6.5 Creedmoor Rifle Suggestions

[fishing4sanity]

I have friends who recently bought Bergara and Browning Hell's Canyon rifles, I've shot both of them a fair bit and was impressed with both. My son hunts with a 6.5 PRC and I'll second the above suggestion to consider that caliber. My limited exposure to Howa's has been good and that Newberg combo does look intriguing. One last opinion, if you're going Leupold check with schmalts/Predator Optics for a good deal.

 

[Brian in Montana]

I vote Tikka T3X. There are a lot of good options out there, but you can get a lot of real good gun in the T3X for the $ you're talking about - fluted barrel, stainless, etc. And they are very good shooters.

 

[JScoMN]

I have friends who recently bought Bergara and Browning Hell's Canyon rifles, I've shot both of them a fair bit and was impressed with both. My son hunts with a 6.5 PRC and I'll second the above suggestion to consider that caliber. My limited exposure to Howa's has been good and that Newberg combo does look intriguing. One last opinion, if you're going Leupold check with schmalts/Predator Optics for a good deal.

Appreciate it. Someone else already suggested schmalts and have reached out to him. Glad to know a good connection for Leupolds!

Really interested in the 6.5 PRC but it seems options for that caliber are pretty limited.

 

[JScoMN]

I have a CA Mesa in 6.5 Creed, and it is alot of rifle for the money. Cerakoted, Triggertech Trigger, a great stock all in a rifle that is just under 8lbs scoped and loaded. With the brake that is included it feels like shooting a .223. The biggest drawback vs some other options, is not having a 3-pos safety.

Combine it with a VX-5 or Nightforce SHV and you should be real close to your budget.

Any issues you’ve had with the CA? I’ve heard people don’t like their customer support and a few other complaints. However, pretty much every brand is going to have its cheerleaders and detractors.

 

[JScoMN]

I mainly whitetail hunt. Last year I used a Remington Model Seven SS in 7-08 to kill 3 bucks. A rifle with a 20" barrel is very handy and I have found all of mine to be very accurate.

All mine have Leupold VX3i scopes. 2 of them are 3.5-10x40 and one is 4.5-14x40. All of them are setting in Talley lightweight rings/bases.

Glad to hear you like the VX3i and have had success with it. Thinking I only need max 10x for this gun as it will mostly be taking shots from 30-150 yards max. Would like to get it sighted out to 400 if I can find a range nearby that has that yardage.

 

[fishing4sanity]

My son handloads for his PRC, but if you don't handload the options are much fewer than the Creedmoor. The Hornady Precision Hunter ammo for the PRC is good stuff and I believe there will be more options in the future, but not as many choices as the Creedmoor. BTW, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a good choice for what it sounds like you'll be doing and when you take up elk hunting ..... well, that's a good reason to get back into gun buying mode.

 

[JScoMN]

My son handloads for his PRC, but if you don't handload the options are much fewer than the Creedmoor. The Hornady Precision Hunter ammo for the PRC is good stuff and I believe there will be more options in the future, but not as many choices as the Creedmoor. BTW, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a good choice for what it sounds like you'll be doing and when you take up elk hunting ..... well, that's a good reason to get back into gun buying mode.

Not too worried about getting the ammo. The options for rifles in that caliber are significantly less than the Creedmoor. Most of them are out of the budget for this round.

 

[redwoood]

Another vote for the PRC.

 

[JScoMN]

Another vote for the PRC.

Do you shoot PRC? Which one?

 

[dan.kirkpatrick]

I bought a savage 116 weather warrior ss with the accu-stock and accu-trigger set at 2 lbs in 6.5 creedmore and love it for a $800 gun,,i put a vortex pst ffplane 4-16x50 scope and leopold rings and mounts and it shoots hornady 143 prcision hunters like a needle and string,,,3" groups at 250 yrds,,very little kick,,total under 2k.as of a couple years ago///id consider the 6.5 prc also,,either one can drop a elk no prob w good shot placement.though its on the low side for elk,its still very capable of elk imo.

 

[3855WIN]

Glad to hear you like the VX3i and have had success with it. Thinking I only need max 10x for this gun as it will mostly be taking shots from 30-150 yards max. Would like to get it sighted out to 400 if I can find a range nearby that has that yardage.

For 30-150 yards, may I suggest a .308 or .30-06? Plenty for big Minnesota bucks and also plenty of gun for the elk hunt way down the road. The magic of the Cripplemore is at long range, but you aren’t shooting long range.

