savage .223

[rodgers82]

Hi all im in the maket for a .223 left hand ive been thinking about a savage does anyone have any information to help me decide.
Other than that im conviced on a tikka t3 varmint but the only thing with that is up to a six month wait.
Is it weath the wait?

[Tempo]

Rodgers82, I have a Savage VLP in 233 which I am very happy with. Savage rifles are renowed for their out of the box accuracy and the Accu trigger is a plus. The VLP comes with a 1 in 7 or a 1 in 9 twist rate. However it is a heavy varmint rifle (about 10 pounds). If you are set on a Tikka T3 Varmint I would wait. But if you did decided on a Savage I'm sure you would not be disappointed.

[HiWall]

I certainly wouldn't wait for the Tikka mate, in fact, if the situation were reversed I would wait to get a Savage before getting a Tikka.

I think the Savage is a better rifle - but thats just me, I have owned a few Savages but no Tikka's - and probably never will.

[stinkitup]

My Brother is a leftie as well and went with a savage 22-250 varmint and the thing is a very nice bit of gear, if you want to wait, wait but why wait if you can get the savage.

[AJ CJ5]

...Tikka

[rodgers82]

Rodgers82, I have a Savage VLP in 233 which I am very happy with. Savage rifles are renowed for their out of the box accuracy and the Accu trigger is a plus. The VLP comes with a 1 in 7 or a 1 in 9 twist rate. However it is a heavy varmint rifle (about 10 pounds). If you are set on a Tikka T3 Varmint I would wait. But if you did decided on a Savage I'm sure you would not be disappointed.

Thank for the info after the reply iam leaning towards a savage, the only thing i was talking to my local gun smith he tell me that there not accurate over 150 yards which i found a little hard to belive but he's the expert, did you find that with yours?

[rodgers82]

I certainly wouldn't wait for the Tikka mate, in fact, if the situation were reversed I would wait to get a Savage before getting a Tikka.

I think the Savage is a better rifle - but thats just me, I have owned a few Savages but no Tikka's - and probably never will.

thanks for the reply ill take it on board.

[rodgers82]

My Brother is a leftie as well and went with a savage 22-250 varmint and the thing is a very nice bit of gear, if you want to wait, wait but why wait if you can get the savage.

Cheers mate, ia leaning towards the savage thats for the reply happy shooting.

[HiWall]

Rodgers82, I have a Savage VLP in 233 which I am very happy with. Savage rifles are renowed for their out of the box accuracy and the Accu trigger is a plus. The VLP comes with a 1 in 7 or a 1 in 9 twist rate. However it is a heavy varmint rifle (about 10 pounds). If you are set on a Tikka T3 Varmint I would wait. But if you did decided on a Savage I'm sure you would not be disappointed.

Thank for the info after the reply iam leaning towards a savage, the only thing i was talking to my local gun smith he tell me that there not accurate over 150 yards which i found a little hard to belive but he's the expert, did you find that with yours?

Not sure why he would say that mate - not much logic involved there, can't understand why a rifle would become inaccurate after a certain distance.

The 1:7 twist is a bit of a specialist twist rate, really only designed for long, heavy bullets. 1:9 is more than fast enough for any bullet you would be using for varminting. I run a 1:8 in one of my .22/250AI rifles, shooting 80gr SMK's, and the other has 1:12 for varminting bullets up to 55gr.

My .223, Remington XR100 runs a 1:12 also.

[Tempo]

Thank for the info after the reply iam leaning towards a savage, the only thing i was talking to my local gun smith he tell me that there not accurate over 150 yards which i found a little hard to belive but he's the expert, did you find that with yours?

