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Joined: Jan 2018
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There is a couple things you’re guaranteed to see when reading the Fire and looking over many subsections..The 6.5 Creedmoor or some other 6.5 X ??? Version is being discussed. Or, it’s the 6.5 bullets, powders and load curiosity...Both dominating many threads. Throw in a couple helpings of Tikka and your have a 5-8 page thread going for several days...

Mule Deer has a thread going on right now where he’s explaining why the 6.5 Creedmoor is such a damn good shooting cartridge even out of factory rigs. It appears for those living under a rock, owning a 6.5 Creedmoor will bring a smile of satisfaction to a fellers face...

With that said...If a guy wanted to buy a 6.5 Creedmoor, which rifle maker would he get the best accuracy from? Which rifle would hold up to volume shooting and possibly hard hunting? Price range for the rig alone would be $1200 or there about out of the box.

You can suggest a rifle, but add, that you’d have it restocked with “Blank” aftermarket furniture. Or, replace anything plastic to metal...Anything to improve upon the rifle if it’s lacking in certain features...Basically giving me a quick garage build of improvements to the rifle you’ve suggested, if you believe it’s warranted and or needed to make it perfect in your mind.

I have looked at and held a Bergara B14 HMR last week. I liked the stock capabilities to raise or lower comb height if desired. I also found the stock to feel solid and stiff....Front end balance wasn’t bad. Overall, it felt like a well made rifle. I also like the appearance of the Tikka T3x CTR in 6.5....But, I’ve never fondled one...I know next to nothing about the Bergara or the Tikka, Educate me on them if you see them as a good choice.

Feel free to suggest another manufacturer except Kimber. I lost at the Lottery Roulette on my last Kimber...It still stings a bit, No Kimbers.

Thanks for the ideas in advance...Oh, What would I do with it? Shoot it at my range. Maybe use it for coyote hunting. Likely make it into my truck gun for opportunities than come up while rolling in the woods...😎


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My top pick would be that HMR. But then again I have one so I am a little biased. My next pick would be Bergara's Ridge rifle. Same action and barrel taper as the HMR but in a hunting stock. 3rd would be the Tikka

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For my money, Barrett Fieldcraft. I like the 21-inch barrel.


"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated." Thomas Paine
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Originally Posted by RickBin
For my money, Barrett Fieldcraft. I like the 21-inch barrel.


This. "Quick garage build improvements" of adding scope and mounts............

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I have a tikka it shoots well lot of people on here have a the ctr


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On a $1,200 budget I would buy a Weatherby Weatherguard and bed the barreled action in a McMillan Hunter stock.

I did this with a Vanguard2 and it made a really good rifle great. It isn't a light mountain rifle, but it would be a prime candidate for use within the parameters that you set; "Shoot it at my range. Maybe use it for coyote hunting. Likely make it into my truck gun for opportunities than come up while rolling in the woods...😎".

I have 6.5 Creedmoors from Howa, Marlin/Savage, Remington, Ruger, Savage, and Weatherby.

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CTR for the win.... by a mile.


You better pray to the God of Skinny Punks that this wind doesn't pick up......
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Sauer 100 XT is my recommendation. Mine shoots tight groups, meaning around .75" with several factory loads. I've worked up a load it shoots really well, 42.5 gr of H4350 and 143 ELD-X bullets, shooting sub MOA 5-round groups at 2750 fps. It also shoots 140 gr Nosler Partitions with 41.5 gr IMR4350 equally well and at the same velocity. It has a 1-8.66" twist, but that sure seems fast enough to stabilize these heavier bullets. The trigger on this rifle is just outstanding, too, IMO even better than my Tikka. The Sauer also has all metal bottom metal and a flush five round magazine. You should really check these rifles out.

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While having no need for a Creedmoor, since I'm more than happy with the 260s I've been shooting for
20 years now....

if the need were there, it would be a Vanguard, no question at all....


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The FC is about $400 more for the cheapest place I've found (Whittaker's).

At your limit, I'd look at a Ruger Hawkeye Predator ($900), a Vanguard (?), or a Tikka. I like SS myself, and laminated over plastic (not FG or Kevlar, etc) when weight's not an issue.

Or buy a cheapo, great glass, and a bunch of whatever factory ammo it likes.


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Beaver,


Having used every rifle mentioned, most quite extensively, except the Sauer; it takes a very specific reason for me not to go Tikka T3.

Now I may use rifles and equipment different than most, but they get used heavily and a barrel on any individual rifle seldom lasts a year.

With seeing multiples of identical rifles shot side by side the Tikka T3/x offers-

1) The best factory barrel available. Even on match guns for PRS/sniper matches we haven’t replaced the factory barrel until it’s shot out.

2) The smoothest action, with very good extraction and ejection that is consistently not as effected by blowing sand and dust as most others.

3) Great triggers out of the box. Not only in weight and feel, but again in bad conditions with dust and freezing slush they do not suffer the reliability problems that most others do (Remington 700 based triggers).

4) Factory synthetic stocks that are entirely usable, and FAR stiffer than any Remington, Winchester, Savage, etc factory plastic stock.





