My own PSR contest

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saitek11

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I am asking CGN members to help select my next rifle! I could use any one's experience or expertise with this search; or the rifles I have already found. If you own one or more of these rifles, personal opinion of shooters more experienced then me goes a long way. Thanks in advance.
I like the idea of having one rifle with multiple calibers. Saves on optics, and lets me become more familiar with the rifle regardless of the caliber. I like the versatility of going on a hunting a trip where I could hunt different game on the same trip and have one rifle. Its also nice to have the option to practice with cheaper ammo and yet use a larger round when I get to longer ranges.
I have some rifles I can sell and I some overtime on the horizon and have decided to start seriously looking into my next purchase.
The intended use for the rifle is obviously hunting of game from coyote to moose. it will also be used for precision paper punching, maybe the odd piece of fruit and competitive shooting. It could be used by multiple shooters and I would prefer adjustable furniture, for utility and of course so it has some tacticool factor. I have some rifles I have looked into already based on my what I want. If you have anything to add feel free, or if I have missed a rifle I don't know about please fill me in!

Parameters for rifle:
budget of approximatly $6-7000
-multi-caliber able to switch from regular short action(.308 or whatver else) to magnum (WSM would be acceptable as well)
-Portability is good, folding stock or shorter design. It may end up in trucks, tractors, atv and on horse back.
-weight no more then 12-14 pds without optics.
-detachable mag

So far I have it down to four:

- DTA SRS. able to go from many short action to .338 LM, short design, good reviews from the few out there. probably the top contender, although I have read might be difficult to find available. like the looks and variance in caliber, and different barrel lengths available.

-Nemesis arms Vanquish. Not a contender until they recently released a .300WSM version. I like this caliber and have used it on large game before. Like that I can add an AR folding stock or removable, and I like the ability it has to break down. it is also under budget, always plus.

-Barret MRAD. same caliber variance as DTA. folding stock, modular design. have not read alot here on it at all. looks heavy but is very cool looking. plus it's a Barret.

-Blaser tactical 2. These now have a folding stock, availability could be a problem. has largest variance of caliber, .223-.338LM, but scope must be changed with caliber. straight pull bolt is neat idea and looks very fast. mixed reviews on these.

so Thats the summary of what I have so far, feel free to add you whatever you have on these rifles or anything I might of missed. Spending this kind of money I just want to get all the info I can to make the best decision.

Thanks in advance.
 
Sorry to start on a negative, but IMO none of the rifles you have listed as contenders can seriously be considered as a practical rifle for hunting.

I have some rifles similar to what you have listed(Sako TRG's) and I can tell you if hunting is a primary requirement you should look at something along the lines of a custom with a light varmint profile barrel and more traditional style stock like a Mcmillan HTG or similar.

If you have not priced out additional barrel's/bolts from some of the manufactures you have listed you may be shocked to see how much the idea of a switch barrel concept will cost by the time you are properly set up. Again from a cost and practicality standpoint I think there is little to merit a multicalibre capable platform. You would have to shoot a hell of a lot of "cheaper ammo" to off set the initial cost.

If you want/require two different calibers/chamberings I would bet you could set up two quality custom builds for less than what you would invest in one of the rifles you mentioned. Then you will have rifles built specifically for the task intended of them.

My 2 cents.
 
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marcoman said:
Sorry to start on a negative, but IMO none of the rifles you have listed as contenders can seriously be considered as a practical rifle for hunting.

I have some rifles similar to what you have listed(Sako TRG's) and I can tell you if hunting is a primary requirement you should look at something along the lines of a custom with a light varmint profile barrel and more traditional style stock like a Mcmillan HTG or similar.

If you have not priced out additional barrel's/bolts from some of the manufactures you have listed you may be shocked to see how much the idea of a switch barrel concept will cost by the time you are properly set up. Again from a cost and practicality standpoint I think there is little to merit a multicalibre capable platform. You would have to shoot a hell of a lot of "cheaper ammo" to off set the initial cost.

If you want/require two different calibers/chamberings I would bet you could set up two quality custom builds for less than what you would invest in one of the rifles you mentioned. Then you will have rifles built specifically for the task intended of them.

My 2 cents.
Click to expand...

+1
By the time you price out the ability to do all the things you're after with a switch barrel/action unit, you could have built/bought a couple of custom rifles that are perfectly suited to a narrower series of tasks.
"Jack of all trades....master of none."
If you are determined to see this one through to your desired conclusion, the Nemesis comes closest to the desired goals.
 
