece to carry with all the edges, projections and bulges. I'm much happier with a nice, trim, light bolt gun, thank you. YMMV, JMO

[Tom Kat]

Next to fast repeating, the only thing better than a bolt gun on an AR is the handle is comfortable to shoot. But I agree. I have 2, do I need 2? maybe if I sold one I could get a really nice bolt gun. Hmmmm

[Rick in Oregon]

Sure, I get that, and have been there.

I'll add that in over 50 years of varmint shooting, rapid fire has never been an issue. One shot, Skippy flies.

No brass catcher needed, no looking for my cherished fully prepped brass in the dirt and weeds either......



Best 223 bolt gun I've ever had the pleasure of owning, and snagged used off the Nosler shop rack. You never know when something nice will show up unexpectedly.

Skippy's worst nightmare with H335 with a 40gr Nosler BT!

[Tom Kat]

That's a beauty. The gold ring on the scope tells a story! I have several with that gold ring, too. Can you tell me what brand that rear bag is? I am due for an upgrade, my cheap caldwell bag ain't doing it for me.

[Rick in Oregon]

That's a beauty. The gold ring on the scope tells a story! I have several with that gold ring, too. Can you tell me what brand that rear bag is? I am due for an upgrade, my cheap caldwell bag ain't doing it for me.

The rear bag is a Protektor No. 13B. Front rest is the older Sinclair All-Purpose rest that has the adjustable forend feature. Been my go-to setup for a number of years now.

[Tom Kat]

Thanks. I am doing a re-vamp of my bench and range. Tonight my cousin offered me my late Uncles bench which means a lot to me. I have shot thousands of rounds off that bench. I will probably upgrade on rest and bags, too.

[broper]

I have a Ruger American compact, 223 I can't believe how accurate it is. The only thing I did was put a Timney trigger on it. I do not like those "accu triggers". The Timney feels like a trigger is supposed to feel, to me anyway. I don't like taking up slack in a trigger. I have shot several badgers and lots of ground squirrels with it. One day I ran across 5 badgers sitting together on a mound. I had the .223 and got 3 of them and the other 2 got away. I would reccomend the Ruger American if you're looking to get into a .223 pretty reasonable. They're not real nice looking and feel kind of like a toy b b gun but man are they good shooters.

[Tom Kat]

I have a Ruger American compact, 223 I can't believe how accurate it is. The only thing I did was put a Timney trigger on it. I do not like those "accu triggers". The Timney feels like a trigger is supposed to feel, to me anyway. I don't like taking up slack in a trigger. I have shot several badgers and lots of ground squirrels with it. One day I ran across 5 badgers sitting together on a mound. I had the .223 and got 3 of them and the other 2 got away. I would reccomend the Ruger American if you're looking to get into a .223 pretty reasonable. They're not real nice looking and feel kind of like a toy b b gun but man are they good shooters.

I went to a gun show last week intending to buy one. I read a lot of stuff on the American. I was going to get a Boyds laminate stock for it...and I met a guy who wanted a Rossi .22 I had. So he traded me the value I was asking in on a Tikka T3 Lite in .223. They are really well made rifles. So I am starting to get my rings etc in order. The Tikka has a great trigger, it was easy to adjust to 2 lbs. It feels like a glass rod breaking...

[broper]

I've heard all kinds of good about the new Tikka's.