Inexpensive small bore target rifle?

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Dashunde

New member
I'm looking for something to sit down with, slow shoot and basically burn time while not burning up loads of ammo.
Think: Cheap, casual shooting fun... but more accurate and capable than a 22lr

I started off thinking a 17hmr would be a good way to go, not too expensive and the ammo wont put me in the poorhouse.

Then I started considering bolt action 5.56/223's.. the gun and ammo price goes up, but so does its versatility and range.

I'm hoping for good poor-man's accuracy, nothing exotic or expensive.

What would/did you buy? And why?
 
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4runnerman

New member
17 is great if you are not in anything over a 2 mph wind:D. The 223 would be a great choice. Brass is cheap, small powder charge, accuracy is awesome, recoil is non existent. Great Varmint rifle. Store ammo goes on sale every other weekend. Models are as plentiful as Harley's. Great first rifle.
 
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Rob62

New member
Ruger American
Savage Axis
Mossberg

All make decent budget bolt actions. I would go with .223./5.56. When you buy ammo in bulk it's not that much more than .17HMR.

Regards,

Rob
 
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FrankenMauser

New member
Sounds like .223 would be a good choice.

Ruger American. Maybe a Remington 783.

If you can find one in .223 and are not afraid of a rifle that no longer has factory support, the discontinued Marlin XS7 was a good rifle and the residual dealer/distributor stock is deeply discounted. Remington only killed it to get more sales with their own 783 (which is basically an X7 with lipstick).
 
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rebs

New member
223 would be an excellent choice. If you reload the components are cheap. Accuracy is excellent. Also makes an excellent varmint round.
 
6

603Country

New member
Yup, the 223 is what you need. I once said I'd never need or own a 223. Then my Dad bought one and raved about it. Soooo, I bought one and have put a lot of reloads down the barrel. I shoot it. the grandkids shoot it. The wife shoots it. It's the most used rifle I have, even though I rarely hunt with it.
 
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MarkCO

New member
Agree. The .223Rem in the answer. There are lots of decent options for under $500 in bolt guns. Savage, Ruger, Mossberg is where I would look first. I have a Mossberg MVP that runs circles around my R700 that costs 3 times as much.
 
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Mr. Hill

New member
I think palmetto state armory has a .223 savage with scope on sale for about $250. Check it out and good luck!
 
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mavracer

New member
I bought a nice Savage with a 20" heavy barrel it was really nice then I built a AR with a 16" white oak 223 wylde chambered match grade barrel and a geissele trigger when I realized the Savage wouldn't out shoot the AR it was sold.
 
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Sure Shot Mc Gee

New member
Check out those used gun racks. Might find a good one. Want something that has a little more wallop down range than 17 or 22 lr.
How about a 22 mag at 2/bits a shot for store bought.
22 Hornet .50 cents a shot.
223 & 204 Ruger again store bought some where's around 1.25 a shot.

These days with all the on-going for years ammo & component shortages and those at whim manufactures price hikes concerning anything that goes BANG. Sorry having to inform another. There is no such thing as shooting on the cheap any longer. Especially so if the shooter doesn't reload. Even so I wish you the best of luck in finding something pleasing to shoot.
 
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Dashunde

New member
Ok, so I'll go with the 223... and that has me moving on to the next question...

Is there a semi-auto 5.56/223 I should look at too? Not a AR though...
Something akin to a Mini-14 Ranch?

I've always liked the Mini, but not its price or the way a scope mounts to it.

You guys are right, some really great deals out there on 223 bolt actions.
I need to do my research, but are there any that will not run the 5.56 NATO/bulk stuff?
 
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Big Shrek

New member
Keltec SU-16 Carbine...folds down for handy carrying...great backpack plinker in .223 :)

Keltec PLR pistol in .223, lotsa fun, but LOUD!!! Earplugs and Muffs required.
 
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FiveInADime

New member
Dashunde said:
Ok, so I'll go with the 223... and that has me moving on to the next question...

Is there a semi-auto 5.56/223 I should look at too? Not a AR though...
Something akin to a Mini-14 Ranch?

I've always liked the Mini, but not its price or the way a scope mounts to it.

You guys are right, some really great deals out there on 223 bolt actions.
I need to do my research, but are there any that will not run the 5.56 NATO/bulk stuff?
Click to expand...
This is my opinion only...

The only semi-auto .223/5.56 I would buy would be an AR. Mini-14s just do everything a little bit worse and don't have the flexibility.

That said, I would rather have a nice .223 bolt like a CZ 527 Varmint or a semi-custom in .223AI.
 
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Huffmanite

New member
Probably difficult to find now, as the Marlin X bolt rifles are no longer being made.....a dumb decision by management if you ask me. Anyway, the bolt action Marlin XS7 .223 heavy varmit barrel would be a good choice. Own one myself, as well as three other Marlin X rifles in various cartridges. All shot well out of the box for me. Didn't care for the factory stocks on them, so replaced them with ones I made that are more suitable for shooting from benchrest.

Past month, used my .223 heavy barrel Marlin to win a 200 yd target competition at range I'm a member. Shot a 100 score with it, beating gents with certainly much more expensive benchrest style rifles in cartridges such as 6x47, 6BR and etc. About 7 gents shot in this competition and the lowest score was a 98 out of a possible 100 score.
 
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