Accurate rifle help please.........

B

bill1227

New member
Hi,

I would appreciate opinions on some of the most accurate rifles available at 200 - 300 yards in the varmint - predator cartridges with factory ammo. Including some of the higher grade rifles. Some that I am considering would include the .204, .220 swift, .223, 22-250 etc. I would like to keep re-coil and noise to a some what low level. Also I would appreciate oppinions on said rifles as to what makes a ideal scope on the rifle. Smooth triggers out of the box etc. It will be used for range shooting, woodchucks and some coyote hunting.
Something nice to appreciate it's accuracy and hang on to...............with accuracy being key followed by workmanship.
Thanks in advance, ebjoy the outdoors.
Bill
 
Bill,
I have been very impressed by my CZ 527 Varminter 223Rem,w/the Lam stock.Out of the box accuracy is superb, an the single set trigger is just great.Looks are very impressive also.It is also easy on the check book.In the past I have been pleased w/Rugers an Savages guns,but my vote is for CZ,s now.
Jim
 
That's one of the Million dollar questions. If we all had that answer, our life would be simple, but the question will be read differently and the answer is different for everyone that picks up a rifle. Most of us swear by the route we've used but you'll need to find your own answers.
However, reading throught this forum may answer a lot of questions. I could say something like go a Browing A-bolt in 223 with a Boss compensator and at least a Leupold 3x9x40 scope but a hundred other readers of this forum would say NO NO NO try this------------

There's accurate rifles and accurate calibers, and it's easier to find accurate calibers.

You mentioned Recoil and Noise. Of the calibers you mentioned the order is probably 223/204/22-250/220Swift from low to high. However there's a lot of good rounds besides these such as the 6BR,243/6mm,257Roberts/25-06 and the list goes on and on.

Then there's the rifle, new or used, major brand or smaller brand or custom built, I'd plan on half your budget being devoted to optics, "You can't hit it if you can't see it".

If your just starting and if noise, recoil, & cost are important then you probably can't go wrong but to start with the 223 or maybe 204, though they may not the reach of the other rounds. I use 22-250 and 25-06. There's also lots of brands---Savage, CZ, Ruger, Remington, Winchester, Weatherby, Cooper, Nosler, Briley, and many more. It's usually a question of the size of your wallet (some of you guys thought I was going to say something else)

Good Luck--Keep writting in, though answers are easier when the question is more specific.
 
savage low profile 22-250. the swift ammo is way to expensive as one of my friends are now finding out as we are going to head to Sd for some PDs in two weeks. I did see a CZ the other day and those look awsome.
 
CZ makes the finest OOB non custom rifle available today, PERIOD! You have try one prior to purchase anything else. The 223 Rem is great and in the Varmint model of CZ, hard to match!
 
i have a savage model 10 .243 win that shoots awesome. it has low recoil,is super accurate, has the adjustable trigger and was only $350. i also like the remington vssf II in .223. it will probably be my next gun. you can't go wrong with the savage though, super accurate and very affordable.
 
I prefer the .223. One reason is the noise level is low. Bigdog2 covered things pretty well. Maybe you could find some guys close to you and go to the range with them to try different rfles, optics, etc. Its a big decision so I would encourage you to take your time. IMO, there is alot of enjoyment going through this learning process. Wish you the best!
 
I Wish I could recommend the T/C Encore in 223, but I can't cause the thing is more accurate than I am. But I was happy with the 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. Thats what I was capable of, and I'm sure a better shooter could do better than I could.

t/c223encore.
 
Bigdog you did a fine job here.
Bill I wont tell you what to buy, everyone has their preference. A lot of shooters love their savage's, I've had two and they were both POS. I've have a remington 597 22lr, lot of people have problems with them, but mine has been flawless since I bought it n 1998.Greg223 has the right idea about trying all the rifels you can. Whatever you choose, let us know and good luck.
 
Thanks again..........just came in from woodchuck hunting with my 15 year old. Wew ! way to hot out today.

Does anyone know what size 5 shot groups the .204's average at 200 and 300 yards ?

To the "Thompson Center .223" man, what size groups do you average at 200 - 300 yards ?

