Manually operated .223? T3X Varmint, Henry Supreme, CZ 600 Trail?

[u/ThatBigFuckoffTree]

I had an semi-auto .223 that got banned. I have a few hundred rounds of FMJ ammunition. I bought a Tikka T3X Lite Stainless to shoot it as a target rifle. But the lite barrel heats up too much for repeated shooting. I see the Varmint Stainless is on sale at Bass Pro and was thinking about upgrading. But on second thought, I don't have access to a range greater than 200yds anymore, and I have a CZ 457 and Viper PST for the precision shooting experience at those distances. So now I am considering a manually operated repeater with a shorter barrel for shooting in the woods, shooting Tannerite, maybe deer hunting with the right ammo (I am on Vancouver Island, the Blacktails are tiny, and it is legal here)

TLDR Should I go with the CZ Trail, the Henry Supreme, the T3X Varmint or something else?

[u/Master-Editor2668]

Where on the island are you? I’m on the north end and have a Cz trail plus in 300 blackout and it’s unreal how accurate it is I didn’t expect to have rounds touching at 100 yards and the 300 blackout is perfect for island deer and you can use your same mags I use Crossmags and the metal 10 round Lars mags

[u/ThatBigFuckoffTree → u/Master-Editor2668]

I am around Nanaimo, I hunt around Courtenay and Campbell River. I'm glad to hear the accuracy is good. 300 Blackout would be better for deer for sure, but the primary purpose of this rifle is to expend my 55gr bulk ammo. I might get some hunting ammo and hunt with with it but I already have a 30-30 for hunting.

[u/CryptidWorks → u/ThatBigFuckoffTree]

Fellow island liver and CZ Trail nerd here:

The trail is awesome, but 55gr. isn't ideal for it. The barrel twist means it won't be as accurate as it could be, as it's intended for 62gr+ hunting/match rounds for optimal stability.

It'll still shoot fine, but expect it to be plinking accuracy, not shooting for groups/lights out accurate with 55gr.

The 300BO and 7.62x39 variants are significantly less ammo picky than the .223/5.56 due to the inherent nature of those cartridges (for example, almost all 7.62x39 ammo is either 123gr or 150gr, which stabilize at similar twist rates)

If you have any specific questions about the platform feel free to ask, I have a couple crates worth of trigger time behind it in 7.62.

Also, the Gone Fishin' in Duncan had a barely used .223/5.56 on consignment last time I checked their site. Might be a deal.

[u/ThatBigFuckoffTree → u/CryptidWorks]

For sure, this isn't gonna be a precision thing, I'm not chasing sub MOA groups. Just blasting bulk ammo, and maybe Blacktail hunting with heavier, more terminally effective bullets. Funny enough I was in the Duncan Gone Fishin' yesterday. I didn't see one, but maybe there is more inventory stored away, I don't know.

[u/CryptidWorks → u/ThatBigFuckoffTree]

Ahhh it's not up there anymore. Someone must have picked it up this week. Was listed for a grand on the nose.

And it sounds like it would be a good fit, then. A lot of people grab the .223/5.56 and are irritated by it not being a tack driver with 55gr, but it does perform quite well with heavy hunting rounds. 69gr Gamekings would probably be a pretty safe bet. Maybe 64gr Power-Shoks, as my 7.62 loves them in 124gr.

If you reload you can get the trail dead-nuts accurate for a folding stock carbine regardless of cartridge choice. For example, I run a 150gr. Hot-Cor with an A2200 charge in mine and it prints sub-MOA reliably at 100y while going slightly faster than 123gr surplus.

That was a... Very careful load development process.