Seek discussion on bolt/lever 223 rifle choices

[WAYNO]

I'm hoping (and holding off on buying) that Ruger starts producing the Ruger American Ranch Rifle that accepts the Mini-14 Mag.
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It might be getting closer, since the American Ranch in 7.62x39 accepts Mini 30 magazines.
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I fired someone's Ruger Gunsite at the range today; it was .308, but I hear the .223 is essentially the same.....very nice!

I do not know if the .223 is Controlled Feed like the .308.

Yep, the Gunsite models are controlled feed.

 

[DirectDrive]

I have a Ruger American 5.56 and its been a good rifle for the money.... But my CZ527 is my favorite firearm I own by far. Andy is absolutely right in that the only down side is the cost of magazines.

I think the CZ 527 is currently best of breed for a small bolt action.
It's a Mauser (mini-Mauser) action which makes it potentially an heirloom piece.

I am in want of a .17 Hornet in a CZ 527
I will eventually satisfy that itch.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

I apologize for commenting on a bottom of your list rifle, but it shoots one hole five shot groups at 100 meters.
It's a Colt H-BAR with a 20" bbl. just saying!
I have always liked the BLR a lot, they are IMHO the most attractive blend of traditional and modern rifles, sleek and beautiful, and those I've fired (3) were all more than middling accurate! But, they're hunting rifles so light barrels and heat! I have a Kimber of Oregon M-84 that is Minute of grey digger accurate at 470 meters, but if I get five rounds on it I'm lucky!
Good luck on your quest, I'm interested in what your choice will be!

 

[djharteloo]

I think the CZ 527 is currently best of breed for a small bolt action.
It's a Mauser (mini-Mauser) action which makes it potentially an heirloom piece.

I am in want of a .17 Hornet in a CZ 527
I will eventually satisfy that itch.

At some point I'll buy the 22 Hornet version and use it as a suppressor host. But money.......

 

[No_Regerts]

If you like single shots, maybe a Winchester 1885 Low Wall in 223?

Tikka T3, 1 in 8 twist, thank me later.

 

[Greenbug]

Took my Tikka T3 and had it cut down to 16.5" and threaded it for my can. Put a Leupold Delta Point Pro on it and it is hands down my most useful rifle. If I can see it and keep the dot on it, it is at my mercy. Wonderful up close tight cover quick handling coyote rifle.

 

[No_Regerts]

Took my Tikka T3 and had it cut down to 16.5" and threaded it for my can. Put a Leupold Delta Point Pro on it and it is hands down my most useful rifle. If I can see it and keep the dot on it, it is at my mercy. Wonderful up close tight cover quick handling coyote rifle.

I have a T3 Superlite with the fluted barrel. It LOVES crappy PMC 55gr FMJ. I put a Leupold Mk 2 3-9x40 in some talley lightweights....skookum!

 

[Greenbug]

Took my Tikka T3 and had it cut down to 16.5" and threaded it for my can. Put a Leupold Delta Point Pro on it and it is hands down my most useful rifle. If I can see it and keep the dot on it, it is at my mercy. Wonderful up close tight cover quick handling coyote rifle.

She's ready to go!

 

[Reed]

It might be getting closer, since the American Ranch in 7.62x39 accepts Mini 30 magazines.
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When I bought my American Ranch 7.62x39, I also wrote to Ruger asking if they plan on releasing an American Ranch version that accepts Mini-14 Mags.

Their response was along the lines of "as a publicly traded company, we at Ruger are forbidden by law from disclosing future plans for products".

One can only hope.

 

[Rudedog]

Over 20+ years I've had access to or owned all the action types for the cal .223.....

just really do not care for the AR/mini-14 style to service the round; I've grown rather interested in it.

My own order of preference for this caliber is :
1) lever;
2) single shot;
3) bolt;
distant last, semi-auto anything.

The BLR223 years ago was very satisfying yet after 4 shots the barrel was too hot & remained inaccurate until cool again;

the single shot Ruger #1(?) was fatally flawed for high price;

My buddies precision Remington bolt gun was scary accurate at 100 yards, yet I don't want that longLongLONG barrel;

Have AR on hand but never seem to get it out to the range. Had great accuracy at 200 yrds before I borrowed the scope off of it. Had a mini-14 for 20+ years & got barely 200 rounds out of it due to lack of interest.

So you fans of non-AR style 223, what's your thoughts? Perhaps I could live with a Mannlicher style stock on a bolt carbine. There seems to be plenty of bolt actions out there.

Try the CZ 527

 

[Member 34319]

I'll throw a recommendation out for a single shot.

CVA Hunter is a pretty darn good little inexpensive rifle.

Have some work done to it, also known as cutting the barrel back to 16.5" and threaded. As well as parkerized, a rail, and a red dot. It is a accurate little light rifle that has so far become my favorite for most things PNW. I've used this coyote hunting, and deer, though the deer never came, the deer never came.

Anyways, thought it would be a different option to all those mentioned so far.

 

[Member 34319]

Pictures away!

 

[41mag]

, maybe a Winchester 1885 Low Wall in 223?

 

[WAYNO]

The Mossberg is nice in concept. But in order to make the gun feed from AR mags, they use a little hinged flap on the bottom of the bolt to pick up the cartridge and strip it out of the mag. This little flap is held on by a single small roll pin. The engineer and gunsmith in me cringed the first time I saw it and still does.

I do get this.

I've read continued posts about the shortcomings of the Mossberg MVP. I'm a gun snob, and there's not much Mossberg that I normally buy. But the MVP is an exception. In spite of the criticism of the plastic magazine well, and now the criticism of the cartridge stripper, I've yet to see a failure. Many extractors on many different bolts are also held captive by a little tiny pin, and they do quite well in spite of the much higher stresses they are subject to than a cartridge stripper. And this cartridge stripper...The in-line stresses do not subject the pin to a shear force. Instead, the rear of the stripper contacts the bolt itself.

I don't expect to convince anyone otherwise, but in my experience, this is a non-issue.

 

[MountainBear]

I get your point, and in a hand fit, one-off constructed gun, I would expect for parts to interact as designed. But in a mass produced product, tolerances often stack. Each single piece is within spec, but sometimes if pieces that work together are at the edges of the tolerance range, they don't function as should.
Bolt actions are not mossberg's forte. As such, they don't market them as hard and don't sell as many as they do say a mode 500 shotgun. Doesn't mean the product is no good, just isn't as popular. I have seen issues with the stripper "flap" but most were factory fitment issues.

You are absolutely correct that if the rear of the flap properly interacts on the bolt, the force should be transferred to the bolt body, not the hinge pin. I have seen a few where this didn't seem to be the case.

It's still not a bad gun and if I wasn't a bit rough on my guns, it would still be a viable option. I've owned other Mossberg bolt action rifles and considered them fine guns.

 

[41mag]

is that trigger design similar to the Savage 'accutrigger' on the 17?

 

[DirectDrive]

Although it is extremely fugly, there is a Tikka for sale here.
WTS OR - Excellent Tikka T3 Lite .223/5.56

 

[Kruel J]

Tikka T3. You'll thank....ah you get the drift.

 

[DirectDrive]

Tikka T3.
If you can get past the fugliness, they're pretty accurate and the action is smooth.
You'll thank....ah you get the drift.

FIFY

 

[Kruel J]

Tell me how that's fugly?