223 f/tr

**tammons** · 03-11-2013, 09:44 AM

You guys have any advise ??
Thinking more 600 yard matches.

Have had all sorts of Savage setups, but never have shot any competition.

Right now I am thinking short action, single feed follower, machined recoil lug, SSS trigger,
Choate Tactical adjustable stock with the adj cheek weld and shoulder, 26"-30" 7 twist criterion barrel, farrel 20d base,
??? rings, Sightron 10-50x scope.

Also need advise on a bipod and have done some research.
Would like a quick adjust of some sort so I guess the sinclair would be out.

**lal357** · 03-11-2013, 10:24 AM

my son shoots my tigershark out to 700 yards with good results in matches using 75 and 80 gr. amax's it has a cbi barrel also 26" 8t if i was to do it again i think i would try a 28" 7t nothing wrong with what i have now just thinking 2 more inches of barrel for alittle more fps(shooting against 308's in f t/r he needs all he can get) and 7t just encase i want to try 90gr pills.
as for bipods i have been shooting a harris for year on my 308 and dropped the coin yesturday on a siclair gen 3 f class bipod with quick elev. knob for a more stable rest and to be able to adjust it up if needed without messing with the legs.i loooked at others and the ones i liked i would have had to break my rifle down and send it off to have a rail put in it for thiers and with the siclairs i can move it from one rifle to another if i want to (i take 4 rifle to the matches since i shoot open and ft/r and my son does too.).

**tammons** · 03-11-2013, 10:54 AM

I had a factory savage 223 7 twist varmint gun that shot the 90 gr bergers better than mostly anything else. Took quite a while to find the right powder and load but after that it would shoot consistent 1/4 - 3/8 groups.

**Delaware_Ken** · 03-11-2013, 11:14 AM

Good Morning,

I purchased a Savage Model 12 F/TR 7 twist 223, 30" barrel and have been very happy with it. The first F Class match I took it to I got a lot of snickers from the big bad 308 shooters. But, by the time the match was over, and I won 2 out of the 3 relays, the guys seemed to show her a little more respect. I even took her to a 600 yard BR match and won the factory division with her shooting against 6 BR's and 6.5x284 Savages. One of my 5 shot groups was 2.5".

I spent a lot of time trying to get the 90's to shoot, but never found the right combo. But, she sure loves those 80 GR. Berger VLD's in front of a stout load of varget. I'm currently using the Gen 3 Bipod from Sinclair which is adjustable, and I like it a lot.

Ken

**memilanuk** · 03-12-2013, 10:24 AM

A few years ago I took a stock 12 F/TR in .223 Rem, loaded up some Lapua cases w/ N150 and Berger 82BTs and cleaned up at a reasonably large mid-range Fullbore match. 4 days of 300, 400, 500, 600 meters up in scenic Chilliwack British Columbia. I took 1st F/TR, and the guy right behind me was also shooting a .223 Rem. The Canadians definitely ain't scared to run a .223 for the mid-range stuff, they know what they can do!

The only thing I would suggest you look into is to make sure you have a long enough throat... a lot of the 'pre-chambered & threaded' barrels don't really have what I'd call a dedicated LR throat in them. As an example, the factory barrel has essentially a Wylde chamber - good all around chamber - for a gas gun - that eats about anything, shoots accurately, and lets you seat the heavies out a bit so they aren't jammed down in the case body while not having mag-length ammo have to jump too far to the lands. Seeing as how that last bit definitely doesn't apply to our use... the chamber can usually afford to be throated considerably longer without hurting anything, and it will gain you more 'boiler room', which the .223 is a bit short on to begin with.

I think PTG has a 'long range' .223 Rem bolt gun reamer with a .120" freebore developed by some Canadian TR/Palma shooters that would work just about perfect - I've been thinking about getting one and re-chambering my barrel with it.

**tammons** · 03-12-2013, 01:58 PM

Actually now I am considering just buying a complete 223 F/TR Savage rifle and that would allow me to compete in F/TR and factory class.

**lal357** · 03-12-2013, 02:03 PM

i have cbi with a wylde chamber that shoot the 80gr pills fine .i tried to get a smith her to lengthen the thrroat on a mcqowen i have even gave him a dummy round to go buy he took out so much that when i put the loc-n-load guage in it to get a starting point to work up some loads the bullet fell out the end of the case. he made it right and replaced the barrel i have thought about getting a reamer and doing another myself by hand since it killed me that barrel was literally a 1 hole barrel @ 100 yrds and 1/2-3/4 " groups were common @ 300 yrds. i just wanted to shoot 600 and beyond and 69gr was as big as the chamber would allow
it still sit in the safe i just cant seem to throw it out i may have it recambered to something else in the .22 platform

**tammons** · 03-12-2013, 03:04 PM

My old 7 twist varmint gun would shoot 90 gr berger bugholes, but like I said it took a long time to find the right load.

I do remember I used Lapua brass, jammed 15 thou, CCI BR primers, N540 but I cant find the load right now.

JCalhoun · 03-12-2013, 11:06 PM

Read the review article I did on the Savage FTR. It was a .308 but everything else applies.

Topsail · 03-16-2013, 03:18 AM

I shoot an AR "spacegun", scoped, out to 800 yds. Krieger 1-7 twist 26" barrel. Good with 80gr Noslers or SMK's. Can win FTR at that range.
Past that, I use a Savage FTR .308.

**Bob Link** · 09-07-2014, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by Delaware_Ken

Good Morning,

I purchased a Savage Model 12 F/TR 7 twist 223, 30" barrel and have been very happy with it. The first F Class match I took it to I got a lot of snickers from the big bad 308 shooters. But, by the time the match was over, and I won 2 out of the 3 relays, the guys seemed to show her a little more respect. I even took her to a 600 yard BR match and won the factory division with her shooting against 6 BR's and 6.5x284 Savages. One of my 5 shot groups was 2.5".

I spent a lot of time trying to get the 90's to shoot, but never found the right combo. But, she sure loves those 80 GR. Berger VLD's in front of a stout load of varget. I'm currently using the Gen 3 Bipod from Sinclair which is adjustable, and I like it a lot.

Ken

I have not started reloading yet. But I would like to start shooting 80 gr ammo. I also have a model 12F/TR in .223 Can I use 80 gr factory loads with out modifying the gun?

Bob

**Delaware_Ken** · 09-07-2014, 07:00 PM

Yes Sir, Mine is stock except for the Rifle Basix Trigger (had the Accutrigger when I shot the Factory BR match). I shoot the 80 gr VLD's 20/1000 off the lands. Since my last post I shot a 593/600 with her at a F/Class mid range shoot. Shoots great, with virtually no recoil. I think I'll keep her.

Ken

beta1759 · 09-08-2014, 12:04 AM

i have a completely stock savage ftr rifle, a Leupold VX-6 7-42 with the TMOA-Plus reticle, on a center shot bipod, that shoots 80gr vlds 5/1000 off the lands with 25.0gr varget at 2945fps. Groups .3-.4moa when i do my job. YMMV.

Mgysgt · 10-09-2014, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by Bob Link

I have not started reloading yet. But I would like to start shooting 80 gr ammo. I also have a model 12F/TR in .223 Can I use 80 gr factory loads with out modifying the gun?

Bob

Bob, I shoot my Savage 12 with a CBI 8 twist barrel at 1,000 yards. The 80 gr bullet is a bit of a handicap, but in 8 twist at 1,000 that is about all I can do. At midrange (300,500,600) it is much more competitive.

Tom