First post! Im looking to build my first PRS style rifle. My plan was to find a used Tikka T3 and have it barreled in 6cm. Put it in a krg bravo chassis (only chassis I like, I'm more of a stock kinda guy), and put an triggertech trigger in. I posted my plan on one of my fb groups and had so many different opinions that now im second guessing. One member on here said he could get me a trued 700 with a criterion barrel for 1250 with an xmark trigger. Many suggested to keep saving and go full custom. And a couple suggested I come here and look for used stuff. My original budget was 2k without glass but including Smith work, im willing to adjust that if suggested. I don't shoot competition and mainly just want to learn the art of long distance shooting. I don't want to spend the money on something I don't need but also don't want to go to cheap and regret not spending a little more. My first goal is to shoot I moa at 500 and work up to 1000. I do handload and chose 6cr because of brass availability but will consider different calibers. I like the 6 because i will be shooting suppressed instead of breaked and won't have a spotter most of the time so recoil managment is important. I am open to different calibers tho. Thanks for your help and i appreciate any feedback. What would you spend your money on in my situation?
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First PRS style rifle
- Thread starter Blmiles
- Start date
Tikka isn’t a horrible option in your stated price range. Is there a Triggertech for Tikka available? Haven’t seen that yet. There are production rifles in your price range (MPA and Badrock) but you said you prefer a stock over a chassis so those are probably out.
If GA Precision does another round of their PPR it’s a little over your price point at $2500 but a good deal for what you get. It was offered in 6 creed and 6 GT last time. I got the 6 GT and am very pleased.
You are right though, you are going to get a lot different answers, I would lean more towards the suggestions here than on FB.
If GA Precision does another round of their PPR it’s a little over your price point at $2500 but a good deal for what you get. It was offered in 6 creed and 6 GT last time. I got the 6 GT and am very pleased.
You are right though, you are going to get a lot different answers, I would lean more towards the suggestions here than on FB.
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Personally, I'd do a bighorn/zermatt origin, a prefit barrel of your choice, trigger tech primary, and KRG bravo. The Origin will be marginally more expensive than the Tikka, but you will have access to all 700 stocks/chassis and triggers, more cartridge options (swap-able bolt heads), and far more barrel options.
What would it cost to have a zermatt action with a bartlein barrel put together for 6 creed and who do y'all recommend for rifle builders
Sorry I meant triggertech for a custom build. The tikka factory trigger would probably stay if i went that route. I get around 1lbs with the yodave spring change
I know your asking for advice on a builder, so this advice isn't soliciated, but I wouldn't pay someone to screw a barrel on, especially if you are on a budget... With quality shouldered prefits available from PVA and Proof at crazy good prices there is no reason to pay someone to install a barrel for you. It's super easy, you literally screw the barrel into the action and install the trigger via two pins. It takes about 10 minutes combined to install the trigger and a shouldered barrel. No measuring involved, couldn't be easier. I believe a barreled action with a bartlien would cost in the neighborhood of $1500-1600. A prefit from proof is 480, and a prefit from PVA is 550, so you could be into a barreled action for $1305-1360 if you do it yourself. Add a trigger tech and a KRG bravo and you should be just under $2,000.
This seems like pretty solid advice, I would do the same if I were in your situation. You can always use a gunsmith if you don’t feel comfortable. Some have a price listed for putting on a prefit or just ask, especially if you are getting the action and barrel from the same place.
Shop around, be aware of lead times. Still keep an eye on the PX in the meantime. I can assure you that about 2 weeks after you finish your build or buy a barreled action, you will see a similar one on the PX for a great deal. Just how it works lol.
Couple things
1) any rifle build WILL run over the cost you expect. Whether it’s by $100 or $600, something WILL surprise you and run over. For me it was the accessories (rail, rings, bipod, brake) that added up faster than I’d budgeted.
2) $2k rifle-only is actually kind of a weird donut hole range for a budget. It’s a good bit more than you need for a low-cost build (slap a tikka in a bravo, etc) but not really enough to go custom action and have a smith barrel it for you. I’d recommend picking one direction or the other, and for someone new to long range I’d lean towards saving money on the rifle and putting it into the glass. Easier resale that way if you decide you don’t like this game, and the better glass easily moves to the next rifle if you fall in love with long range and go with a custom action build in a couple years.
1) any rifle build WILL run over the cost you expect. Whether it’s by $100 or $600, something WILL surprise you and run over. For me it was the accessories (rail, rings, bipod, brake) that added up faster than I’d budgeted.
