Compact, accurate, .223 bolt gun

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CApighunter

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I want to get a .223 bolt gun mostly for plinking/range use as well as occasional coyote hunting. It must have a 20 inch or shorter barrel and be capable of 1MOA or less groups. I would like to have 10 round DBM capabilities, and a medium-heavy contour barrel, but that isn't required. Price is also a concern, but I am willing to pay more for a better quality rifle with the features I want. So far I'm looking into the Ruger GSR in .223/5.56, Weatherby Vanguard Carbine, Savage Hog Hunter, and the Ruger American Ranch. I haven't been able to find the American Ranch for sale online yet, so I don't know what the availability looks like. The GSR is in the $800 range while the others are $400-500. What do you guys think would be the best choice or are there other options I should consider?
Thanks, CApighunter
 
I think I would consider the CZ 527 carbine, as well. Have you had a chance to actually shoot any of your possibilities? That's been my problem. I've shot the CZ but none of the others. Good luck!
 
Ditto on the 527 carbine. Just after getting mine a couple years ago, I let a buddy take the first shot with it, before it had even been scoped. He saw a squirrel on the ground under his deer feeder, that he somehow saw but I couldn't, even after he pointed it out. I believe it was about 70 yards out, and he popped it with the irons.
Soon after I put a Bushnell Elite 4200 3-9 on it that I had lying around, and now that thing is a little surgical scalpel !!! :D
Another plus for the CZ over some others is that they are specifically OK'd by CZ to fire 5.56 ammo, most other .223's bolt guns are not. I probably would've gone with a Savage if not for this feature.
 
I have the Ruger American Compact with 18" barrel. I like it a lot better than the GSR for less than 1/2 the cost. Mine is about a 3/4 MOA gun with quality ammo. About 1 1/2 MOA with cheaper FMJ ammo.
 
Just looked at the 527 carbine, I'd like something with a heavier barrel. I've handled the original American and thought it was nice but I want a short, heavier barrel. I've also handled a GSR in .308 and really liked it. Jeff Quinn of Gunblast wrote an excellent review of the new GSR in .223/5.56 and reported outstanding accuracy. That FN TSR looks very nice, but is too expensive. The GSR for around $800 is about the limit of what I can spend.
 
Jeff Quinn of Gunblast wrote an excellent review of the new GSR
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He writes and "excellent" review for everything he tests. Even noted crap heaps like the UTAS he gives glowing reviews to. I wouldnt be surprised to see him give the ZIP gun a stellar review.

To the OP, sounds like you want a Mossberg MVP. Several different sub models to choose from.
 
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Howa has a 20" model.
You could get any rifle you like, new or used, and have the barrel cut to whatever length you want.
 
The MVP looks promising, either in the 16 inch patrol or 18 inch predator, my only concern is fit and finish. I don't have much experience with mossbergs, only with the 500 shotguns and I was not impressed with quality. I guess I need to find a shop with a MVP and check it out, but for any of you that have handled one before, does it feel like a quality rifle? How smooth is the action?
Thanks, CApighunter
 
I don't have much experience with mossbergs, only with the 500 shotguns and I was not impressed with quality. I guess I need to find a shop with a MVP and check it out, but for any of you that have handled one before, does it feel like a quality rifle? How smooth is the action?
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Fit/finish is certainly not up to CZ standards, but function is just as good. So is accuracy (I had the 18.5 Predator model, it was a sub moa rifle with factory ammo). Action isnt as smooth as CZ until after a few hundreds rounds, when it smooths out. One nice thing is that the Mossy isnt nearly as picky about scope dimensions as the CZ is (CZ is notoriously scope picky, unless you use tall rings). The ability to use cheap AR mags is also a plus. That gives you the ability to use everything from 5rd flush mags to 100rd drums. Much better option than dropping $50 on a 5rd CZ mag.

I will add that I did sell the Mossberg when I realized that it did nothing that my AR15 couldnt do. Just too much pragmatic overlap between the 2 rifles.
 
Likely more than you want to pay unless you can find a used one, but I'll throw the Remington 700 XCR Compact Tactical into the mix. Bought mine second hand; it shoots sub-MOA with factory ammo and will likely do better when I take the time to build a load for it.
 
MVP Fit Sucks but they Shoot.

The MVP sounds close to what you are looking for. The diameter of the stock forearm is too big unless you have hands like Shreik and the gap in the barrel channel could be cleaned with a magnum Q -tip. If you can live with that you will have a shooting machine. I have sold several and all reports have been great in the accuracy department. The ones that I have shot were sub -MOA.
 
The hog hunter in .223 is probably my first choice without putting my hands on any of them. Going to try to track one down today.
 
i got a mossberg .243 mvp on a whim. not a big fan of mossberg in the past but for 300 bucks new i had to try. shoots great. 3/4" at 100 yds 3 shot group. got the compact version and it is nice and short with no noticable recoil.

fit and finish are not great and the stock is somthing on the cheap side but it works.
 
Called around and no one has a hog hunter, although a local shop has an MVP I may go look at tomorrow.
 
BigBore,

I didn't know that the MVP was chambered for 243. I thought that the only chamberings were 204, 223, and 308. I would like to get my hands on one in 243 or, even better, a 260.
 
I have 2 Mossberg MVP's great rifles very accurate, 1 in .556/223 and 1 in .204 which is scary accurate.:)
 
I got the chance to shoot the new 223 GSR this past weekend. While it shot ok and kinda cool looking, I'm still trying to figure out what the point of it is. It is like driving a tank to the grocery store. Way to heavy and over engineered. Personally I would get a Ruger American, simple, accurate, inexpensive.
 
Fella's;

So if a given rifle can produce MOA accuracy, repeatedly, why is a heavy barrel necessary for normal field use?

900F
 
CB900F said:
Fella's;

So if a given rifle can produce MOA accuracy, repeatedly, why is a heavy barrel necessary for normal field use?

900F
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Don't know. One of my favorite whitetail guns was a compact Ruger 77 in 260 Rem. It was short, light, and shot well. Not MOA but at the ranges that I take my deer there was never a problem. My go to gun now is a Savage 10 Ultralite now discontinued. Chambered for 300 WSM it is good for anything that I will ever hunt. I don't really need it for whitetails but it works swell. Some of the best shooting rifles that I have owned were Vanguards. I sold them for lighter guns, but I can assure you that if I wanted a long range rifle on a budget the Vanguard would be my first choice. I mention the MVP in my earlier post because I am intrigued by them. They are a neat toy.
 
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