[workinprogress]

I'm looking at a Savage in .223 but they have many different models and to say the least, I'm confused. The only things I'm sure of are these, .223, bolt, synthetic stock and stainless barrel. I'll buy the rings and glass seperately. Also, the less expensive ones are not off of the list. Any help in figuring this out?

[glp70]

I have a Stevens 200 (made by Savage) in .243. This one of the best rifles I have ever owned. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Savage guns. I was shooting under 2 inch groups right out of the box at 100 yards and I'm positive that it was more do to my bad eyesite than the gun.

[hunter Joe]

I'm a big fan of Savage firearms. You can purchase a decent no frills firearm from Savage that will shoot as acurately, as many higher priced firearm, right out of the box. These are IMHO working man's firearms at a reasonable price. Add the Accu-Trigger and you have a shoot'n machine.

[jpattersonnh]

I was in your position a couple of years ago. I wanted a varmint contour barrel in .223. I like Blued and Walnut. I ended up buying a CZ 527 Varminter. I can say that the accu-trigger has nothing on the CZ. The CZ infact has a better trigger. The double set breaks at 3lb, and single set at 8..9oz. It is a fully adjustable trigger. Outstanding. The feeding was a little rough at first, but a little ramp polishing took care of that. Accuracy is scary accurate. CZ made a micro Mauser action to fit varmint cartridges, not the usual short action used on .308's. That made the rifle lighter. The chamber is CIP certified, so shooting military surplus or handloads does not void the guarantee. It was designed to shoot your loads. Just an outstanding rifle. I put a Harris bi-pod and a Sightron SII 6.5-20x42mmAO on mine. Love it. It also cost 250.00 less than the Savage.

[hunter Joe]

Wow, are they giving the CZs away? I just put a guy into a new Savage in 30-06 for under $350.00. Granted, not top of the line, but a nice firearm at that price.

[Txhillbilly]

Good looking CZ,J.P..

WnP,First decide what type of ammo you will be shooting so you can get a rifle with the correct barrel twist rate. If you want to shoot heavy .224 caliber bullets you will want atleast a 1-9 twist or 1-7 twist. There are several mfgs that only offer 1-10 or 1-12 barrel twist in 223's and they are only good for the smaller grain bullets.
Next,what type of barrel do you want? Sporter/lite weight or Varmint/tactical heavy barrel. Savage has both,the Model 16 is a SS sporter and the Model 12 is a SS varmint barrel.

CZ,Savage,Howa,Remington,Browning,Weatherby Vanguard,Ruger,and Tikka all make nice rifles in 223.Just figure out what you want in your rifle and find the one that suits you.

[M14sRock]

Originally Posted by Txhillbilly

Good looking CZ,J.P..

WnP,First decide what type of ammo you will be shooting so you can get a rifle with the correct barrel twist rate. If you want to shoot heavy .224 caliber bullets you will want atleast a 1-9 twist or 1-7 twist. There are several mfgs that only offer 1-10 or 1-12 barrel twist in 223's and they are only good for the smaller grain bullets.
Next,what type of barrel do you want? Sporter/lite weight or Varmint/tactical heavy barrel. Savage has both,the Model 16 is a SS sporter and the Model 12 is a SS varmint barrel.

CZ,Savage,Howa,Remington,Browning,Weatherby Vanguard,Ruger,and Tikka all make nice rifles in 223.Just figure out what you want in your rifle and find the one that suits you.

Check your twist rates as noted above. My Savage 112 FVSS is amazing, but only with light bullets (1/12). I have thought about re-barreling it with a 1/8. The CZ is hard to beat, BTW. When I ordered my Savage, the CZ527 Varmint (first choice) was out of stock.

[jpattersonnh]

Just a note on the CZ. Their website says it is 1:12, that is a typo. All the Varmint barrels are 1:9. The American is 1:12
I do like Savage rifles! Just it did not work out w/ this caliber.

[workinprogress]

American made is a big concern of mine. You guys have cleared up all of my confusion though, I really appreciate the help. I hope to have pictures within the next two weeks.