Going to play devils advocate here and deviate from the rest of the group...
Take a look at the CZ 527 Varmint. You can pick up a .223 in a 1:9 twist 24" with a nice walnut stock (which you can sell if you decide to upgrade) for around $640 and it comes with factory rings, Factory equipment detachable single stack (5rd) steel box mags, a stupid simple user adjustable trigger which gives you an excellent quality pull (single set style, but if you don't like the set trigger you can just tighten up the adjustment screws and eliminate the option). Personally, I like the set trigger for target shooting and use the standard trigger for hunting. Action is a mini-Mauser type (controlled round feed) and mine is a hammer.
They made a version years ago called the Varmint Kevlar. Came from factory with an HS Precision stock (although some were fitted with B&C stocks after HS couldn't keep up enough production for CZ's needs). You can find them used on Gunbroker for reasonable prices. Looking, there's one now bid up to $300 but the reserve isn't met. Otherwise, HS Precision still sells stocks for them. Brownells has HS stocks for the 527 in stock right now for just over $300. Add a Triad Stock pack for a good cheek weld, and you're good to go with a nice first bolt action and no gunsmithing needed to increase your budget.
Total cost:
CZ 527 Varmint with included rings- ~$640
HS Precision Stock - ~$300
Triad Stock Pack - $45
Sell the Walnut stock on Rimfire Central for -$40 (those guys seem to horde anything CZ)
Total - Around $950 for a complete rifle setup with DBM, great trigger, and a quality stock with aluminum bedding block leaves you ~$500-650 for a good optic, or buy a decent optic and spend the rest on quality ammo or a reloading setup. Spare mags are about $35-40 straight from CZ.
Mine is a used Varmint Kevlar I picked up for less than a new 527 Varmint at my LGS that I've set mine up just how I described above. It shoots my 69gr SMKs into 100yd, 0.4" 5-shot groups (when I can keep it together). I've shot tons of 3-shot groups in the .2"-.3" range.
Only issue I've found with my rifle is that you have to be careful with your optic size, especially the ocular housing. The bolt clearance is not real wide, so lots of "tactical" scopes won't fit without really high rings. I'm using a Burris Fullfield 4.5-14x44 on mine. If you're only shooting 100-200yds, you really won't need tactical knobs and a 30mm tube anyways...a good 1" hunting scope with midrange magnification will work very well. Find one with a "Tactical" reticle if you really want the option to dope your shots.
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Take a look at the CZ 527 Varmint. You can pick up a .223 in a 1:9 twist 24" with a nice walnut stock (which you can sell if you decide to upgrade) for around $640 and it comes with factory rings, Factory equipment detachable single stack (5rd) steel box mags, a stupid simple user adjustable trigger which gives you an excellent quality pull (single set style, but if you don't like the set trigger you can just tighten up the adjustment screws and eliminate the option). Personally, I like the set trigger for target shooting and use the standard trigger for hunting. Action is a mini-Mauser type (controlled round feed) and mine is a hammer.
They made a version years ago called the Varmint Kevlar. Came from factory with an HS Precision stock (although some were fitted with B&C stocks after HS couldn't keep up enough production for CZ's needs). You can find them used on Gunbroker for reasonable prices. Looking, there's one now bid up to $300 but the reserve isn't met. Otherwise, HS Precision still sells stocks for them. Brownells has HS stocks for the 527 in stock right now for just over $300. Add a Triad Stock pack for a good cheek weld, and you're good to go with a nice first bolt action and no gunsmithing needed to increase your budget.
Total cost:
CZ 527 Varmint with included rings- ~$640
HS Precision Stock - ~$300
Triad Stock Pack - $45
Sell the Walnut stock on Rimfire Central for -$40 (those guys seem to horde anything CZ)
Total - Around $950 for a complete rifle setup with DBM, great trigger, and a quality stock with aluminum bedding block leaves you ~$500-650 for a good optic, or buy a decent optic and spend the rest on quality ammo or a reloading setup. Spare mags are about $35-40 straight from CZ.
Mine is a used Varmint Kevlar I picked up for less than a new 527 Varmint at my LGS that I've set mine up just how I described above. It shoots my 69gr SMKs into 100yd, 0.4" 5-shot groups (when I can keep it together). I've shot tons of 3-shot groups in the .2"-.3" range.
Only issue I've found with my rifle is that you have to be careful with your optic size, especially the ocular housing. The bolt clearance is not real wide, so lots of "tactical" scopes won't fit without really high rings. I'm using a Burris Fullfield 4.5-14x44 on mine. If you're only shooting 100-200yds, you really won't need tactical knobs and a 30mm tube anyways...a good 1" hunting scope with midrange magnification will work very well. Find one with a "Tactical" reticle if you really want the option to dope your shots.
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