Looking to purchase a .223 varmint for my foxing. I do a lot with my .243 Howa Varmint 1500 but want a backup rifle and move my .243 over to deer rifle. I shoot archer attached to Vortex. Thinking another Howa but maybe stainless. Remington 783. CZ or maybe push budget to Tikka T3. All varmint versions. Thoughts?
.223 varmint recommendations
- Thread starter awsteed
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- fox shooting foxes foxing varmint
Sonicdmb73
Well-Known Member
I have a CZ527 with a Varmint barrel. Very accurate rifle mines 222 but they handle the same. A proper scaled action makes it no heavier than my 550 in 243 even with photon torch bipod etc attached.
Howa do a scaled action too now. I don’t like long actions for 223 size cases, but that’s just me. I also have a Sako 75 which is a beautiful thing to use it really is my go to fox and corvid rifle.
Howa do a scaled action too now. I don’t like long actions for 223 size cases, but that’s just me. I also have a Sako 75 which is a beautiful thing to use it really is my go to fox and corvid rifle.
antsa
Well-Known Member
I have a Sako 85 .223 1:12" Varmint. It gets a bit heavy if you're walking about with it. I use it mostly off the Quad bike or from the ute (pick-up?) window. Wickedly accurate. Have recently started using Sierra BlitzKing 50gr projectiles. Not a single targeted critter has complained.
Cheers
Sonicdmb73
Well-Known Member
My Sako was secondhand it’s actually in 20 Tac which if you don’t know is 223 necked down to .204” with a different shoulder angle.
It stands me at less than a new T3
Sonicdmb73
Well-Known Member
Very interesting.
It’s not far behind 204 Ruger but with less powder. Mine is a 1 in 9” twist so I can shoot 50’s as well as the 32 and 39/40 grain bullets the 204 R does.
You are talking about a true 600 yard gun. It hits like a 22-250 with the 39 blitz kings.
You will find that semi custom rifles don’t hold their value compared to build costs. I got a lot for my money when I bought mine.
I have two, T3 Lites. One with a 1-8" twist and one a strainless 1-10" twist. Both have withstood 100 F temps shooting prairiedogs out to 450 yards (think beer bottle sized) with infallible accuracy. I also have the Ruger American Ranch and Predator models. Both are very accurate and as inexpensive a .223 can get, I have shot the short barreled Ranch model out to 800 yards. All of these shoot so well that my Hart Barreled Howa and my stock Howa varmint just don't see much use. I have a CZ 527 Carbine in 223 with a straight 4X Burris on top. I always wondered how that would fare as a coyote rifle. Light and handy. Shoots very small groups. ~Muir
Hornet
Well-Known Member
+1 on the CZ 527 in terms of accuracy I think you will struggle to find better out of the box, a shooting mate has a 527 .222 it must be 30 plus years old and it is one of the most accurate rifles I have ever shot, it prints boring single hole groups@ 100 yards and a tiny cloverleaf @200
CZs are really very good rifles.
Brighty3006
Well-Known Member
Howa .223 varmint heavy barrel. Shoots 50 grain v max perfectly all day long as long as I do my bit
@theroedeerguy
Well-Known Member
That’s great to hear, I’ve been seriously considering a Super Varmint as a dedicated Roe rifle in .222.
Ha. You're a bad influence! That good?
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