2) $2k rifle-only is actually kind of a weird donut hole range for a budget. It’s a good bit more than you need for a low-cost build (slap a tikka in a bravo, etc) but not really enough to go custom action and have a smith barrel it for you. I’d recommend picking one direction or the other, and for someone new to long range I’d lean towards saving money on the rifle and putting it into the glass. Easier resale that way if you decide you don’t like this game, and the better glass easily moves to the next rifle if you fall in love with long range and go with a custom action build in a couple years.
Consider barrel life. You'll get more out of a 6.5 and won' see the difference between the 6 and 6.5 until you get a lot more long range trigger time in I believe.
Imagine a 6CM bartlien burning out in 800 rounds; it has happened.
I would start with a tikka or bergara and start shooting. Then take more time and research your custom build that you can do yourself.
Imagine a 6CM bartlien burning out in 800 rounds; it has happened.
I would start with a tikka or bergara and start shooting. Then take more time and research your custom build that you can do yourself.
Yup! barrel life is what still scares me from trying a 6mm. I just can't bring myself to spend $700+ on a barrel that might only last 1,000 rounds.
$2400 in stock ready to ship or you can build your own barreled action though them.
ALTUS Ready To Ship Barreled Actions
Altus Shooting is your one-stop destination for precision rifle or shooting accessories, shooting competitions and course offerings.
www.altusshooting.com
This sounds like what I'm looking for. I didn't know about the profit, thanks for that. So you would go with zermatt origin over a tenacity?
Thanks for the advice. Im not worried about resale. I've only sold a couple of guns and I've always regretted it. I've been into guns my whole life in some sort or another. I think that's what's driving me towards the custom route. I've bought all the factory guns lol. I have savages and tikkas but they are hunting rigs. This will be a dedicated lr rifle. Thanks again!
Thank you sir! I think I'll head this route. So you would go with origin over tenacity?
tl3=1250$2400 in stock ready to ship or you can build your own barreled action though them.
ALTUS Ready To Ship Barreled Actions
Altus Shooting is your one-stop destination for precision rifle or shooting accessories, shooting competitions and course offerings.
prefit proof/PVA/keystone=600
brake of choice=200
action wrench and vise=100
torque wrench=100
tt diamond=250
$2500 versus $2350
barrel in exact contour and length
trigger
and all the parts to do your own barrels changes in the future
Nice build for sure, but he is trying to keep it to $2000, including chassis/stock.
Origin saves $400 and the only real difference is not being able to potentially run AW mags. The proof prefits have a 3 month lead time, but they are only $480. A TT primary saves a couple of more bucks, and is a TT diamond vs Primary really going to be the difference between a made shot and a missed shot? I bet he could find a used brake for $100 here on the hide PX. I have a TL3 with the action wrench and vise, but if I were doing it again today, I'd go with the Origin and I wouldn't bother using an action wrench and vise. I'd get flats put on near the end of the barrel and just spin it on by hand and tighten it with a torque wrench and do some testing, you might not need as much torque as originally though... I think other members have done it successfully.
Again, plenty of good options, I'm just trying to keep the OP as close to budget as possible.
it was more so to compare the altus barreled actions to what you could get for the same dollar value
i would vote origin or new tenacity instead for sure. there's $400. TT Special and a normal brake saves another $100.
I like the CRF and mechanical ejector on the origin and TL3... But I'd also like to try a defiance one day. The TL3/Origin can pretty much reliably feed, extract and eject anything that fits in a short action. I've heard that some plunger style ejectors can have problems with short cases (6br, for example), but I haven't heard of those issues in a while so maybe it's all been worked out now? I like the swappable bolt heads on the origins/tl3, but you can get extra bolts for the defiance, but it's more expensive than a bolt head, but I would also bet it is probably more convenient to swap bolts than swap bolt heads.
I think action choice is personal, I don't think one is head and shoulders better than the other. If it were me, I'd buy the defiance, but that's just because I already have the TL3.
Some great advice here so far. Just get something built and spend time shooting!! You will be much better off the more range time you have and be sure to focus on the fundamentals. Pick up Ryan Cleckner’s book Long Range Shooting Handbook and read it. Good luck and have fun!
I'm happy with my Bergara in 6.5 Creedmoor. Picked it up on clearance at bass pro for half off MSRP. It really likes the Hornady 140 eld match box ammo
^^^ I agree. Ryan is an excellent teacher and is on YouTube for some free education if you're more of a visual learner.
