Cant decide on new bolt gun

H

Huckster

New member
So I have a dilemma. My wife says I HAVE to buy a new rifle. She bought me a Vortex 3-12x40 scope for XMAS for this new gun I am suppose to buy. I have decided on a 223 platform and I already hand load for it. I have a Colt AR. No matter what I load or use for factory the absolute best groups I can get are 2+ inches. My son has the same AR and groups are half of my gun.

I have looked at guns for over a month. I have studied guns online for several weeks. Most of the guns on the market are shooting sub-moa. Two guns I come back to are the Ruger American with the Ranch model sparking interest. The other is
a Savage model 11 Predator Hunter item #22213.

Cost is $140 difference but not an issue. I know the Savage has tons of aftermarket upgrades but most of my guns I run stock. I have looked at Tikka and think they are nice guns but nothing greater over anything else on the shelf. Any suggestions in helping me pick a new gun??
 
I too am looking to add a faster twist .223 to my collection. It is one of my favorite calibers.

Savage's always shoot well. I just don't care for the way they look or feel.

Ruger American's also shoot well, but not a fan of their synthetic stock.

Howa Mini Action is a sweet, compact little gun, but I didn't care for the extended magazine, or the magazine release being on the front of the magazine, as it was bumped a few times and the mag would come out.

My current pick for a new .223 would be a CZ 527 American or Varmint, depending on which one you prefer. They've always shot well and they are really handy little rifles.

It helps to handle a few rifles in a shop and see which ones you like, then pick the one that's best for you.
 
I have both guns the savage is 22-250 and the ruger american ranch is 223 and the savage beats the ruger any day of the week and twice on sunday!! the ruger's action is rougher than a corncob, the trigger is terrible, i hate the plastic cheap feeling magazine, and the accuracy is nothing to brag about. I know i really bashed on the american and i am a diehard ruger M77 fan but that will be the last ruger american i will ever purchase i guess it just left a bad taste in my mouth
 
I owned a CZ 527 American 204. It was a tack driver, most accurate gun I ever owned. The bolt was gritty and it was rough when cycling the bolt picking up rounds from the mag. Kind of turned me off from CZs.
 
3 of my last 4 bolt rifles have been model 70's. 3/4" groups come from the problem child of the trio. The newest is a supergrade 7mag. Never thought I'd see the day I'd be coyote hunting with a 160 grain sierra match king while leaving the 22-250 and 6 06 AI at home. But this gun is just flat out enjoyable to shoot,and the most accurate I've ever owned. I'm a big model 70 fan these days.
 
Go to the gun shop and work the action on a Tikka. I have a T3 Lite in .223 and it is a fine shooter with an action like butter.

Moosetrot
 
I agree that it is the trigger that makes the the tikka the standout. Out of your listed choices though, I would get the savage. Ruger just seems to be hit or miss.
 
I'm a firm believer that you get what you pay for.

I have probably 5 guns from one of the manufactures mentioned above, which someone has bashed. They all shoot sub MOA. But these guns are in the upper price range, not entry level.

I don't think twice about spending good money for a gun because I have never lost money on any thing I have sold.


JMO


Here Kitty Kitty
 
My new gun of 2017 will be a 6.5 Grendel. It is on order and will be here in the spring. This is not an AR type rifle but rather a bolt action 6.5 Grendel and is being released by CZ. bout time someone comes out with a bolt in that caliber.
 
I have a bunch of different stuff but if I would look at Tikka first. Was looking for a 243 a while ago and when the sales guy handed me a Tikka I didn't go any further. The action sold me. The gun shoots great.
 
First of all lets get the most important question out of the way.....Does your wife have a single sister?! LOL. I'm kinda in the same boat as you. So many great choices out there. Don't thing you can go wrong with any of the ones you mentioned. That being said......I've had good luck with Savage.
 
Last year I bought the .223 Ruger Predator model with the laminate stock in green grey and brown, with the flat grey action and barrel. Put a Leupold VX-6 2-12x fire dot on it. Gun has a two-stage trigger which I really like because it's similar to the Geisle triggers in my AR's, and try as I might, I can't find a fault in it. The rifle easily shoots ragged holes at 50yds, which is where I sight the .223's in at, so they are on at 200 as well. Aesthetically, I really like how the laminate stock looks almost camo in the field. Had it leaning against a juniper the other day and it almost disappeared.
After you have an accurate rifle, you then need to enjoy how it looks and feels. At least in my book. I've never regretted the high price of a firearm after the purchase. Only the low priced ones.
 
For the best bang for your buck,Thompson Center Venture, or a Sako A7 if it's in the budget, Tikka, Browning A or X-Bolt, Howa/Weatherby Vanguard, or Remington.

I am not a fan of Savage, but I always read about how well they shoot.
 
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