What kind of hunting do you do? i.e Spot & Stalk, from a blind only? Both it seems as you're hunting Coyotes and Moose.

What game are you hunting, i.e flat lands, heavy brush mountain, swampy grounds, etc? Again, flat lands for Coyotes and the brushy, thick forest for Moose.

I can't recall how much the Nemesis weighs w/o the optics, but considering, it could well be a contender as it's very portable (i.e. in a backpack, so great for horseback, hiking and hunting from a blind), returns to zero each time, multi-caliber that fits your needs.

It's alot of coins (not that the DTA SRS is cheap - same price point), but you do get alot of rifles for it. Sure you could get 2x $3,500 rifles, but you'll also need two quality scopes, two cases, two slings, two..well you get the point!

Good luck!
 
There is no such thing as a good all-in one rifle. Wrap your head around that one.

For the type of money you want to spend, just buy an off-the-shelf $500 hunting rifle and put a scope on it. Precision long distance target rifles (be they F-Class, Palma/TR or Benchrest) are diametrically opposite in terms of their optimal requirements over a hunting rifle. You also mention horseback.... the only decent scabbard gun is a lever. Maybe a Ruger #1. So you are looking at 3 completely different types of rifles in one.

If I could find one vehicle that could plow fields, commute long distance and take the kids to the soccer game, It would do none of those things well
 
A couple of things I pcked up while going through the same debate:

SRS - anything SRS related is pricey. I'm not commenting on value, just saying you should make sure you add up all the accessories etc when comparing. You can easily add $1500 to the base price. Also, there are supposed to be some changes in the works (buttplate, cheekrest, maybe others) so you may want to see if waiting a little while makes sense. For caliber changes, you might be able to get away with just a barrel (around $1100) or you might need a bolt and barrel. They also sell barrel extensions separately, but oddly most custom shops that can mount a non-Walther barrel to the extension are charging more than just buying a barrel from DTA. You'll have to carefully plan it out when estimating overall cost. Also, check if your caliber is being made yet. 6.5x47L is not yet (for example).

Nemesis - I don't think it goes all the way up to 338 Lapua as the SRS does, so double check if that matters. They have a new front rail option, which is nice.

Blaser - I saw a video review where slamming the mag in with the bolt open caused multiple rounds to fly out.

Just a couple of quick thoughts/comments to help your deliberations.
 
FWIW - a .308 is perfectly fine for Moose hunting. I say this in the event that a .338LM would be thought of being necessary for Moose hunting; if I remember correctly the Nememis is available in 338 Federal.

For the multi-caliber, portability, weight I still believe the Nememis meets the OP's need.
 
Nemesis multicaliber Vanquish base cost is around $4450usd. There are lots of options that can drive the cost up as well. New barrels for different calibers are about $950usd each. A decent scope (S&B or March or Nightforce NXS with mounts. rings etc.

I tend to go along with what others have said. You really do not need a pricey rifle for coyotes, any 22/250 or .223 would do just fine, is light and accurate. As for your big game specie you mentioned moose are easy to kill and can easily be taken with good shot placement without bothering with the heavy magnums you mentioned. I have taken one a year for 58 years using many calibers from .243, .308, 30/30, 30/06, 7mm Rem Mag, 7X57 and have had zero problem doing so.

One question that occurred to me is to ask if this model or others they sell might be restricted firearms in Canada. If so then you can forget them for hunting.
 
Ok, to clarify, this would not be used for stalk type hunts. It would be in stands or spot were I am set up. Its a go to spot and sit rifle, I have a couple carry rifles I like that serve me well. It does not have to be .338LM, this is nice to have but I have shot moose with a 7mm rem mag and this year with a .300wsm. The area I moose hunt is mostly cuts and open areas, shots over 200 yards are the norm and up to 500 are possible (more then that is getting out of my personal ethical comfort zone). I have also been checking into the custom options, and haven't ruled that out, this was simply a "get opinions on this type of setup" 2 nice customs is another option I am still researching, again I would need multiple optics and other equipment, hence why I am exploring this option. Like on the nemesis, I could buy the $950 .243 barrel and have only one optic, etc. I would easily spend over that on a second optic alone...(nothing annoys me more then cheap optics, one thing you get what you pay for)
The competition side would not be F-class, I understand the different requirements for this. It would be used for law enforcement type competitions which I compete in a few a year, and have always wanted to do the precision course, but never had a suitable rifle.
Also will be used for long range paper punching and gong ringing.
I have looked into a few things mentioned here as well, nemesis comes in .338 federal not .338 LM. The largest caliber for it is .300WSM more then adequate for my needs.
I have also solved the horseback issue for me, I made my own mounting system and was able to secure an eberlestock scabbard to my saddle, letting me carry whatever rifle I can fit in there, I have saddle bags that I use to balance the load for him. It seems to keep everything secure at all speeds and dosen't bother my quarter horse.
DTA is super spendy, and this purchase is likely in the next year, but not right away, spending this kind of money I like to look at all my options.
I appreciate all the input and opinions so far.
Feel free to add.
Thanks
 
