I also shoot sporting clays, pistols and started with a .22. All mostly hunting rifles, which I think are beautiful. I got involved with AR-15's back in '94 (I ended up buying two because it was unclear if they were going to be available anymore). They are ugly guns (well at least the beauty is an aquired taste sometimes, at least it was for me. I never even shot them for years. Recently I got one out and decided to plink with it and it is just amazing the low recoil and accuracy of these things. I do hunt deer (but not with .223). The .223's are fun low recoil target rifles.
And after you get past the ugly part they are pretty nice to shoot. If you wiegh them down like a service rifle (Bushmaster makes a nice off the shelf one of these), the thing kicks less than your .22 and is accurate out to 600 meters (arguably) Ammo is cheap and you can shoot 5 rounds or 100 from the same gun without reloading.
If the rifle is mostly for fun. The AR's are a lot of fun compared to a bolt action. There are lots of different uppers and add ons.... bipolds lasers scopes etc. So one of these should keep you busy for awhile. Personally I think you should buy both the bolt action and the AR but the AR is just all around a lot more fun.
Actually, maybe you better not buy one or you may soon find your gunsafe with about 10 (like I now have). Watch out, they can be habit forming. [smoke]