Jeepers, some of you guys are a hoot. It wasn't too long ago that people were poopooing plastic stocks, magazines, and the pillar bedding performed on stocks made from recycled milk jugs.
Ruger, Savage, etc. are pumping out less expensive rifles that shoot better than custom jobs of 20+ years ago.
Steve,
Apparently you don't realize that many discriminating Campfire members can tell how accurately (or inaccurately) a rifle will shoot by it's price or looks, or even just by how it feels--if they condescend to touch the thing.
I noticed that.
A lot of people here can remember when rifle stocks were almost exclusively made of wood. Even the so called "budget rifles" had walnut stocks. But something happened. More stocks were made with birch or beech or something, and people complained. The stocks weren't as well finished. Gone were the rich, darker tones of quality walnut. And some people said that these cheaply stocked rifles weren't as tight shooting as their more upscale counterparts.
In 1983, I got a Rem 788 in 222 Remington that shot .5 inch groups with 4198 and Rem bulk bullets. It also had a cheap hardwood stock. That was in the daze before 788s became magical. Few people wanted them, at least, around here. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why half inch groups were possible from a cheaply stocked rifle.
My point is that companies have always tried to reduce costs by changing stocks, not offering iron sights, changing metal for stampings of even polymers. From my perspective, none of these changes has made any firearm less accurate. No company can afford to build a rifle that doesn't shoot. Their reputation is on the line. The method of assembly and materials must come together to create a firearm that is as accurate or better than the previous generation.
These advances sometimes come with the odd hiccup. The biggest hiccup however, is the consumer. He fights, kicking and screaming, railing against polymer magazines or cheap metal stampings. But the consumer rarely knows what he wants.
From the armourer's perspective, I have often wondered why all the rifle companies didn't use a form of Savage's screw on barrel or their plastic, pillar bedded stocks. For maintenance and cost reduction, this was the bee's knees. The bonus was, they shot well. But humans being what they are, the resistance was strong. They were ugly, would 'probably' break, and there was the big one, Savages never won shooting competitions. Of course, that nonsense has since been dispelled.
If looks are your thing, there are lots of aftermarket accessories to dress them up. And Savage did get rid of the old barrel nut to smooth out the lines.
Remington helped Savage out immensely. Remington was lost in the wilderness for years, trying to come up with a econo-rifle, but never getting the formula right. Winchester decided to change their rifle line as well and they got expensive. Ruger figured it out though. And for the US at least, more Euro-rifles hit your shores. You got more choices and the quality has improved, as much as many of you will disagree. The fact is, rifles and cartridges are better today than they were even ten years ago.
Now comes the Creedmoor. Pair it with these advances in rifle construction, and you have a winner. The barrel twist, throat, magazine length and the cartridge have come together to create that magic. We also have a lot more powder and bullet choices.
The only thing I would say is that with the Creedmoor cartridge and rifles, we have witnessed one of the few times that everyone did their part correctly and the end result came together perfectly.
You can do this with virtually any rifle cartridge now, but you will have to pay someone to change the barrel, change the throat or trigger. You can get the same performance as the Creedmoor, but at a price. Or you can simply go out and buy a rifle chamber in the 6.5 Creedmoor and be done with it. For me, this concept is what I have been screaming about for years. Give me a rifle that shoots well out of the box. One that doesn't need hundreds of dollars spent in aftermarket parts to make it better. Give me a rifle that is easy to work on, should I need to change the barrel or stock.
Well, they delivered, but I have no need for one.
