Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 223 Rem build or buy

I am wanting a really nice sporter weight 223. I am debating on either buying a Sako 75 or such, Kimber, or build a 223 on a Rem action.

I'm wanting an accurate sporter that will be reasonably lightweight. If I build, I may go with a 223 Improved. Undecided there.

What would you guys suggest?

The remington model 7 would be good too.

I've always liked how the LV SF's felt, were me I'd build off a 700 and copy that.

+1 on that. My next project will be a custom left hand Rem 700 in 223 styled along the lines of a LVSF with a McMillan stock and Lilja fluted barrel.

Building may cost more, but you get exactly what you want and top notch accuracy.

Building gives exactly what you want...

and for the cost of a SAKO 75 or Kimber, you can build one heck of a nice rig on a Remington Action...

I'm looking pretty hard at a Model 7 Predator in .223.

I have customs in 222 and 223, but the new generation of factory built rifles are pretty danged good. The new high grade Savage rifles look pretty nice to me and I hear they really shoot!

I would have said build, until Kimber started chambering the Montana in .223 AND screwed a 1-9" tube on. Were I to build, I true up a 700, and screw on a 1-8" Rem. mountian rifle contour, bedded into a Macmilan mt rifle edge. Could probably do teh Montana cheaper though.

I'm having the same debate right now. I have an SPS 223. It has a 1 in 12 tube. I want a 1 in 8 or 9. Seems like if I rebarrel, and have to restock, the Montana may still come out cheaper.
Unless there are barrels and stocks out there that I don't know about that are cheap and well built?

Personally I'd grab a 700 SPS, cut it to 21" and bed it in a Ti take off.

If shooting tons then I'd AI it to reduce trimming, other than that I don't think it's worth it and not all AI'd 223's feed the bestest.

Dober

In my own case with .223s I did both, bought and built... The Bought rifle is a Rem m7 Predator in .223, the "built" rifle was a gradual thing... started as a Rem. Heavy varmint, shot the barrel out and replaced it with a Hart 1 in 10",med. sporter weight,swapped the HS precision wide channel stock out for an HS precision Sporter stock, did the obligatory TJ and off we go...
when I burn out the barrel on the M7, it'll get a Hart too, but the stock has been workin for me...
Ingwe

To me and my $, there are just too many great factory 223s on the market to build. BUT, if I already had a small bolt face M7 or 700, I would build since you already have the most expensive part.

RH

My thoughts as well, although you could do worse than Dober's recipe. I do like playing around with the 75 A-Max, which precludes the SPS. But for the lighter bullets like the 50 V-Max the SPS would be very nice.

I'd just get a Montana chambered in 223 if it were me.

I'd either do the Ti/SPS route or the Montana. I'd not take the time and money to build something that I could do by just buying a Montana.

But, dats just me.

Dober

I have to say that I like my CZ-527 for a lightweight .223. It shoots half-inch groups with my handloads, weighs as little as a .22 rimfire, etc. The only thing I don't like about it is the magazine sticking out so far beneath it. FOr prairie dogs, I use a heavier-barreled rifle. For walking around or even for calling predators, the CZ is tops in my book.

I have a Kimber varmint model in .22-250 and a heavy-barreled Savage 110 in .223 that do duty for sitting in one place and shooting a lot.

If you can live with long throats the Rem factory will work for you. If it won't a custom should work. Last year I picked up a Rem ADL .223. Yep long throat but the price was right. A month ago I picked up a new Krieger barrel on the net very reasonable. Now to find a gunsmith rather than a metal butcher who has a reamer with a short throat. When you talk with most of them they don't even know the throats on their reamer or a just trying to BS into another long throat.

Well after reading all your post, I ended up buying a semi custom Rem 700 off the classified here.

Now to get ready for some experimenting.

Thanks for all the insight.