Need a Recommendation for a heavy bbl .223 bolt gun.

[angelonm]

I would like to buy and setup a .223 bolt gun. Looking for something that has a fast twist with heavy to medium barrel. It will actually be a West coast gun. Looking to shoot long ranges and heavy bullets.
Any input would be appreciated.

[wdeister08]

Remington 700s can be found in heavy barrel 223 setups

[Scharfschütze]

The Tika T3 varmint is a tack driver. 1/8 twist so 69/77s will work. Im a huge Sako and Tika fan. They shoot or your money back. 1moa guarantee

[angelonm]

Looking for at least 1/8 or 1/7 twist. I have shot a Tikka before. Thanks

[METALHEAD]

Remington 700s can be found in heavy barrel 223 setups

I have the 700 but mine is 1:12 heavy bbl. It shoots 55g reloads awesome. Right out of the box it was very accurate with a very impressive factory trigger.

[angelonm]

Thanks guys. I see lots of great heavy bbl rifles. Partial to 700's they just work. Problem is the twist rate. I will need the faster twist. Shortest distance will be 200 yds. Looking for something that can shoot the heavys. Even as heavy as 90grs.

[METALHEAD]

You may have to build one or special order it. Looks like 1:7 is tough to find. Here's an article on the various .223 bolt guns and the twist rates they are available in.

"Among popular .223 commercial bolt-actions the Tikka T3 is available in either 1:12″ or 1:8″. Savage rifles, notable for offering outstanding accuracy at reasonable cost, use a 1:9″ twist on most models, with 1:7″ offered in some specialty models."

http://gunsmagazine.com/the-223-may-be-the-riflemans-most-valuable-tool/

[angelonm]

That is pretty much what I am seeing also. Thanks.
1/8 will probably handle everything short of 90 grains.

[Aquabach]

Is .223 the best caliper for what you're seeking to do?
I'm not making a statement. It's a real question. You probably know more about this than I.
This is an interesting thread and was wondering about some of the newer rounds.
Before SAFE for example I was thinking of building an AR in 6.8 Grendel.

[McCaffrey]

Savage 11VT is a great gun. 1:9 though.

[JPS439]

Ruger precision you can easily change the barrel.

[angelonm]

Ok so nothing is set in stone. In a very short time I intend to retire. I intend to move out west where there are many open spaces and long ranges. I have plenty of heavy caliber rifles that can easily hit past 600. My intention is to have a rifle where it will be inexpensive to shoot and provide a challenge to hit a target. I do reload so I can easily tailor ammo to my needs. I don't intend to work after I retire so I am just looking forward to a hobby of sorts. It will be one rifle in a collection. I actually find shooting rifles more enjoyable than handguns.
I have found a few rifles that will provide 1/7 and 1/8, now it is just a matter of locating one. I might wait till I move. I am sure some guns shop in Nevada or Arizona will have a much better selection.

[Jarheadsergeant]

That's 90 grain smk single load territory. 1:7 twist hv bbl, Rem or Rem clone action, and a custom ground reamer. You'll be the man

You can make an off the shelf 223 work for long range but are better off having someone build you one.

[Jarheadsergeant]

Ruger precision you can easily change the barrel.

Can you? Are those in 223? Do they make 223 bolt heads? What happens when the skinny 1" barrel heats up?

[Jarheadsergeant]

Savage 11VT is a great gun. 1:9 though.

I bought a new savage 10 fcp sr. Piece of junk. 2-3moa. Failed to eject 20% of the time. Etc.

I grabbed an axis from campsite for cheap and it worked better.