Which action for build

JTCWCES

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 26, 2014
86
7
Cullman Al.
B.A.T Tactical or Defiance Deviant Tactical???

Have a 6MM Hawk Hill blank and looking to put together my first from start to finish, any information either way helps, thanks in advance...
 
I'm a big proponent of the 6 Dasher, most of the top PRS guys in our neck of the woods have gone that way. Lots of posts on Dasher vs Creed vs 6x47 etc so I wont rehash that. I will say that if you are thinking of going 6 Dasher, the Bighorn TL3 would be at the top of my list for actions.

Bighorn TL-3, MPA chassis, and 6 Dasher is about as foolproof of a PRS combo as you can go with. Don't really even need a "custom build" to do that. Just buy a TL3 and all the parts then order a shouldered barrel from PVA. Bolt it all together yourself and you're good to go.

If you're set on one of the two actions in your post, I'd lead towards the Defiance. I know it will run the Dasher fine too.
 
6 Dasher on a Bighorn would be killer.

I wouldn't do a Dasher on a Deviant after shooting a friends 6x47 on one. Plunger ejectors can kinda suck for short stubby cartridges.
 
I use a bighorn TL3 and am heavily invested in 6 creed. Part of me wishes I would of went 6 dasher instead. I wanted the creed so I would have a cheaper brass source "Hornady" but I've yet to shoot anything other than Lapua.

No regrets of going TL3.
 
if i were going to buy a brand new receiver and bolt assembly it would need a few features in key areas. number 1 is integral recoil lugs. washers were first used by remington i believe and it was for cheap mass production and is an improper way to build a precision gun imo. practically it makes little difference but just thinking that the piece of metal that stops the receiver is a completely separate part from the receiver itself makes me cringe if the gun is meant for better than minute of deer. after that i like mechanical ejection, plungers will always upset the cartridge in the chamber even if it is slight and that cant be a good thing. after that, integral scope rails, receivers with these are alot stronger. and after that it is not about features but the type of metal it is made of and how strong the design is and stuff like mag cuts etc. i like the design of the big horn tl3 the most. the mausingfield is almost quite there but i am sure the non flat locking lugs is a gimmick and going to cause more trouble than good. i am wondering how they get rid of the vicious bolt lift because the bolt needs to climb a ramp to lock and unlock
 
if i were going to buy a brand new receiver and bolt assembly it would need a few features in key areas. number 1 is integral recoil lugs.
Not sure where you are getting your misinformation/opinion from, but...

The reason the Bighorn Actions went from a traditional pinned recoil lug to an integrated recoil lug was to drop into R700 stock inlets. It was not about strength in any way, shape or form. Simply about fit.

the mausingfield is almost quite there but i am sure the non flat locking lugs is a gimmick and going to cause more trouble than good. i am wondering how they get rid of the vicious bolt lift because the bolt needs to climb a ramp to lock and unlock
Again, where are you getting this shit from? Mausingfield, vicious bolt lift????

Have you ever actually seen or used any of these actions?

 
Not sure where you are getting your misinformation/opinion from, but...

The reason the Bighorn Actions went from a traditional pinned recoil lug to an integrated recoil lug was to drop into R700 stock inlets. It was not about strength in any way, shape or form. Simply about fit.

Again, where are you getting this shit from? Mausingfield, vicious bolt lift????

Have you ever actually seen or used any of these actions?

it might have been because of something else but the result is still the same. i havent seen any, but on any other bolt of it needs climb a ramp and move forward to lock and unlock then you are going to have bolt life problems.

it is like on some mauser actions that aren't heat treated good when you load high pressure ammo it will set back the lugs in the receiver, and the bolt will have to climb a ramp and move forward before it can open. terrible if the head space is too tight
 
Umm. I'd like to see a picture of an M5 with lug setback. Not even comparable to ordnance steel heat treated to 30-35HRC. Immensely better materials, heat treats, and properties. I've run some stout loads in my M5-- if someone set back lugs with theirs....... Doing it VERY wrong.
 

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A few years ago I remember reading that BAT had metallurgy problems, galling lugs, so one had to keep the lugs greased well. Not enough dissimilarity between bolt lugs and action, something along those lines. That's what steered me away. Since then they probably fixed it???

Then when the Deviant came out the tolerances were so close you could hardly move the bolt forward without it binding. That's been fixed.

TL3 had some ignition problems here and there so people needed to use thinner cupped primers.

Tempest, trigger hangers, etc...

Mausingfield has a slightly heavier bolt lift but is certainly not bad by any means. I have always run stiffish loads and no problems at all with the lugs. Man does it feed and extract well. In fact I love that action!

Always liked Surgeon.

It's hard to be perfect when you're an action....
 
Choices given, I'd run with the Bighorn. I own a 591 and was just in the position of choosing between a Defiance and Bighorn for a new build. After messing with both of them, I went with the Bighorn. Not a damn thing wrong with the Defiance, they make great actions and they are great people, and I will own one of them in the near future. I just liked the mechanical extraction, CRF, and "bayonet" style bolt shroud. Not that I disassemble my bolt all that often, but damn is it easy to do with this action. The most significant determining factor for going with the BH is being able to swap bolt heads for 125.00/head as opposed to buying a whole new bolt for 400.00/bolt because I want to make this a switch barrel rig with .223 and 300WSM.

These are first world problems, so enjoy the hell out of them!