If you are more interested in accuracy than rate of fire, get a bolt gun. I've seen excellent accuracy from a wide variety of bolt guns in .223 Rem, including the inexpensive Rem 700s and Savages.
Getting varmint level accuracy in semi-autos is an iffy proposition unless you are prepared to put a lot more money in the rifle. An inexpensive .223 bolt gun can take deer reliably to 200 yards, and is useful on varmints and targets out to 500 yards. I once won a long range precision rifle match at ranges to 650 yards with a Rem 700 ADL I paid $300 for in 1999, and other family members have turned in respectable results with the same rifle in 600 yard F-Class.
However, you need to pay more and get a heavier barrel with a faster twist rate and shoot heavier bullets for real reliability past 500 yards. But out to 500 yards, that $300 bolt gun is much more accurate than most shooters who have fired it, including me most of the time. (My daughter proves it.)
Since we've been consistently disappointed with Rem barrels since 2001 or so, we are now uniformly recommending Savage bolt guns for the accuracy minded. We have not been disappointed. Even the inexpensive Axis line is performing very well. For under $400 you are likely to have an excellent shooter. My brother runs a marksmanship training school and he has had excellent accuracy results with Savage rifles also.
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