New Rifle Purchase Decision

[JAYgs8163]

What actions are you using? I built one on a RaggedHoleBarrels Hell Betty (Defiance Tenacity). Thinking about another on an anTi.

I primarily use Kelbly Atlas Tactical actions. I find the quality to be on the same level as the defiance. Kelbly just recently came out with the Atlas Lite also. The Kelbly come nitrided already as well. I used a Hell Betty also once. I usually get the Kelbly from Bullet Central or PBB. Here's another I'm just finishing up on Kelbly Atlas.

The Kelbly Atlas Tactical is a Remington 700 clone

The Kelbly Atlas Tactical is an affordable precision action with some serious up grades. Like the TG style ejector which insures proper case ejection.

www.bulletcentral.com

 

[FEENIX]

I primarily use Kelbly Atlas Tactical actions. I find the quality to be on the same level as the defiance. Kelbly just recently came out with the Atlas Lite also. The Kelbly come nitrided already as well. I used a Hell Betty also once. I usually get the Kelbly from Bullet Central or PBB. Here's another I'm just finishing up on Kelbly Atlas.

The Kelbly Atlas Tactical is a Remington 700 clone

The Kelbly Atlas Tactical is an affordable precision action with some serious up grades. Like the TG style ejector which insures proper case ejection.

www.bulletcentral.com

I considered the Kelbly on my last build but went with Anti-X instead. The Anti-X has all the features and wanted to support a made-in-Montana product/company. I think Kelbly's actions are excellent and are priced very competitively.

 

[quandary]

Its great how these threads dormant for a while explode. They become to long for the passerby to read all 128 posts, we even have some politics thrown in! As the OP I will note as mentioned on page 6 or so I have purchased and had delivered a semi-custom 300WM and "custom" 6.5PRC that is in process. Thanks to all.

Carry on.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

Personally speaking, I loved the conversation. Good shooting!!!!

 

[quandary]

Personally speaking, I loved the conversation. Good shooting!!!!

It's been fantastic. Great info for any reader. Just wanted folks to note I made purchases as noted on page 5 & 6.

 

[JAYgs8163]

Its great how these threads dormant for a while explode. They become to long for the passerby to read all 128 posts, we even have some politics thrown in! As the OP I will note as mentioned on page 6 or so I have purchased and had delivered a semi-custom 300WM and "custom" 6.5PRC that is in process. Thanks to all.

Carry on.

But too long to read the 128 posts but not too long to post #129. I see some that go way off track. This one is a good example though of being informative of taking the step to customs. DIY or having built. Thanks for starting this one!

 

[Brad Quarnberg]

I am a lefty that requires a left handed rifle. I currently have lefty Browning BARs (300WM and 270Win) and a Browning BLR (300WSM). I would like to get a lefty bolt action for long ranges on the range but that would also be a good hunting rifle.
I would use the rifle for Muleys and smaller. I am thinking 6.5 Creedmore or 6.5 PRC (although I wonder if 6.5 PRC is to much overlap with my 270win?). Generally I have always looked at rifles as a pure tool, always hit what I aim at with what I have. So this is a new direction for me.

Given the relatively low number of options I am thinking Christensen Arms Ridgeline or Ridgeline titanium, Weatherby Mark V Apex or Fierce Carbon Edge? With Fierce is there enough of a difference in performance between the Rival 2 lug action and the Triad 3 lug action that I should spec one over the other?

All thoughts are welcome on the three makers I am thinking about or others in the same price range I should consider? Ideally I would like to keep rifle and optics to no more than $5k.

