budget vs quality vs looks

I'll throw something else out there :-

1. stick to a .308 ( longest barrel life, super easy to load for and components available everywhere as is factory match ammo )
2. buy a Remington 700 R5 ( comes with HR Precision stock, never heard of one that wasn't a shooter and hold value real well on resale ) [say $1300]
3. buy a Bushnell DMRii 3.5-21x50 (seriously, I have some really nice glass but just bought two of these - the very best value out there in FFP Mil/Mil) [say $1700]
4. buy Harris bipod
5. make a rear bag - old shirt sleeve filled with sand will work

Now go and shoot - pills in the 175g over about 43.5 Varget will likely put 5 shots inside a nickel (a dime if you do your part).
 
Have you considered a 6.5x55. It will do everything the 6.5 CM will do and you can get a good heavy barrel CG63 target rifle from Tradeex for less than 500.00
 
jon1985 said:
I am in the research phase of buying a long range shooter. I will be shooting it initially at 200, but by the end of june I should have access to 600+ and hopefully 900 by the end of the summer. I have the property, but it is currently farm rows so there are tree lines to cut, and back stops to make.

I think I have settled on 6.5 creedmoor over .308. The problem I am having is there doesn't seem to be many rifles under $1300 with a heavy barrel in 6.5cm. The rifles I have found are the Savage BA10 Stealth and the RPR and the Ruger Predetor (sort of a hybrid barrel between hunting and heavy barrel). The problem is, I was hoping to keep the budget under $2400 but if I spend $1500 +/- on the rifle that doesn't leave much for glass, especially considering the RPR enhanced is $1700.

Is there a rifle with a heavy barrel in 6.5 that Im missing? Would I be better of putting a heavy barrel on a different 6.5 action?

EDIT: I currently reload .223 and 9mm so will buy dies for 6.5 when I purchase the rifle.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Going through a similar problem. I would have preferred the 6.5 Creedmoor but ended up getting a Browning X Bolt Target in 308 from Italian Sporting Goods for $1080(10% sale price). Just couldn't find a Creedmoor anywhere in Canada. Supposedly they make them but probably selling to well in the US to make it up here. Mutter Mutter. It has a 28" bull barrel, adjustable trigger, thumbhole stock. Still in the testing phase so can't really comment on accuracy other than to say it was doing 1" groups at 100yards with 145gr PPU ammo straight out of the box and a 1-4 Optic. So I think it has promise. I am now saving my pennies. Will reload once I have built up all the bits and pieces. I figure once I wear out the barrel, if I ever do, I can switch it to 260 Remington with only a barrel change and be pretty much the same as the Creedmoor. The 260 is supposed to perform pretty much as well as the Creedmoor.
 
I'll throw something else out there :-

1. stick to a .308 ( longest barrel life, super easy to load for and components available everywhere as is factory match ammo )
2. buy a Remington 700 R5 ( comes with HR Precision stock, never heard of one that wasn't a shooter and hold value real well on resale ) [say $1300]
3. buy a Bushnell DMRii 3.5-21x50 (seriously, I have some really nice glass but just bought two of these - the very best value out there in FFP Mil/Mil) [say $1700]
4. buy Harris bipod
5. make a rear bag - old shirt sleeve filled with sand will work

Now go and shoot - pills in the 175g over about 43.5 Varget will likely put 5 shots inside a nickel (a dime if you do your part).
Click to expand...

Pretty much this.^^
 
jon1985,

I get where Tomochan and Perkins are going with the 308, as it has many things going for it. It's common and easy to find brass and bullets at any quality level. As for 1000 yard performance, with good components and hand loads it is surprising how well it can do.

I also get why you like a 6.5 Creedmore as it will out perform the 308 in certain conditions and with less recoil.

I will throw out a word of caution on the 308 though... and it's the action length. If you want to build a competition rig, the loaded rounds can get too long for a typical 308 length action. You are actually better off to use a 30-06 action for a 308 tricked out for long range shooting, that way you can actually eject a loaded high VLD round. (You an always eject a fired case, but loaded rounds can get very long with heavy VLD bullets, and then you cant eject)

Now further to this point.... you mentioned the RPR... well the 223 version is actually a 308 length action... meaning that you can load 223 to an overall length of 2.6 inches and feed from a mag. BTW the Ruger 223 mags supplied for the RPR are excellent and can hold rounds up to 2.6 inches long. BTW the 223 throat on the RPR when new will allow you to jam at 2.5 inches with 80 grain SMKs.

As for cost savings, I would probably direct you toward a Tikka and gradually over time upgrade it. The platform is solid and the action is smooth. Plastic parts can be upgraded and any shortcomings can be improved.

The problem with the RPR is that the action is crude as hell and I could write a book on what's wrong with it and why it is not smooth. You might also begin to question consistent firing pin ignition with the way the bolt is assembled. While the gun has it's coolness point's it could never become as much of a pleasure to own as a tweaked Tikka in a nice Cadex chassis.
 
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