First Precision Rifle

[Creedmoor]

How am I a meanie?

PURPLE

 

[55fairlane]

PURPLE

Ahhh copy that!

 

[Jarvitron]

I haven't fallen into the 6.5 trap yet. Ugh, more dies and gages to buy.
I do like the way those 6.5 bullets fly.

It's just a really nice cartridge, from a shooting and reloading standpoint. The biggest problem I ran into is that the powder was scarce on the ground during the worst of covid (and of course the large rifle primer problem) but right now there's two discount options in the classifieds that will keep you shooting creed until it warms back up again at least, and there's at least a few options for SRP brass now. (alpha and Starline IIRC)

 

[teddy12b]

Honestly, there's never been a better time for factory rifles and factory ammunition. Going custom in guns or handloads is even better, but doesn't mean the factory stuff is junk by any stretch. The longest shots of my life have been factory hornady 140gr eld match at 1942 yards and I got two hits with two shots, but what do I know.

The last match I shot at was Guardian in Michigan and the first day I used my custom 6.5cm and the second day I used my Tikka CTR 308. We did pretty well.

The thing of it is simply this, you can be a fan of remingtons, savages, tikkas, ruger, custom or whatever, but if you shoot long enough you'll see guys with every brand do really well and really bad. You'll see guys with cheap rifles and great handloads do awesome, and you'll see guys with fancy rifles and their special handloads that won't chamber. You can listen to a group of AMU guys (and I have) and they argue about calibers and guns just like the rest of the internet does. My buddy who's half blind and I beat an AMU team during one particular stage at Mammoth a couple years ago and we got to tease them about it for the rest of the match. Everyone comes up with a different answer to the same question and the only thing that matters if you can make it work when needed.

At the end of the day, get some type of quality rifle with a quality scope, with some quality ammo and learn how to use the thing. There's nothing special about my Tikka CTR in 308, but with surplus M118 175gr I think it'll outperform most people capabilities in real life. Keep in mind I'm not saying that CTR with M118 ammo trying to sound smart. It actually hurts my pride a little bit because I've got several hundred pieces of lapua brass and all the other components to make "the good stuff", but for as good as that ammo shoots it's not worth my time.

 

[Creedmoor]

It's just a really nice cartridge, from a shooting and reloading standpoint. The biggest problem I ran into is that the powder was scarce on the ground during the worst of covid (and of course the large rifle primer problem) but right now there's two discount options in the classifieds that will keep you shooting creed until it warms back up again at least, and there's at least a few options for SRP brass now. (alpha and Starline IIRC)

I've thought about it more than once, I have a few 700 actions with the correct bolt face to do one. I probably have 500 - 750 pieces of brass that we have picked up while shoot at Wabash over the last few years.
Believe me, I'm good with powder and primers for my great grand kids and I dont have any grand kids yet. I would have to buy bullets, dies, gauges and the needed conversion parts for a Dillon.

 

[Jarvitron]

Honestly, there's never been a better time for factory rifles and factory ammunition. Going custom in guns or handloads is even better, but doesn't mean the factory stuff is junk by any stretch.

At the end of the day, get some type of quality rifle with a quality scope, with some quality ammo and learn how to use the thing. There's nothing special about my Tikka CTR in 308, but with surplus M118 175gr I think it'll outperform most people capabilities in real life. Keep in mind I'm not saying that CTR with M118 ammo trying to sound smart. It actually hurts my pride a little bit because I've got several hundred pieces of lapua brass and all the other components to make "the good stuff", but for as good as that ammo shoots it's not worth my time.

This is exactly how I feel about 308. With 6.5 Creedmoor I can do a little reloading and get just a bit better than Hornady Match (and a bit cheaper) but with 308 I just buy federal GMM 168gn and shoot it because it's not worth my time to try to beat.