Varmint/Target Gun

[Tozguy]

My new Tikka T3 super varmint in 222R just arrived. Looked it over, took it apart, borescoped it and all I can say is WOW.
Lookin forward to shooting it against my A Bolt target rifle in 223 for accuracy comparison.

 

[fdshuster]

youwould be "overgunned" with the 243 and on top of that, your thoughts on 243 barrel life are right-on. I burned out 2, each at a documented 1400 rds. After that they would not hold M.O.A. with 5 shot groups, always 1 or 2 flyers out of 5. The same barrels ( Douglas & Shilen) would average 1/2 moa 5 shot groups 'til around 1K rds. when the flyers began. After that it was all downhill. With my Hawkeye borescope I saw destruction in the throat area that resembled a sewer pipe. It is a very good ctg., if you "need" it and don't plan on a lot of shooting over a short period of time. The "little" 223 is a great ctg. especially with a faster twist barrel ( 9 or faster) with the heavier bullet weights. An unbelievable choice of extreme high quality bullets, cheap G.I. brass, or Lapua, your choice, a history of performance that goes back to the mid 1960's, etc. etc. p.s: The 22-250 is also hard on barrels. I burned out a factory, a Hart & a Shilen, all at an average of between 2300 and 2450 rds.

 

[mshelton]

Regardless of what you end up getting, do yourself a favor and start handloading from the start. I know it sounds like a lot to do and buy at once but if you start working with factory ammo and 6 months from now start reloading you'll wish you had of done it from the beginning.

I first started loading with a .204 I bought, I did the rough math one day on the cost of all the factory ammo I had purchased over few months to try and get the gun to shoot like folks said they were capable of, verses what it cost me to start handloading and I was in the hole. The big thing for me is dollar+ factory loads shoot nowhere near as well as 30 cent hand loads.

 

[fdshuster]

shaner72: mshelton made a very valid point: reload your own ammo, for your rifle. Factory ammunition, as good as it is, is made to fit and safely fire in every rifle chambered for that particular cartridge, "one size fits all". With the sloppy tolerences that must be built into each round accuracy is far down the factories list of important considerations. Just as I example, bullet seating depth can be very critical for accuracy, but with factory ammo you have no choice in the matter. But again, if you must use factory ammo, or at least until you begin loading, then the 223 remains an excellent choice. There are probably more choices of factory in 223 Rem., from the cheap foreign import to the Federal Match Competition, than most other cartridges. With factory ammo you will never realize the accuracy potential of your rifle.

 

[k80skeet]

Frank, Alway gives great advise and it is from experince. For my $0.02 worth I is very hard to beat the Savages for both price and accuary. Their .223 comes with a 1 in 9 twist and the will shoot everything good from 40gr to 75gr bullets very well. Of course the real sweet spot is the 69&70gr bullets. I have a Savage .223 LRPV ( long Range Precision Varminter) in .223 that shoot sub 2's 5 shot groups with 69 & 70 grain bullet and under 1/2" with 40 grain bullets. Hard to beat that comberation. As far as Brownings go I am not a big Browning fan. In my opinion are over priced and their triggers are just awful!! Not crazy about any of the Jap guns.

 

[fdshuster]

Another comment concerning the "made in Japan" Brownings: In the April issue of "The American Rifleman", page 71, a review of the Browning left-hand X-bolt hunter. Average group size at 100 yards = 1.93". No thanks.

 

[Tozguy]

Well folks, you can lump all Brownings into the same boat if you want to but that's like saying the Savage Edge/Axis is the same as a Model 12 F class with the target action and target accutrigger. My Browning A Bolt Target rifle will shoot with any factory Savage on a price for price, out of the box basis, any day of the week.

 

[k80skeet]

Well everybody is entitled to their opinion. If you look at most "F" class Shoots and the only the over the counter right out of the box from the factory rifle that have is that is having any success is the Savage. The proof is in the shooting.

 

[Tozguy]

If there are so many Savages used at competition that only means that they are more popular for that type of competition. That all the Savages used in F class are completely stock (out of the box) is speculation. Why are so many Savage owners changing triggers and having the action timed and tuned?
I have owned a Savage 12F and a Browning Target. From a bench, the stock Savage has trouble keeping up with the stock Browning for accuracy. This is not an opinion it is fact and I have the targets to prove it. But if I was going to shoot F class I would use the Savage because the stock is designed for that. The Browning foreend is quite short for some mysterious reason.
If you have not shot a Browning Target and say it is not as accurate as a Savage, now THAT is just an opinion.
I'm not bashing Savage nor promoting Browning. My only point is that a write up in a magasine on a Browning X bolt Hunter is not much a basis to put down everything made by Browning and everything made in Japan.

 

[k80skeet]

Tozguy, I am glad you are so pro Browning and like what you have. And like products made in Japan. I sure know you can't buy much today that isn't made in Japan or China. You are entitled to your opinion. Thats what makes the world go round. And keeps companies like Browning in business. I wouldn't try to change your mind. You must have a pretty good barrel on the one you have becauce you are one of the very few people that have ever written much about how good they shoot. Most of the magazines write up's don't give them a lot of credit for being really a accurate rife. I only know a couple of people that own them and the ones they have sure don't shoot like yours. Enjoy your Browning and Good Shooting.

 

[Tozguy]

Skeet,
Thanks for your good wishes. Just for the record I am not pro nor con any brand of rifle. I try to keep an open mind and see what a particular rifle is like for myself before giving my point of view on the rifle without passing judgement on the manufacturer or country of assembly.
Good shooting to you too.