223 bolt action suggestions ?

[270man]

Spike1,

I think you and I have similar ideas on 22CF rifles. I currently have a Rem 700BDL sporter with 24" barrel for varmints. It sports a Leupold 12X scope and has more than enough accuracy for my uses. I once had the Rem 700V with heavy barrel but found that the sporter BDL was just as accurate and much lighter to carry around.

Now to focus on your question: Several years ago I bought a Winchester Model 70 Lightweight (a cheaper version of the Featherweight) in 223Rem, with 20" barrel and a splinter fore-end. I don't care for the fore-end and have thought about getting a synthetic stock for the M70, but the rifle is amazingly accurate and easy to carry around. It is my general purpose carry rifle when scouting, hiking or just looking for targets of opportunity. I have scoped it with the Leupold Vari-XII 2x-7X, which is a perfect size for this compact rifle.

The new Winchester company may not offer this model any more, so I recommend you look at the Remington Model 7, with 20" barrel. There may be other models of similar size at lower prices.

270man