[WarrenPTstud]

I am wanting a decently priced bolt action. I have a savage axis .308 but it's a little to much power for what the places I hunt. Any help would be appreciated. I'm right handed, target shoot on weekends. My farthest shot will be around 300 yards

 

[bigdaddy573]

I am wanting a decently priced bolt action. I have a savage axis .308 but it's a little to much power for what the places I hunt. Any help would be appreciated. I'm right handed, target shoot on weekends. My farthest shot will be around 300 yards

What are you goin to be hunting

 

[huffmanite]

Marlin recently added a .223 varmit barrel rifle to its line up of X bolt action rifles. Decently priced. Should be a good shooter, has an adjustable trigger. Worth a look. Have a couple of the Marlin X rifles myself and for an inexpensive rifle they shoot pretty good.

 

[locutus]

Sako makes some great little .223s.

 

[WarrenPTstud]

To bigdaddy I will be hunting whitetail

 

[Marlinman]

To bigdaddy I will be hunting whitetail

In alot of states 22 caliber cartridges are illegal to deer hunt w. Most states will only let you use 243/6mm and larger.

 

[bigdaddy573]

To bigdaddy I will be hunting whitetail

Plz plz plz do not hunt deer with a 223 I know I will get bast for this but i dont care a 223 is a varmint caliber not a deer caliber I know there is goin to be people saying I hunt deer with a 223 and it drops them on the spot and shot placement is key Idc a 223 is to SMALL for deer go with a 243 and up heck the 243 is way better then a 223 you can hunt deer with good true deer rounds then after deer season rip so yote apart with some 55 gr ballistic tips but plz don't use a 223 for deer they was made for varmints size game NOT medium or big game just my opinion

 

[kyledirette]

I've killed several deer with a .223 but prefer a 22-250 if I'm going to use a high speed varmit rifle. Its about what your comfortable shooting, and making a clean ethical kill. I think their even making rounds suitable for deer for the 22-250 now to.

 

[Wiebelhaus]

Ruger M77 Hawkeye | Remington 700 | Win Model 70 | Browning Stalker 2. All bolt actions all havee .223 models, personally? I'd go with the Ruger but that's because I'm gay for ruger.

 

[clr8ter]

I have no problem with you having your opinion, and I don't give a **** what you shoot a deer or anything else with. I didn't even comment on your choice of caliber.

But think about it; if you cannot be bothered to even try to use proper punctuation, spelling & grammar, you look like a dumbass. Do you think people hold a dumbass's opinion in the highest regard?

 

[Txhillbilly]

While the 223 isn't the best choice for hunting deer,it is more than capable of doing it. I have killed many of them with a 223,as well as know a lot of others that only hunt with a 223.
Now,I wouldn't even think about shooting a game animal with a "Varmint" bullet,but there are bullets like the 65gr Sierra Gameking,and the 70gr Speer Softpoint that work very well on deer within 200 yards. Both of those bullets will drop them in their tracks with good shot placement.

 

[jpattersonnh]

While the 223 isn't the best choice for hunting deer,it is more than capable of doing it. I have killed many of them with a 223,as well as know a lot of others that only hunt with a 223.
Now,I wouldn't even think about shooting a game animal with a "Varmint" bullet,but there are bullets like the 65gr Sierra Gameking,and the 70gr Speer Softpoint that work very well on deer within 200 yards. Both of those bullets will drop them in their tracks with good shot placement.

Does that not depend on the size of the deer and the terrain?? If the angle of your shot is not a perfect broadside or quartering away, don't you think it is not enough bullet? A .243 or .257 Roberts could take Elk, but a similar problem arrises. Having a bullet that will smash bone is pretty good insurance. That usually comes from mass weight and velocity. The heavier the mass weight, the less the velocity needs to be. That does restrict distance since that heavy slow bullet will drop fast after a certain distance, but it still retains energy.
A 70gr .223 at 2900fps mv has 1407fpe at the muzzle. w/ a 150 yard zero it has a 2" drop at 200 yards and carries 1021fpe.
Now, my favorite whitetail carry rifle in 9.3x57 (.366) w/ a 286gr bullet w/ a mv of 2100fps has 2817fpe at the muzzle. 4" drop w/ 150 yards zero at 200 yards w/ 1900fpe. It will hit like a wrecking ball.

