I bought a S&W 1500 in 222 Remington in 1983 for $315 out the door. After 8 years of shooting prairie dogs in Norris, SD, the bullets key-holed at 25 yards. Hollow point nose and flat base profile hole in the paper. Real tight 10 inch group at 25 yards with awesome knockdown power.
A gunshop in Plano, Texas bought all the old S&W parts. They installed a new .223 Rem SS heavy barrel, a new bolt, and opened up the barrel channel. If I select cases with a common head stamp, 1/2" groups at a 100 yards are easy. Mixed brass ammo out of the can will get 3/4 to 1" groups.
I ruined the original trigger trying to adjust it. I sent the rifle to Timney Trigger and got the first S&W 1500 trigger installed for $65 IIRC. They are great rifles.