Building first custom rifle

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

with the bighorn you can do barrel switch quick and easy also with there bolt head it can be changed from say a mag bolt head to one for the 223 cal also. one day you can be shooting your 6.5PRC and the next do a bolt head change and barrel change and be shooting a 223 rifle all is a SA or build on there long action and stay to the longer Cals 30/60 ect to change to Actions - BigHorn ArmsBigHorn Arms

Bolt face diameter and calibers - for easy barrel swaps | The Outdoors Trader SWITCH Rifle Barrel Change - A PROOF Research Tutorial - YouTube watch these vid quick and easy

 

[snox801]

We all know the real answer is a creedmore. Come on guys!!

 

[WahooYahoo]

Here's my $.02.

From your list,
6.5 PRC
6.5-284

If you would have included the 7 SAUM, 7SS or 7 Max, I would put them first. I'd also add the 6.5 SS as a preference.
As a side note, order up your rifle today if you hope to hunt with it next year (and cross your fingers). I have another bad taste in my mouth with yet another gunsmith. I'm not gonna derail your thread, but suffice it to say that if you translate "10 weeks" in gunsmith to English it equates to "The end of the year" or somewhere between 5 and 10 months. In all of my frustration I should have just dropped $10k on tools and learned to do it myself. Good luck with your build

 

[Quintus]

Why does everyone pass on the .264 Winchester Magnum. I found it to be a nice
cartridge that was powerful and didn't have a lot of recoil.

Zeke

6.5x257Wby all that and a long neck and NORMA brass.

 

[Michael Souther]

260 rem. Ammo available great cartridges 6.5 mm is a great caliber. Love mine so building an ar10 verson.

 

[Jim Richey]

Looking at building my first custom gun, rifle will be used for primarily deer here in the south but I will take it out west for antelope/mule deer.

I really love the 260 rem cartridge so I'd like to stay in the 6.5 family but having a difficult time decideding which one.

My current list:
1. 260 terminator
2. 6.5 PRC
3. .260 REM
4. 6.5X284
5. 6.5X55 SWEEDE

Hit me with any and all suggestions yall might have. Doesn't have to stay 6.5 either thats just a happy home for me

 

[CHRIS MCBRIDE]

Not sure if stated too lazy to read all. 7mm-08 is great round. Capable of longer shot than normally will get in south unless covering a bean field. Less report than a big magnum,which I normally hunt with. Plenty knock down for deer. IMO as good or better than a lot of the 6.5 stuff. &mm gives wide range of very good bullet design and weights.

I just built a custom AR-10 in 7mm-08 and love it. well under inch at 200 yrds,almost no recoil(to me any way but then shooting 7mm mag for last 31 years) and while far from quite its lot less report than my 7 mag. Built on 80% lower, with high grade BCG and a McGowen barrel. Using La rue trigger which is way better than mil spec *** it is not optimum trigger and will be changed as soon as extra 300 bucks show up.

Regardless of what you build do not skimp on quality parts and that goes dbl for barrel and trigger. Amazing what a good clean lite trigger will do for accuracy. My AR ran me around 1000 bucks and half of that is barrel and I will be at 1200 once I get trigger I want in it. That puts barrel and trigger at 75% of cost.

 

[Jim Richey]

I too like 6.5s I have owned many 6.5 Winchester mag 6.5 Rem mag 6.5x284 260 Rem 6.5 Grendel and others I liked them all. The short comings in the 50 and 60,s was the Bullets the bullets today are much improved and ever year new ones are coming out. In the early 70,s I lived and hunted in Texas

Looking at building my first custom gun, rifle will be used for primarily deer here in the south but I will take it out west for antelope/mule deer.

I really love the 260 rem cartridge so I'd like to stay in the 6.5 family but having a difficult time decideding which one.

My current list:
1. 260 terminator
2. 6.5 PRC
3. .260 REM
4. 6.5X284
5. 6.5X55 SWEEDE

Hit me with any and all suggestions yall might have. Doesn't have to stay 6.5 either thats just a happy home for me

Looking at building my first custom gun, rifle will be used for primarily deer here in the south but I will take it out west for antelope/mule deer.

I really love the 260 rem cartridge so I'd like to stay in the 6.5 family but having a difficult time decideding which one.

My current list:
1. 260 terminator
2. 6.5 PRC
3. .260 REM
4. 6.5X284
5. 6.5X55 SWEEDE

Hit me with any and all suggestions yall might have. Doesn't have to stay 6.5 either thats just a happy home for me

 

[HRM Johnny]

I am surprised that no one has mentioned 257 Weatherby. I wanted one since I was a kid. I plan on having one soon.
Is there any reason not to suggest 257 Weatherby for deer?

