New Rifle Purchase Decision

[doctorjj]

Nope,just thought the guys might be interested in what I eat.

Weird because threads on this forum always stay 100% on topic.

 

[JAYgs8163]

I'm a Oyster farmer in Arizona.

 

[yogibearmech]

Think its funny that this thread came up this morning. Just got back from the range with a CA ridgeline. Reading all these CA sucks and blah blah blah. I think it is shoot what you want. I bought a CA ridgeline for my wife in 6.5 PRC. The little gun shoots Hornady ammo either 143 ELD x or ELD m lights out. Still trying to duplicate the load. We shot this morning at 600 yards and I was shooting with my buddy who is a gunsmith and build custom guns he was shooting a custom 22 Dasher he built and I would say he did out shoot me but it is a custom 1.25 straight barrel 30 inch versus a carbon 24 inch factory. He hit about 1.5 times to my 1 and we had a blast. So I say if you like the CA try it and find a load that works and shoot the snot out of it.

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.

 

[Shortmag11]

With what you have narrowed it down to I would go with the Weatherby hands down. Fierce has way too many issues that appear to be very hard to get resolved. This has been found on several forums. I too considered one and bought a Ridgeline Ti instead. The Ridgeline did not shoot either Hornady factory ammo well. After trying several different handloads I was able to find 2 loads that shot really well but it was definitely a picky barrel.

 

[shedhunt]

I have several Brownings, Savage and Rem 700's. I'm also a lefty. Just had a Rem 700 completely redone for a custom build. However, I love my Brownings. Might be worth looking into rebarreling one of yours into the caliber you'd like. My buddy just did that with his Browning and it shoots lights out. Carbon barrel and new stock. I'm actually going to do the same with one of my Brownings, except I'm gonna keep same caliber.
There are a ton of great shooting rifles on the market, really boils down to what you want in a rifle and howuch you want to spend. Best of luck in your endeavors and hope you find what you are looking for.

 

[Janno05]

In my experience with left handed bolt actions so far (admittedly significantly less than the majority of this site, but I've owned and worked up a handful or two) my advice is this. If you want to stay under a grand, pick up a tikka in whatever caliber you want and call it a day. There might be fancier factory guns, but past a tikka I think you hit a point of diminishing returns. The next step up is to buy a custom action that allows for a factory prefit (I prefer a bighorn tl3, but they are all better than factory). I put one together with a proof barrel, triggertech diamond, and krg bravo for around two grand and it keeps up with several 5k plus dollar custom rugs at our local shoots.

 

[bamban]

Let me guess you got a 6.5 creed that shoots 1 hole groups? Lol

Just having fun.... you forgot the most important phrase... "all day long"... lol

 

[Tdubs]

Of the three you mentioned I would go with the Mark V. As has already been mentioned the Xbolts are good as well if you want to stick with Browning. My only complaint with Browning is the mags but the examples I have shot all shot great. Tikka and Sako are also great and would be my personal choice if not building a custom rifle. I love 6.5x284 Norma for what you want to do and the PRC will mimic it. It will out perform the 270 at distance. Inside 500 yards you want notice it that much. The 7 PRC might be another consideration or a 280 AI. I am a 270 fan however the creed will nearly match it with half the recoil. The creed is where the hole is in your present line up and if you are going to shoot factory ammo and just want to have fun it would be your best option based on ammo availability and price.

If I were going 6.5 Creedmoor or PRC I would probably choose the Tikka Roughtech Ember. It is a great value and if your budget is 5000. You could scope it with whatever glass you wanted which for me is the most important part of the puzzle. You could top it with a Luepold VX-5HD 3-15 and probably be at between 2500-3000 total. Or top it with a NF NX8 or S&B for around 3600.00 total (rifle & scope).
View attachment 480766View attachment 480767

good advice

 

[DoneNOut]

Just having fun.... you forgot the most important phrase... "all day long"... lol

I'm certain the gun can do it, but I am pretty much done after 60rnds...

 

[Dr. Richard Gray]

It appears to me that you already have all you need to meet your objectives with the rifles you have. Now if its just a new rifle your wanting I would perhaps recommend a .338 caliber either Weatherby Mark 5 or Browning BAR with emphasis on the BAR. Happy hunting.

 

[Raudy707]

Back in 2004 there were very few lefty rifles available. So when the Tikka T3 Lite came out in 270 wsm I went and bought one. It was $599.00. This was Gen 1 with the Tupperware stock. Man that thing drove tacks. I enjoyed shooting my first lefty so much I melted the barrel down on that 270 wsm in about 3 years. So I put an 8 twist on it in 270 wsm. Then I added a Manners stock, fluted bolt, trigger spring kit and steel magazine with long bolt throw stopper from mountain tactical. I think I put 1600 bucks into it all total with Leupold VX5 and cerakote and bedding with the gunsmith. But man does it shoot! I haven't shot a mile but 1300 yds with the Berger 170 grain EOL. It's my favorite western rifle! I have 5 more lefty's now in Weatherby, Remington and Browning. I still reach for that old Tikka. It's a solid rifle.

 

[Dean2]

Back in 2004 there were very few lefty rifles available. So when the Tikka T3 Lite came out in 270 wsm I went and bought one. It was $599.00. This was Gen 1 with the Tupperware stock. Man that thing drove tacks. I enjoyed shooting my first lefty so much I melted the barrel down on that 270 wsm in about 3 years. So I put an 8 twist on it in 270 wsm. Then I added a Manners stock, fluted bolt, trigger spring kit and steel magazine with long bolt throw stopper from mountain tactical. I think I put 1600 bucks into it all total with Leupold VX5 and cerakote and bedding with the gunsmith. But man does it shoot! I haven't shot a mile but 1300 yds with the Berger 170 grain EOL. It's my favorite western rifle! I have 5 more lefty's now in Weatherby, Remington and Browning. I still reach for that old Tikka. It's a solid rifle.

I get where you are coming from. When i was a kid there were no lh options that were affordable. The lh options there were cost 4 or 5 times what a standard Rem 700 cost. Savage was the first to come out with an affordable lh bolt in the 60s and I bought one of the first 300 Win mags they put out in lh 110C. I will always love and support Savage for what they did for us lefties. I wore out the barrels on 4 of those rifles. Their success drove Remington to start making lh guns. I bought one of the first Rem 700 BDL LH in 7 Rem Mag that came out in the mid 70s. Compared to then, left hand shooters have a tremendous range of afforable options available and I am so glad we have the variety.

 

[Raudy707]

Yessir! %

 

[UCzO___]

I have one and will not buy another. I can DIY build a rifle for what a lefty CA cost me to buy. All 3 below are DIY and cost less than 2500 without optics to build. Especially now with prices dropping or special sales, for example Greyboe Stocks has 25% off everything now. Prefit shouldered barrels were used on all of them and all shoot bug holes. It's not for everyone though.

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