 

[redwoood]

Do you shoot PRC? Which one?

Mine is a custom build...there weren't a lot of production rifles chambered in the PRC at the time.

The 6.5s are easy to get to shoot and the hornady ammo is inexpensive and very accurate...I shoot the 147s from hornady and my rifle shoots them so well reloading would be a waste of time.

 

[sbhooper]

Most of my rifles are re-barrels, but if I was going out to spend some money on a factory rifle and scope, I think that my choice would be a Tikka, with a Nightforce SHV with the forceplex reticle. Lots of good rifle options anymore.

Get that rifle in Creedmoor, as it is easy to shoot, easy to load for and very accurate. Factory ammo is getting very easy to find, also. If you want another rifle later, to get a bit more umpf, then that is your choice. Load the Creed with a Barnes 127 LRX, Nolser Partition, or Accubond, or 140 Hornady Interlock and you will have all you need for elk.

The PRC is a great cartridge, but it is expensive to shoot very much and brass is scarce and expensive, for now. It is also going to have a pretty short barrel life, if you shoot it a lot.

 

[sbhooper]

Mine is a custom build...there weren't a lot of production rifles chambered in the PRC at the time.

The 6.5s are easy to get to shoot and the hornady ammo is inexpensive and very accurate...I shoot the 147s from hornady and my rifle shoots them so well reloading would be a waste of time.

Agreed. I shoot the 147s, also, but mine are hand loads. I use Reloder 26 powder and run it about 2745. They are super-accurate and hammer deer just fine.

 

[HighDesertSage]

I would look at Christensen Arms, or Seekins Precision in your budget.

 

[JScoMN]

I am giving a hard look at the Browning Hell's Canyon Speed in 6.5 PRC. Little concerned about the limited ammo options but, if it is anything like the 6.5 Creedmoor, that should open up in the next year or so. I need to get into a store soon to get a real feel for the guns though.

 

[tzone]

New to the forum and looking for some help. I am looking at spending under $2k for rifle and scope. I think I have settled on 6.5 Creedmoor for the caliber and a Leupold VX-3i or VX-5HD scope. I will primarily be doing whitetail hunting from a treestand or blind but possibly some mule deer and antelope. Would like to go elk hunting in a few years but I would need (want) a another rifle. I cannot get a good read on what to do for the rifle. I've read so many reviews that my eyes are going cross. Below is what I've been leaning towards but open to any and all suggestions.

- Bergara B-14 Ridge
- Weatherby Vanguard First Lite
- Weatherby Vanguard Back Country

Appreciate the input.

I'm sure you've looked at a ton of rifles. But, give the Kimber Hunter a good look if you haven't already. Throw a VX3i CDS on there and you'll be good to go for about $1200

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Any issues you’ve had with the CA? I’ve heard people don’t like their customer support and a few other complaints. However, pretty much every brand is going to have its cheerleaders and detractors.

I wasn't, nor am currently, a huge pusher of CA, just pointing out the value I see in the one I own. Mine was kind of an impulse purchase, after being posed with an offer I couldn't refuse at a local shop. It had been sitting on the rack for a long time, after being special ordered by one of their staff. I haven't shot it a ton, but with me pulling the trigger it is capable of of sub moa with factory ammo. The best groups I have had with it were shooting Gold Medal Match 140grn SMK; which were consistently between .5-.75".

I can't speak to their customer service.

 

[JScoMN]

I wasn't, nor am currently, a huge pusher of CA, just pointing out the value I see in the one I own. Mine was kind of an impulse purchase, after being posed with an offer I couldn't refuse at a local shop. It had been sitting on the rack for a long time, after being special ordered by one of their staff. I haven't shot it a ton, but with me pulling the trigger it is capable of of sub moa with factory ammo. The best groups I have had with it were shooting Gold Medal Match 140grn SMK; which were consistently between .5-.75".

I can't speak to their customer service.

Didn't mean you were a cheerleader of the brand. Just saying every brand has its positives and negatives. Appreciate the input. Sounds like you have a great shooting gun.

 

[blueknight99]

To the credit of the posters above, the CA rifles do look cool. I handled a CA Mesa at Cabelas and it seemed nice. The trigger and feel of it all. I almost ordered the new CA Traverse but held back after reading several issues from the users regarding the bedding of the barrels and poor customer service. I thought at $2300, I would invest a bit more and get a Proof Research or something with customer service. You don't want to sink 2 grand and then run around customer service and poor handling of customers for that the things that should have been handled right the first time itself.