 

[Jim Richey]

I too like 6.5s I have owned many 264 Winchester mag 6.5 Rem mag 6.5x284 260 Rem 6.5 Grendel and others I liked them all. The short comings in the 50 and 60,s was the Bullets the bullets today are much improved and ever year new ones are coming out. In the early 70,s I lived and hunted in Texas I shot and kill a lot whitetail deer with a 264 win mag it killed those little deer like lightning I thought I had the holy grail of rifles.Then I moved to Montana the deer in Montana are a lot bigger and harder to kill. I would shoot one it run off most I found some I nearer found no matter how much time I put in looking. I started looking for a better Bullet after three years trying the last straw I shot a nice bull elk at forty yards made a great shot but never recovered it. I looked for two days with no luck after that I had to go back to work that was the end. I had my rife re barreled to a 338 win mag end of problem I never lost another animal. Fast forward to now. There a lot of good Bullets I have killed many deer and antelope with various 6.5,s all one shot kills. The last two years I hunted with a 6.5 Grendel,the first year 100 gr Barnes ttsx this year I used 118 gr Cavity Back Bullets. Last year I got a buck and a doe both at a round 250 yds this I got a buck and a doe the buck a 300 yds the doe at 212 yds. All one shot kills. My advice pick out the 6.5 of your choice get good Bullets and have a great hunt.

 

[RYEWSKY25284]

Looking at building my first custom gun, rifle will be used for primarily deer here in the south but I will take it out west for antelope/mule deer.

I really love the 260 rem cartridge so I'd like to stay in the 6.5 family but having a difficult time decideding which one.

My current list:
1. 260 terminator
2. 6.5 PRC
3. .260 REM
4. 6.5X284
5. 6.5X55 SWEEDE

Hit me with any and all suggestions yall might have. Doesn't have to stay 6.5 either thats just a happy home for me

One thing you didn't mention was, do you prefer a shot action or long action.
Because on your list of rifles there are both.
Now I know this wasn't an option on your list, but if your only looking to shoot Deer & Antelope
I would highly recommend looking at the 25-284. It's a ballistic twin to the 25-06 but in a short action. And it knocks'm STIFF!
Having said that LA 6.5-284 -----SA 260 REM
IMHO

 

[JC in Calif]

Looking at building my first custom gun, rifle will be used for primarily deer here in the south but I will take it out west for antelope/mule deer.

I really love the 260 rem cartridge so I'd like to stay in the 6.5 family but having a difficult time decideding which one.

My current list:
1. 260 terminator
2. 6.5 PRC
3. .260 REM
4. 6.5X284
5. 6.5X55 SWEEDE

Hit me with any and all suggestions yall might have. Doesn't have to stay 6.5 either thats just a happy home for me

6.5x284 or 6.5STW

 

[Tac-O]

Looking at building my first custom gun, rifle will be used for primarily deer here in the south but I will take it out west for antelope/mule deer.

I really love the 260 rem cartridge so I'd like to stay in the 6.5 family but having a difficult time decideding which one.

My current list:
1. 260 terminator
2. 6.5 PRC
3. .260 REM
4. 6.5X284
5. 6.5X55 SWEEDE

Hit me with any and all suggestions yall might have. Doesn't have to stay 6.5 either thats just a happy home for me

.30-284

 

[Quintus]

I am surprised that no one has mentioned 257 Weatherby. I wanted one since I was a kid. I plan on having one soon.
Is there any reason not to suggest 257 Weatherby for deer?

With Lapua brass on the horizon along with all the others I would go with the 6.5PRC. Still very fun to shoot with no brake and still easy spots with a brake. Do a short action and save the weight and the length and still chuck 140 grain Accubonds at 3100FPS from a 24" barrel! All my kids started with a .260 and I love it, I for years thought the 6.5x284 Norma was the perfect case for the 6.5, but now it has gotten difficult to pry the PRC out of my hands. The only thing I like better is the .257 Wby. Low BC be d@nmed a 110 accubond at 3500FPS beats the wind and ups PBR with pure speed and all the snot knockin power you need out 600 yards. And recoil is still very manageable. What was the question again?

The 257Wby is IMHO the best pure killing too to 600 yards on game 500 pounds and under. If i was going to spend 4K on a deer gun it would have to be in the .257Wby.