6.5 creedmoor worth it for first prs?

[Remington92]

I’m sure this has been asked a million times but I’m going at the question from a different angle. I just competed in my first prs match this weekend and it was a blast and now I got the itch for a specific use rifle. The rifle I used is my main hunting rifle which is a 6.5prc tikka chopped to 22”, silencerco scythe, 3-12 lrhs , and a stockys vg stock. I shot middle of the pack which I was fairly proud of have never done anything like this but I could definitely tell the recoil was not helping me.
I also don’t want to roast the barrel out of my hunting rifle.

Seems like the default recommendation most make is to get a 6.5 creedmoor when beginning PRS and I’ve got a tikka 24” ctr sitting in my shopping cart ready to check out. My question is will 6.5 creedmoor be enough of a step down in recoil to justify a whole other rifle or should I just got full out and have a 6 dasher or gt spun up?

I should also add I’m in northwestern Montana so the rifle most likely will have to fight decent amount of wind and the shoot I went to this weekend ranged for 200yds to 1430yds.

 

[kthomas]

Go 6.5 Creedmoor.

Better in wind than the smaller 6's. I believe a lot of PRS shooters in the NW area tend to stick to the 6.5's - I could be wrong, but that's the impression I get from what I've been hearing.

You can always get a barrel down the road in a BR based cartridge if you want to explore different cartridges.

A hunting weight rifle probably isn't helping you much when it comes to recoil management, but be proud of finishing mid-pack on your first PRS match! If you do get another Tikka, you can set it up to be heavier than your hunting rifle. It also helps to have good fundamentals - a big one is being square behind your rifle. You'll be battling recoil if you aren't square behind the rifle, which is easy to do when rushing around a PRS stage.

 

[FuhQ]

I’m sure this has been asked a million times but I’m going at the question from a different angle. I just competed in my first prs match this weekend and it was a blast and now I got the itch for a specific use rifle. The rifle I used is my main hunting rifle which is a 6.5prc tikka chopped to 22”, silencerco scythe, 3-12 lrhs , and a stockys vg stock. I shot middle of the pack which I was fairly proud of have never done anything like this but I could definitely tell the recoil was not helping me.
I also don’t want to roast the barrel out of my hunting rifle.

Seems like the default recommendation most make is to get a 6.5 creedmoor when beginning PRS and I’ve got a tikka 24” ctr sitting in my shopping cart ready to check out. My question is will 6.5 creedmoor be enough of a step down in recoil to justify a whole other rifle or should I just got full out and have a 6 dasher or gt spun up?

I should also add I’m in northwestern Montana so the rifle most likely will have to fight decent amount of wind and the shoot I went to this weekend ranged for 200yds to 1430yds.

SOLUS Competition Rifle - 22" 6.5 Creedmoor, Sendero

Shop SOLUS Competition Rifle - 22" 6.5 Creedmoor, Sendero and more at AeroPrecisionUSA.com!

www.aeroprecisionusa.com

Mine is impressing me for a factory rifle... And this is with minimal load development with only 50 rounds down the barrel.

 

[sanjacinto]

6.5 would probably be fine to start but if I were you I’d shoot a couple more matches with what you have, check out some rifles other guys are shooting, and make sure the CTR’s what you really want. You might decide you want something you can add a little more weight to without changing out stocks

 

[Remington92]

The guys that I was squaded with were running a Ruger rpr and a similarly setup barrett in 6.5 creed. The guys who put it on run 6 dashers and the guys who won were running 6x47. My plan was to flip the ctr stock and most likely bottom metal as soon as I picked it up for a bravo or other chassis. I’ve looked for used tikkas or bare actions but they hold value so well it doesn’t make sense over buying new it seems

 

[Ruff 364]

6.5 CM was the round back in the day. It will serve you well.

This was before the present trend of 25+LBS rifles and the smallest cartridge you can find.

