.223 Rifle Ideas

Jermanator

I layed away a Howa Axiom varmint in .223 today. Basically, it is a 24" heavy barreled Howa 1500 with one of these stocks...
http://www.blackhawk.com/product/Axiom-UL-Rifle-Stock,220,1447.htm
It will get this scope...

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/636704/sightron-siii-tactical-rifle-scope-30mm-tube-6-24x-50mm-1-10-mil-adjustments-side-focus-mil-dot-reticle-matte?cm_vc=wishList
The purpose for it is a varmint/target type rifle for the whole family (mainly rapidly growing children-- hence the ugly stock). It needs to fit people between 5' and 6'3". I am looking for something that is easy to shoot, and easy to shoot very well. The trigger seemed alright, but it will probably get switched out. I am interested in a Picatinny style scope base, and I will need some 30mm rings. The stock ensures that the barrel is free floated and it is aluminum pillar bedded so there shouldn't be any bedding issues.

I appreciate your recommendations and suggestions.

Thanks

Zee

Bases:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/965194/burris-2-piece-xtreme-tactical-scope-base-picatinny-style-remington-7-700-howa-1500-weatherby-vanguard-reversible-front

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/147936/egw-1-piece-picatinny-style-base-howa-weatherby-vanguard-matte-short-action

Rings:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/381092/burris-30mm-xtreme-tactical-picatinny-style-rings-matte-medium-package-of-2

Zee

As an aside:

I have all three of the above on one gun or another and am very pleased with all of them.

Jermanator

On that one piece base, I was reading that it sits up kind of high-- to the point where the reviewer has a 56mm objective and low rings. Have you seen an issue with that? Could I go with low rings?

jbohio

Zed is right on, as usual. I have all that stuff, too. It doesn't sit that high, but you might be able to get by with med rings on a 56mm bell. I have quite a bit of clearance under my 40mm.

Jermanator

Just so you guys know-- Don't expect a range report next week or anything. It might be fall (or later) before this all comes together. It has a 1:12 twist on the barrel which is great for the stockpile of 50gr Vmax's and 55gr FMJ's I got, I got plenty of CCI benchrest primers, and a buttload of .223 (not 5.56) brass. I guess I need to hold off on acquiring an 8lb jug of powder until I find out which one it likes to eat.

Any preference on brakes? I know for sure that I don't want one that blows out the bottom on this rig, and I guess I don't need too much recoil reduction. What I am looking for is something that will help stay on target.

Zee

Jermanator wrote: »

On that one piece base, I was reading that it sits up kind of high-- to the point where the reviewer has a 56mm objective and low rings. Have you seen an issue with that? Could I go with low rings?

Low could probably work. Just depends on your barrel contour.

Zee

Jermanator wrote: »

Just so you guys know-- Don't expect a range report next week or anything. It might be fall (or later) before this all comes together. It has a 1:12 twist on the barrel which is great for the stockpile of 50gr Vmax's and 55gr FMJ's I got, I got plenty of CCI benchrest primers, and a buttload of .223 (not 5.56) brass. I guess I need to hold off on acquiring an 8lb jug of powder until I find out which one it likes to eat.

Any preference on brakes? I know for sure that I don't want one that blows out the bottom on this rig, and I guess I don't need too much recoil reduction. What I am looking for is something that will help stay on target.

1-12"............yuck!!!!

Brake:
Ops Inc
Holland Gen II Radial

Jermanator

Zee wrote: »

1-12"............yuck!!!!

Brake:
Ops Inc
Holland Gen II Radial

We will see what it can do before I blow the cash on a 1:9 and a brake. Actually, it probably wouldn't hurt to buy one now since I know the kids will probably run 200 rounds through it a sitting. I also noticed that I got a plastic pitcher that I have been putting my spare change in for the last few years and told the kids we could do something cool with it when it is full.

It is full.

Jermanator

I just noticed that that fugly stock makes it an assault rifle in New York and Connecticut. I am starting to like it now.

Zee

It'll run the lightweights like a champ, most likely. But, 64gr and up might turn into a pattern unless they are flat base.

I have an Ops Inc on my heavy .223 and its darn nice.

Linefinder

Jermanator wrote: »

I guess I need to hold off on acquiring an 8lb jug of powder until I find out which one it likes to eat.

Or you could save yourself some trouble and expense and just get a jug of H322 or Ramshot Xterminator.

Mike

jbohio

The RL-10x that you should be using in you 204 will probably work pretty good.
Try CFE223 too.

Hostage trade

sarg1c

I traded for a new Savage axis.bolt gun today in .223. Mounting scope now Pic's comming to avoid fine... Now can the trigger be adj. on these?....
I did a trigger job and took pic...

very cheap made...