To say all guns from one manufacturer are crap, or all from a certain manufacture shoot lights out is simply false. I am as passionate about my hunitng and my guns as the next person. I currently have 2 Browning xbolts and love them. I've owned many other xbolts and abolts and all shot sub moa when I did my part. My brother and his friend have also had many brownings and bought new hells canyon LR's in 2021 in 300WM. They tried their pet load from the previous 300WM's and couldn't get them to shoot moa. Sent them back to browning who said they were acceptably accurate and sent them back. My brother took his to a gunsmith that shoots competition and after looking at the throat, the gunsmith said it looked like there'd been 2000+ rounds through the barrel. He's replacing the barrel. His friend had his barrel replaced, shot the pet load and its sub .5 moa.
I am more inclined to get a gun that I like the feel and looks of, and as long as it is a shooter I'll keep it. Hence my 300WSM in a model 70 coyote outback, 270 WSM in a model 70 classic (pre FN), my 6.5 creedmore in a Tikka T3x, my Browning xbolts in 308 and 6.5 PRC: I could go on but won't.
I love guns with a short bolt lift so Browning and Tikka are always guns I'll look at. I recently purchased a Tikka T3x in 7mm (new) and ordered a 7mm PRC barrel for it. In my experience, Tikka's don't feed belted mag cartridges very well (get hung up on the belt when coming out of the mag.
Decide what features you want, then look at manufactures that have those and sub moa guarentees and buy what feels right to you... BTW for the money you're talking, you should look at the gunwerks werkman.
My 2 cents

 

[quandary]

By the way if anyone wants a rifle/optics combo around that 5K mark I am very happy with the semi-custom Tikka based build out of J&A Outdoors. Wes is a great guy to work with. I really like the Mesa Precision Arms pre-fit Tikka carbon stock and of course the Proof pre-fit barrel is great. Then depending on the other options you add your looking at $2,800 to $3,200. Add a Zeiss V6 or Swarovski Z5 and you are right around 5K for a great hunting rifle.

 

[blvette75]

I spent quite a bit of time looking at and contemplating a Weatherby. They weren't quite what I wanted. In the end the simply having built exactly what I wanted seemed the way to go.

Yep had to do the same a few years ago, if I was spending the money get exactly what I wanted.

 

[jeffstone1960]

I own three of every gun made. Sheesh! People can make unqualified statements on here ALL day long! Tired of pointless, undocumented, unsupported opinions. If you think long and hard I'm sure you either have a friend (Or they have a friend) well versed in guns, or a great gun shop that will give you good recommendations. You just don't know who you're talking to here. Let's see a pic of those three guns! Oh, and if this gets me knocked off this site, I DON'T CARE!

 

[JAYgs8163]

I own three of every gun made. Sheesh! People can make unqualified statements on here ALL day long! Tired of pointless, undocumented, unsupported opinions. If you think long and hard I'm sure you either have a friend (Or they have a friend) well versed in guns, or a great gun shop that will give you good recommendations. You just don't know who you're talking to here. Let's see a pic of those three guns! Oh, and if this gets me knocked off this site, I DON'T CARE!

Nice opinion you have! This is going to get good.

 

[Mark37082]

I own three of every gun made. Sheesh! People can make unqualified statements on here ALL day long! Tired of pointless, undocumented, unsupported opinions. If you think long and hard I'm sure you either have a friend (Or they have a friend) well versed in guns, or a great gun shop that will give you good recommendations. You just don't know who you're talking to here. Let's see a pic of those three guns! Oh, and if this gets me knocked off this site, I DON'T CARE!

Wow! I would say welcome, but I'm hesitant. There are a large number of well respected and very experienced members here. Sure there are unsupported opinions, but I have generally found out who is genuine and who just likes to stir the pot. Don't get your britches in a wad over someone's post.

 

[Raudy707]

What are you actually talking about Jeffstone? You have 3 guns or have every gun made? Does who have a picture of what guns? Do we want to see your guns? I'm not understanding what you're unhappy about?

 

[Stk]

I own three of every gun made. Sheesh! People can make unqualified statements on here ALL day long! Tired of pointless, undocumented, unsupported opinions. If you think long and hard I'm sure you either have a friend (Or they have a friend) well versed in guns, or a great gun shop that will give you good recommendations. You just don't know who you're talking to here. Let's see a pic of those three guns! Oh, and if this gets me knocked off this site, I DON'T CARE!