 

[spife7980]

I’m just as competitive with my 25lb 6.5 creed as I am with my 25lb 6 dasher

It’s not that competitive but still.

 

[Turkeytider]

I’m sure this has been asked a million times but I’m going at the question from a different angle. I just competed in my first prs match this weekend and it was a blast and now I got the itch for a specific use rifle. The rifle I used is my main hunting rifle which is a 6.5prc tikka chopped to 22”, silencerco scythe, 3-12 lrhs , and a stockys vg stock. I shot middle of the pack which I was fairly proud of have never done anything like this but I could definitely tell the recoil was not helping me.
I also don’t want to roast the barrel out of my hunting rifle.

Seems like the default recommendation most make is to get a 6.5 creedmoor when beginning PRS and I’ve got a tikka 24” ctr sitting in my shopping cart ready to check out. My question is will 6.5 creedmoor be enough of a step down in recoil to justify a whole other rifle or should I just got full out and have a 6 dasher or gt spun up?

I should also add I’m in northwestern Montana so the rifle most likely will have to fight decent amount of wind and the shoot I went to this weekend ranged for 200yds to 1430yds.

The CTR weighs about 7.5 lbs, I believe. If you want a Tikka with a bit more heft, take a look at the Super Varmint at 9.0 lbs. With the Arken scope, I’m pretty sure mine is up over 10 lbs. Still getting acquainted with mine at 200 rounds, but when I get the scope dialed in and don’t screw up the shots, it’ll stack 6.5 Creed rounds inside a 5” gong at 500 yards easily.

 

[kthomas]

The CTR weighs about 7.5 lbs, I believe. If you want a Tikka with a bit more heft, take a look at the Super Varmint at 9.0 lbs. With the Arken scope, I’m pretty sure mine is up over 10 lbs. Still getting acquainted with mine at 200 rounds, but when I get the scope dialed in and don’t screw up the shots, it’ll stack 6.5 Creed rounds inside a 5” gong at 500 yards easily.

IMO,

If you really want to turn a Tikka into a PRS rig, you are going to have to go aftermarket with a chassis to do so.

KRG, MDT, Spuhr, Vision, and others make chassis' for Tikka rifles.

And from here, the argument evolves into one of whether the Tikka is even a good value proposition in the first place, if you have to modify it that much to play the game...

 

[Rob01]

Also Tikka barrels are known to be slower as well. The 6.5 Creedmoor is a good cartridge for matches but I am not sure I would stick with a Tikka but if that;s the way you want to go OP it's up to you. I'd take a look in the PX and see what pops up. There are usually some 6.5s in there. I took a quick look and saw this one but not sure what you want to spend.

Firearms - Bighorn TL3 6.5 Creedmoor $2300 shipped

6.5 Creedmoor Bighorn TL3 Action w/ Std Bolt Face & Dmd Bolt Knob 20 MOA Rail Shilen MG Pre-Fit Barrel 26" / 6.5 Creedmoor 1:8 (NSS) Cerakoted by Battleborn Cerakote Mcmillan A5 Adjustable / Glass Pillar Bedded on the action and DBM Timney Calvin Elite 520CE trigger ZeroDelta Muzzle Brake 6.5...

www.snipershide.com

 

[Turkeytider]

I’m just as competitive with my 25lb 6.5 creed as I am with my 25lb 6 dasher

It’s not that competitive but still.

25 lbs! Whew! I would think some gym work would be necessary as preparation!

 

[Remington92]

I understand tikkas aren’t as liked here as other places. I still don’t really understand why, but Ill just say I’m not really interested in 700 style actions anymore.

 

[spife7980]

25 lbs! Whew! I would think some gym work would be necessary as preparation!

That’s why I laughed when you were talking about your heavy 223 awhile back, I’ve got a barrels that weighs that much

Sure is a pleasure to shoot though.

The more beer I drink and the longer I go without working out (I doubt age alone is the issue) the heavier it gets but once you learn how to leverage it with your body weight one handed maneuverability is generally possible unless you have to extend to put it down.