Jermanator

jbohio wrote: »

The RL-10x that you should be using in you 204 will probably work pretty good.
Try CFE223 too.

I am using that CFE223 in the .204. It seems to do pretty good. I was too busy at Teach's to do a real group with it though. I need to get my butt to a range. I got a club application sitting here on my desk that I need to get sent in too.

I have handy: H 322, CFE223, Benchmark, and a couple of others. I may have some RL10, but I promise that I don't have any Ramshot. I may have to change that. Actually, I need to use up all the oddball stuff that I was given and narrow down my choices a bit.

jbohio wrote:

Hostage trade

If you keep having to work weekends, we might have to do it in fall.

jbohio

Sad thing is, I'm not working weekends now. But, we've got a million square foot warehouse/site package that also includes 4000 feet of new road, and a 500,000 sq. ft warehouse/site, that start Aug 1. It'll be six 12's till Christmas.

Jermanator

And between what other stuff we already have planned and booked, along with my daughter's summer camps, I am pretty much tied up until August. Whatca doing the 4th weekend? Got time to meet up at a range for an afternoon about half way?

CHIRO1989

jbohio wrote: »

Sad thing is, I'm not working weekends now. But, we've got a million square foot warehouse/site package that also includes 4000 feet of new road, and a 500,000 sq. ft warehouse/site, that start Aug 1. It'll be six 12's till Christmas.

Let me know if you need a note off work during deer season:jester:.

Jermanator

Paul-- How would that work on a heavy barreled bolt rifle? It looks like it would go on a standard AR barrel pretty easy though.

jbohio

CHIRO1989 wrote: »

Let me know if you need a note off work during deer season:jester:.

:tooth:

I'm still about halfway in the doghouse from the CO trip!

jbohio

Jermanator wrote: »

And between what other stuff we already have planned and booked, along with my daughter's summer camps, I am pretty much tied up until August. Whatca doing the 4th weekend? Got time to meet up at a range for an afternoon about half way?

Yep. My wife will be out of town, no plans.

Zee

knitepoet wrote: »

I'm liking this one one one of my AR uppers
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/942876/dpms-muzzle-brake-miculek-1-2-28-thread-ar-15-steel-matte
Seems to work as well as the Holland I have on the Grendel for ~ 1/3 the price!!

That is a descent AR brake for the price. I had one in .223 and currently have one in .308. They are not as good as a Holland or Ops Inc and they won't last as long either. I already shot out the .223 brake years ago. But, they are a third the price.

Personally, I would not put one on a bolt gun. Easy on and off of an AR makes sense for the price. Indexing is easy with the lock nut. But, indexing on a bolt gun takes a little more work. Therefore, I want a brake that will last awhile. The DPMS one will not last as long. It just doesn't seem to be as hardened a steel.

Jermanator

jbohio wrote: »

Yep. My wife will be out of town, no plans.

I will be in touch later.

Jermanator

jbohio wrote: »

My wife will be out of town, no plans.

Daytrip to Ft. Wayne, IN, to try out some distance?


http://www.hillsideshootingsports.com/faq.html
http://www.hillsideshootingsports.com/downloads/HSS%20-%20Range%20Rules.pdf
http://www.hillsideshootingsports.com/downloads/HSS%20-%20Range%20Qualify.pdf

Jermanator

Jermanator wrote: »

Daytrip to Ft. Wayne, IN, to try out some distance?


http://www.hillsideshootingsports.com/faq.html
http://www.hillsideshootingsports.com/downloads/HSS%20-%20Range%20Rules.pdf
http://www.hillsideshootingsports.com/downloads/HSS%20-%20Range%20Qualify.pdf

It looks like me and JB will be here next weekend. They have berms at 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 yards. After that, they got steel at 1000 yards. Neither of us has ever shot at any real distance before. Any advice from you long range folks?

Zee

Aim high.

Jermanator

My 7STW has me aiming almost 17' high at 1000 yards. Other than that, second place goes to my .338 Win mag using 250gr match bullets-- at almost 27' high. Guess which one delivers more energy to the target at that distance?

Zee

http://www.hornady.com/ballistics-resource/ballistics-calculator

Jermanator

Got the printouts from there already. Which one at 1000 yards? 168gr 7STW or 250gr .338 Win mag? How about I phrase this differently.... How much should you envy me because I got a hot 7 and you don't? And sorry Razorbacker, a 280AI isn't even close.

Zee

Do you REALLY want to go there?

;-)

And no, the .280 AI can't touch the STW.

Jermanator

I spent a lot of hours there at the Hornady site the other night. A .260 with heavy bullets is damn impressive. Fast 7's with heavy bullets are insane after 500 yards. I never realized how well they worked at distance.