My second favorite is 6.5x55. W/ a 129gr (.264) it carries 1560fpe at 200 yards. Both will penetrate better, one from shear weight, the other by SD.
.223 here in the north would just make wounded game.

 

[ninjatoth]

A .223 will drop a deer but only at very close range and with neck shot or something.I wouldn't shoot one very far away and in the traditional vital zone.It's legal where I live to use a .223 for whitetail,but I don't know anyone that uses one.

 

[ninjatoth]

Ruger M77 Hawkeye | Remington 700 | Win Model 70 | Browning Stalker 2. All bolt actions all havee .223 models, personally? I'd go with the Ruger but that's because I'm gay for ruger.

lol,reminds me of the owner of Joe Gunn,he owns a small gunstore by me and when asked if he likes Ruger he says" like Ruger? I'd wear Ruger underwear if they made them"

 

[Wiebelhaus]

lol,reminds me of the owner of Joe Gunn,he owns a small gunstore by me and when asked if he likes Ruger he says" like Ruger? I'd wear Ruger underwear if they made them"

Me too bro, me too. Also, that brings an interesting opinion to it, because I'm a new breed and not as experienced as someone who would own a shop, so if a shop owner says he loves a company, I'd say that's a pretty good endorsement.

 

[blucoondawg]

A .223 will drop a deer but only at very close range and with neck shot or something.I wouldn't shoot one very far away and in the traditional vital zone.It's legal where I live to use a .223 for whitetail,but I don't know anyone that uses one.

I disagree with this, a well placed shot to the vitals with a 223 or a 22-250 will do plenty of damage, I have shot whitetail in the vitals with a 223 and it did the job just fine, a guy in our group has used 22-250 for years and has killed a lot of whitetail with shots to the vital, I have gutted his deer before and the insides are mush, the key is being able to hit them in the vitals, you don't want to be shooting through brush obviously and you have to be sure of your shot, don't mess around in too much wind and too long of range obviously and the 223 will do the job just fine.

 

[JTJ]

If you are determined to use the 223, make sure you get a rifle with no more than a 1:9 twist. The 1:12 will not stabilize the heavier 62 grain and up bullets. The heavier the bullet the faster the twist rate. The very heavy for caliber bullets use a 1:7 twist. Savage uses a 1:9 along with Mossberg. The Mossberg MVP with a 20" barrel would make a nice hunter/varmint rifle. The 24" would be too long and too heavy for the hunt. The Mossberg takes AR mags with a 3 and a 5 available. It is chambered for the 5.56x45 but still shoots the 223 just like an AR or Mini. 223. H&R makes a single shot with a 1:9 twist that is very reasonable (under $300).

 

[WarrenPTstud]

If not .223 then what is another cheap, low recoiling round I could use for deer. I own a .308 but it's to much for where I am hunting. I'm wanting to shoot about 300 yards for hunting and about 100-150 for target practice.
I use to hunt with a gun borrowed from one of the guys I use to hunt with. It was a .223 and he had killed a couple of deer with it. When bench shooting and getting comfortable with the gun it shot very well. To bad I did not have the chance to harvest a deer with it

 

[Crazycastor]

I think if your farthest shot is going to be around 300 yards, I would stick with the 308. Just my opinion.

 

[Wiebelhaus]

Anything between .223 - .308 But I don't think you can go wrong with your current plan, others disagree and that's perfectly fine but down here in my neck of the woods, people use AR and Mini 14's to white tail hunt in huge numbers.