1000 yard 6.5 under $1000 - Page 2

ndking1126 · July 24, 2018, 02:21 PM

Brando, let me mirror what others are saying. For distance, you need to up your scope. Can be it done for cheap? Possibly, but as good as rifles are these days, I'd recommend you spend at least half of your budget on the scope. It's a very common mistake for people to not budget enough for the scope and spend more than necessary on the rifle. (At least in my opinion that is a mistake.)

If my goal was 1,000 yards for $1,000 the obvious choice of rifle would be the 12FV from Cabelas https://www.cabelas.com/product/SAVA...4.uts?slotId=0. Spend about $125 on rings and mounts and then the remaining $450 on the scope.

I do think the 6.5 is the obvious choice over the .308.

Brando1992 · July 26, 2018, 12:52 AM

Sorry I haven't been very responsive. But I wanted to thank everyone for their contributions and explain my decisions some more.

With the budget I had I really ended up narrowing my rifle choices down to a savage (cabelas or dicks sporting goods specials), a Ruger american predator or the Howa 1500.

The price points where along the lines of:

RAP:$400
Savage: $450-550 (there where a few other models i considered within a close pricepoint)
Howa: $675

The most common thing I found with the rifles listed was that EVENTUALLY I would want to upgrade the stocks. Boyds has some good stocks that sell for $150-200 and I found myself wanting the boyd at one stock system for whatever gun I decided on. Even if it meant buying it way down the road. So in the long game the stock brought the Ruger to to about $600, brought the savages up to $650-700.

After considering the at one stock vs the chassis style stock a $75 difference became a no brainer.

Aside from the stock/chassis, howa has a reputation for quality rifles, incredible barrels and a great trigger. The trigger is a 2 stage trigger which is great for me, I am a glock shooter and the staging and then release is very familiar to me and will(hopefully) make for a smooth transition over to long range precision shooting.

I know this used up a lot of my overall budget for the gun not leaving much to be spent on a scope.

The scope I decided on is a great "filler" it has great reviews and has been tested out to 1000 yards from multiple trustworthy sources. I have had amazing luck with primary arms products so I am very excited to put their $200 scope to the test. I would love to be able to spend $700 on a scope but unfortunately thats just not an option right now. With any luck the PA scope will let me get my feet wet in precision shooting and maybe i can upgrade in the near future.

Once again thank you all for the help in deciding which to purchase! Also the howa AB arms 6.5 is still on sale for $675 it will be a hard price to beat! jump on it if you are interested in a 6.5 chassis gun for the cost of most chassis!

Road_Clam · July 26, 2018, 06:51 AM

You will never truly tap your barrel potential until you embark into handloading. You will probably find some excellent factory match ammo as Hornady makes 120, 140, and 147 ELD match but there is even more accuracy to be had by precision handloading so think about investing in handloading prior to adding future expensive add-ons.

armednfree · July 26, 2018, 10:16 AM

Why 6.5? Why not 6mm.

Bfglowkey · July 26, 2018, 11:15 AM

Road_Clam- OP mentioned he will reload for his rifle. I agree 100% that to unleash full accuracy that handloads are a must. Invest in good brass might be a good idea

6mm Creedmoor is indeed a great round to get to 1000. I also feel that there might be more room for growth with the 6.5 Creedmoor if longer ranges become desired. I have both and up to 1000 the 6mm is easily every bit as capable and in some ways easier to repeat shots quickly with it's reduced recoil. But once I go past 1k I find 6.5 to be the tool for the job and while 6 would no doubt get me there it's big brother is my go to.

ninosdemente · July 26, 2018, 11:49 AM

Brando1992, can you provide a link where you purchased yours? I am interested in a 6.5. I had started a thread for recommended heavy barrel... received many great options some were the RPR, Tikka, Bergara, Savage... although nice... I decided not to spend a lot in a rifle alone. My budget is $1200 (rifle, scope, rings), which I was going to spend $1200 on a rifle and was really eyeing the RPR.

After much thought.... I am not going with that Rifle. Maybe one day, but not this year. But am interested in a similar chasis as the RPR and if I spend on a chasis alone... then I will end up spending more.

std7mag · July 26, 2018, 01:55 PM

And after reading your decision and reason, i'm still left wondering which rifle you picked. ??

Am i reading you right, in that your looking favorably at the Howa because it has a trigger like a Glock???
You really need to shoot some good guns!! Shoot a 1911, then tell me how the Glock trigger feels.