Can not believe you LGS said they where not accurate over a 150 yards, I have shot a fox at a measures 267 yards and a few crows out past 200 yards. While I have not shot in Fly comps ect (yet) I know Savage 223's are used in a lot 300 and 600 competitions and further. They would certainly be as accurate out past 150 as any other factory make of 223. Mine is a 1 in 7 twist but I would recommend you get one in 1 in 9 twist. Have a look on the Savage Shooters web site plenty of info there

jse_IMGP1057_edited.jpg

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This is a 3 shot group at 150 yards.

[HiWall]

That is three severely dead wabbits there!!

[Tempo]

Further on Savages accuracy out past 150 yards. This was taken from another forum in the US:

April 9, 2008
Savage Factory Gun Wins Hickory Shoot. Savage 6mmBR Ships This Week.
Filed under: Competition, News — Editor @ 11 am
600-yard World-Record-holder Terry Brady gave us a call this morning and reported: “You may not believe it, but a factory Savage won it all this year at the Hickory Groundhog Shoot.” Terry said it was raining through much of the event, and many of the custom rifle shooters had tight groups but were not centered up on the target. This is a score event, with concentric scoring rings on cardboard groundhog silhouette targets at 100, 300 and 500 yards. The overall match winner shot a Savage factory.223 Rem varminter, according to Terry. “A couple of them Savage guys had their groups nicely centered up on the targets, and that’s what it took to win.”

[glennasher1]

Methinks your local gunsmith imbibed his breakfast, and had a large breakfast, at that. In other words, he's full of manure.
I shoot .223 Savages at prairie dogs, here in the States, oftentimes at 400 yards or so, or further, if need be. We haven't noticed any accuracy drop off at 150 yards, if so, we wouldn't use Savages...........
If you surveyed what most guys are using at Prairie Dog shooting (a very demanding endeavor, if the wind blows), I'd bet that Savage rifles are in the majority, having elbowed Remingtons out of the way, in the last ten years or so. Cost is part of it, but considering the other expenses, cost is by no means the only reason. Guys like the 1-9" twist, as it allows them to shoot heavier bullets on windier days, or lighter bullets on calm days, with little or no penalty for accuracy. Most Remingtons are 1-12" twist and won't handle the heavier bullets.
Also check around some of the little, local, thrown together matches, like the Bluegrass Balloon Bust, held in Somerset Kentucky, the factory class winners are invariably Savages, and usually shot at 200+ yards, including the shootoffs, which involve shooting paintballs or like sized targets at 200 yards, DEFINITELY challenging, as a paintball is about 3/4" in diameter.
I'd find another gunsmith, that fella's nuts!

[rodgers82]

Rodgers82, I have a Savage VLP in 233 which I am very happy with. Savage rifles are renowed for their out of the box accuracy and the Accu trigger is a plus. The VLP comes with a 1 in 7 or a 1 in 9 twist rate. However it is a heavy varmint rifle (about 10 pounds). If you are set on a Tikka T3 Varmint I would wait. But if you did decided on a Savage I'm sure you would not be disappointed.

Thank for the info after the reply iam leaning towards a savage, the only thing i was talking to my local gun smith he tell me that there not accurate over 150 yards which i found a little hard to belive but he's the expert, did you find that with yours?

Not sure why he would say that mate - not much logic involved there, can't understand why a rifle would become inaccurate after a certain distance.

The 1:7 twist is a bit of a specialist twist rate, really only designed for long, heavy bullets. 1:9 is more than fast enough for any bullet you would be using for varminting. I run a 1:8 in one of my .22/250AI rifles, shooting 80gr SMK's, and the other has 1:12 for varminting bullets up to 55gr.

My .223, Remington XR100 runs a 1:12 also.

Cheers mate iam only new to the sport and i didnt think it made much sense.

[alpal]

Rodgers82,
Last weekend in brisbane young Matt shooting his first match with his own rifle and only his second comp ever, shot a 4" 5 shot group at a thousand yards with a savage fclass straight out of the box, in 6.5x284 cal. No bedding, nothing done to it at all. If thats not accurate enough for you wait for the tikka
Regards alpal