‘Entry level Rifle Setup’

jumrobe · Monday at 11:04 AM

Looking to dip my toes into the bolt gun world after spending all of my time in the AR world. Looking for viable options under $3k that can either be built or turnkeyed from a reputable company.

So far I’ve got the list of turnkey rifles at:
- MPA Matrix Pro PMR
- Aero Solus Competition
- Seekins Havak HIT Pro M3
- Tikka T3X Ace Target

All would be in 6.5 Creedmoor as I’ve got 2 AR10’s already chambered in that round, and good factory ammo is readily available.

I’m currently leaning towards the Seekins because of the quick change barrel option, but I’ve heard there are issues with the HIT taking pre-fits if I ever wanted to change calibers or upgrade barrels.

Are there other options I should be considering? Is it worth looking to assemble a rifle with a $3k budget?

diggler1833 · Monday at 11:14 AM

If you possess the aptitude to change your oil, and don't mind spending $200 on a barrel vice and an action wrench...you can piece together a build with parts you prefer for close to the same price.

The Seekins will allow you to swap barrels on the HIT without a vice...so there is a benefit to that.

None of the options you listed are "shitty", but certain guys will have a preference (bias frequently based on what they bought) for one or the other. The CDG action on the PMR and Solus action probably offer the most prefit options when you wear your first barrel out.

Your best bet is to find the one that has the features you want and not second guess yourself.

Dead Eye Dick · Monday at 11:42 AM

If you really don’t want to build, put the GAP PPR on your list. If you’ve built AR’s as my son also has, building a bolt rifle is a piece of cake. So that is definitely an option.

I like the 6.5 Creedmoor, but here’s something to think about. Just because you may be set up to load a caliber, does not mean it will be cheaper to load for another but different rifle. I tried that, and would up buying another set of dies set up for the second rifle, (chambers are all different, especially when you go from Semi Auto’s to match chambers in a precision rifle) and you’ll want to keep your brass separate so all new brass is needed and brass boxes and if you use a different primer (I kept my cases separated by one rifle shooting large primer brass and the second using small primer brass) and of course, powder choices will be different, probably bullet choices will be different,

So, you see the issue, it’s identical to loading to separate calibers. I was using a 6.5 CM and a 6GT. Rebarreled the 6.5 to GT to avoid that but now having similar issues with one rifle shooting better with Federal primers. What a mess, fun though it is.

Again, 6’s are good, but I still like the 6.5 CM which seems to be the easy button to load for.

jumrobe · Monday at 2:57 PM

diggler1833 said:
If you possess the aptitude to change your oil, and don't mind spending $200 on a barrel vice and an action wrench...you can piece together a build with parts you prefer for close to the same price.

The Seekins will allow you to swap barrels on the HIT without a vice...so there is a benefit to that.

None of the options you listed are "shitty", but certain guys will have a preference (bias frequently based on what they bought) for one or the other. The CDG action on the PMR and Solus action probably offer the most prefit options when you wear your first barrel out.

Your best bet is to find the one that has the features you want and not second guess yourself.

All good points. I definitely have the aptitude to put a bolt gun together, I’m just not sure I want the additional specialized tools on top of what I already have for my AR builds.

The CDG action on the MPA really does make that a hell of a package at the price point it’s at.

I originally was thinking Solus because of price point, but the chatter about terrible CS and nothing being in stock has me leaning other directions.

The only hangup I really have on the Seekins is the fact it isn’t compatible with other chassis, and the uncertainty on pre-fits.

Dead Eye Dick said:
If you really don’t want to build, put the GAP PPR on your list. If you’ve built AR’s as my son also has, building a bolt rifle is a piece of cake. So that is definitely an option.

I like the 6.5 Creedmoor, but here’s something to think about. Just because you may be set up to load a caliber, does not mean it will be cheaper to load for another but different rifle. I tried that, and would up buying another set of dies set up for the second rifle, (chambers are all different, especially when you go from Semi Auto’s to match chambers in a precision rifle) and you’ll want to keep your brass separate so all new brass is needed and brass boxes and if you use a different primer (I kept my cases separated by one rifle shooting large primer brass and the second using small primer brass) and of course, powder choices will be different, probably bullet choices will be different,

So, you see the issue, it’s identical to loading to separate calibers. I was using a 6.5 CM and a 6GT. Rebarreled the 6.5 to GT to avoid that but now having similar issues with one rifle shooting better with Federal primers. What a mess, fun though it is.

Again, 6’s are good, but I still like the 6.5 CM which seems to be the easy button to load for.

