.223 Rifles

Buying .223 Rifles in Australia

Magnum Sports lists more than 200 rifles chambered in .223 Remington, the most popular fox, goat and pest calibre in Australia: Tikka T3x and T1x-style hunters, Howa 1500 and Mini Action, Savage Axis, 110 and 12 series, Lithgow LA102, Ruger American, Remington 700 and 783, Bergara B14, Sauer 100 and 404, Blaser R8, Franchi Horizon, Weatherby Vanguard, Browning X-Bolt, CZ 600, Sako and Voere, in bolt-action hunting, varmint and precision configurations.

A .223 bolt action is a Category B firearm in NSW, so it needs a licence with a genuine reason such as hunting or primary production, a Permit to Acquire and compliant storage. The .223 is cheap to feed (see our .223 ammunition page), light in recoil and accurate, which is why it is the first centrefire most Australian hunters buy; it is right for foxes, goats, wild dogs and small pigs, and marginal on large deer, where a .243 or .308 is the better choice.

Prices start at $787 for the Howa 1500 Short Action and $889 for the Savage Axis, with scope packages from $966 (Savage Axis Compact) and $1,083 (Remington 783), the Ruger American from $1,118, the Tikka T3x from $1,454, the Lithgow LA102 from $1,675 and the Blaser R8 from $5,684. More than 120 .223 rifles are available today, led by Tikka (33 on hand), Savage (17), Lithgow (14), Sauer (10), Bergara (8) and Franchi (7).

  • Prices.223 rifles from $787 (Howa 1500) and $889 (Savage Axis); scope packages from $966; Ruger American from $1,118, Tikka T3x from $1,454, Lithgow LA102 from $1,675, Bergara from $1,099, Sauer from $1,473, Blaser R8 from $5,684.
  • Availability212 .223 Remington rifles listed, 125 available now; Tikka 33, Savage 17, Lithgow 14, Sauer 10, Bergara 8, Franchi 7, Ruger 6 and Blaser 6 on hand.
  • DealerMagnum Sports, 19 Babbage Road, Roseville Chase NSW — NSW Firearms Dealer Licence 413159984 — (02) 9882 2689

First centrefire? A Howa 1500, Savage Axis or Ruger American package in .223 with a scope fitted is the value route; a Tikka T3x Lite is the rifle most hunters wish they had bought first. We fit and bore-sight the scope and stock .223 ammunition for collection with the rifle.

