Got a hankering for a long range rig without going whole hog about it (i.e. $$$$) and currently sorting through all the wild hairs.
Looking at .224 and .243 diameters now since they don't cost too awful much to feed. Once you get into the 6.5mm bullets then you're talking $35 or more per 100 for decent slippery bullets.
Got a LH RAR .22-250 with 1:10 twist but have only tried standard weights in it so far - 50 and 55 grains; it does shoot great with those. Ordered a box each of Hornady 68 BTHP and Sierra 69 TMK and will see if it handles them well. But even if it does, .224 bullets suitable for a 1:10 max out around a BC of .375 or so. You have to get up into the 75-80 grains or higher range to get BC's even close to what the 6 or 6.5 mm offers.
Ruger makes a 6mm Creedmoor Predator pretty cheap so that's one turn key option. Right handed only but for a dedicated bench/bipod rifle that's not a big detriment. It's a 1:7.7 twist so it would handle the heaviest bullets on the market.
The LH Tikka .22-250 1:8 should handle the real heavyweights so that's another turn key option. Especially since it's pretty much guaranteed to shoot well with a good trigger, and I like that vertical replacement pistol grip you can put on it. Another thing in favor of the .22-250 is that recoil doesn't spoil your view of the target even in a light sporter rifle.
Then to further muddy the waters I already have a LH M700 with a .243 AI Pac-Nor barrel, it's twisted 1:9. It has some 3000+ rounds through it but so far still groups in the .3's. Throat's pretty worn but I haven't chased those lands to the end yet. I could rebarrel to .243 AI in 1:8 or 1:7.7, I still have the reamer (only used once so far), but would prefer to shoot the current barrel 'til it dies. Plus by the time you buy a new quality barrel and have it installed you've spent near the cost of a store-bought Tikka .22-250 anyway and more than that Ruger 6mm CM.
Decisions, decisions...