Bfglowkey · July 26, 2018, 02:13 PM

If his muscle memory is attuned to a Glock and the Howa is similar then I would chance that his fundamentals will come easier as he is getting some range time with his new rifle? Just a thought. I am not too much I to pistols as my arthritis keeps my grip strength and confidence in that grip good enough to shoot pistols properly for more then a few rounds. Lucky I prefer the rifle anyway

std7mag · July 26, 2018, 04:58 PM

Point is, do you prefer a 6 lb trigger pull with no feel, or a light crisp trigger, especially for long range work?

Road_Clam · July 26, 2018, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by armednfree

Why 6.5? Why not 6mm.

6mm's are well know for "barrel burners". They are the choice for competition but as little as 1500 rounds and the throat is burned out.

RC20 · July 26, 2018, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Why 6.5? Why not 6mm.

6mm? Why not 6.5?

Dang I could have sworn OP asked about 6.5.

Now I think 308 is the best but he did not ask.

precision_shooter · July 27, 2018, 10:07 AM

Y’all people wear me out!
Q: What kind of 18” barrel should I buy?
TFL A: Buy a 16” barrel, Buy a 20” barrel...

Q: I plan to buy either a Remington or Savage. Between the two, which would you pick and why?
TFL A: Id look for a Browning, cuz I had one 30 years ago and it was great...

You know what they say about opinions...
Not saying I’m not guilty of this, but I at least usually acknowledge the original question before giving an answer/opinion that wasn’t asked.

gshayd · July 27, 2018, 07:37 PM

I purchased two Ruger American Predators which were on sale, one in 6mm and one in 6.5 mm Creedmoore. Ordered two MDT LSS Chassis Systems for them. Ordered two Athlon Argos 6-34x56. finished them off with two Luth AR MBA 4 Carbine stocks. Works for me.

The Ruger Predators as is are no slouches. Bought a MagPul for the chassis. It didn't fit at first. A little file work and it fit. There was a little ridge/hump at the top of the lip the MDT Chassis did not like.

Duzell · August 6, 2018, 03:40 PM

the howa game king comes to mind
pic it up with a ok scope [nikko sterling]

I have one in 308 and they are a very accurate rifle out of the box, most new ones also come with the magazine system

610$ usd out the door is hard to beat for its performance/cost

Bfglowkey · August 7, 2018, 05:09 AM

The RAPs are a very solid gem once you ditch the stock. They can shoot decent as is but once you put it into a solid base it shines.

BeeShooter · August 21, 2018, 05:12 PM

I've built a few rifles and I honestly don't think you can acquire a good 1000yd. rifle for under a $1000 dollars (new). but if I were to attempt to build one I'd probably start with a Savage Long Range Precision in the 6.5 Creed caliber. You may have to change the barrel and in this case I'd look at McGowan drop-in.Vortex 6.5x20x50mm, with the standard Vortex rings @ $20 a piece, would be a good start. Start out with Honady's competition series FL dies and bushings. Note: the 26 in barrel will give you the best control on your MV. also don't try to re-invent the wheel keep it simple and clean. You'll be surprised just how tight a group you can shoot at 300 yds with this and still keep your MV close.

DJudge · August 23, 2018, 09:19 AM

Just recently gotten bitten by the long range bug and am considering a Howa 1500 6.5 Creedmoor 24" heavy barreled action, Bell and Carlson M40 stock, Burris 25MOA 1 piece base with SWFA SS scope and rings. Looking at some of the online calculators it should be capable of 1,000+ yards and/or much further than I am currently capable of pushing it.

Road_Clam · August 24, 2018, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJudge

Just recently gotten bitten by the long range bug and am considering a Howa 1500 6.5 Creedmoor 24" heavy barreled action, Bell and Carlson M40 stock, Burris 25MOA 1 piece base with SWFA SS scope and rings. Looking at some of the online calculators it should be capable of 1,000+ yards and/or much further than I am currently capable of pushing it.

Excellent rifle selection. I've shot 1K a few times (no expert) and I've used my 300 Win Mag and my .243. Both rifles were R700's with a precision aftermarket stock, and a good quality 8-32x optic.

Tad_T · August 24, 2018, 08:38 PM

I went with the Bergara HMR-14.

This was the first ever group that I shot from it at 500 yards. This is a 10”x10” steel plate. I was shooting Hornady 140gr American Gunner.

I had a 8 mph crosswind from about 10:30. My math told me to go 8 clicks left and 18 clicks up. I wrote in my dope book that I should have went 19 clicks up.

I am happy with my choice. I hope everyone else is just as happy with theirs.

