Advice for 6.5 PRC rifle

[SpeedymanWCC]

Hi. I want to purchase a a new rifle in 6.5 PRC. I have narrowed it down to a couple of rifles. The 2 rifles that I'm considering are the Seekings Havok PH2 and the Bergara HMR carbon wilderness. I have narrowed it down to these 2 rifles by fitting into my simple criteria of being below $2k, sub moa, 24" barrel, build quality, and perceived reputation. I know one has a carbon wrapped barrel and one doesn't. I'm not sure if the carbon wrapped barrel of the Bergara is proven technology or just a marketing gimmick. I also don't know enough about the used "custom" builds offered in the classifieds, to know if they are a better option at/above this price point. Also this rifle will be used for hunting and occasional range use to share the love of shooting with my son. My son will be using my Savage MSR Hunter in a 6.5CM. It's a much milder and adjustable platform for him to use. Thanks in advance for your advice/opinions.

 

[sable tireur]

I've known Glen Seekins for a long time. I've used many of the AR10 products he produced for high end builds. His bolt action designs are excellent, well thought out and well designed. The actions I've used for custom builds are favorites due to quality and pricing.

I had the privilege of working with Bergara when they first entered the U.S. They were having the same growing pains as every other arms company at the beginning. They have figured most of the stumbling blocks out and are fully capable of producing a fine product.

Just a couple of observations though for making decisions:

'sub-MOA' is one of those slippery terms often applied to accuracy claims which is far too general to be meaningful. We, as buyers and shooters, have had 'sub-MOA' accuracy even in factory rifles for 40 or more years. To me, it's meaningless to even make the statement without excellent clarification. Look at the non-custom rifles which actually produce .5 MOA accuracy consistently. The price point may vary though.

These days, carbon wrapped barrels are all too common and there are no guidelines for critical comparison. We all assume (yes I know about using this term) that all barrels using carbon fiber wrapping technology are significantly lighter and potentially more accurate. This is simply not true. The visual appearance of carbon fiber used in any application is a draw for most folks. If it appears to be carbon fiber, it has to be better. Find out how the barrel is made and what the carbon fiber actually contributes to the quality and accuracy of the rifle. Some use CF as window dressing to capture the attention of the under informed.

'Custom builds' can be misleading in these days of factory assembly line parts for rifles. There is a growing number of kitchen table, basement and garage wannabees who want so badly to think of themselves as a gunsmith while avoiding the quality, cost and time frame of a true custom gunsmith. Descriptions can be and often are misleading in many of the Classified Ad forums across the internet. When considering a custom build, be sure to know who built it and what their reputation for quality is before offering up your hard earned income.

Enjoy the process!

 

[Quintus]

I have the PH2 in 7mag and am impressed. The 2 bullets I load for it shoot lights out. No chamber or throat surprises, the barrel cleans easy and has the advertised twist, fit and finish are perfect, Trigger Tech trigger, optic rail from the factory and treaded for a brake or muffler. I love the stock design, even though the appearance took some getting over. Something about the look of the waffle texture on the grip and forearm just doesn't sing to me. And for what you are getting, a very good value under $2K. I will be getting at least one more for sure.

 

[SpeedymanWCC]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the Seekings. I like the Seekings bolt design and how they will re-barrel for $500. Thanks for the help and advice!

 

[cajun]

I've never seen a negative post about a seekins.

 

[SpeedymanWCC]

Btw.. thanks to everyone for not putting me on blast for calling Seekins "Seekings"..

 

[SpeedymanWCC]

I think that the Bergara carbon fiber barrel technology, if third party tested and validated, could be a great fit for PRS/competition rifles. Not necessary for my hunting/low shot count range time.

 

[bultinkle]

My bergara stopped extracting and ejecting mid Match and while bergara sent me a bolt parts kit my googling during the issue showed me it's not that rare. It was ok, but idk bad taste.


I would buy a tikka stainless lite and drop it in an eh1 (or a rokstok if you can get one)

You'll be able to get takeoff barrels for 200$ that will headspace when you burn yours

 

[Hydra6]

I think that the Bergara carbon fiber barrel technology, if third party tested and validated, could be a great fit for PRS/competition rifles. Not necessary for my hunting/low shot count range time.

PRS rifles use heaviest contours you can handle. Maybe for NRL Hunter with their weight limits.

 

[martyj]

Seekins customer service is about as good as you can get and so are there rifles in my opinion.

 

[Recon$$]

Just buy the seekins. I jumped on board with the ph1. Great rifles.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I think that the Bergara carbon fiber barrel technology, if third party tested and validated, could be a great fit for PRS/competition rifles. Not necessary for my hunting/low shot count range time.

I am of the opposite sentiment on this statement.

The lighter weight of the CF barrel is far more appealing to the hunter.
PRS/Comp rifles go through barrels a lot faster, and so a less expensive option in steel, plus the added weight for stability is more of a draw to that crowd. I don't see many, if any, CF barrels on PRS, F-class, or BR rifles. Most PRS rifles are in the 14-25# range. And very few are actually below 16#.

 

[trout004]

Has anyone had a bad experience with Seekins? How has the warranty been when you get a rifle that doesn't shoot well?

I have loaded and shot four different Seekins PH2's. Two were in 300 WM, one 300 PRC, one in 6 Creed. My friend is currently dealing with accuracy issues with his 300 WM. We tried many different loads, 3-4 different factory boxes of ammo spending hundreds of dollars and lots of time trying to get it to shoot. It was a clear 1.5 moa - 2 moa rifle. It was sent back under warranty to get checked out. I'll try to update upon its return.

I haven't seen much in regard to how well their warranty service is, so I figured that i would post here as an update All three of my rifles, the 300 WM, 300 PRC, and 6mm Creed were fairly easy to load for with whatever they are fed and they are legit 1/2 MOA rifles or better with some loads.

My friend is rightfully upset and we are hoping that Seekins doesn't treat him the way that some if the competition has been know to do (without naming names.). So far it has been just quick emails that weren't very personal and the rifle is being shipped back after a two week turnaround. They did not provide an explanation before shipping it back…

 

[Leaf Litter]

Of the two options listed, I'd buy Seekins 100/100 times. Better design, better fit and finish, better customer service and support.

Obviously for that price there are other options in the rifle world, but I won't delve into that because it's an endless discussion and Seekins would still be at or near the top after splitting the finest of hairs.

In short: Seekins