Any certain calibers tend to shoot better groups at this range than others ? I know speed is not everything, I can deal with a bit of hold over but, some calibers I suspect just shoot tighter groups at long range better than others even if it may not be as flat.

Thanks.......
 
bill i can shoot a 2.5 inch group at 300 yards with my Savage 204 using a 24 power scope. and have shot p dogs out too around 600 yards with it. the best part is there is little or no hold over out to 300 yards with it just put the crosshairs on him and watch him explode though the scope. One of my friends has a browning 223 and you cant watch um get hit in the scope like my 204.
 
Out of the box rifles would be as follows:
Savage BVSS
SAKO 75 Varmint
TIKKA
CZ

as for calibers in your range area, .223 should do but in high wind areas .223's are margin at 300 and beyond.
 
Quote:
bill i can shoot a 2.5 inch group at 300 yards with my Savage 204 using a 24 power scope. and have shot p dogs out too around 600 yards with it. the best part is there is little or no hold over out to 300 yards with it just put the crosshairs on him and watch him explode though the scope. One of my friends has a browning 223 and you cant watch um get hit in the scope like my 204.



Thanks m_y62........numbers help greatly. Thats a very tight shooting Savage .204. It's also the first Savage .204 post I have found/seen with a tight group. The other .204's that appear to be factory shooters are the Ruger target in .204 and .220 Swift both have many tight group postings. The Savage in Varmint .223 has many tight group postings.
 
Bigdog2's advice is as good as it gets.
Something to consider in your quest is the issue of noise. That's someting we all are more and more concerned with as hunting areas become inhabited with people. A rule of thumb might be the larger the case, the more powder that will be burned, making more noise. I'm not sure what distances you'll be shooting. That will influence your decision on what caliber and what cartridge you buy. If ranges are no more than 175 yards, a 22 Hornet will be best, from a noise perspective. Next up the scale would be a straight 222 Remington. They are extremely accurate and less noisy that a 223, or larger cased round. But, with a 222 Rem you'll probably need to reload as there isn't much in the way of commercially loaded ammo available for it. And, a 22 Rimfire Magnum works well, and is accurate with relatively little noise.
Don
 
Go with a Savage in 22-250. Good brass availability, and you mention 300 yards, so it would be the choice among those you mention.

Here's what my Savage 12FV will do at just beyond 300 yards:

22-250.jpg


22-250_Varget.jpg


Good luck in your choice.

Dan
 
I have a savage 12bvss with accutrigger in 223...... It is very accurate and has a very controllable trigger for a $600ish priced gun... It seems to be a tremendous value of an accurate gun out of the box ... I really feel like you will have to spend twice or three times that much to get to the next level of accuracy.....


I just returned from my first prairie dog hunt... so I am not an expert.... but I was amazed by the 204 ruger caliber.. one of our hosts let me shot his 204 .. no recoil difference from the 223 but AMAZING difference in windage and elevation on longer 400 to 500 yard shots.... I felt like it was giving 22-250 type performance with the recoil of a 223..... I fell in love with the 204 ruger caliber..... I do think it is a varmint hunters dream...


ilmo
 
I really feel like you will have to spend twice or three times that much to get to the next level of accuracy.....

Read this thread at BR Central. The benchrest glitterarti were doing some serious hand-wringing when a stock Savage dusted a 3600 dollar custom rifle.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif


http://www.benchrest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11117&highlight=speedy

Savages are remarkable rifles, and folks who haven't tried them simply don't know what they are missing. Comparing the accuracy of a BVSS Savage to a Tikka, CZ, and not to mention Remington, etc. just won't do. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Dan
 
I own a couple of out-of-the-box Tikka's that will consistently and totally out-shoot a Savage BVSS which I no longer own. It wasn't even close.

After reading all the hype about them, it was among the bigger disappointments in factory rifles that I have ever purchased. It shot like crap, fouled badly, and the stock looked like it was carved from a warped 2X4 in a beginners shop class.

Do you suppose they all make bad ones occasionally? Even with the "perfect" Savage, its a crap shoot when you buy a factory rifle today. I have seen a couple of others recently in addition to the one I purchased that Savage surely isn't proud to have their name on.

Just my experience. - BCB
 
Back
Top