I know nothing about precision rifles but I know I want to shoot the 6.5 Creedmoor round. I see Ruger, Mossberg, and Savage have PR’s that seem to be a good choice for a new shooter like me....Optics I will worry with after I acquire a rifle so wanted to ask for the forum’s guidance and recommendations on what may be my next purchase....

Some might ask - what do I want to shoot and what do I want to accomplish. Right now I just want to enjoy longer (200-600 yd) shooting. At this point no plans to shoot competitively just want to try something a little outside of my current comfort zone....Thanks for any suggestions or recommendations...Mark

Are you dead set on a bolt action or is a gas gun an option as well?

I think I would prefer a bolt action but my mind could be changed..I am under the impression that a bolt action for this type of shooting would lend itself to better accuracy but as I will not hesitate to say - I know nothing about this type of shooting and I am happy to listen and learn...Mark

In that price range, you’d be very well off with a Tikka T3x (pick whichever flavor you’d like, they have a ton of options, but the CTR would be my recommendation).

https://www.eurooptic.com/Tikk...TR-65-Creedmoor.aspx

The T3x UPR is brand new, might be worth a look. It’s basically a budget Sako TRG (Tikka is owned by Sako).

https://www.eurooptic.com/Tikk...ifle-JRTXU382CA.aspx

I agree about Tikka. The CTR may not have the chassis look but it's a great shooter. One of my coworkers got to shoot a 24" a few weeks ago @ 1000 yards and with a Hornady match load--I've forgotten which one--and he was amazed at how EASY (his description) it was to hit the steel plate at that distance.

If a chassis version is desirable, the T3x Tac A1 is about $300 above your max budget but in my op/ed is well worth the bump. I've sold a couple of those to regulars and both have gushed all sorts of platitudes and praise about the performance of their guns. It's also the one that I've been considering for down the road as well as I've become a big fan of the Tikka/Sako family of rifles.

MG - not to thread drift, but would you recommend a peek at Bergara as well? I don’t have any personal experience, but I’ve heard good things.

They are also well within that price range, so I thought I’d ask.

Another vote for the Tikka tac A1. Solid rifle, feature rich and a great shooter. My son has the Ruger RPR, and while he loves it, it does not compare to my Tikka. I have 2 Tikka's now and they the best shooting factory guns i have ever owned.

My T3x is more of a hunter (light stainless), but I've been really happy with it.

I'd have no problem looking st their target oriented options if I were in the market.

I was thinking Tikka when I read the title of the thread.

I think you are going to need to up your budget a bit. At $2000 I think you will have quite a few more options. Maybe look at LaRue if you do.

quote:

Originally posted by reloader-1:
MG - not to thread drift, but would you recommend a peek at Bergara as well? I don’t have any personal experience, but I’ve heard good things.

They are also well within that price range, so I thought I’d ask.

Early on I'd read similar positives about them. But then we ordered a batch. I've also learned a long time ago that not believing everything one reads or hears on the web is generally a good habit to follow.

From our experiences on the sales side, Bergara hasn't really ignited as much interest as we hoped when we brought them on. One regular bought a .308 HMR elsewhere and had it transferred in through us. He apparently didn't inspect the rifle when he came to do his background check, because shortly thereafter he did nothing but gripe incessantly about how the stock/chassis was not properly free floating with the receiver/barrel (offset to one side). I looked at it and sure enough it was shifted over so that the barrel was in contact with the left side of the stock/chassis. After our own order of their rifles started coming in, we found that one of our own Bergaras was similarly off-center between stock and receiver/barrel. I really don't want to crack a smart ass comment about Spaniards and post-lunch afternoon nap time, but obviously they seem to have some issues regarding quality control with at least with a few of their guns, siestas notwithstanding.

That all being said, we sold another customer a Bergara in 6.5 PRC and almost right out of the box he's been fairly happy with his, though less happy with the Vortex Viper FFP that we sold him at the same time; he's now looking at Leupold which is what ultimately what I told him to go with over Vortex since he rejected my initial Swarovski suggestion (hey, it's not MY money...). As for the rest of our Bergara inventory: they're doing a magnificent job of collecting dust on our rifle racks. Relatively speaking they are rather heavy guns that are somewhat unwieldy when handling and don't offer that trendy alloy "tacticool" look that so many gun shoppers are seduced by with these sorts of LD rifles. None of that of course reflects on their actual shooting performance, but when they don't real show well in the gun shop they also become a VERY hard sale. And without many sales (and subsequent range experiences) to reflect up and get feedback on, it's awfully hard for me to draw any definitive conclusions about Bergara or their products in a whole house kind of manner.

Their rifles are worth "a peek" certainly, but whether they ARE as good as the internet apparently claims them to be? Maybe, or quite possibly not. I only really know one solid thing regarding Bergaras: I DO NOT LIKE how they don't sell, especially given their relative dealer cost levels.

Guys - Merry Christmas and thanks for taking time to provide guidance and recommendations. I had never even looked at or considered the Tikka rifle because I know nothing about this shooting discipline.