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      189 products
      Franchi Horizon Varmint Elite Subalpine
      Franchi Horizon Varmint Elite Subalpine - Magnum Sports advert
      Franchi Horizon Varmint Elite Subalpine
      Franchi
      $1,639.00 $1,282.00 Save $357.00
      Tikka T3x ACE Target
      Tikka T3x ACE Target
      Tikka
      $3,499.00
      Tikka T3x Super Varmint 2-Stage Trigger
      Tikka T3x Super Varmint 2-Stage Trigger
      Tikka
      $3,299.00
      Tikka T3x ACE Target Bronze
      Tikka T3x ACE Target Bronze
      Tikka T3x ACE Target Bronze
      Tikka
      from $3,799.00
      Tikka T3x ACE Game Bronze
      Tikka T3x ACE Game Bronze
      Tikka
      $3,699.00
      Mauser M18
      Mauser M18
      Mauser M18
      Mauser
      $1,519.00
      Tikka T3x ACE Game
      Tikka T3x ACE Game
      Tikka
      $3,399.00
      Howa Barrelled Action Varmint
      Howa Barrelled Action Varmint
      Howa
      $895.00 from $813.00 Save $82.00
      Tikka T3x Lite Stainless
      Tikka T3x Lite Stainless
      Tikka
      from $1,979.00
      Ruger American Gen II Predator
      Ruger American Gen II Predator
      Ruger
      from $1,193.00
      Tikka T3x Varmint Synthetic Stainless
      Tikka T3x Varmint Synthetic Stainless
      Tikka
      from $2,539.00
      Tikka T3x TACT A1 260 Rem
      Tikka T3x TACT A1 Fixed
      Tikka
      from $5,098.99
      T3X Super Lite Blackout
      T3X Super Lite Blackout
      Tikka
      from $2,458.99
      Sauer 100 XT Stainless 300 Win Mag (One Only At This Price)
      Sauer 100 Stainless XT
      Sauer
      $1,864.00 from $1,649.00 Save $215.00
      Tikka T3x Super Lite Stainless
      Tikka T3x Super Lite Stainless
      Tikka
      from $1,999.00
      RUGER AMERICAN GEN II PATROL
      RUGER AMERICAN GEN II PATROL
      Ruger
      $1,341.00
      Tikka T3x Lite Roughtech Ember Stainless
      Tikka
      from $2,729.00
      Sako 90 Varmint Laminate Stainless
      Sako 90 Varmint Laminate Stainless
      Sako
      $3,999.00
      Ruger American Gen II Ranch
      Ruger American Gen II Ranch
      Ruger American Gen II Ranch
      Ruger
      $1,340.00
      Howa 1500 Long Action Barrelled Action
      Howa 1500 Short Action
      Howa
      $866.00 $787.00 Save $79.00
      Browning BLR Lightweight PG
      Browning BLR Lightweight PG
      Browning
      $2,025.00 from $1,990.00 Save $35.00
      Sako 90 Hunter
      Sako 90 Hunter
      Sako 90 Hunter
      Sako
      from $3,799.00
      Bergara B14 CIMA Carbon
      Bergara B14 CIMA Carbon
      Bergara B14 CIMA Carbon
      Bergara
      from $3,289.00
      Tikka T3x Aspire Lite Green Stainless Fluted
      Tikka T3x Aspire Lite Green Stainless Fluted
      Tikka
      from $2,329.00
      Ruger American Gen II
      Ruger American Gen II
      Ruger American Gen II
      Ruger
      $1,313.00 $1,193.00 Save $120.00
      Tikka T3x CTR Stainless
      Tikka T3x CTR Stainless
      Tikka
      from $3,099.00
      Sold Out
      Winchester XPR Synthetic
      Winchester XPR Synthetic
      Winchester
      $795.00 from $699.00 Save $96.00
      Sold Out
      Remington 700 SPS Varmint
      Remington 700 SPS Varmint
      Remington 700 SPS Varmint
      Remington
      $1,834.00 from $1,667.00 Save $167.00

      Common questions

      What is the best 223 rifle for hunting in Australia?
      For most fox and goat hunters the Tikka T3x Lite ($1,799) is the benchmark for accuracy and trigger out of the box; the Howa 1500 ($787 up), Savage Axis II and Ruger American ($1,118 up) are the value picks; the Lithgow LA102 ($1,675) is the Australian-made option; and the Bergara B14, Sauer 100 and Blaser R8 sit above them for finish and feel. For varminting from a bipod choose a heavy-barrel Tikka Varmint or CTR, Howa Varmint or Savage 12.
      How much does a 223 rifle cost in Australia?
      At Magnum Sports .223 bolt actions start at $787 for the Howa 1500 and $889 for the Savage Axis, with scope packages from $966; mid-range rifles such as the Tikka T3x, Lithgow LA102, Bergara B14 and Sauer 100 are $1,450 to $2,500; premium Sako, Sauer 404 and Blaser R8 models run $3,400 to $16,899 (September 2026).
      What licence do I need for a 223 in NSW?
      A Category B licence for a bolt-action .223 (centrefire, not self-loading), with a genuine reason such as recreational hunting on rural land, sport shooting through a club or primary production, plus a Permit to Acquire for the rifle and storage that meets NSW requirements. Pump-action and straight-pull .223 rifles moved to Category C under the 2026 reforms.
      Is a 223 enough for deer?
      It is legal for deer in NSW and fine for small fallow and hog deer at sensible ranges with a good 60 to 69 grain bonded or soft-point load, but most experienced hunters use a .243, 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 for deer and keep the .223 for foxes, goats, wild dogs and pigs under 60 kg. If deer are your main target, buy the bigger calibre first.
      Which 223 rifles are in stock?
      More than 120 are available today, including most of the Tikka T3x range, Savage Axis and 110, Lithgow LA102, Sauer 100, Bergara B14, Franchi Horizon, Ruger American, Howa 1500, CZ 600, Voere and Blaser R8. Remington 700 and 783, Weatherby Vanguard and Browning X-Bolt in .223 are mostly ordered in.

      Answers written by the licensed dealers at Magnum Sports, Roseville Chase NSW. Last reviewed September 2026. Firearms law differs by state; check with your state registry before you buy.