Decisions, Decisions New Gun

[Lunchbox1981]

Buying guns overseas is expensive so I don't buy many.  I am about to buy a new one and I am not sure which to buy.  My two options are:

1.  Tikka T3 Varmint SS in .222
or
2.  Howa M-1500 Heavy 24" bull barrel with a green hogue stock in .223

Does anyone have any experience with a .222.  I have never shot one and know that they are fairly rare.  So it could be a fun gun to have and keep around.

Any recommendations? Thxs

Box

[addicted]

A lot of guys love those T3's out of the rod and gun club. I simply couldnt get myself to buy either of them being in the same position as you.  They are quite overpriced at the rod and gun(my store at least). They think they justify it with a package deal with a crappy nikkostirling night eater but that doesnt make up for it.   

The first gun i bought in germany was a rem700cdl stainlesfluted walnut .223(i'm thinking about selling this one) so i know how that caliber works for niederwild. I took a couple rehbock and they died fairly quickly. Round was a little fast for my tast as the hydrostatic shock caused some green breakage.

One thing you will want to look at is the rate of twist. I know tikkas tend to come with a nice fast rate of twist in their .223's so you can shoot some heavier bullets and shoot the thousand meter range out near baumholder.


They did have some .222 CZ stutzens in my rod and gun awhile before i left but I couldnt tell you if they are still there.
 
THe .222's do great for the reh. I have a few friends that hunt with a .222 religously until the pigs start coming out of the corn heavily and they switch back to their hochwild waffen. 

when i was tight on cash and i needed to put together a rifle i had a stevens model 200 .308 purchased at walmart mailed over to the rod and gun registered mail. I put a used rws 3-12x56 scope on it and it worked well for a 400$ set up.  Doing something like this could save you hundreds on a tikka and for sure on a howa with the prices i've seen.

If you need a rifle to hunt with let me know and we can work something out. 

I've done a  lot of research on what i think the best way for the jungjagers to start out with is and the rifle is generally the easy part, it's the glass thats most important.

[addicted]

The most bang for the buck out of the european brands is likely CZ.  It should be in your price range considering the others you mentioned. there is also mercury, crico,  and antoni zolie rifles. 

You may be interested in the cz527 .223 or .222 whichi is available in a varmint(heavy barrel), synthetic, regular, and stutzen(full stock)

super accurate and you get to take a piece of europe home with you.


the best deals in europe are going to be online at www.egun.de though. make an account, bid on a rifle, and they mail it straight to your door within a day or two.

http://egun.de/market/item.php?id=3425141
this one comes with ziess glass. 138 euros. 

[addicted]

now here's a gem.

tikka bockbuchseflinte(rifle shotgun combo) 12guage over .222 with schmidt & Bender 8x56 scope. Get some accurate slugs out of that thing and it will kill anything in europe. 360 euros

http://egun.de/market/item.php?id=3418561

[addicted]

This one will probably climb, but you never know. one falls through the cracks everyonce and awhile.

steyr mannlicher stutzen .222 with zeiss 4x32. flippin georgous. bidding starts at 1 euro.

http://egun.de/market/item.php?id=3436185

[addicted]

not what your looking for but just as sexy

blaser r93 proffessional 8x57 1200euros  this bad boy would sell for 2500-2900$ in the states used.
http://egun.de/market/item.php?id=3423739

there is one just like it in 300wm with a fluted jagdmatch barrel and the optional kickstop for 1460euros.

[carpsniperg2]

The t3's are great. The ammo for the 222 is harder to find here, don't know about over there but that could be a decision maker for me.

[AWS]

222 Rem is a great little cartridge, only a little slower than the 223 but seems to be very accurate.  It is a cartridge that it seems hard to find a load combination that isn't accurate.  just sold an old Sppringfield 840 in 222 that even with it's poor trigger would shoot in the .2's reqularly.

AWS

[Bofire]

 :)When the 222 came out it was "the benchrest" cartridge for many years. I had no idea Tikkas were so spendy there!! $550-600.00 arround here.
Carl

[Lunchbox1981]

now here's a gem.

tikka bockbuchseflinte(rifle shotgun combo) 12guage over .222 with schmidt & Bender 8x56 scope. Get some accurate slugs out of that thing and it will kill anything in europe. 360 euros

http://egun.de/market/item.php?id=3418561

I was loking at this last night at home as well.  My gun will serve mostly as a fuch and bench gun.  I have my .308 with a 3-12x56 Meostar R1.

[Lunchbox1981]

not what your looking for but just as sexy

blaser r93 proffessional 8x57 1200euros  this bad boy would sell for 2500-2900$ in the states used.
http://egun.de/market/item.php?id=3423739

there is one just like it in 300wm with a fluted jagdmatch barrel and the optional kickstop for 1460euros.

wow that is real nice.  Before I leave Germany I will own a Blaser.  they are so nice to shoot.  We have two .223 club guns here that are Blaser's.  They almost shoot for you.

[Lunchbox1981]

There is only about a $35 difference between the two guns at y club right now.  The only reason they are so close is because the dollar has dropped in value so bad.  Our Rod and Gun clubs buy the guns in Euro and then have to convert it to dollars of course with a little commission f the club.

[addicted]

Did you see the email for the frankonia sale? I've heard of some great deals coming out of that sale the last few years. one guy saved thousands on a 9.3 with gold and engraving.

I will buy buying a blaser as well....probably when i get back from this trip. It will be my reenlistment gift to myself. 

how bout you save the money and buy a blaser with a .223 barrel and a hochwild barrel as well. That is the beauty of the blaser. look on frankonia's used gun section on their web site and they have used barrels for 399euros.

[Lunchbox1981]

yeah the blaser is a must I just have to decide which stock I want the wood is beautiful but I am not sure if it is worth all the extra money for it.  I am hoping that once Greece, Ireland and Portugal's economys fail the Euro will drop and I can get into one for a better price.  It's almost worth buying two and taking one back to the states to sell.  It would help pay for mine as well.  It is crazy how much those are worth in the states.  When I do buy it I will buy it in 6.5x55.  Then more barrels from there.

[addicted]

I'm thinking 7x64 for my first barrel.

my thoughts on the wood vs pro stock, I am fairly intent on getting both, with that in mind you see many pro receivers on the second hand market than regular recievers so i will have more options for the second reciever if i buy the standard first.