July 26, 2018, 12:52 AM	#27
Brando1992 Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2015 Location: Dallas Texas Posts: 268	Sorry I haven't been very responsive. But I wanted to thank everyone for their contributions and explain my decisions some more. With the budget I had I really ended up narrowing my rifle choices down to a savage (cabelas or dicks sporting goods specials), a Ruger american predator or the Howa 1500. The price points where along the lines of: RAP:$400 Savage: $450-550 (there where a few other models i considered within a close pricepoint) Howa: $675 The most common thing I found with the rifles listed was that EVENTUALLY I would want to upgrade the stocks. Boyds has some good stocks that sell for $150-200 and I found myself wanting the boyd at one stock system for whatever gun I decided on. Even if it meant buying it way down the road. So in the long game the stock brought the Ruger to to about $600, brought the savages up to $650-700. After considering the at one stock vs the chassis style stock a $75 difference became a no brainer. Aside from the stock/chassis, howa has a reputation for quality rifles, incredible barrels and a great trigger. The trigger is a 2 stage trigger which is great for me, I am a glock shooter and the staging and then release is very familiar to me and will(hopefully) make for a smooth transition over to long range precision shooting. I know this used up a lot of my overall budget for the gun not leaving much to be spent on a scope. The scope I decided on is a great "filler" it has great reviews and has been tested out to 1000 yards from multiple trustworthy sources. I have had amazing luck with primary arms products so I am very excited to put their $200 scope to the test. I would love to be able to spend $700 on a scope but unfortunately thats just not an option right now. With any luck the PA scope will let me get my feet wet in precision shooting and maybe i can upgrade in the near future. Once again thank you all for the help in deciding which to purchase! Also the howa AB arms 6.5 is still on sale for $675 it will be a hard price to beat! jump on it if you are interested in a 6.5 chassis gun for the cost of most chassis! __________________ Frequently asked Questions: Q:First gun purchase, what should I buy? A: Get training and go rent all of them and buy what fits your hands. Q:What upgrades should I get for my gun? A: None, just buy ammo and training. Q:Are you using sarcasm? A: Is the Pope Catholic?

July 26, 2018, 06:51 AM	#28
Road_Clam Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2013 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 1,695	You will never truly tap your barrel potential until you embark into handloading. You will probably find some excellent factory match ammo as Hornady makes 120, 140, and 147 ELD match but there is even more accuracy to be had by precision handloading so think about investing in handloading prior to adding future expensive add-ons. __________________ "To be old an wise you must have been young and stupid"

July 26, 2018, 01:55 PM	#32
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	And after reading your decision and reason, i'm still left wondering which rifle you picked. ?? Am i reading you right, in that your looking favorably at the Howa because it has a trigger like a Glock??? You really need to shoot some good guns!! Shoot a 1911, then tell me how the Glock trigger feels. __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope...

July 26, 2018, 04:58 PM	#34
std7mag Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2013 Location: Central Taxylvania.. Posts: 3,609	Point is, do you prefer a 6 lb trigger pull with no feel, or a light crisp trigger, especially for long range work? __________________ When our own government declares itself as "tyrannical", where does that leave us??!! "Januarary 6th insurrection". Funny, I didn't see a single piece of rope...

July 27, 2018, 10:07 AM	#37
precision_shooter Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 2,475	Y’all people wear me out! Q: What kind of 18” barrel should I buy? TFL A: Buy a 16” barrel, Buy a 20” barrel... Q: I plan to buy either a Remington or Savage. Between the two, which would you pick and why? TFL A: Id look for a Browning, cuz I had one 30 years ago and it was great... You know what they say about opinions... Not saying I’m not guilty of this, but I at least usually acknowledge the original question before giving an answer/opinion that wasn’t asked. __________________ "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes...Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." - Thomas Jefferson, 1776

July 24, 2018, 02:21 PM	#26
ndking1126 Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2008 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 1,932	Brando, let me mirror what others are saying. For distance, you need to up your scope. Can be it done for cheap? Possibly, but as good as rifles are these days, I'd recommend you spend at least half of your budget on the scope. It's a very common mistake for people to not budget enough for the scope and spend more than necessary on the rifle. (At least in my opinion that is a mistake.) If my goal was 1,000 yards for $1,000 the obvious choice of rifle would be the 12FV from Cabelas https://www.cabelas.com/product/SAVA...4.uts?slotId=0. Spend about $125 on rings and mounts and then the remaining $450 on the scope. I do think the 6.5 is the obvious choice over the .308.

July 26, 2018, 10:16 AM	#29
armednfree Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2016 Posts: 211	Why 6.5? Why not 6mm.