GAP does make a hell of a rifle. My only hesitation on the PPR is that I’m 99% sure I want a chassis and not a stock based on my time spent with ARs.

I’m wanting to stick with 6.5 Creed simply to not add another round to the ones I have to inventory. While there are ‘better’ PRS cartridges available, I don’t think a 6.5 will be a limiting factor for my performance for quite awhile.

Dead Eye Dick · Monday at 3:32 PM

Really the only specialized tool to build a bolt rifle is a torque wrench which having built rifles, I am sure you have, a barrel vice which you may or may not have and an action wrench.

The action wrench is specialized to your action but that’s it.

As far as MPA, they will take good care of you. I own MPA built rifles but had them long enough and done enough such as barrel changes it kind a makes them my own now. Can’t complain about MPA. Got a problem, either Phil or Woody will make it right.

mj23polaris · Monday at 4:29 PM

If your looking to go headfirst in PRS get the MPA.

If you’re looking to do all get a Seekins. The new M3 doesn’t have the limitations on barrel tenon dia like the previous generation like I have.

I have 3 barrels for my HIT, a 223, 6.5 creed steel and 6.5 creed carbon. Shoot PRS with the steel, shoot NRL hunter with the carbon, practice with the 223. The new action does seem a tad smother, I messed with one in scheels the other day. With some dry fire and lube I’m sure it’ll be nice.

The quick change is awesome.

I had wobble develop in my folder when locked out, they replaced the chassis.

If you get a PRS membership Eurooptic does good discounts on barrels and rifles for seekins.

Again if you were wanting to compete in PRS strictly there are better rifles. I’ve had mine over a year now and burned a 6.5 steel barrel out last year shooting matches learned so much with this rifle. But towards end of this year I’ll build a dedicated PRS rig and save the seekins for find and range matches.
View attachment IMG_2074.jpeg

jumrobe · Monday at 5:45 PM

mj23polaris said:
If your looking to go headfirst in PRS get the MPA.

If you’re looking to do all get a Seekins. The new M3 doesn’t have the limitations on barrel tenon dia like the previous generation like I have.

I have 3 barrels for my HIT, a 223, 6.5 creed steel and 6.5 creed carbon. Shoot PRS with the steel, shoot NRL hunter with the carbon, practice with the 223. The new action does seem a tad smother, I messed with one in scheels the other day. With some dry fire and lube I’m sure it’ll be nice.

The quick change is awesome.

I had wobble develop in my folder when locked out, they replaced the chassis.

If you get a PRS membership Eurooptic does good discounts on barrels and rifles for seekins.

Again if you were wanting to compete in PRS strictly there are better rifles. I’ve had mine over a year now and burned a 6.5 steel barrel out last year shooting matches learned so much with this rifle. But towards end of this year I’ll build a dedicated PRS rig and save the seekins for find and range matches.
View attachment 8653528

This is exactly the type of feedback I was looking for. I’m not going headlong into PRS, more PRS curious and want something that will not be a limiting factor in my performance without going the full custom route.

Sounds like the M3 version of the Seekins is a hell of a lot of gun for the money.

st1650 · 2025-04-01T12:33:52-0400

MPA PMR for the ARC CDG action and AW magazines, especially if you plan to run some kind of creed flavour. Nothing feeds like a dual stack AW into a coned breech barrel.

jumrobe · 2025-04-01T20:20:36-0400

st1650 said:
MPA PMR for the ARC CDG action and AW magazines, especially if you plan to run some kind of creed flavour. Nothing feeds like a dual stack AW into a coned breech barrel.

Yeah the MPA is a damned impressive offering.

What I’m not yet up to speed on is the AICS vs AW mag thing. I understand there are differences, but the pros of one compared to another I know nothing about.

buckleboy · 2025-04-02T12:14:04-0400

AW offers ten rounds in a shorter magazine than the 10-round AICS.
Ted from ARC has a video on the company website explaining how the bolt lug geometry on the CDG (a lug at 6 o’clock) works well with AW mags.
Of course that is really only a player for the .473 bolt faced cartridges.
Before I decided to divorce myself from the 6.5 PRC—and all things .264 bore—I had to know if my Nucleus/Mausingfield barrel would headspace on the CDG and how it would feed with AICS short action magnum mags in a Xylo. I did have to swap the mag latch on the Xylo (I knew that going in), but it still fed very smoothly.
That said, I agree that a .473 case w/ AIAW mags and a coned breech on a CDG is a thing of beauty.

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