Hello, I was thinking of getting into doing some plinking, target practice at the range. Was considering the .223 or maybe.308... I didn't want to spend a fortune as I saw some rifles by Savage online... I was going to by a nicer scope separate and in doing that what brand would be best to keep the whole package around $700 or so?

Was thinking one of the "Savage Axis" lines but some of them come as a combo with the scope and rings as a package

Thanks
Larry

Good luck Larry. I would not do a .223 in a bolt action myself.

A .243 win would be an awesome rifle. Powerful enough for almost any application. Good ammo availability. Easy to shoot, etc.

I do not really care for any of the lower shelf stuff. Not that is necessarily bad. But it is cheap for a reason.

You could put a wtb add on here and probably get a lot of used quality rifles offered to you in your budget. I would take my $500 Remington 60 year old 788 over any of the Savage, Ruger, Remington, Weatherby, Howa, yada, yada, yada new stuff all day long.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive option (e.g., ≤$700 for everything), I would definitely not discount something chambered for 223 Remington. There is, as far as I know, no centerfire cartridge (other than possibly weird foreign surplus military stuff) that’s less expensive to shoot these days than 223. Federal AE223 (55 grain FMJ) is available online for about $0.35 per round, and allows much more plinking and practice than when we’re sending a dollar bill down range with every pull of the trigger. Then there’s the whole recoil issue. I don’t mind 50 round dot drill sessions with my 223 Tikka, but would not enjoy them so much with a 308.

Super cheap ammo won’t, of course, be super accurate, but neither will be most guns in your price range. On the other hand, if you’re not handloading and want more accuracy, there are far more match grade loads in 223 than for most cartridges used mostly for hunting.

The disadvantage of 223—assuming there is one—is obviously that it’s not suitable for hunting large game. If I expected my plinking and practice sessions to consist of 20 rounds every six months, and I might want to hunt something one day, then I’d look at a more powerful choice.

And the inevitable last advice for someone who is starting out with rifles and wants to become proficient is to get a decent one chambered for 22 Long Rifle. Much less expensive, virtually no recoil, and usable at short distances. Plus, hardly anyone ever regrets having such a gun even long after graduating to powerful centerfires.

+1 to sigfreund's comments

OP -- if you intend to use the rifle to hunt, the game size will determine whether 223 or 308 (or possibly another caliber) is more appropriate.

If the rifle is for punching holes in paper or ringing steel, there are many advantage to 223. The recoil difference between 223 and 308 is huge. Those who state 308 is a light-recoiling round aren't shooting 100+ rounds per day in competition or training, aren't shooting from alternate positions, aren't demanding precision accuracy, and aren't controlling recoil to the point of watching their own trace and/or target impacts.

The more I shoot a highly accurate AR-15, the more I want to build a precision 223 bolt action rifle. 223 is a pleasant round to shoot compared to larger center fire calibers. With the right action/chamber/barrel/ammo/shooter, the 223 can shoot quite accurately out to many hundreds of yards.

Factory plinking 223 ammo can now be found for $.30-$.35 per round; even less with Federal's current rebates for FMJ ammo. Quality match and varmint 223 ammo is available for $.60 to $.80 each. Factory loaded prices continue to soften since the start of the current administration. The larger calibers -- such as 308 -- are noticeably more expensive on a cost per round basis.

.223 is a pleasure to shoot from a bench. And, as said, cheap.

It is not legal for all game, so factor that in.

In a rifle that could also be a big game rifle, the .308 is hard to argue with as a good all-rounder. Ammo is available anywhere. More recoil, of course.

.270 Winchester is an option if you want a gun that can also hunt most North American game. Also very common, and a little less recoil than .308.

The .25, 6mm, and 6.5mm bore size has some great rounds, but are less commonly available.

But for your described use, .223 all the way.

You have given some good advise from some top notch shooters. About the only thing I would add is for you to ask yourself what you really are wanting and going to use it for. If plinking is your only use then the .22 LR cannot be beat and a nice one along with a good scope can be had close to your stated range. As to using it later, mine which I received over 60 years ago still gets an occasional workout even though the safe is full of other rifles. If your interest are for a center fire then the .223 is really a great one to start with and commercial ammo cost have already been discussed but if you get into loading then very accurate ammo can be made at a reasonable cost. If you go with a center fire regardless of caliber your scope expectations might be a little underestimated. There are several good discussions on here about scopes, look for the one by NikonUser a few weeks back for a better understanding of scopes and prices. As to other calibers to consider, then we go back to what you want it for, once that is clear in your mind then you can get that advise in depth here.

If you're just looking to hit the range and practice shooting and having fun then go .223 and there are plenty of accurate rifles out there for less than 500 bucks that offer sub MOA guarantees with good ammo. Don't fall into the rifle snob group just to go out and kill some paper...Hell, I'll put my $500 Weatherby Vanguard up against any rifle on here at a hundred yards all day any day.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I would definitely not discount something chambered for 223 Remington. There is, as far as I know, no centerfire cartridge (other than possibly weird foreign surplus military stuff) that’s less expensive to shoot these days than 223.

7.62x39, perhaps? Readily available at ~20 cents per round (or less), whereas even the cheapest .223 is a few cents more per round.

(7.62x39 did start out as a foreign military surplus caliber, but is not just that any more, and it's definitely not weird. )

quote:

The disadvantage of 223—assuming there is one—is obviously that it’s not suitable for hunting large game.

Whereas 7.62x39 has the additional advantage of being able to pull double duty, both as a cheap plinker and as a competent short-to-medium-range hunting cartridge.

The big disadvantage to 7.62x39 is the dearth of options in rifle choices. There are really only a handful of readily-available options for 7.62x39 bolt rifles, whereas .223 bolt rifles abound.

If the OP just wants a cheap range plinker with the capability of occasionally using it as a hunting rifle, I'd look at the new Ruger American Ranch in 7.62x39, plus something like a less-expensive 1-4x or 2-7x optic. (Something like one of the Leupold VX, Nikon Prostaff, or Vortex Crossfire scopes.) You should be able to get that setup for under $700: ~$420 for the rifle and ~$150-$250 for the scope. Then load up on cheap ammo and plink away.

quote:

Originally posted by Tompow:
...Hell, I'll put my $500 Weatherby Vanguard up against any rifle on here at a hundred yards all day any day.

I've got one in .257 and I'd put it up against any rifle on here at five hundred yards all day any day.

quote:

Originally posted by Tompow:
If you're just looking to hit the range and practice shooting and having fun then go .223 and there are plenty of accurate rifles out there for less than 500 bucks that offer sub MOA guarantees with good ammo. Don't fall into the rifle snob group just to go out and kill some paper...

What he said. My Savage 308 is "snappy," the 223 is pleasant. Savage has good prices (often under $500) on package rifles; you won't get a high end scope but you'll hit the paper and have more $$ for ammo.

Keep an eye out for this, a couple years ago I got one for $200 (after a $50 rebate) with free shipping:

http://palmettostatearmory.com...m-w-scope-22221.html