When laid out side by side there just isn’t an objective reason from a function standpoint to choose most others. For instance the Weatherby Vanguard suggestion. I have shot and seen shot several Vanguards and we have a Howa Alpine (which was the best version of it). And while solid rifles, none of them have been as accurate or as easy to find loads for as the worst of a couple dozen T3’s. Barrels not as good, triggers decent with only minor issues so far, action is nowhere close, and stock design/shape not as good.

For the Ruger 77- barrels haven’t been as accurate, though they have been decent and others have seen great precision, triggers OTB not as good, action is extremely rough, less options and compromised options for rails unless you want the factory setup, stocks good but not better. The Ruger American... no. They can shoot good to great, but stocks are garbage, mags show issues.. just the stocks alone... It’s a cheap gun.

Remington 700- quite possibly the worst major manufacturer. Actions not machined square, base screw holes miss-aligned, the worst trigger design, barrels are extremely variable- some good, some horrible, stocks not as stiff, etc.




As an objective view if I (and I have) need to pick a rifles setup for 20-30 guns that will just work and show excellent precision, excellent reliability, ease of use, and just generally no problems- the T3 is an easy choice. I’ve done the same with Remington. I’ve done the same with Winchester. I’ve done the same with Ruger. We’ve had considerably more problems with all of those than any of the Tikkas.

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Yeah, Tikkas are fine, until you have a magazine fall out.....just enough to not cycle a round, from the junky release being tripped by brush. Or having the safety inadvertently pushed off by brush, because the safety is both easy to move and short in stroke. Major negatives that I've encountered with the Tikka T3, which I haven't seen happen with Ruger 77s or Remington 700s.

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But at least Tikkas make holes close together in paper, which so many here like to brag about. So they have that going for them, which is nice.

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I have a Ruger Hawkeye Predator in 6.5 CM and it's been a very good rifle. Action smooths out with use, trigger is good, it's very accurate, the stock is laminate. Only trade-off is it weighs a bit more, which can be good or bad depending on use and the user.

I'm really liking a Kimber Montana (this one is in 280AI) so far but working on shooting it more accurately from field positions, it's light so that makes it a bit more challenging. It has an excellent trigger and stock. No complaints at all so far on the Kimber either.


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Originally Posted by JCMCUBIC
Originally Posted by RickBin
For my money, Barrett Fieldcraft. I like the 21-inch barrel.


This. "Quick garage build improvements" of adding scope and mounts............


I just picked up a 21" Barrett Fieldcraft in 6.5 CM. My garage fix were Talley LWTs and a Swarovski scope.

My 5th, 6th and 7th shots were touching with Hornady ELD-X. (The first 4 shots were with Hornady Whitetail to find the paper and dirty the barrel.)

My buddy wouldn't spend the extra bucks on the Fieldcraft and bought a Browning Hells Canyon in 6.5 CM.

I'm certainly not envious, but he likes his, as well.

donsm70

Last edited by donsm70; 05/26/18.

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Bergara. Scope it up, sight it in, and see if you can wear it out.


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Originally Posted by Dogshooter
CTR for the win.... by a mile.


^^^^ 😉 ^^^^


"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."
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Originally Posted by prairie_goat
Yeah, Tikkas are fine, until you have a magazine fall out.....just enough to not cycle a round, from the junky release being tripped by brush. Or having the safety inadvertently pushed off by brush, because the safety is both easy to move and short in stroke. Major negatives that I've encountered with the Tikka T3, which I haven't seen happen with Ruger 77s or Remington 700s.


I must be lucky. Never had an issue with any one of 10 T3s mags not being in battery. Ill go one better. I fired a 280 Remington cartridge in a T3 7 Rem mag. Let's just say it was exhilarating. The bottom of the mag was blown completely out of the rifle. Found it a few ft from the bench. I couldn't locate the rest of the mag. While holding snow on my cheek to take the sting out,I examined the rest of the rifle. The outer magazine was still in tact,and in battery. People have been berating Tikkas plastic mags since their debut. Like I said. I must be one lucky summitch.


"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."
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Originally Posted by prairie_goat
Yeah, Tikkas are fine, until you have a magazine fall out.....just enough to not cycle a round, from the junky release being tripped by brush. Or having the safety inadvertently pushed off by brush, because the safety is both easy to move and short in stroke. Major negatives that I've encountered with the Tikka T3, which I haven't seen happen with Ruger 77s or Remington 700s.


Man you must be one unlucky SOB. I’ve dragged Tikkas up and down the mountains sheep hunting, slung to a pack , on 4wheelers, in and out of gun boots, in river boats, experienced slips and falls and have literally never experienced any of the above. Nor has any of my buddies that shoot Tikkas or I’d surely hear about it!

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Yeah, I've owned and hunted many Tikkas since 1998, and drug them around Mexico, Afica, and several US states. I've never had any of these so called "issues" with functionality. Not with the plastic, mags, rings, safety, nothing, nada. I've probably "sold" 50 of them to various friends, hunters, etc we've had in camp. They are a no-brainer in my book anyway.


It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
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