I'm going to add a recommendation for Bergara. I was in the same position as you looking at the same options and after handling a Bergara HMR Pro I was sold. The only thing I didn't like was the color of the stock but a paint job took care of that.
For $1400 you are getting an American action, Triggertech trigger, nice stock with a mini chassis molded in and a helluva barrel. Barrel and action are grey cerakote. That leaves money on the top end for scope, rings, rail, bipod, brake, etc. All that stuff adds up. By the way, I added a Ultradyne break and recoil is in the .223 range with very little ground effect or blowback to the shooter. Fantastic combination.
Now here is the kicker. I'm getting .25” moa out of the box on my 6mm when I'm working hard. 50” with little effort. With Hornady Match 108 ELD. Haven't even fed it hand loads yet. You can pay a lot more money for the same accuracy and be left with less in the budget for optics. It's a heck of a lot of gun for the money. And if you are dead set on a KRG Bravo you can always switch it later. That was my plan but I've come to like the HMR Stock now that it doesn't look like black corian.
For $1400 you are getting an American action, Triggertech trigger, nice stock with a mini chassis molded in and a helluva barrel. Barrel and action are grey cerakote. That leaves money on the top end for scope, rings, rail, bipod, brake, etc. All that stuff adds up. By the way, I added a Ultradyne break and recoil is in the .223 range with very little ground effect or blowback to the shooter. Fantastic combination.
Now here is the kicker. I'm getting .25” moa out of the box on my 6mm when I'm working hard. 50” with little effort. With Hornady Match 108 ELD. Haven't even fed it hand loads yet. You can pay a lot more money for the same accuracy and be left with less in the budget for optics. It's a heck of a lot of gun for the money. And if you are dead set on a KRG Bravo you can always switch it later. That was my plan but I've come to like the HMR Stock now that it doesn't look like black corian.
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6mm Dasher Barreled action MEMORIAL WEEKEND SALE
Trued Remington 700 action. .250 recoil lug Tactical bolt knob 8-40 scope hole screws Hawk Hill 1-7.5 twist , 26" , M24 contour Threaded 5/8×24 with cap Chambered in 6mm Dasher. Cerakoted Elite blackout $1250 Please use the link below to view and purchase. Please click here to view and...
www.snipershide.com
I love my tikka for the purpose I built it for. I've built dual purpose guns and always wished I just did 2 separate. I want to leave my other guns set up as is for now any way.
I've looked at the bergaras and I like the tikka action much better. But the rest of the rifle i love. I've only held one so it may just be an unfair comparison. No one stocks tikkas and bergaras where I live.
I'm in the same boat really, if you are looking to save some money on the action, the Mack Bros action is supposed to come out sometime soon and around 600, there is a thread on it here. Takes remage barrels with one slight mod.
I chose 6.5 over 6 for projectile availability/price and barrel life. My first real build also
I chose 6.5 over 6 for projectile availability/price and barrel life. My first real build also
Good call, great round IF you roll your own.
With the better 6s (the ones that don’t burn barrels, ha), after trajectory it largely becomes a weighing of recoil reduction vs splash for long range target shooting. Top competitors typically go for the speed advantages of lower recoil; regular joes tend to favor the practical advantages of bigger splash.
Huge Tikka fan myself and I have a 6mm Creedmoor I use for competition. I also have an Origin. Given the 2, if I had to pick just 1 it would be the Origin. Reason being Zermatt's customer service is fantastic. Never had an issue with the Tikka but I'm sure dealing with Beretta won't be as fast and easy as the CS I get from Zermatt. Additionally, Tikka replacement parts are both non-existent and expensive. In the long run I don't think you save much by buying the Tikka (maybe if you find a cheap used T3 to use as a donor action. The Tenacity or Origin are at least as good, if not better than the Tikka, but they have better support.
If you don't have a precision rifle right now, the important thing is to get something and start shooting. Experience is the most important thing. All the rifles mentioned here are fantastic options.
If you have a budget of $2,000, get one of the mentioned rifles (Tikka CTR, R700 5R with a 24-inch barrel in 6.5 Creedmoor) and top it off with a Vortex PST Gen II 5-25 mil/mil scope and start shooting. All of those rifles will be sub-minute to 1,000 yards with a competent shooter behind them.
If you have a budget of $2,000, get one of the mentioned rifles (Tikka CTR, R700 5R with a 24-inch barrel in 6.5 Creedmoor) and top it off with a Vortex PST Gen II 5-25 mil/mil scope and start shooting. All of those rifles will be sub-minute to 1,000 yards with a competent shooter behind them.