 

[kthomas]

I understand tikkas aren’t as liked here as other places. I still don’t really understand why, but Ill just say I’m not really interested in 700 style actions anymore.

Tikkas are great.

They just take a lot of work to make PRS ready, and at that point its worth asking if it's a good value proposition.

 

[Rob01]

I understand tikkas aren’t as liked here as other places. I still don’t really understand why, but Ill just say I’m not really interested in 700 style actions anymore.

It’s your money. Just trying to help you out from the beginning but get the Tikka and run it. Keep track of how much you spend to be match ready.

 

[Remington92]

It’s your money. Just trying to help you out from the beginning but get the Tikka and run it. Keep track of how much you spend to be match ready.

Sorry I hope I didn’t come across as snarky or dismissive. Could you point me in a direction of beginner/ low middle of the road? I saw the option you mentioned earlier but I was thing I could get into a solid build a fair bit lower with a tikka.

I should add I spend most my time on rockslide where tikka is the only viable option and I’ve been very happy with my prc so far. My rem 700 experience is also with oem 700s, Christensen, and Bergeras which have been hit and miss

 

[kthomas]

Sorry I hope I didn’t come across as snarky or dismissive. Could you point me in a direction of beginner/ low middle of the road? I saw the option you mentioned earlier but I was thing I could get into a solid build a fair bit lower with a tikka.

I should add I spend most my time on rockslide where tikka is the only viable option and I’ve been very happy with my prc so far. My rem 700 experience is also with oem 700s, Christensen, and Bergeras which have been hit and miss

Might be a good exercise to price stuff out.

Price out a Tikka after you mod it with chassis and aftermarket barrel.

Compare to options on the market like Zermatt Origin, Kelbly Atlas, BAT Igniter, ARC CDG, etc with similar options (chassis, barrel).

Tikkas are great rifles, but once you spend the money to get it PRS ready, you are competing with a lot of different customs.

 

[Remington92]

Are we talking after the factory barrel is shot out? Or out of the gate the tikka would need to be swapped?

 

[Turkeytider]

That’s why I laughed when you were talking about your heavy 223 awhile back, I’ve got a barrels that weighs that much

Sure is a pleasure to shoot though.

The more beer I drink and the longer I go without working out (I doubt age alone is the issue) the heavier it gets but once you learn how to leverage it with your body weight one handed maneuverability is generally possible unless you have to extend to put it down.

LOL, yeah, I can see why you found that humorous for sure! Compared to yours, my LRPV is a light weight!

 

[FuhQ]

I understand tikkas aren’t as liked here as other places. I still don’t really understand why, but Ill just say I’m not really interested in 700 style actions anymore.

There's a huge difference between a "700 footprint" and a "700 style" action... You WANT a 700 footprint based action for the convenience of finding parts, stocks, triggers, etc... But I fully agree on the 700 style (2-lug, 90º bolt, etc...) being outdated, and is something I never thought I'd shy away from as a huge 700 guy, but as time goes on, I'm considering dumping more and more of my 700's to build customs. Even the cheapest aftermarket 700 footprint actions like the Aero Solus and ARC CDG are lightyears ahead of a stock 700 action, but still have access to all the amazing plethora of accessories and parts out there. Plus, the fact you can buy reliable precision prefit barrels for them and swap them at home with just a vise and action wrench, makes it a no-brainer over a 700 or a Tikka, IMO.

 

[45-90]

The 6.5 CM is getting it done for now, so why not continue until you seriously decide if this endevor is really for you.
If I were building a seious rifle for competition, it'd be the 6 Dasher.
It's very easy to shoot and very accurate.