Reloader and Mono - Thanks for the links and the feedback from actual customers. In looking at the route I recently took with my Remington 5R set up I am really really happy with the idea of spending a little more up front and getting the chassis version so the T3x Tac A1 Model may be the one I go with...

Now to save a little more and grab one of these beauties in the near future...Once I do I will circle back to ask for recommendations on a good quality optic set up that will allow these 61 year old eyes to see targets out to 600-800 yds (800 might be extreme but better to buy for that and not need it).....

Thanks again to everyone for your comments and recommendations...Truly never would have thought to look at this product line had All of you taken the time to respond to my inquiry....Mark

start out with a rifle with a chassis with removable mags what ever you do. It gets very pricey buying a baseline gun and than keep adding to it to make you shoot better. The only thing left of my Savage is the receiver and bolt everything else has been changed out. Good Luck withit, Kevin

I have a Tikka T3X CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor and love it. Most bang for the buck out there in a precision rifle.

For a off the shelf rifle the Tikka's are a great value. I recently helped a friend who wanted to get into shooting to 500yds. We went with a Tikka T3 Varmint in 223 and dropped it in a XLR Element chassis. Cost less the Tikka chassis model put that savings towards optics. XLR chassis is very well machined. Nice set up for the money.

Another option would be to pull the barrel off of your 5R and have it re-barreled to a 6.5CM. If you reload, would suggest a 6.5x47 and a couple other calibers over the 6.5CM. The advantage to the above is you could put the money you were going to spend in another rifle... into a match barrel, better optics... Also for someone new to long range precision shooting switching between platforms with different stocks, cheek positions, trigger reach, grip.... longer learning curve to build consistency with two platforms vs one. Also once you shoot a 6.5CM that 308 will gather dust! Some food for thought. Have fun!

Another suggestion to consider Tikka rifles. As reviewed here, I am extremely happy with my TAC A1 in 6.5 Creedmoor.

quote:

Originally posted by Tgrshrk99:
I have a Tikka T3X CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor and love it. Most bang for the buck out there in a precision rifle.

I have one of these and I’m extremely happy with it.

quote:

Originally posted by offgrid:
For a off the shelf rifle the Tikka's are a great value. I recently helped a friend who wanted to get into shooting to 500yds. We went with a Tikka T3 Varmint in 223 and dropped it in a XLR Element chassis. Cost less the Tikka chassis model put that savings towards optics. XLR chassis is very well machined. Nice set up for the money.

Another option would be to pull the barrel off of your 5R and have it re-barreled to a 6.5CM. If you reload, would suggest a 6.5x47 and a couple other calibers over the 6.5CM. The advantage to the above is you could put the money you were going to spend in another rifle... into a match barrel, better optics... Also for someone new to long range precision shooting switching between platforms with different stocks, cheek positions, trigger reach, grip.... longer learning curve to build consistency with two platforms vs one. Also once you shoot a 6.5CM that 308 will gather dust! Some food for thought. Have fun!

Offgrid - Never thought to consider this as an option. What barrel system would you recommend that I could bolt directly to my current Remington 5R receiver? I would want a barrel that is threaded so I can use my suppressor. This could save me a ton of money....Thanks for posting this option for me to consider....

If you decide to go with a new rifle, Tikkas are hard to beat. I would also recommend a Howa 1500.

I have a Howa .308 that came in a KRG Bravo chassis and it is a very sweet shooter. LSI no longer offers the Howa Bravo, but they offer the same rifle with an Oryx chassis made by MDT.

quote:

Originally posted by sigarmsp226:

quote:

Originally posted by offgrid:
For a off the shelf rifle the Tikka's are a great value. I recently helped a friend who wanted to get into shooting to 500yds. We went with a Tikka T3 Varmint in 223 and dropped it in a XLR Element chassis. Cost less the Tikka chassis model put that savings towards optics. XLR chassis is very well machined. Nice set up for the money.

Another option would be to pull the barrel off of your 5R and have it re-barreled to a 6.5CM. If you reload, would suggest a 6.5x47 and a couple other calibers over the 6.5CM. The advantage to the above is you could put the money you were going to spend in another rifle... into a match barrel, better optics... Also for someone new to long range precision shooting switching between platforms with different stocks, cheek positions, trigger reach, grip.... longer learning curve to build consistency with two platforms vs one. Also once you shoot a 6.5CM that 308 will gather dust! Some food for thought. Have fun!

Offgrid - Never thought to consider this as an option. What barrel system would you recommend that I could bolt directly to my current Remington 5R receiver? I would want a barrel that is threaded so I can use my suppressor. This could save me a ton of money....Thanks for posting this option for me to consider....

Buy a barrel blank, bring/send the blank and your 5R barreled action to a gunsmith who will chamber/thread for suppressor/install the barrel. Your action will need to trued as well. All this is very easy! If this is of interest, I can post links.

Do you reload now or have plans of reloading?