Help deciding on 2 builds

[hypersonic]

What I have to work with:

(1) Long action CRF Model 70 action
(1) Short action Model 700 action
(2) Flutted #3 barrels that are flutted to finish at 24". 1:8 twist

I was planning on going:

6.5 Credmoore on the SA 700
6.5-06 or 6.5-284 on LA M70....maybe 6.5x55

Thoughts or other options? I like the easy of loading for all and factory ammo and head stamped brass on 6.5-284 and CM. I have a 7saum and like idea of 6.5saum but concerned with brass availablity.

It has pretty much all be said already but I would like to add in. I like the 6.5x55 idea in a modern action and with the powder choices we have today and the long action you would be able to get more performance versus one built on a short action. The factory ammo is loaded way down so it is a loss but you hand load so no issues plus there is the nostalgia factor with a cartridge that came out well over a centaury ago. The creed would be fine in the SA one of my good friends has one and I have a 260 Rem they are both pretty much identical in performance easy to load and mild recoil. Bit of a brass availability issue here for the creed as well as factory ammo but you might not have the same problem in your area. He also has a 6.5-06 that he had built a couple of years ago and it is a really sweet cartridge excellent performance very accurate and easy to load for. No factory ammo or proper head stamped brass but no problem necking up 25-06.

I think any of your choices would work well and your daughters should be pretty happy with nice new rifles

 

[Bart B]

And just wondering Bart how many M70 actions do you see strapped to those no flutted barrels in the "winner circle" in rifle matches?

In the days when the Win 70's and Rem 700's were used to win and set records in high power match rifle events, nobody used a fluted barrel in them. They didn't want to take any chances of an otherwise very accurate barrel's results would be reduced.

Sorry, but clarify for me what your saying. Unless I am reading this incorrectly, you're saying you can take a 6.5-284, a 6.5 creedmoor, or a 6.5-06 AI, (the three cartridges that the OP was interested in) shoot a few dozen shots, so lets say 36 to 48 shots, 20 seconds apart, and not have any damage to the barrel or throat?

No, I'm not saying that. All barrels erode their throat/leade increasing its distance from the breech face. It varies from 5 to 50 shots per thousandth of an inch. My .308's eroded the rifling about 35 to 40 shots per .001"; my .264 Win Mag about 6 to 8 shots per .001".

.070" to .100" of throat erosion doesn't hurt accuracy very much. A .308 Win. erodes about that much and starting out at 1/4 MOA average for 10-shot groups at 100 yards will degrade to about 1/2 MOA after .100" of throat erosion over 4000 to 5000 rounds.