 

[kthomas]

There's a huge difference between a "700 footprint" and a "700 style" action... You WANT a 700 footprint based action for the convenience of finding parts, stocks, triggers, etc... But I fully agree on the 700 style (2-lug, 90º bolt, etc...) being outdated, and is something I never thought I'd shy away from as a huge 700 guy, but as time goes on, I'm considering dumping more and more of my 700's to build customs. Even the cheapest aftermarket 700 footprint actions like the Aero Solus and ARC CDG are lightyears ahead of a stock 700 action, but still have access to all the amazing plethora of accessories and parts out there. Plus, the fact you can buy reliable precision prefit barrels for them and swap them at home with just a vise and action wrench, makes it a no-brainer over a 700 or a Tikka, IMO.

In all fairness to the Tikka, there's a decent level of aftermarket support for the platform, and it's growing every day.

If you like the Tikka, there's a lot of great options for stocks and chassis. There's trigger options. There's even pre-fits for Tikkas.

And I wouldn't say 90° bolt throw and 2 lugs is necessarily "outdated". That's more a matter of preference.

 

[hlee]

Don’t buy a rifle with the idea of stripping it down and building it back up with different parts. Buy the rifle you want the first time. 6.5 creedmoor is a great cartridge. Competitive PRS guns are HEAVY.

 

[FuhQ]

And I wouldn't say 90° bolt throw and 2 lugs is necessarily "outdated". That's more a matter of preference.

It's pretty outdated, and that's coming from a lifelong 700 fan, who still owns a bunch of 700's. I first started noticing this 20 years ago when I got my first Browning A-Bolt II rifle. The 3 lug and 60º bolt throw was so fast and smooth and seemed to feed smoother and quieter. This is why they have always been my main hunting rifles since. And why I had my smith rebarrel my current one when the tube went south. A custom A-Bolt II is a hell of a shooter, even in the factory stock. And 3-lug tech has been marching along since.

 

[FuhQ]

Don’t buy a rifle with the idea of stripping it down and building it back up with different parts. Buy the rifle you want the first time. 6.5 creedmoor is a great cartridge. Competitive PRS guns are HEAVY.

Or pick your parts, and build it the way you want right out of the gate.

 

[Emerson0311]

I understand tikkas aren’t as liked here as other places. I still don’t really understand why, but Ill just say I’m not really interested in 700 style actions anymore.

I think Tikkas are seen as a step between generic factory and custom options. Most shooters here have made the jump to full on custom actions.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

First, let the Tikka waiting to be purchased be purchased by someone else. If you’re serious, build a custom using one of the many actions. BUT

Don’t buy or build ANYTHING right now.

Get yourself signed up for a good Precision Rifle Class. ESPECIALLY one that has LOANER Rifles. Shoot some, see what you really like. There you will learn the sport in a way it would take years and cost you a BUNDLE in Stuff you can’t use. This unneeded stuff that will collect dust and take up space and will be a Total WASTE of Money that you could have used to purchase equipment that you really need and will use.

We have several good instructors right here on Snipershide including @RobertB and of course our own @Lowlight. A class will save you hundreds if not thousands over the course of the your precision shooting career.

As far as rifles and actions….Yep there are customs that offer CRF and customs that offer 3-lug 60 degree bolt throws so it’s not all 700 exact copies.

Shoot what you got for a few more matches. Take a class see if this is really your cup of tea. If so, build a nice custom that will do what you need it to do and not have excess rifles and junk collecting dust and wasting your hard earned $$$

 

[AirgunnerPCP]

Shoot what you got for a few more matches. Take a class see if this is really your cup of tea. If so, build a nice custom that will do what you need it to do and not have excess rifles and junk collecting dust and wasting your hard earned $$$

The issue with advising OP to shoot what he has is it's currently a 6.5PRC. Depending on his loads, match cadence and round count that may burn up a lot of barrel life. OP mentioned that as a concern in his post and, in my opinion, it's a valid one.

 

[kthomas]

Are we talking after the factory barrel is shot out? Or out of the gate the tikka would need to be swapped?

This depends.

Tikka barrels are usually pretty accurate, but on the slower side. Depending on which model of Tikka you get, the contour may be pretty light and thus not optimal for PRS.

