.223 Bolt Paper Punchers

[DaveTN]

My 700 in .223

If that’s a VLS; that’s what I have in .308 now.

[Good_Steward]

Might want to take a look at the Ruger M77 in .223. Personally, I think they have a smoother action than the 700's or the Savages. My humble opinion.

[DaveTN]

Would you be interested in a 22-250?

No thanks, need a .223.

[dlm37015]

i have a knock around 223 i keep in my truck it is a stevens cost less than 250 shoots so good it will scare you

[mikegideon]

I have found some extra FPS and lower SD with Wolf SRM primers. As long as you aren'nt into your max already you should be good. Using SRM's with 24.5 grains of Varget, which is a very low powered load, I am getting ~2950 fps using 69 SMK's out of a 26" barrel. I was loading right up against my lands and getting decent results. Same everything except using CCI 400's results in velocities in the ~2750 fps range.

One day I was working up some loads and had miserable results so I decided to try some rounds for my AR which were loaded to mag length. The groups dropped substantially. Before I was getting a best of sub .4" groups and the new groups are sub .25". My velocity dropped to ~2850 with the jump.

Not saying it will be the same for you but I didn't change any load data other then the primers and got tighter groups and faster fps.

Using the 2950 load I can get to 800 before dropping below the sound barrier. With the 2850 load I can get to 775 before dropping below the speed of sound. It also depends on the weather conditions. Those numbers are what came out of my ballistics program that so far has been right on the money as long as my human error in inputing info is correct.

This is also with a put together Savage. Actually a Stevens 200 with all the usual mods.

I used to have a 550 yard range to use until there was a mix up between the owner and a few of us. Now I don't have access to a long enough range to stretch it. Because of that I do a lot of rimfire shooting at up to 200 yards.

BTW Mike, is that the upper you got during our conversations? If it is give me the details again. I am looking for a longer barrel for use with mine.

Dolomite

Varget it is. I'll probably pop for some CCI BR4 primers too. I'm gonna try to get the fastest loads I can without the groups opening up. I would like to keep them supersonic out to 900. The 77's will do that.

Yes. Same upper we discussed. Model One with a 24" stainless bull. I shot that group right after I built it. You may recall, I worked with Shaw and the David Tubb folks to get the best application of the Final Finish product. I conditioned the barrel, cleaned it, and it's been in the safe ever since. I expect good things.

Edited October 18, 2011 by mikegideon
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[mikegideon]

No thanks, need a .223.

Get you one of those 8 ton AR's like mine. Just don't drop it on your toe

[Sidinman]

i have a knock around 223 i keep in my truck it is a stevens cost less than 250 shoots so good it will scare you

dlm I bought one of those a two summers ago. I guarantee it is more accurate than I.

[Guest GunTroll]

A savage ______ will come from the factory with better "out of the box" accuracy than a Rem 700 ____. But IMO a 700 can be made to be far superior than a supped up savage will ever be. I'm in the camp of less is more. A savage has way more moving and stationary parts than a 700 and I don't like the cluttered look of a savage and "swapping" barrels has never been appealing to me. Gives me an excuse to make/buy another .

I just trued a 700 up that should/would make Rem embarrassed. Nothing on this gun was true and its the worse I have ever done. I beleive it was a LTR model. I'll be posting the project when its done.

You didn't ask about mods later on in the rifles life buts thats how I view all firearms. How its starts life with me, and what can I do to it latter, to make it better. All that being said. I do have two savages, well one is a stevens and both are factory original. One a 270 other 223. The 223 is a model 10 pred in brush camo. They both shoot well. Not as good as anything I modified however.

Another factory tac driver would be the Howa 1500. They have heavy barrel models. I'd put a factory Howa up against a savage or rem any day. Better action than both too. Same receiver (top) contour as a 700 so all 700 scope bases will fit. Its got a m16 style extractor (huge advantage over a 700) and a one piece bolt body (massive advantage over sav/rem). I made a 280AI on a Howa with a Shilen 1-9. Probably one of my better guns that I ever built for myself. Same action weatherby vanguard, mossberg, S&W (I-bolt I think), all use. They just make a few changes here and there. Defiantly worth a look. Priced right too. Plenty of after market stuff available.

Chuck thinks so too... Finest Bolt Action Rifles Ever Produced

Edited October 18, 2011 by GunTroll
add vanguard/ can't spell

[mikegideon]

I got some respect for Chuck. With that said, he would hate hate hate my rifle

[Guest GunTroll]

What? Your erector set AR? I hate it too then .

[mikegideon]

What? Your erector set AR? I hate it too then .

Crank on that window all you want... and I'll keep hitting my button

[mikegideon]

Just loaded up fifty 77 grain SMK's with 24 grains of Varget. Got a nice little crunch when I seated the bullets. used Sierra load data.

[xd shooter]

Okey I'm surprised nobody has said anything about the deer in your pic through the scope!

[mikegideon]

Okey I'm surprised nobody has said anything about the deer in your pic through the scope!

Smart deer. He know's Okey's after those orange things.