Best .223 £500-1000

[Stone14]

Whats peoples opinions on which is the best .223 centrefire rifle & scope kit for £500-1000.  I'm interested in long distance shooting overall.

[topscots1]

Not a lot in that price bracket, my opinion money would be best spent on a tikka T3 or t3 x varmint or CTR used and a used scope.  
upgrade the tikka over time as funds allow.

 

 

[terryh]

…… and not wanting to pour cold water in things but a .223 is not normally associated with ‘long range’.

What club or group do you shoot with currently, other members should be able to help you or show you the different options? Do you reload? 
 

brgds Terry
 

Bes

[Stone14]

5 hours ago, terryh said:

…… and not wanting to pour cold water in things but a .223 is not normally associated with ‘long range’.

What club or group do you shoot with currently, other members should be able to help you or show you the different options? Do you reload? 
 

brgds Terry
 

Bes

I'm new so just looking around really, still waiting to get into a club, shouldn't be long now. The rifle would be for target ranges and foxing, its foxing I ultimately want to get into. Watching this video the budget sounded right. What do you think I should be paying and what rifle/ scope set up would you recommend? Thanks for all advice it will be taken on board.

 

I mention long range as I prefer that  ut tbh long range to me is more like 300-500yards.

https://youtu.be/mLW1xlihjI4

[Lone gunman]

I have a Tikka tac a1 223 which I shoot out to 1000yds at Bisley with excellent grouping sub moa and have done 1300 meters on steel at eskdale so 223 is a very underestimated calibre but you wont get a good set up for that amount. Popsbengo and SMLE will verify my groupings .

[Popsbengo]

2 hours ago, Lone gunman said:

I have a Tikka tac a1 223 which I shoot out to 1000yds at Bisley with excellent grouping sub moa and have done 1300 meters on steel at eskdale so 223 is a very underestimated calibre but you wont get a good set up for that amount. Popsbengo and SMLE will verify my groupings .

Indeed I can confirm remarkable 1000yd performance with a .223.  I suspect witchcraft.

The OP mentioned 500 yds as 'long range'.  That's easily achieved.  £1k should get something reasonable especially as it's mainly for foxing so a light barrel will suffice - maybe not the best performance for repeated shots at 500yds but needs must - in fact, one of our club members was happily scoring in the 5 ring at 900yds at Bisley with a hunting barrelled CZ and budget scope.

[Triffid]

The standard advice for using 223's at longer range is to get one with a fast-twist barrel - 1:8 or 1:9. Avoid the 1:12 and 1:14 twist ones (which are more common) as these may not stabilise heavier bullets. Again the standard adive for longer range 223 is to go for the heavier bullets - 69gn is a common starting point.

That said, it depends what you mean by 'long distance shooting'. Many people would consider 300 to 500 (or 600) yards to be medium range, in which case any .223 would be fine. Long range starts at 800, which is where the heavier bullets have an advantage. 223 is very capable of this as Laurie Holland proved a few years ago.

There's lots of choice out there within your budget. Howa & Ruger American for around £600, CZ & Brownings about £800 and Tikka starting at £900 : these are all new prices and are all excellent rifles. If you want it for range use, I suggest you get a heavy/varmint barrel, but if for foxing, that's just extra weight to lug around.

For scopes, I think you need to decide what you really want it for as there's a big difference between a range scope and a foxing one. You can use them interchabably, but I think you'll soon find that there are big compromises that you have to make. If pushed, I'd suggest a second-hand Meopta R1 and fit it with ballistic turrets.

 

Triffid

[Re-Pete]

I have a Tikka M595 .223 with a 30" 8 twist barrel, and it's very comfortable at 1000yds on a calm day.

It's been throated for SMK 80 grainers, and using RS 52 powder, MV is 3000fps. It's also accurate at 2800fps using Wild Boar.

Pete

[SMLE]

I have a Howa in 223 in the Aussie Precision stock with 1:8 24” barrel. I’ve shot alongside the lone gunman with this set up at 1000 yards and have had limited success. Popsbengo is correct, witchcraft is at play with his Tikka 😈

Dont overlook the Howa’s. They are very capable rifles with the right load. Mine will group just under 1 moa with 69g Sierra matchkings or TMK’s at 600 yards if I play my part and consistently sub moa at 500 yards and less. You’ll get better build quality with Tikka but for what you’re after, I’d go for Howa all day long, some of the package deals are hard to ignore.

[KABOOM]

5 hours ago, Popsbengo said:

Indeed I can confirm remarkable 1000yd performance with a .223.  I suspect witchcraft.

The OP mentioned 500 yds as 'long range'.  That's easily achieved.  £1k should get something reasonable especially as it's mainly for foxing so a light barrel will suffice - maybe not the best performance for repeated shots at 500yds but needs must - in fact, one of our club members was happily scoring in the 5 ring at 900yds at Bisley with a hunting barrelled CZ and budget scope.

Our minds run the same way and experience, Ruger, Savage, CZ all have fine variety of lower priced 223. My Savage 110 9 inch twist is one of the most accurate factory non modified rifles I have the pleasure to use. Optics in the 6-18x range should be fine for the ranges the OP desribes.

[simgre]

On 9/5/2021 at 12:14 PM, SMLE said:

 You’ll get better build quality with Tikka but for what you’re after, I’d go for Howa all day long, some of the package deals are hard to ignore.

Given the manufacturing tolerances of the Japanese, I very much doubt there is anything factory made that is “better” built than a Howa! 

Perhaps a little nicer aesthetically or with more pleasing features, but not better.   

[simgre]

On 9/5/2021 at 4:18 PM, KABOOM said:

Our minds run the same way and experience, Ruger, Savage, CZ all have fine variety of lower priced 223. My Savage 110 9 inch twist is one of the most accurate factory non modified rifles I have the pleasure to use. Optics in the 6-18x range should be fine for the ranges the OP desribes.

I had a Savage model 12BVSS that I dropped in a Bell & Carlson. Selling that was one of the biggest errors of “gun deals” I ever made!

[Kipper]

Howa easily..  

I have a 223 with a 24" varmint barrel that shoot superb and a 308 I'm about to rebarrel for FTR . 

For the price you can't beat them and more amd more aftermarket stocks etc appearing due to there popularity.. 

Only down side is the factory stock is garbage.

[Littledaddy Nesbit]

...came into this late but I've had good results with a Lithgow LA102, .223 and a 1:9 twist 22" barrel from 100 to 1000 yards with 69grn SMK.  From 100 to 900 it was shooting subMoA in good conditions but fell apart at 1000. Whole setup cost £1200, including a second hand 6-24x50 Vortex Diamondback Tactical. It can be done!!

[Kipper]

I have one in the for sale section my son was using for Fclass and drill a hols in the middle at 500yards. Just a factory howa 1500 action and varmit barrel, never tried it out further as our range is only 500.

His last shoot last year when he click his scope the wrong way - all been there..