Buying a .223 bolt gun to practice with?

[work765]

Right now my only bolt gun is a tikka t3 lite in 308. It’s my main big game hunting rifle.
I’m contemplating buying a tikka .223 varmint to practice with and hopefully save some money on ammo.

It’s pricey for good 308 ammo, and I really want to shoot more rounds and more often.

I’m just wondering if .223 is my best option to practice closest to my hunting setup.

What do you guys think?

I’m not reloading yet. But might in the future(I have zero space in my tiny apartment).

My 308 is for deer and some day maybe an elk.


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[jolemons]

Yes

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[EastMT]

223 is a great practice gun. The drop within reasonable distance is close. Buy the same as your hunting rifle, same scope, you can’t go wrong. My 2 favorite rounds.


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[WV Mountaineer]

I'd buy a Ruger American 22 LR and practice with that. Same trigger as their bigger guns. Same feel really. And loads more cheap to shoot then any .223.

Remember, if you decide to do in fact go with the .223, don't shoot the 5.56 in it. More pressure. FWIW, I'd get a Ruger American ranch gun and shoot 5.56 for practice. As decent .223 ammo isn't what I'd classify as cheap

 

[SWOHTR]

Why not forego the extra rifle and setup...and just spend that money on .308 ammo to practice with?

Is this really just an excuse to get another gun? Nothing wrong with that, just be honest with yourself. It kind of sounds like the “I traded in my gas car for a diesel to save on gas money but now my car payment is twice as much as it used to be” logic.

Nothing wrong with any choice you make!

 

[work765]

Why not forego the extra rifle and setup...and just spend that money on .308 ammo to practice with?

Is this really just an excuse to get another gun? Nothing wrong with that, just be honest with yourself. It kind of sounds like the “I traded in my gas car for a diesel to save on gas money but now my car payment is twice as much as it used to be” logic.

Nothing wrong with any choice you make!

I hear you. I’ve been thinking about that too.

Some more reasons. I would also like to have a second gun so I can swap back and forth to let the barrel cool. My 308 has a decent kick, so I was hoping practicing with a slightly lighter round will help reduce the natural trigger panic. I don’t have it much. And I can dry fire practice. But using the 223 in my mind will help with over all shooting.

My only other thought is to use that money on a complete reloading setup. Which I have zero room for. And not sure I’m ready for all that.


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[Fridaythe13th]

Up to you, but your going to spend $600- $1000 on a gun and scope to save $5 on ammo. Just buy cheap 308 ammo. But there is nothing wrong with 2 guns. Lol

 

[Downeaster]

...you mean three guns. I count 308, 223, and 22lr. Basic battery for a man starting out

 

[Northernpiker]

Get a .22 and shoot all you want.
Make sure it has a good trigger pull.

 

[blackdog]

A .308 is a great option as a practice round as well as you should literally be getting 5000+ rounds out of your barrel so you're not going to be burning it out any time soon. But building or buying a clone of your .308 in .223 is a great idea IMO. It'll take you a while depending on how much you actually shoot (and potentially you never really will) to make up the difference in ammo cost to cover the cost of the new gun, but a day of shooting 100 rounds of .223 will be a ton more enjoyable than a day of shooting 100 rounds of .308. The smaller, lighter bullets in the .223 will likely require a little more attention to wind calls as well so that's bound to help. Just ease back into the .308 as hunting season nears and you'll be ready to go.

I might be a little biased as I built a .223 'trainer' a few years ago and have put multiple thousands of rounds through it and enjoy every minute of it. Makes a great varmint gun too. Add a suppressor for even more enjoyment.

 

[howl]

Do you really not have a 22lr? Tikka T1X is a 22lr. And a bigger target so you can hit it with cheap .308.

Goes like this: Shoot .308, shoot 22lr while .308 cools off.

 

[Scoony]

223 is so much fun to shoot that I am contemplating a bolt 223. Already have an AR15 set up for hunting and a Ruger #3 single shot. I would look at the Tikka in 1-8" twist so you can shoot the 75, 77, and 80 gr bullets.

Another option is the Howa mini and they can sometimes be found on gun broker for cheap. I just don't care for the stock they come with.

 

[EastMT]

I honestly like shooting 223 better than 22. I hardly shoot my poor 22’s any more


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[Casual Poacher]

1st world problems right here

 

[16Bore]

Get a 1:8 223 and don’t look back. Put the same scope on it as your 308 and shoot 75’s. Your wind drift is almost identical, depending on what you shoot in the 308.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

I'd try to shoot a few different sub 40cent 308 rounds before going to a 223..

Managing recoil is a real thing, and as fun as punching little itty bitty groups prone and rear bagged is, shooting hasty groups, staying on target, getting another round on target is just as important if not more so. Especially at that 140 to 250 yard range.

I'd be shocked if you couldn't find a cheap round that doesn't shoot 2moa.

 

[16Bore]

100 round 308 day in a light rifle don’t sound like much fun to me.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

It's not bad.. 145gr fmj tulammo isn't too stiff on the shoulder.. probably 35cents to your door.. ppu xm80 clone is 50c or so shipped.

Good scope 260$, tikka 223 600$ rings and 500 rounds of decent 223... 250$

Vs

Threaded barrel 80$
Muzzlebrakes and more 3port brake: 72$
Ear plugs plus muffs. 40$
Xm80 clone 500rounds. 250$

 

[JollyRoger]

I’ve got a T3X in 223 and it’s been great. Really fun to shoot and very accurate. To be honest I think it’s really helped me understand some stuff about shooting mid-long distance


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[Runningwater]

I have a friend who really likes his Mossberg 223 bolt. It's a bit unique in that it accepts AR magazines. Have also heard good things about the CZ 223 bolt gun. I think 223 is very fun and good practice round - but you really should have a 22lr if you don't. The 223 bridges the middle, light recoil but with some volume.