Origin or lone peak if you can stretch the cash. For prefit I'd go bartlein, just got my first one after shooting others and the thing was accurate no matter what seating depth I used.
You'll need a torque and action wrench to change barrels but it's totally worth it. Go 6br, I have a gt and it started opening up after 1700ish rounds. My buddies br has about 2k and he placed around 40ish at kahles k&m match.
You can find used stuff on this site as well, just make sure to do your homework so you dont get scammed. Any reasonable seller is willing to take a photo of their ID with the item, if not I dont buy. Good luck, matches are fun and a great way to solidify your skillsets.
You'll need a torque and action wrench to change barrels but it's totally worth it. Go 6br, I have a gt and it started opening up after 1700ish rounds. My buddies br has about 2k and he placed around 40ish at kahles k&m match.
You can find used stuff on this site as well, just make sure to do your homework so you dont get scammed. Any reasonable seller is willing to take a photo of their ID with the item, if not I dont buy. Good luck, matches are fun and a great way to solidify your skillsets.
I'm not sure if I'm just not used to this sight or what but how do I get to the for sale section. I've tried just searching for sale but I figured there would be a drop down with things lime action, barrels, triggers, and such. Thanks
It's called the PX ( like Post Exchange) on here.
It has different areas of interest like Firearms, Optics, Accessories, Rimfire, Reloading and even a sub menu for lefties.
It has different areas of interest like Firearms, Optics, Accessories, Rimfire, Reloading and even a sub menu for lefties.
Defiance tenacity action ( $885.00) Bratlien Barrel from Bugholes ($355.00). KRG Bravo ($350.00). = $1590.00
6 Creed is good starter cartridge.
6 Creed is good starter cartridge.
First skip all the PRS bullshit. Thats not practical shooting. Build or buy something for the type of shooting you want to do. Decide first if you are shooting on a manicured range off a bench, out prone or in the field with a tripod. Buy the gear for the type of shooting you plan to do.
next skip the bullshit 6mm flavor of the month here today gone tommrow barrel burner and get a 6.5cm. Cheap match ammo is plentifull and its easy and cheap to reload for.
buy a factory rifle with the accessories you need ( will cost more than gun guatrenteed) and shoot the barrel out. Then you will know what you want. Bergera HMR or Tikka tac a1 are both good starting points. You wont be outshooting either for a while.
next skip the bullshit 6mm flavor of the month here today gone tommrow barrel burner and get a 6.5cm. Cheap match ammo is plentifull and its easy and cheap to reload for.
buy a factory rifle with the accessories you need ( will cost more than gun guatrenteed) and shoot the barrel out. Then you will know what you want. Bergera HMR or Tikka tac a1 are both good starting points. You wont be outshooting either for a while.
Im actually quit tech savvy so I promise I looked very hard before I posted this but I cannot find the Px section. Maybe it's because I'm new and not approved? Or maybe it's because I'm on an android? There is nothing on my menu about px or for sale
Are you navigating from here?
Or here?
The forum list is where the sub-forums are located.
Just scroll down and you'll find it.
Or here?
The forum list is where the sub-forums are located.
Just scroll down and you'll find it.
chamber/thread $300-450. missing detail here.
not many will recommend 6creed compared to the 6.5. gonna be through a barrel before you learn anything
If I was budget building I'd do a 700 and a 223 criterion barrel with good glass. Shoot it way more, learn a bunch on it. Then if I wanted I'd get a 6something and keep the 223 barreled action for a trainer, move your good glass to your 6 and swfa your trainer.
Thank you. I was looking for something low recoil since I won't have a break and no spotter and my spot doesn't have much splash. I'll probably just go 6.5
I'll be shooting on my own property so mostly just from a hill across a pasture. And I was looking at the 6mm since I'll be shooting suppressed with no spotter and not much splash. I didn't know the 6cm was such a burner but thanks for that I'll likely go with the 6.5cm. I don't really like the full chassis rifles so I'll probably skip the tac a1. I have been eyeing the tikka upr. I like a classic style stock much better tho I'm not sure how well it's made. The only chassis I like is the krg bravo.
The smaller rounds are also harder to confirm hits at range. 6.5cm is much easier to spot than most the 6mm wonder rounds.
I self spotted for a long time with an unbraked 260.
Recoil is pretty mild with any target profile barrel and It will last long enough for you to do some learning and spotting the impacts is easier.