July 26, 2018, 11:15 AM	#30
Bfglowkey Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2018 Posts: 302	Road_Clam- OP mentioned he will reload for his rifle. I agree 100% that to unleash full accuracy that handloads are a must. Invest in good brass might be a good idea 6mm Creedmoor is indeed a great round to get to 1000. I also feel that there might be more room for growth with the 6.5 Creedmoor if longer ranges become desired. I have both and up to 1000 the 6mm is easily every bit as capable and in some ways easier to repeat shots quickly with it's reduced recoil. But once I go past 1k I find 6.5 to be the tool for the job and while 6 would no doubt get me there it's big brother is my go to.

July 26, 2018, 11:49 AM	#31
ninosdemente Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2017 Location: Northwest Indiana Posts: 831	Brando1992, can you provide a link where you purchased yours? I am interested in a 6.5. I had started a thread for recommended heavy barrel... received many great options some were the RPR, Tikka, Bergara, Savage... although nice... I decided not to spend a lot in a rifle alone. My budget is $1200 (rifle, scope, rings), which I was going to spend $1200 on a rifle and was really eyeing the RPR. After much thought.... I am not going with that Rifle. Maybe one day, but not this year. But am interested in a similar chasis as the RPR and if I spend on a chasis alone... then I will end up spending more.

July 26, 2018, 02:13 PM	#33
Bfglowkey Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2018 Posts: 302	If his muscle memory is attuned to a Glock and the Howa is similar then I would chance that his fundamentals will come easier as he is getting some range time with his new rifle? Just a thought. I am not too much I to pistols as my arthritis keeps my grip strength and confidence in that grip good enough to shoot pistols properly for more then a few rounds. Lucky I prefer the rifle anyway

July 27, 2018, 07:37 PM	#38
gshayd Senior Member Join Date: May 14, 2017 Posts: 123	I purchased two Ruger American Predators which were on sale, one in 6mm and one in 6.5 mm Creedmoore. Ordered two MDT LSS Chassis Systems for them. Ordered two Athlon Argos 6-34x56. finished them off with two Luth AR MBA 4 Carbine stocks. Works for me. The Ruger Predators as is are no slouches. Bought a MagPul for the chassis. It didn't fit at first. A little file work and it fit. There was a little ridge/hump at the top of the lip the MDT Chassis did not like. Last edited by gshayd; July 27, 2018 at 07:56 PM.

August 6, 2018, 03:40 PM	#39
Duzell Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2011 Location: Monterey Posts: 803	the howa game king comes to mind pic it up with a ok scope [nikko sterling] I have one in 308 and they are a very accurate rifle out of the box, most new ones also come with the magazine system 610$ usd out the door is hard to beat for its performance/cost __________________ Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism. -GW

August 7, 2018, 05:09 AM	#40
Bfglowkey Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2018 Posts: 302	The RAPs are a very solid gem once you ditch the stock. They can shoot decent as is but once you put it into a solid base it shines.

August 21, 2018, 05:12 PM	#41
BeeShooter Member Join Date: August 24, 2016 Posts: 85	I've built a few rifles and I honestly don't think you can acquire a good 1000yd. rifle for under a $1000 dollars (new). but if I were to attempt to build one I'd probably start with a Savage Long Range Precision in the 6.5 Creed caliber. You may have to change the barrel and in this case I'd look at McGowan drop-in.Vortex 6.5x20x50mm, with the standard Vortex rings @ $20 a piece, would be a good start. Start out with Honady's competition series FL dies and bushings. Note: the 26 in barrel will give you the best control on your MV. also don't try to re-invent the wheel keep it simple and clean. You'll be surprised just how tight a group you can shoot at 300 yds with this and still keep your MV close.

August 23, 2018, 09:19 AM	#42
DJudge Junior Member Join Date: August 22, 2018 Posts: 4	Just recently gotten bitten by the long range bug and am considering a Howa 1500 6.5 Creedmoor 24" heavy barreled action, Bell and Carlson M40 stock, Burris 25MOA 1 piece base with SWFA SS scope and rings. Looking at some of the online calculators it should be capable of 1,000+ yards and/or much further than I am currently capable of pushing it.

August 24, 2018, 08:38 PM	#44
Tad_T Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2012 Location: Idaho Posts: 231	I went with the Bergara HMR-14. This was the first ever group that I shot from it at 500 yards. This is a 10”x10” steel plate. I was shooting Hornady 140gr American Gunner. I had a 8 mph crosswind from about 10:30. My math told me to go 8 clicks left and 18 clicks up. I wrote in my dope book that I should have went 19 clicks up. I am happy with my choice. I hope everyone else is just as happy with theirs.