But hey, if that's what you can start with, don't let that stop you. Shoot it until you burn it out and get an aftermarket barrel. You can burn out a 6.5 cm barrel within a season if you hit it hard.

You seem to like Tikkas and are familiar with that ecosystem - there's nothing wrong with those actions and building up a PRS rifle around a Tikka. Most people will push back as with a Tikka you are spending a decent amount on parts that are ultimately sub-optimal for PRS, and that money could go towards a build from the ground up that's more fit-for-purpose.

You can spend ~$1000 on a Tikka in which you will be replacing all the components around the action, or put that $1000 towards a custom action. But formula also makes the assumption that you won't use the OEM barrel, which maybe you will and that helps drive it more in Tikkas favor.

There's not really any wrong answers here, just different trade-offs.

 

[Remington92]

The issue with advising OP to shoot what he has is it's currently a 6.5PRC. Depending on his loads, match cadence and round count that may burn up a lot of barrel life. OP mentioned that as a concern in his post and, in my opinion, it's a valid one.

Thanks ya id prefer not to have to rebarrel my hunting rifle as set up a competition rifle at the same time. I was too slow on the draw for a deviant rifle build in the exchange but I guess I’ll keep an eye out if something else comes up. Not opposed to spending some money if it’s worth it but also $2500 or more isn’t in the cards either.

 

[Malum Prohibitum]

You shot middle of the pack your first time competing with a PRC cartridge and a scope with a maximum magnification of 12.

I think you are probably going to do well no matter what cartridge you select.

Northwest Montana is beautiful. Where can you shoot 1430 yards there? Are there PRS competitions near you?

 

[Remington92]

You shot middle of the pack your first time competing with a PRC cartridge and a scope with a maximum magnification of 12.

I think you are probably going to do well no matter what cartridge you select.

Northwest Montana is beautiful. Where can you shoot 1430 yards there? Are there PRS competitions near you?

Low middle of the pack but ya I didn’t completely embarrass myself haha. This was also more of a club match and not anything too fancy. We’re bout an hour north of great falls.

 

[Remington92]

I see mentions of europtic having discounts for prs members. Do they still do this? And what level of membership does it require to get these? I’m eyeing either a Burris pro or zeiss s3 to go with this rifle.

 

[spife7980]

I see mentions of europtic having discounts for prs members. Do they still do this? And what level of membership does it require to get these? I’m eyeing either a Burris pro or zeiss s3 to go with this rifle.

Precision Rifle Series| Memberships Page

The Precision Rifle Series is the preeminent rifle organization in the world, structuring a yearly points race for both the PRS Pro Bolt Gun Series and the PRS Regional Series. The PRS Championship Shooting Series is synonymous with precision rifle shooting.

www.precisionrifleseries.com

Id assume it varies

 

[The Knuckle]

I didn’t read this whole thread but Pretty hard to pass up a aero solus with the current deals. If money was tight that’s your gun. Pretty much has all the desired features along with origin prefits. Your gonna spend way more getting a tikka setup.

 

[Southern Custom]

This is a few days old and I don’t know if you pulled the trigger on a gun yet, but….If a $2500 rifle is out of the cards, consider an Aero Solus 6.5 Bravo. There are quite a few available on GunBroker.com. At $1700 or so, it’s a heck of a good start and certainly not a rifle you’ll immediately outgrow or regret. It’s also easy to upgrade and add weight to it. You’ll most definitely be adding weight from the get go. You an add weight to the hollow bitt section if I’m not mistaken, as well as adding heavy parts like a the KRG heavy arca rail and bag rider.
Bear in mind you’ll reach this price or more in a heartbeat trying to build off of the stock Tikka. And while Tikka does have aftermarket support these days, it’s nothing compared to 700 footprint actions. Which is where 99% of folks will end up anyway. The options for a simple 700 footprint gun are endless. The pre-fit barrel selection for 700s means you can swap barrels on a whim if you get a barrel vise, and the bravo chassis can be quickly reconfigured for multiple purposes such as hunting or as a training rifle with a .223 barrel.
It’s never been easier to get into a rifle like this. I can afford to build what I want but I recently built a 6dasher off of a Solus action simply to see if all the hype was justified. I wasn’t disappointed.
Dead Eye Dick offered solid advice above, but if you are like me and impatient, I don’t think you can go wrong with a Solus Bravo or Solus Competition chassis gun for a bit more.
6 Years ago, with the idea of saving money, I went the route you are thinking of going but with a Bergara. When it was all over I’d spent well over the $2500 you are trying to avoid.

