Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Battle Of The 'Budget' .223's (Or, What Do You Recommend)

I don't have much experience with the smaller bore centerfire rifles (most of mine are .30 caliber or larger), but I'm thinking about purchasing a .223 to use out on the farm for plunking, coyote control, etc.. Up until now I've been using my '06 for predator control but it is a little much, and I think it would be fun to have a .223 to play around with.

Been reading some good reviews on both the Savage Edge and Stevens 200, but sometimes these gun magazine reviews seem to be sugar coated.

Are the Savage Edge and/or Stevens 200 .223's as accurate and dependable out of the box am I'm led to believe, or is it more or less you get what you pay for?

I'm not looking for anything high end, as it will be used as a truck/tractor utility gun and no doubt get banged around, but I also want something that is very accurate with factory ammunition and will also be dependable. Looks aren't really that important.

I'd also like something with at least a 1 - 9" twist rate so it will handle heavier bullets. I believe both the Savage Edge and Stevens 200 have a 1 - 9 twist rate.

Are either the Savage Edge or Stevens 200 worth considering, and if so which would you recommend?

Thanks in advance for any information..

I don't own either of the two guns you address, but as far as I know, what you have heard is true.

Savage is producing accurate,economical utility guns,

Go for it.

Fenderguy,
look at the Howa / Weatherby bolt guns - superb workmanship, shoot real great - and the price is real good too.
The Stevens 200 is also a good utility rifle - but the new Edge i have heard is a bit so -so!!

For my $$ - go Howa / Weatherby Vanguard.

CK

Yep, Vanguard. May be best bet for the money.

While I won't argue against the Vanguard option, I will say that the 2 Stevens 200's I have had in .223 have both been accurate and reliable. Paid $289 for one and $299 for the other. The first I painted, shot a bit, decided I didn't need it, and sold to a guy at my usual gun shop. He still has it and frequently brings in targets to taunt me with it The second I painted and still have. This one gets 40 gr NBT's and 69 gr Noz bullets as well. Both shoot under 1" with little load work.

3 negatives on this rifle that I've noticed:
1. It's ugly - I really don't care as this is a critter gun for me.
2. The stock - I can't really like that 200 stock but it's been functional and I don't expect "high end" on this rifle.
3. The trigger - I got mine adjusted down a bit in weight so it's a bit over 3 lbs but it's still a bit rough when compared to my nicer rifles.

For the sub $300 I have in each of them I'd not hesitate to own another if a rough and tumble rifle was the goal. hope this helps a bit.

+1 on the Vanguard
+1 On the Stevens 200
Static on the savage Edge..


Cross your fingers and hope Marlin puts out an XS-7 in .223...

Having just one Marlin at this point, I'd agree with ingwe - if they get around to building the XS7 in .223 it would be a better choice IMO. Got one in 7-08 for my daughter and the stock and trigger are better than my Stevens. Good rifle for the $$$ - just not yet available in .223.

The Stevens 200 has a crappy trigger, so you'll almost certainly end up spending $100+ to a replacement once you get tired of it, so that puts the actual cost of a Stevens 200 in the $400 range. I have found Savage 11 FNS 223s with the Accu-Trigger for around $350, so I think that going it that direction, if you can find 1, is a better route to go. I have also bought 204 package guns and installed Stevens 200 223 take-off barrel for about the same $$.

I prefer the Marlin XL/XS-7s to the Stevens 200 and think that Marlin could kick Savage right out of that market niche if they expanded the standard cartridges offered to include quick-twist 223s and 22-250s. But that isn't doing you any good today.

Not a Savage Edge/Axis fan.

Jeff

I have a Stevens 200 with Burris Zee rings and a Bushnell Elite 3200 4-12x40 on it. I got it as kind of a beater and a coyote gun not expecting much, with 25.0gr H4895 + 55gr bullets it is very sub MOA. I would go with the Stevens 200 over the Edge in a heartbeat from just messing with them in the gun shops. You can get online and find all the info you need to rework the 200 trigger for free, mine breaks crisp, no creep, at 3lbs. Mine came with the barrel floated and the tang floated, both are important for Savages.

The Stevens trigger can be replaced with a factory 3-screw trigger for slightly over $40 for the trigger and a replacement wire spring. The 3-screw trigger can be crisp and set well below 3#.

The factory triggers are somewhere between poor and horrible. I have tuned four in the last year. Two were serviceable with only replacing the wire spring. The other two were bad enough that a gunsmith or a replacement trigger was needed. Since my gunsmith is out due to cancer, I opted for the replacements.

If you can live with a 12 twist, a vanguard would be tough to beat.

I said in my first post for free, that's not really true, I went to WalMart and bought a $1 spinner bait and took the spring wire off it for my new trigger spring, so I am into my 3lb 200 trigger for $1.

I did the same when i ran out of the free wire. Identical diameter as what the guy on Savageshooter was giving away. He sent me four pieces that were long enough to do 2 springs each. Wound up using four and giving four away.

I don't personally own one, but like to give the Tikka T3 Lite a try. 1 in 8" twist.

http://www.lipseys.com/itemdetail.a...family=Tikka+T3+Series&model=T3+Lite

i have the stevens in 223 and the edge in 243 wouldnt part with niether they shoot just as good as guns costing way more

I'd rather buy used goods of repute,rather than suffer NIB turds................

Even better is to buy used stuff and make 'em shine. It don't cost that much in the long run.

If you start with schitt,you end with schitt.

Turd Polishing is false "economy"..................

I'm talkin' pawn shop 700 donor actions and new barrels.

I wasn't talking a used 700...rather the NIB brainfarts bantied about.

Which was/is the point....................