Author Topic: What is the best deal on a .223 semi-automatic?  (Read 969 times)

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Offline dougk

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What is the best deal on a .223 semi-automatic?
« on: March 19, 2006, 03:45:04 PM »
I am looking for a semi-automatic .223 for use as a long range (upto 400 yrds) varmit gun.  What is the best deal (cheapest) for the money?

Thanks
Doug

Offline nomosendero

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What is the best deal on a .223 semi-automa
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2006, 03:28:43 PM »
I'm not sure that I know what "cheapest for the money means". Do you mean the most "value added" for a reasonable price?

You probably need to decide what your price range is. You can go all the way from a Mini 14 or cheap AR up to the Les Baer or High Dollar Customs
$2,500-3,000 or more.

Others will have a different view for sure, but to me a good balance of
quality & guns worth the price would be Bushmaster & Rock River Arms.
There are others in this range but I have no personal experience with them.

The Bushmasters are fine rifles with many reporting very good groups.
A friend of mine has one that is shooting 1/2" groups. It has a fluted barrel in the 24" Varmit version & it is very nice. I bought a RRA 24" Varmit & I would not change a thing. The RRA has a Wilson Stainless Bull
Barrel & Nat. Match 2 stage trigger. With 4 diff. bullets I am getting sub 1/2" (5 shot) groups & working on doing better & those odds look good. The RRA is heavier, an issue to some but not to me. To me these rifles ($1,000-1400.00 range) offer the best balance of price & quality because you would be hard pressed to do much better than sub 1/2" with those that cost twice as much & yet you can do much, much better than the cheap autos. RRA guarantees 3/4" with the Varmiter & many like mine do better, Les Baer guarrantees 1/2". Is it worth paying another $900.00 when the RRA or Bushy will shoot in that range anyway?
If you buy a Bushy or RRA, a good scope like the new & improved Nikon Buckmasters 4.5X14Mildot, good scope mount, 2 or more clips, a nice case & a good bit of ammo & dies, bullets,etc.you would be spending less that the naked Les Baer, something to consider, I thought about the Les Baer, but it did not seem to be good bang for the Buck.
I would stay away from the cheap ones, been there, done that!
I hope this is the type of info you were looking for.
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Offline BUSTER51

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What is the best deal on a .223 semi-automa
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2006, 06:28:10 AM »
Buy an assembled flat top  upper ,than get a stag or other CMT striped  lower and install the trigger group you want go on over to AR15.com and check out the equiptment exchange and vendor deals .you can build a great AR yourself and get it just the way you want . the moderators over at ar15.com can be real (censored word) so be ware of that . or check out AIM  for a bushmaster varmint if you want an assembled rifle .good luck  8)