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I think you will mire yourself in a swamp of compromises if you follow the plan you outline. I'd go with a multiple rife purchase - get the right tool for the job.
 
The last time I priced out different options (Nemesis, SRS, ATRS custom build, Sako TRG, PGW Coyote, etc) they all came out to comparative $$ costs w/ optics. From about $5,900 to $7,500.

So price isn't the deciding factor, or at least it shouldn't as the spread wasn't $3000 between them.

I just have a hard time with seeing how many (here on CGN, a firearm board) are using the NEED and WANT arguments.
 
I'd also be curious to see if anyone had tried an Eliseo RTM with separate barreled actions. A pierce tube gun action with a Krieger/Shilen/etc would be about $1400, which is close to the full bolt/barrel caliber conversion for an SRS. It would be really interesting if the tight tolerances of the tube gun action would allow for repeatable zero when swapping barreled actions. Not saying I would nessecarily do it, but would be a very interesting test to hear the results of if someone were crazy enough to try it.
 
IF you know what you doing, A take down rem700 would be very handy, either AICS or AX chassy would make a very economic system.
 
Interesting to read your OP as we have very similiar wishes. I was totally fascinated when I first saw the Remington MSR video showing it go from one calibre to the next without tools. I totally wanted one!!As I soon found out, and as many other members have posted, the idea of what you want becomes challenging everytime you approach it. Although I can't speak to your options that you have researched so far, I can tell you what I did as a much less expensive option that is keeping me quite happy so far. At least until I could buy an MSR or equivalent ha ha. But it involves reloading. Not sure if I caught if you are into reloading or not. Anyway, I started with a savage 10 fcp-k in .308 that shot awesome. I then went to work on it and had it turned it into a 300WSM, then put a full aluminum chassis on it that folds and has a nice AI style mag. Excellent optics. When I had the chamber cut to 300wsm I had already chosen the 208amax for loading so I got the length I wanted. Luckily the savage short actions are on the long side as they can handle a longer OAL. Now the varying target options (coyote, moose, deer, paper, or fruit) are simply handled with different weights of bullets. I just loaded up a few 110 v-max bullets for coyotes etc, I have 155.5 fullbores, 168, 175s if I want, and the high BC bullet lilke the 208amax works really well. Many more choices if you like. I also purchased an Eberlestock back pack with a full width rifle scabard built in to it if I want to take this rather heavy rifle out and about. But when I go hunting, I slip off the aluminum chassis and slap it back into the original stock to save the weight etc. The only thing to do next is to learn your scope changes for the different weight of bullets.

Maybe its a poor mans MSR, but its working for me.

Best of luck.
 
I would do a custom build for the $$$ before buying a factory gun, I built a custom rig two months ago that meets all of your requirements for roughly 4k. Not saying there is anything wrong with a factory gun but if your spending the money IMHO get the gun exactly how you want it
 
budget $6-7000.. id say Custom rifle all the way!! just build one or two that suits your taste and carry that around. Thats what i have been doing for last few years and always tell my self its a hunting rifle before build. after build, its my LR shooter and conversation piece. Thats about it.

Build your self a tacticool long range rifle or cool looking hunter rig .... or.... BOTH!!
 
The more I read the more I am considering going the custom route...
I am actually seriously considering the eliseo rtm route, the chassis is designed to go from short to long action and some custom manufacturers are making actions designed for this.
I do reload so that helps, I do have a .300WSM as well, model 70. hate the internal mag though and I am limited with stock options and parts.
also I have eberlestock as well, thumbs up to it, quite a versatile pack.
 
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