 

[FuhQ]

Here's 2 good places to order from. Price is about the same across the board at all the well-known reputable retailers I could find...

Aero Precision SOLUS Bravo Bolt Action Rifle 6.5 Creedmoor 22 Black

The Aero Precision Solus works to provide hunters, competitors, and shooting enthusiasts with a custom shooting experience. The Solus line was designed...

www.midwayusa.com

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/156703/aero+precision+solus+bravo+6.5cm

OR... You could get this, drop a TriggerTech Special in it, and put it in the stock or chassis of your choice, since it uses a Remington 700 footprint.

Home

DetailsThe Aero Precision SOLUS Short Action in 6.5 Creedmoor with a 22" Sendero profile barrel offers a solution for builders seeking the custom build experience without the hassle of barrel installation and head spacing. Built on a Remington 700 short action footprint, it offers broad...

www.primaryarms.com

Here's 2 groups from Friday with both of my Solus 6.5CM rifles with factory Aero barrels on them...Shooting the same exact load. I think I've cracked the code.

22" Sendero / Nosler 140 RDF @ 2,834 FPS MV



20" Sendero-Light (spiral-fluted) / Nosler 140 RDF @ 2,780 FPS MV

 

[FuhQ]

This is a few days old and I don’t know if you pulled the trigger on a gun yet, but….If a $2500 rifle is out of the cards, consider an Aero Solus 6.5 Bravo. There are quite a few available on GunBroker.com. At $1700 or so, it’s a heck of a good start and certainly not a rifle you’ll immediately outgrow or regret. It’s also easy to upgrade and add weight to it. You’ll most definitely be adding weight from the get go. You an add weight to the hollow bitt section if I’m not mistaken, as well as adding heavy parts like a the KRG heavy arca rail and bag rider.
Bear in mind you’ll reach this price or more in a heartbeat trying to build off of the stock Tikka. And while Tikka does have aftermarket support these days, it’s nothing compared to 700 footprint actions. Which is where 99% of folks will end up anyway. The options for a simple 700 footprint gun are endless. The pre-fit barrel selection for 700s means you can swap barrels on a whim if you get a barrel vise, and the bravo chassis can be quickly reconfigured for multiple purposes such as hunting or as a training rifle with a .223 barrel.
It’s never been easier to get into a rifle like this. I can afford to build what I want but I recently built a 6dasher off of a Solus action simply to see if all the hype was justified. I wasn’t disappointed.
Dead Eye Dick offered solid advice above, but if you are like me and impatient, I don’t think you can go wrong with a Solus Bravo or Solus Competition chassis gun for a bit more.
6 Years ago, with the idea of saving money, I went the route you are thinking of going but with a Bergara. When it was all over I’d spent well over the $2500 you are trying to avoid.

Just a quick correction to your post, the Solus uses the same prefits as the Zermatt Origin, not an R700. However, every company out there builds prefits for Zermatt Origin actions, so the prefit selection for the Aero Solus is nearly infinite. Also, the 6.5 CM and .223 use different bolt faces/heads, so you will need to also get a Solus .223/.300 BLK bolt head to convert your Solus 6.5CM to a .223 trainer. I think the bolt heads are like $150, so not a big deal. Just wanted to make those corrections so it didn't confuse anyone.