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After some more looking on the usual sites and taking everyones advise on board I think I am going to go for a HOWA. From what I can see they are a better quality than the Remington 700 and looking at the prices on 2nd hand ones a little bit cheaper as well.

I was originally looking for something a bit more "Tacticool" but after thinking about what it is that I need, I have found a lovely looking HOWA 1500 Varmint Thumbhole 20" for a very reasonable price. Chambered in .223 I think 20" will be ideal out to 300yds. Its a 1:9 twist which again should be ideal.

The reality is if I ever want to push 1000yds, I would look at a larger caliber. The whole point of me having a .223 was to keep costs down and as they are lower recoil, it makes an ideal 1st rifle.

Fingers crossed the one I enquired about its still available

Before you make the enquiry, have you considered the CZ527 Varmint laminated version? I have just had my hands on a .223 version with a dark grey laminate stock and screwcut out of the box. Being a CZ it is going to shoot as well as looking pretty and it is a Mauser controlled feed type bolt. About the only downside is the magazine capacity at 5 rounds.

Ovenpaa wrote:Before you make the enquiry, have you considered the CZ527 Varmint laminated version? I have just had my hands on a .223 version with a dark grey laminate stock and screwcut out of the box. Being a CZ it is going to shoot as well as looking pretty and it is a Mauser controlled feed type bolt. About the only downside is the magazine capacity at 5 rounds.

Couldn't agree more. I picked up my .223 CZ Varmint well used for £400 a couple of years ago, really as a bit of a cross over occasional fox/casual club short range target rifle. I always take a bit of good natured stick when I use my Savage 6br for these club comps so thought I would try and level the playing field a bit. Although I do hand load for it I find it shoots military 62gn GGG just as well.

I've also has a Howa TH Varmint but in .243 - accuracy was only so-so and I passed it on after about a year.

Last outing at 600 yds before the lockdown produced these targets (GGG 62gn ammo):

What is not to like about a CZ, in fact this has set me thinking about just how much factory .223Rem ammunition we have here right now, mostly handed in and gathering dust :)

Ovenpaa wrote:What is not to like about a CZ, in fact this has set me thinking about just how much factory .223Rem ammunition we have here right now, mostly handed in and gathering dust :)

CZ223.jpeg

they got the safety the wrong way around

I didn't rule the CZ out, however it always seems 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. The mag capacity on the CZ isn't to off putting for me as I won't be hunting. I could always get extra mags if reloading becomes a PITA.

The Howa I enquired about is a thumbhole laminate with a fluted and screwcut barrel. It was well priced so gives me an extra couple of quid to put towards a scope etc.

Steve Cole wrote:I didn't rule the CZ out, however it always seems 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. The mag capacity on the CZ isn't to off putting for me as I won't be hunting. I could always get extra mags if reloading becomes a PITA.

The Howa I enquired about is a thumbhole laminate with a fluted and screwcut barrel. It was well priced so gives me an extra couple of quid to put towards a scope etc.

actually round capacity is more of a competition thing than a hunting thing, the most rounds I've ever shot from a centrefire in one session hunting was 4 and thats for 3 Roe and has only happened twice, most times its 1 round and everything legs it, except the target

I have rifles from Savage, Howa and Remington.

Remington 700 used to be top of the heap, but sadly their quality control has suffered a great deal of bad press lately. I still quite like my SPS Tactical, but I have had to make a few changes to get it to that point. I abandoned the original trigger for a TriggerTech (cannot recommend them highly enough) and replaced that Hogue over-moulded stock with a chassis system. Too much 'give' in the fore-end of the Hogue stock - let the stock contact the barrel when shooting off a bipod. Even filling with epoxy did not fully fix that issue.

Howa 1500 Mini barreled action is good-to-go right out of the box, and it comes with a number of optional stock choices. The Oryx chassis option would be my first choice for a longer-range target rifle. Some of the available stocks are OK, but you cannot beat a chassis for accuracy.

I still have an old Savage 110FP, circa 1994 (the first year they introduced 1-in-9 twist barrels in .223), and I would agree with all the comments about barrel twist I have read here - nothing slower than 1-in-9 and 1-in-8 may be even a better choice. You can never go wrong with a Savage.

Most recent purchase was Mossberg MVP Predator in 5.56mm, however with the lock-down I have not been able to spend enough time with it to really get to know it yet.

1066 wrote:Last outing at 600 yds before the lockdown produced these targets (GGG 62gn ammo):

Options -> Number the hits: Uncheck!

rox wrote:

1066 wrote:Last outing at 600 yds before the lockdown produced these targets (GGG 62gn ammo):

Options -> Number the hits: Uncheck!

Need to study the handbook. :)